Methods and systems for routing signalong messages to the same destination over different routes using message origination information associated with non-adjacent signaling nodes

• US 7,088,728 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Eichler, Todd, Delaney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US10/345,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 370/410, 370/419, 370/401, 370/469, 370/225, 370/229, 370/230, 370/252, 370/385, 370/352, 370/426, 370/237, 370/238, 370/395.31, 370/465, 370/351, 370/353, 370/392, 370/400, 370/406, 370/422, 373/112, 373/219, 379/229, 379/230, 379/220.01, 379/221.09, 379/221.1, 379/221.12, 379/231, 455/446
• US Class Current: 370/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

Methods and systems for associating a plurality of different routes with the same destination and for routing signaling messages to the destination based on originating information associated with non-adjacent signaling nodes are disclosed. A routing database in a signal transfer point includes multiple routes to the same destination. The routes are distinguishable from each other in the routing database using message origination information associated with signaling nodes that are not adjacent to the signal transfer point. When a signaling message is received, origination and destination information in the signaling message are used in combination to select among multiple routes to a destination having a network address corresponding to the destination information in the signaling message. The signaling message is then routed over the route selected using the originating information. The selected route may be a high-speed route used to provide a particular quality of service.

Claims

1. A network routing node for routing a signaling message via one of a plurality of different routes to the same destination based on origination information associated with the signaling message and independently of source node location, the network node comprising:

(a) a signaling link interface module for receiving a signaling message originating from a signaling node that is not adjacent to the network routing node;

(b) a routing database associated with the signaling link interface module, the routing database including a plurality of different routes to the destination identified by destination information in the signaling message, the routes being distinguishable from each other in the routing database using origination information associated with a plurality of non-adjacent signaling nodes; and

(c) a routing function associated with the routing database for using origination information associated with the signaling message to select one of the plurality of signaling routes for routing the signaling message to the destination identified by the destination information based on the non-adjacent node origination information in the routing database.

2. The network node of claim 1 wherein the signaling link interface module comprises a signaling system 7 (SS7) signaling link interface module.

3. The network node of claim 1 wherein the signaling link interface module comprises an SS7-over-Internet protocol (IP) signaling link interface module.

4. The network node of claim 1 wherein the signaling message comprises an SS7 message signaling unit.

5. The network node of claim 1 wherein the signaling message comprises an SS7 over IP signaling message including an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) SS7 adaptation layer.

6. The network node of claim 1 wherein each of the routes to the destination in the routing database are identifiable by a combination of an SS7 originating point code and an SS7 destination point code.

7. The network node of claim 6 wherein the routing function is adapted to extract an originating point code from a message transfer part (MTP) routing label of the signaling message and to compare the originating point code to originating point codes in the routing database.

8. The network node of claim 6 wherein the routing function is adapted to extract an originating point code from a signaling connection control part (SCCP) calling party address parameter in the signaling message and to compare originating point code to originating point codes in the routing database.

9. The network routing node of claim 1 wherein each of the routes to the destination in the routing database is identifiable by a combination of a source and a destination IP address.

10. The network node of claim 1 wherein the routing function is adapted to route the signaling message to the selected destination without converting the origination or destination information in the signaling message.

11. The network node of claim 1 wherein the selected route comprises a high-speed route to the destination.

12. The network node of claim 11 comprising an accounting module coupled to the signaling link interface module for recording accounting information for messages sent over the high-speed route.

13. The network routing node of claim 1 wherein the signaling link interface module, the routing function, and the routing database are components of an SS7 signal transfer point (STP).

14. A method for selecting among signaling routes to the same destination, the method comprising:

(a) maintaining a routing database in a network routing node;

(b) provisioning, in the routing database, a plurality of different routes to the a destination;

(c) in the routing database, separately identifying the routes to the destination using origination information identifying nodes that are not adjacent to the routing node;

(d) receiving a signaling message originating from one of the nodes, the signaling message including origination information identifying one of the nodes and destination information;

(e) using the destination information in combination with the origination information to select one of the routes to the destination in the routing database; and

(f) transmitting the message to the destination using the selected signaling route.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein provisioning a plurality of routes to the same destination includes provisioning a plurality of routes to the same destination point code.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein separately identifying the routes to the destination using message origination information includes separately identifying the routes using originating point codes.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling system 7 (SS7) signaling message.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving an SS7 over IP signaling message including Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) SS7 adaptation layer.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein using the destination information in combination with the origination information to select a route includes selecting a route from the routing database using a combination of an originating point code and a destination point code extracted from the signaling message.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the routes to the destination in the routing database is identifiable by a combination of a source IP address and a destination IP address and wherein using the destination information in combination with the origination information to select a route includes selecting a route from the routing database using a combination of a source and a destination IP address extracted from the signaling message.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein using an originating point code extracted from the signaling message includes using an originating point code extracted from a message transfer part (MTP) routing label of the signaling message.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein using an originating point code extracted from the signaling message includes using an originating point code extracted from an SCCP calling party address of the signaling message.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein using the destination information in combination with the origination information to select one of the routes to the destination includes selecting the route without converting the origination or destination information in the signaling message.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein using the destination information in combination with the origination information includes selecting a high-speed route from a group of routes including high- and low-speed routes based on the origination information.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising generating an accounting record for each message sent over the high-speed route.

33. The method of claim 14 wherein using the destination information in combination with the origination information includes selecting a high quality of service route from a group of routes including high quality of service routes and low quality of service routes based on the origination information.

26. A method for selectively distributing network management messages to adjacent network nodes, the method comprising:

(a) associating a destination point code with a plurality of different routes to the same destination in a network routing database;

(b) in the routing database, separately identifying the routes to the same destination in the routing database using message origination information;

(c) detecting network management events associated with the destination point code; and

(d) generating network management messages in response to the events and sending the network management messages only to nodes having network addresses corresponding to the message origination information in the routing database.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein detecting network management events includes detecting signaling link failures.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein detecting network management events includes detecting signaling linkset failures.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein generating the network management messages comprises generating SS7 message transfer part (MTP) network management messages.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein generating the network management messages includes generating signaling connection control part (SCCP) subsystem management messages.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein steps (a)–

(d) are performed at an SS7 signal transfer point (STP).

32. A method for providing differential quality of service routing using a plurality of different routes to the same destination based on source node identification information, the method comprising:

(a) connecting a plurality of source nodes to a signal transfer point via an intermediate network, each source node having a network address;

(b) connecting a destination to the signal transfer point via a plurality of different routes, each route providing a different quality of service;

(c) provisioning a database in the signal transfer point to differentiate among the routes to the destination using the network addresses of the source nodes;

(d) at the signal transfer point, receiving signaling messages from the source nodes, the signaling messages having originating addresses corresponding to the network addresses of the source nodes; and

(e) using the originating address in each signaling message to select one of the routes for routing the signaling messages to the destination, thereby providing differential quality of service based on the source node and independently of the intermediate network.