Bulk status enquiry in a network

• US 7,509,410 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Medved, Jan, Karia, Snehal
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai; Rachna S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chau
• Application Number:
  US09/457,507
• Time in Patent Office: 3,394 Days
• Field of Search: 709/102, 709/203, 709/205, 709/224, 709/236, 370/356, 370/401, 370/493, 370/248, 370/465, 379/85, 455/466, 455/9
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for status enquiry between sending and receiving nodes in a network. For the sending node, the method comprises sending a bulk status enquiry message to inquire status of a plurality of calls to the receiving node. The bulk status enquiry message conforms to a bulk status enquiry format. For the receiving node, the method comprises sending a bulk status enquiry response message in response to a bulk status enquiry message inquiring status of a plurality of calls from the sending network node. The bulk status enquiry message conforms to a bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response message conforms to a bulk status enquiry response format.

Claims

1. A method for status enquiry between sending and receiving nodes in a network, the method comprising:

sending a bulk status enquiry message to the receiving node to inquire status of a plurality of calls between the sending and receiving nodes, the bulk status enquiry message conforming to a bulk status enquiry format.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a bulk status enquiry response message from the receiving node, the bulk status enquiry response message conforming to a bulk status enquiry response format.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the bulk status enquiry message composes:

tagging the plurality of calls for bulk status enquiry.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein sending the bulk status enquiry message further comprises:

starting a timer;

transmitting the bulk status enquiry message; and

processing a time-out sequence.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

checking the bulk status enquiry response message;

stopping the timer;

releasing calls having mismatched states; and

untagging matching calls.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein checking the bulk status enquiry response message comprises:

re-sending the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the bulk status enquiry response message is invalid; and

sending a standard status enquiry if the bulk status enquiry response message is invalid for the predetermined number of times.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein processing the time-out sequence comprises:

re-sending the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the timer times out based on a predetermined time-out period, the timer being re-started each time the bulk status enquiry message is re-sent; and

sending the standard status enquiry after the timer times out for the predetermined number of times.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein checking the bulk status enquiry response message further comprises:

processing a time-out sequence.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein processing the time-out sequence comprises:

re-sending the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the timer times out based on a predetermined time-out period, the timer being re-started each time the bulk status enquiry message is re-sent; and

sending the standard status enquiry after the timer times out for the predetermined number of times.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response format are identical.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the bulk status enquiry format comprises a record number field, a flag field, and a record field, the record number field indicating a number of records in the record field.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the flag field comprises a call type and a message flag, the call type being one of a point-to-point type, a point-to-multipoint type, and a multipoint-to-point type, the message flag being one of a start flag and an end flag.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

14. A method for status enquiry between sending and receiving nodes in a network, the method comprising:

sending a bulk status enquiry response message in response to a bulk status enquiry message from the sending node inquiring status of a plurality of calls between the sending and receiving nodes, the bulk status enquiry message conforming to a bulk status enquiry format, the bulk status enquiry response message conforming to a bulk status enquiry response format.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

dropping the bulk status enquiry message if the bulk status enquiry message is invalid.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

checking call states on a local link at the receiving node with the plurality of calls inquired by the bulk status enquiry message; and

releasing mismatched calls.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

including a list of call references that are not active in the BSER message.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response format are identical.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the bulk status enquiry format comprises a record number field, a flag field, and a record field, the record number field indicating a number of records in the record field.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the flag field comprises a call type and a message flag, the call type being one of a point-to-point type, a point-to-multipoint type, and a multipoint-to-point type, the message flag being one of a start flag and an end flag.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

22. A computer program product comprising:

storage device having computer program code embodied therein for status enquiry between sending and receiving nodes in a network, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code for sending a bulk status enquiry message to the receiving node to inquire status of a plurality of calls between the sending and receiving nodes, the bulk status enquiry message conforming to a bulk status enquiry format.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

computer readable program code for receiving a bulk status enquiry response message from the receiving node, the bulk status enquiry response message conforming to a bulk status enquiry response format.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the computer readable program code sending the bulk status enquiry message comprises:

computer readable program code for tagging the plurality of calls for bulk status enquiry.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the computer readable program code sending the bulk status enquiry message further comprises:

computer readable program code for starting a timer;

computer readable program code for transmitting the bulk status enquiry message; and

computer readable program code for processing a time-out sequence.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising:

computer readable program code for checking the bulk status enquiry response message;

computer readable program code for stopping the timer;

computer readable program code for releasing calls having mismatched states; and

computer readable program code for untagging matching calls.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein the computer readable program code for checking the bulk status enquiry response message comprises:

computer readable program code for re-sending the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the bulk status enquiry response message is invalid; and

computer readable program code for sending a standard status enquiry if the bulk status enquiry response message is invalid for the predetermined number of times.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the computer readable program code for processing the time-out sequence comprises:

computer readable program code for re-sending, the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the timer times out based on a predetermined time-out period, the timer being re-started each time the bulk status enquiry message is re-sent; and

computer readable program code for sending the standard status enquiry after the timer times out for the predetermined number of times.

29. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein the computer readable program code for checking the bulk status enquiry response message further comprises:

computer readable program code for processing a time-out sequence.

30. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the computer readable program code for processing the time-out sequence comprises:

computer readable program code for re-sending the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the timer times out based on a predetermined time-out period, the timer being re-started each time the bulk status enquiry message is re-sent; and

computer readable program code for sending the standard status enquiry after the timer times out for the predetermined number of times.

31. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response format are identical.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein the bulk status enquiry format comprises a record number field, a flag field, and a record field, the record number field indicating a number of records in the record field.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein the flag field comprises a call type and a message flag, the call type being one of a point-to-point type, a point-to-multipoint type, and a multipoint-to-point type, the message flag being one of a start flag and an end flag.

34. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

35. A computer program product comprising:

a storage device having computer program code embodied therein for status enquiry between sending and receiving network nodes in a network, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code for sending a bulk status enquiry response message in response to a bulk status enquiry message from the sending node inquiring status of a plurality of calls between the sending and receiving nodes, the bulk status enquiry message conforming to a bulk status enquiry format, the bulk status enquiry response message conforming to a bulk status enquiry response format.

36. The computer program product of claim 35 further comprising:

computer readable program code for dropping the bulk status enquiry message if the bulk status enquiry message is invalid.

37. The computer program product of claim 36 further comprising:

computer readable program code for checking call states on a local link at the receiving node with the plurality of calls inquired by the bulk status enquiry message; and

computer readable program code for releasing mismatched calls.

38. The computer program product of claim 37 further comprising:

computer readable program code for including a list of call references that are not active in the BSER message.

39. The computer program product of claim 35 wherein the bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response format are identical.

40. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein the bulk status enquiry format comprises a record number field, a flag field, and a record field, the record number field indicating a number of records in the record field.

41. The computer program product of claim 40 wherein the flag field comprises a call type and a message flag, the call type being one of a point-to-point type, a point-to-multipoint type, and a multipoint-to-point type, the message flag being one of a start flag and an end flag.

42. The computer program product of claim 35 wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

43. A system comprising:

a processor coupled to a network;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing program code for status enquiry between sending and receiving nodes, the program code when executed causing the processor to;

send a bulk status enquiry message to the receiving node to inquire status of a plurality of calls between the sending and receiving nodes, the bulk status enquiry message conforming to a bulk status enquiry format.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the program code when executed further causing the processor to:

receive a bulk status enquiry response message from the receiving node, the bulk status enquiry response message conforming to a bulk status enquiry response format.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein the program code causing the processor to send the bulk status enquiry message causes the processor to tag the plurality of calls for bulk status enquiry.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the program code causing the processor to send the bulk status enquiry message further causes the processor:

to start a timer;

to transmit the bulk status enquiry message; and

to process a time-out sequence.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the program code when executed further causing the processor:

to check the bulk status enquiry response message;

to stop the timer;

to release calls having mismatched states; and

to untag matching calls.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the program code causing the processor to check the bulk status enquiry response message causes the processor:

to re-send the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the bulk status enquiry response message is invalid; and

to send a standard status enquiry if the bulk status enquiry response message is invalid for the predetermined number of times.

49. The system of claim 43 wherein the program code causing the processor to process the time-out sequence causes the processor:

to re-send the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the timer times out based on a predetermined time-out period, the timer being re-started each time the bulk status enquiry message is re-sent; and

to send the standard status enquiry after the timer times out for the predetermined number of times.

50. The system of claim 47 wherein the program code causing the processor to check the bulk status enquiry response message causes the processor to process a time-out sequence.

51. The system of claim 46 wherein the program code causing the processor to process the time-out sequence causes the processor:

to re-send the bulk status enquiry message for a predetermined number of times if the timer times out based on a predetermined time-out period, the timer being re-started each time the bulk status enquiry message is re-sent; and

to send the standard status enquiry after the timer times out for the predetermined number of times.

52. The system of claim 43 wherein the bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response format are identical.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the bulk status enquiry format comprises a record number field, a flag field, and a record field, the record number field indicating a number of records in the record field.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the flag field comprises a call type and a message flag, the call type being one of a point-to-point type, a point-to-multipoint type, and a multipoint-to-point type, the message flag being one of a start flag and an end flag.

55. The system of claim 43 wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

56. A system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor and a network;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing program code for status enquiry between sending and receiving nodes, the program code when executed causing the processor to;

send a bulk status enquiry response message in response to a bulk status enquiry message from the sending node inquiring status of a plurality of calls between the sending and receiving nodes, the bulk status enquiry message conforming to a bulk status enquiry format, the bulk status enquiry response message conforming to a bulk status enquiry response format.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the program code when executed further causing the processor to drop the bulk status enquiry message if the bulk status enquiry message is invalid.

58. The system of claim 57 wherein the program code when executed further causing the processor:

to check call states on a local link at the receiving node with the plurality of calls inquired by the bulk status enquiry message; and

to release mismatched calls.

59. The system of claim 58 wherein the program code when executed further causing the processor:

to include a list of call references that are not active in the BSER message.

60. The system of claim 56 wherein the bulk status enquiry format and the bulk status enquiry response format are identical.

61. The system of claim 60 wherein the bulk status enquiry format comprises a record number field, a flag field, and a record field, the record number field indicating a number of records in the record field.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein the flag field comprises a call type and a message flag, the call type being one of a point-to-point type, a point-to-multipoint type, and a multipoint-to-point type, the message flag being one of a start flag and an end flag.

63. The system of claim 56 wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.