Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamically adjusting load sharing distributions in response to changes in network conditions
First Claim
1. A method for dynamically load sharing signaling messages among mated signaling destinations in response to changes in network operating conditions, the method comprising:
- (a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group, wherein defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing group includes provisioning a data structure such that post-global-title translated (post-GTT) signaling message traffic is assigned to a load sharing group based on the post-GTT destination point code in each message;
(b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT);
(c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded, wherein distributing the LSW among the remaining available members includes dynamically altering relative load sharing weights assigned to entries in the data structure corresponding to the remaining unavailable members of the load sharing group; and
(d) load sharing post-GTT signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group in accordance with each available group member'"'"'s dynamically altered LSW.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A signaling network routing node, such as a signaling system 7 (SS7)/Internet protocol (IP) gateway, is adapted to perform global title translation (GTT) or other processing on received signaling messages and route the signaling messages to a member of a load sharing group using a threshold-based weighted load sharing algorithm. In the event that one of the signaling destinations in the load sharing group becomes unavailable, signaling message traffic is redistributed evenly among the remaining available members of the load sharing group in a manner such that a maximum load sharing weight threshold value associated with each group member is not exceeded. If a load sharing group member becomes unavailable, and the resulting recalculated load sharing weights of the remaining available members sum to less than 100%, then load sharing weights for the group are normalized, and a maximum message rate capacity threshold associated with each group member is used to determine whether the discarding of messages is required.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for dynamically load sharing signaling messages among mated signaling destinations in response to changes in network operating conditions, the method comprising:
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(a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group, wherein defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing group includes provisioning a data structure such that post-global-title translated (post-GTT) signaling message traffic is assigned to a load sharing group based on the post-GTT destination point code in each message; (b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT); (c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded, wherein distributing the LSW among the remaining available members includes dynamically altering relative load sharing weights assigned to entries in the data structure corresponding to the remaining unavailable members of the load sharing group; and (d) load sharing post-GTT signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group in accordance with each available group member'"'"'s dynamically altered LSW. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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- 7. The method of claim I comprising determining whether load sharing a signaling message to a member of the LS group will exceed a maximum message rate receipt capacity threshold (MCT) associated with the member, and in response to determining that load sharing a received signaling message to a member of the LS group will exceed the (MCT) associated with the member, attempting to load share the message to another member of the LS group.
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18. A method for dynamically load sharing signaling messages among mated signaling destinations in response to changes in network operating conditions, the method comprising:
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(a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group; (b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT); (c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded; and (d) load sharing received signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group in accordance with each available group member'"'"'s LSW, comprising determining whether the sum of available LS group member LSW values is less than 100%, and, in response to determining that the sum of the available LS group member LSW values is less than 100%, normalizing the LSW values associated with the available group members.
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19. A method for dynamically load sharing signaling messages among mated signaling destinations in response to changes in network operating conditions, the method comprising:
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(a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group; (b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT); (c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded; and (d) load sharing received signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group in accordance with each available group member'"'"'s LSW, wherein the received signaling message traffic includes session initiation protocol (SIP) message traffic.
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20. A method for dynamically load sharing signaling messages among mated signaling destinations in response to changes in network operating conditions, the method comprising:
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(a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group; (b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT); (c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded; and (d) load sharing received signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group in accordance with each available group member'"'"'s LSW, in response to a LS group member becoming available to receive signaling message traffic, resetting the LSW values of the available members to their nominal LSW values, and in response to determining that the sum of the LSW values is less than 100%, increasing the LSW values in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the available members are not exceeded.
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21. A system for load sharing signaling messages and dynamically adjusting load sharing distribution weights in response to changes in network operating conditions, the system comprising:
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(a) a first communications module for receiving a signaling message and for identifying a post-global-title translation (post-GTT) signaling destination, which is a member of a load sharing group, wherein the first communication module includes a data structure such that post-global-title-translated signaling traffic is assigned to a load sharing group based on the post-GTT destination point code in each message; (b) a load sharing function located on the first communications module and for; (i) maintaining load sharing weight (LSW) assignment information for each member of the load sharing group; (ii) maintaining maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT) information for each member of the load sharing group; (iii) dynamically adjusting LSW assignments in response to a change in availability status of a group member such that the resulting LSW for each available group member does not exceed the associated MWT for each member, wherein dynamically adjusting the LSW assignments includes dynamically altering relative load sharing weights assigned to entries in the data structure corresponding to the remaining available members of the load sharing group; and (iv) selecting a member of the load sharing group to receive the signaling message using the dynamically altered LSW assignments; and (c) a second communications module for receiving the signaling message from the first communications module and for communicating the signaling message to the selected member of the load sharing group. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system for load sharing signaling messages and dynamically adjusting load sharing distribution weights in response to changes in network operating conditions, the system comprising:
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(a) a first communications module for receiving a signaling message that is destined for a signaling destination, which is a member of a load sharing group; (b) a load sharing function located on the first communications module and for; (i) maintaining load sharing weight (LSW) assignment information for each member of the load sharing group; (ii) maintaining maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT) information for each member of the load sharing group; (iii) dynamically adjusting LSW assignments in response to a change in availability status of a group member such that the resulting LSW for each available group member does not exceed the associated MWT for each member; and (iv) selecting a member of the load sharing group to receive the signaling message; and (c) a second communications module for receiving the signaling message from the first communications module and for communicating the signaling message to the selected member of the load sharing group, wherein the load sharing function, in response to determining that the sum of the available LS group member LSW values is less than 100%, is adapted to normalize the LSW values associated with the available group members.
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38. A system for load sharing signaling messages and dynamically adjusting load sharing distribution weights in response to changes in network operating conditions, the system comprising:
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(a) a first communications module for receiving a signaling message that is destined for a signaling destination, which is a member of a load sharing group; (b) a load sharing function located on the first communications module and for; (i) maintaining load sharing weight (LSW) assignment information for each member of the load sharing group; (ii) maintaining maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT) information for each member of the load sharing group; (iii) dynamically adjusting LSW assignments in response to a change in availability status of a group member such that the resulting LSW for each available group member does not exceed the associated MWT for each member; and (iv) selecting a member of the load sharing group to receive the signaling message; and (c) a second communications module for receiving the signaling message from the first communications module and for communicating the signaling message to the selected member of the load sharing group, wherein the load sharing function, in response to determining that a LS group member has become available, is adapted to reset the LSW values of all of the available group members to their respective nominal LSW values, and wherein the load sharing function, in response to determining that the sum of the LSW values is less than 100%, is adapted to increase the LSW values in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the available members are not exceeded.
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39. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group, wherein defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing group includes provisioning a data structure such that post-global-title translated (post-GTT) signaling message traffic is assigned to a load sharing group based on the post-GTT destination point code in each message; (b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT); (c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded, wherein distributing the LSW among the remaining available members Includes dynamIcally altsring relative load sharing nights for entries In the data structure corresponding to the remaining unavailable members of the load sharing group; and (d) load sharing post-GTT signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group In accordance with each available group members dynamically aitared LSW.
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Specification