Transferring state information in a network

• US 7,680,060 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jennings, Cullen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Hemant
• Application Number:
  US11/076,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370351-356, 370/400, 379/93.01, 379/106.01, 379/114.29, 379/221.08, 379/229, 379/350, 709/201, 709/223, 709/228, 709/237, 709/246
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

A system for storing information in a network. The system includes one or more network elements and a message adapted for transfer between the one or more network elements. A mechanism selectively augments the message with information pertaining to a state associated with the one or more network elements. In one embodiment, the system includes space within the message for accommodating one or more state vias containing the state information. One or more computers associated with the one or more network elements are adapted to update the message with state information pertaining to each of the one or more network elements that receives the message via the network.

Claims

1. A method for transferring state information in a network transmission, the method executing in a sending device coupled to a network, the method comprising:

creating a message adapted for transfer to a receiving device, wherein the message includes a via;

storing state information about a process in the sending device in the via;

sending the message to the receiving device;

receiving a message from an external device, wherein the received message includes a via having state information;

adding information to the via in the received message, wherein the added information includes information about a process in the sending device; and

sending the received message to an external device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple processing devices are coupled by the network, the method further comprising:

using a plurality of devices to add successive device state information to a particular via in a particular message;

receiving the particular message back at one of the plurality of devices; and

obtaining state information particular to the receiving device from the particular via.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the message to establish a voice communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of storing state information comprises including information about a current state of a message sequence.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of storing state information comprises including billing information associated with the voice communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is in accordance with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a SIP via is used.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the SIP via is included in a header of the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is included in the via.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is included in the via.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple vias are used.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the state information is encrypted.

13. An apparatus for transferring state information in a network transmission, the apparatus comprising:

a sending device coupled to a network;

a tangible computer-readable storage medium including instructions executable by a processor at the sending device, the tangible computer-readable storage medium including instructions for;

creating a message adapted for transfer to a receiving device, wherein the message includes a via;

storing state information about a process in the sending device in the via;

sending the message to the receiving device;

receiving a message from an external device, wherein the received message includes a via having state information;

adding information to the via in the received message, wherein the added information includes information about a process in the sending device; and

sending the received message to an external device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

multiple processing devices coupled by the network;

wherein the tangible computer-readable storage medium further includes instructions for;

using a plurality of devices to add successive device state information to a particular via in a particular message;

receiving the particular message back at one of the plurality of devices; and

obtaining state information particular to the receiving device from the particular via.

15. A tangible computer-readable storage medium including instructions for transferring state information in a network transmission from a sending device, the tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for:

creating a message adapted for transfer to a receiving device, wherein the message includes a via;

storing state information about a process in the sending device in the via;

sending the message to the receiving device;

receiving a message from an external device, wherein the received message includes a via having state information;

adding information to the via in the received message, wherein the added information includes information about a process in the sending device; and

sending the received message to an external device.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein multiple processing devices coupled by the network, the tangible computer-readable storage medium further comprising instructions for:

using a plurality of devices to add successive device state information to a particular via in a particular message;

receiving the particular message back at one of the plurality of devices; and

obtaining state information particular to the receiving device from the particular via.

17. An apparatus for transferring state information in a network transmission, the apparatus comprising:

a sending device coupled to a network;

means for creating a message adapted for transfer to a receiving device, wherein the message includes a via;

means for storing state information about a process in the sending device in the via;

means for sending the message to the receiving device;

means for receiving a message from an external device, wherein the received message includes a via having state information;

means for adding information to the via in the received message, wherein the added information includes information about a process in the sending device; and

means for sending the received message to an external device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein multiple processing devices are coupled by the network, the apparatus further comprising:

means for using a plurality of devices to add successive device state information to a particular via in a particular message;

means for receiving the particular message back at one of the plurality of devices; and

means for obtaining state information particular to the receiving device from the particular via.