Method for extending the use of SIP (session initiated protocol) for providing debug services

• US 7,752,315 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muschett, Brien H., Nusbickel, Wendi L., Da Palma, William V., Gavagni, Brett J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart; Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHARRY, NOEL R
• Application Number:
  US11/291,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A method (200) for providing debug services between two SIP compliant endpoints is presented. The method extends SIP compliance by including a SIP DEBUG message (370). The method (200) extends the SIP protocol for allowing SIP compliant endpoints to configure themselves for providing debug capabilities. The endpoints can be a SIP client (110), a SIP server (120), or a SIP proxy (115). The method can include the steps of sending a SIP INVITE request from a first device to a second device to initiate a SIP session, receiving a SIP INVITE response from the second device, sending a SIP DEBUG request from the first device to the second device to initiate a debug session, receiving a SIP DEBUG response from the second device, and providing encrypted debugging services during the SIP session between the first SIP compliant device and the second SIP compliant device. The SIP DEBUG message can include a debug header field for invoking a method call on a second SIP compliant product which includes a list of variables accessible to the first SIP compliant product as a result of the method call.

Claims

1. A method for extending the SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) to enable debugging services between SIP compliant devices comprising the steps of:

sending a SIP INVITE request from a first SIP compliant device to a second SIP compliant device to initiate a SIP session, the SIP INVITE request including an Allow header field, wherein the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE request reveals methods that the first SIP compliant device allows the second SIP compliant device to perform on the first SIP compliant device, wherein the methods in the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE request includes a DEBUG method, and wherein the DEBUG method permits the second SIP compliant device to debug the first SIP compliant device by invoking a method call on the first SIP compliant device;

receiving at the first SIP compliant device a SIP INVITE response from said second SIP compliant device, the SIP INVITE response including an Allow header field, wherein the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE response reveals methods that the second SIP compliant device allows the first SIP compliant device to perform on the second SIP compliant device, wherein the methods in the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE response includes a DEBUG method, and wherein the DEBUG method permits the first SIP compliant device to debug the second SIP compliant device by invoking a method call on the second SIP compliant device;

sending a SIP DEBUG request from the first SIP compliant device to the second SIP compliant device to initiate a debug session, the SIP DEBUG request including a Method header field, a Component header field, and an Action header field, wherein the Method header field includes the actual name of a method for invoking the method call on the second SIP compliant device, the Component header field specifies a session content type, and the Action header field specifies an debug operation; and

receiving at the first SIP compliant device a SIP DEBUG response from the second SIP compliant device, the SIP DEBUG response including a Result file that provides a list of variables obtainable by invoking the method call on the second SIP compliant device; and

wherein the first and second SIP compliant devices can be one of a SIP client, a SIP proxy, and a SIP server.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein an exchange of DEBUG information during the debug session is limited to the first and second SIP compliant devices.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said debug session supports at least one debug capability.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said debug capability supports VoIP debugging of a call placed over a telephone.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said SIP DEBUG request includes a Caller-ID header field for specifying a caller-ID to receive debug support, wherein said debug session directs said debug capability to a device of said caller-ID.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said SIP DEBUG request further includes an application method to identify a list of values associated with said list of variables at a unique event time.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

encrypting confidential sections of a SIP message using Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME).

8. A system for extending the SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) to enable debugging services between SIP compliant devices comprising:

a first SIP compliant device and a second SIP compliant device, each supporting debugging capabilities, wherein the first and second SIP compliant devices can be one of a SIP client, a SIP proxy, and a SIP server, wherein the first and second SIP compliant devices are configured to;

send a SIP INVITE request from a first SIP compliant device to a second SIP compliant device to initiate a SIP session, the SIP INVITE request including an Allow header field, wherein the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE request reveals methods that the first SIP compliant device allows the second SIP compliant device to perform on the first SIP compliant device, wherein the methods in the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE request includes a DEBUG method, and wherein the DEBUG method permits the second SIP compliant device to debug the first SIP compliant device by invoking a method call on the first SIP compliant device;

receive at the first SIP compliant device a SIP INVITE response from said second SIP compliant device, the SIP INVITE response including an Allow header field, wherein the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE response reveals methods that the second SIP compliant device allows the first SIP compliant device to perform on the second SIP compliant device, wherein the methods in the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE response includes a DEBUG method, and wherein the DEBUG method permits the first SIP compliant device to debug the second SIP compliant device by invoking a method call on the second SIP compliant device;

send a SIP DEBUG request from the first SIP compliant device to the second SIP compliant device to initiate a debug session, the SIP DEBUG request including a Method header field, a Component header field, and an Action header field, wherein the Method header field includes the actual name of a method for invoking the method call on the second SIP compliant device, the Component header field specifies a session content type, and the Action header field specifies an debug operation; and

receive at the first SIP compliant device a SIP DEBUG response from the second SIP compliant device, the SIP DEBUG response including a Result file that provides a list of variables obtainable by invoking the method call on the second SIP compliant device.

9. A machine readable non-transitory storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a portable computing device for causing the portable computing device to perform the steps of:

sending a SIP INVITE request from a first SIP compliant device to a second SIP compliant device to initiate a SIP session, the SIP INVITE request including an Allow header field, wherein the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE request reveals methods that the first SIP compliant device allows the second SIP compliant device to perform on the first SIP compliant device, wherein the methods in the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE request includes a DEBUG method, and wherein the DEBUG method permits the second SIP compliant device to debug the first SIP compliant device by invoking a method call on the first SIP compliant device;

receiving at the first SIP compliant device a SIP INVITE response from said second SIP compliant device, the SIP INVITE response including an Allow header field, wherein the Allow header filed of the SIP INVITE response reveals methods that the second SIP compliant device allows the first SIP compliant device to perform on the second SIP compliant device, wherein the methods in the Allow header field of the SIP INVITE response includes a DEBUG method, and wherein the DEBUG method permits the first SIP compliant device to debug the second SIP compliant device by invoking a method call on the second SIP compliant device;

sending a SIP DEBUG request from the first SIP compliant device to the second SIP compliant device to initiate a debug session, the SIP DEBUG request including a Method header field, a Component header field, and an Action header field, wherein the Method header field includes the actual name of a method for invoking the method call on the second SIP compliant device, the Component header field specifies a session content type, and the Action header field specifies an debug operation; and

receiving at the first SIP compliant device a SIP DEBUG response from the second SIP compliant device, the SIP DEBUG response including a Result file that provides a list of variables obtainable by invoking the method call on the second SIP compliant device; and

wherein the first and second SIP compliant devices can be one of a SIP client, a SIP proxy, and a SIP server.