Methods and systems for load sharing and preserving sequencing of signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages
First Claim
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1. A method for load sharing and preserving sequencing of class 1 signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the method comprising:
- at a communications network routing node;
(a) receiving a first class 1 SCCP message of a plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to a transaction at an inbound interface module in a communications network routing node;
(b) assigning a sequence number to the first message;
(c) transmitting at least a portion of the first message from the inbound interface module to any one of a plurality of SCCP modules for SCCP processing, where each of the SCCP modules is selected using a load sharing algorithm and where the load sharing algorithm can select different SCCP modules for different class 1 SCCP messages of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction;
(d) performing SCCP processing at the SCCP module selected for the first message and returning the at least a portion of the first message to the inbound interface module; and
(e) at the inbound interface module, ordering the first message with respect to at least one other SCCP message of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction based on the sequence number and transmitting the SCCP message to an outbound interface in the communications network routing node such that class 1 SCCP messages that are sequentially received at the communications network routing node are load shared, and routed from the communications network routing node in the sequence in which the messages were received, wherein the ordering is performed after SCCP messages have been processed at different SCCP modules in the communications network routing node.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for load sharing and preserving sequencing of signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages are disclosed. According to one method, SCCP messages are received at an inbound interface module and assigned a sequence number. Each SCCP message is then transmitted using a load sharing algorithm to any one of a plurality of SCCP modules for SCCP processing. After the SCCP processing, the SCCP messages are returned to the inbound interface module and ordered based on the assigned sequence numbers the messages are then transmitted in order to an outbound interface module.
16 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for load sharing and preserving sequencing of class 1 signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the method comprising:
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at a communications network routing node; (a) receiving a first class 1 SCCP message of a plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to a transaction at an inbound interface module in a communications network routing node; (b) assigning a sequence number to the first message; (c) transmitting at least a portion of the first message from the inbound interface module to any one of a plurality of SCCP modules for SCCP processing, where each of the SCCP modules is selected using a load sharing algorithm and where the load sharing algorithm can select different SCCP modules for different class 1 SCCP messages of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction; (d) performing SCCP processing at the SCCP module selected for the first message and returning the at least a portion of the first message to the inbound interface module; and (e) at the inbound interface module, ordering the first message with respect to at least one other SCCP message of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction based on the sequence number and transmitting the SCCP message to an outbound interface in the communications network routing node such that class 1 SCCP messages that are sequentially received at the communications network routing node are load shared, and routed from the communications network routing node in the sequence in which the messages were received, wherein the ordering is performed after SCCP messages have been processed at different SCCP modules in the communications network routing node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for load sharing and preserving sequencing of class 1 signal connection control part (SCCP) messages, the system comprising:
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(a) an inbound interface module in a communications network routing node for receiving a class 1 SCCP message of a plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to a transaction; (b) a message sequencing function operatively associated with the inbound interface module for assigning a sequence number to the message; (c) a plurality of SCCP modules for receiving and processing SCCP messages, wherein the inbound interface module forwards at least a portion the message to one of the SCCP modules using a load sharing algorithm to select the one SCCP module, wherein each of the SCCP modules is selected using a load sharing algorithm and where the load sharing algorithm can select different SCCP modules for different class 1 SCCP messages of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction and wherein the SCCP module selected for the class 1 SCCP message performs SCCP processing for the at least a portion of message and return the at least a portion of message to the inbound interface module; and (d) an ordering and forwarding function for ordering the class 1 SCCP message relative to at least one other SCCP message of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction based on the sequence number assigned to the message and for forwarding the class 1 SCCP message to an outbound interface module in the communications network routing node such that class 1 SCCP messages that are sequentially received at the communications network routing node are load shared, and routed from the communications network routing node in the sequence in which the messages were received, wherein the ordering is performed after SCCP messages have been processed at different SCCP modules in the communications network routing node. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) receiving a first class 1 SCCP message of a plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to a transaction at an inbound interface module in a communications network routing node; (b) assigning a sequence number to the first message; (c) transmitting at least a portion of the first message from the inbound interface module to any one of a plurality of SCCP modules for SCCP processing, where each of the SCCP modules is selected using a load sharing algorithm and where the load sharing algorithm can select different SCCP modules for different class 1 SCCP messages of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction; (d) performing SCCP processing at the SCCP module selected for the first message and returning the at least a portion of the first message to the inbound interface module; and (e) at the inbound interface module, receiving the at least a portion of the first message from the SCCP processing module and ordering the first message with respect to at least one other SCCP message of the plurality of class 1 SCCP messages relating to the same transaction based on the sequence number and the SCCP message to an outbound interface module in the communications network routing node such that class 1 SCCP messages that are sequentially received at the communications network routing node are load shared, and routed from the communications network routing node in the sequence in which the messages were received, wherein the ordering is performed after SCCP messages have been processed at different SCCP modules in the communications network routing node. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification