Methods, systems, and computer readable media for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages

• US 7,916,857 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Benedyk, Robby D., Palmer, Jonathan J., Agarwal, Devesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US11/706,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20070207802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 379/229, 379/230, 379/88.17, 379/221.08, 379/221.12
• US Class Current: 379/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for selectively processing or redirecting SCCP messages. According to one method, an SCCP message addressed to an STP and sent route-on-PC-SSN is received at the STP. It is determined whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP. In response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, the SCCP message is terminated, processed locally, and a response is sent to the message originator. In response to determining that the message cannot be processed locally at the STP, the SCCP message is redirected to a destination.

Claims

1. A method for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at a signal transfer point, an SCCP message that is both addressed to the signal transfer point and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN), wherein the SCCP message includes a request for the location of a called party;

determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP;

in response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, processing the SCCP message locally at the STP and sending a response to an originator of the SCCP message, wherein the response indicates that the called party is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) subscriber, wherein processing the SCCP message locally at the STP includes terminating the message at the STP rather than routing the message; and

in response to determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed locally at the STP, redirecting the SCCP message from the STP to a destination by altering a message transfer part (MTP) point code in the SCCP message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the SCCP message comprises a mobility management message in a network that supports mobile subscriber migration between mobile signaling protocols.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the SCCP message comprises a message requiring G-FLEX processing.

3. A method for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at a signal transfer point, an SCCP message that is both addressed to the signal transfer point and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN);

determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP;

in response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, processing the SCCP message locally at the STP and sending a response to an originator of the SCCP message; and

in response to determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed locally at the STP, redirecting the SCCP message from the STP to a destination, wherein the SCCP message comprises a mobility management message in a network that supports mobile subscriber migration between mobile signaling protocols and wherein determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP includes determining whether a subscriber associated with the SCCP message has migrated or not migrated between the mobile signaling protocols.

4. The method of claim 3 where comprising determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally at the STP in response to determining that the subscriber has migrated between the mobile signaling protocols.

5. The method of claim 3 comprising determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed at the STP in response to determining that the subscriber has not migrated between the mobile signaling protocols.

6. A method for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at a signal transfer point, an SCCP message that is both addressed to the signal transfer point and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN);

determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP;

in response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, processing the SCCP message locally at the STP and sending a response to an originator of the SCCP message; and

in response to determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed locally at the STP, redirecting the SCCP message from the STP to a destination, wherein redirecting the SCCP message to a destination includes copying an SCCP called party point code into a message transfer part (MTP) routing label of the message and routing the SCCP message to a destination corresponding to the copied point code.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein routing the SCCP message to a destination includes routing the message to a home location register (HLR).

9. A system for selectively processing or routing signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the system comprising:

a signal transfer point including;

an interface module for receiving SCCP messages that are both addressed to a point code of the STP and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN) and for identifying the SCCP messages as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP, wherein each of the SCCP messages includes a request for the location of a called party; and

a services module for receiving the SCCP messages that are identified as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP, for determining whether each of the SCCP messages can be processed locally by the STP, for messages identified as being able to be processed locally, for terminating and processing the SCCP messages locally rather than routing the messages and sending, to an originator of the of the request, a response indicating that the called party is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) subscriber, and for messages identified as not being able to be processed locally by the STP, for redirecting such messages to a destination by altering a message transfer part (MTP) point code in the messages.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the services module selectively processes or redirects mobility management messages in a network allowing subscriber migration between mobile signaling protocols.

11. A system for selectively processing or routing signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the system comprising:

a signal transfer point including;

an interface module for receiving SCCP messages that are both addressed to a point code of the STP and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN) and for identifying the SCCP messages as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP; and

a services module for receiving the SCCP messages that are identified as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP, for determining whether each of the SCCP messages can be processed locally by the STP, for messages identified as being able to be processed locally, for terminating and processing the SCCP messages locally, and for messages identified as not being able to be processed locally by the STP, for redirecting such messages to a destination, wherein the services module is adapted to selectively process or redirect mobility management messages in a network allowing subscriber migration between mobile signaling protocols and wherein the services module determines whether subscribers are migrated or non-migrated.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the services module processes and terminates mobility management messages directed to migrated subscribers.

13. A system for selectively processing or routing signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the system comprising:

a signal transfer point including;

an interface module for receiving SCCP messages that are both addressed to a point code of the STP and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN) and for identifying the SCCP messages as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP; and

a services module for receiving the SCCP messages that are identified as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP, for determining whether each of the SCCP messages can be processed locally by the STP, for messages identified as being able to be processed locally, for terminating and processing the SCCP messages locally, and for messages identified as not being able to be processed locally by the STP, for redirecting such messages to a destination, wherein the services module redirects mobility management messages directed to non-migrated subscribers.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein, in redirecting the mobility management messages, the services module is adapted to copy an SCCP called party point code in each message to a message transfer part (MTP) routing label of each message.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the services module routes the redirected SCCP messages to an HLR.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein at least some of the SCCP messages comprises messages requiring G-FLEX processing.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer perform steps comprising:

receiving, at a signal transfer point, an SCCP message that is both addressed to the signal transfer point and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN), wherein the SCCP message includes a request for the location of a called party;

determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP;

in response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, processing the SCCP message locally at the STP and sending a response to an originator of the SCCP message, wherein the response indicates that the called party is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) subscriber, wherein processing the SCCP message locally at the STP includes terminating the SCCP message at the STP rather than routing the message; and

in response to determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed locally at the STP, redirecting the SCCP message from the STP to a destination, by altering a message transfer part (MTP) point code in the SCCP message.