System and method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit

• US 8,103,275 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miernik, Jerzy W., Garbuz, Alexander G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US11/617,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit include the ability to receive a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster and determine a control node associated with the registration request by using an algorithm on a mobile unit identifier in the registration request. The system and method also include the ability to generate a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

detecting a mobile unit in the vicinity of a base station;

determining that the mobile unit desires to establish a wireless data session;

determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session;

generating a wireless registration request for the mobile unit;

determining, at a control node for the serving node cluster, whether a serving node in the serving node cluster is managing the wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session; and

selecting, at the control node for the serving node cluster, a serving node in the serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session comprises determining an identifier for a control node of the serving node cluster.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier of the control node is an Internet protocol address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration request comprises an A11-Registration Request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message regarding a control node; and

updating a database containing information regarding control nodes, the database containing identifiers for control nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session comprises performing a hash method on the mobile unit identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session further comprises performing a modulo operation on the mobile unit identifier, using a number associated with the loading between serving node clusters as the basis for the operation and the remainder of operation as an index into a database containing identifiers for control nodes.

8. A set of logic for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, the logic encoded in media and operable to:

detect a mobile unit in the vicinity of a base station;

determine that the mobile unit desires to establish a wireless data session;

determine a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session;

generate a wireless registration request for the mobile unit;

determine, at a control node for the serving node cluster, whether a serving node in the serving node cluster is managing the wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session; and

select, at the control node for the serving node cluster, a serving node in the serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session.

9. The logic of claim 8, wherein determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session comprises determining an identifier for a control node of the serving node cluster.

10. The logic of claim 9, wherein the identifier of the control node is an Internet protocol address.

11. The logic of claim 8, wherein the registration request comprises an A11-Registration Request.

12. The logic of claim 8, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a message regarding a control node; and

update a database containing information regarding control nodes, the database containing identifiers for control nodes.

13. The logic of claim 8, wherein determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session comprises performing a hash method on the mobile unit identifier.

14. The logic of claim 13, wherein determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session further comprises performing a modulo operation on the mobile unit identifier, using a number associated with the loading between serving node clusters as the basis for the operation and the remainder of operation as an index into a database containing identifiers for control nodes.

15. A system for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

means for detecting a mobile unit in the vicinity of a base station;

means for determining that the mobile unit desires to establish a wireless data session;

means for determining a serving node cluster to manage the wireless session;

means for generating a wireless registration request for the mobile unit;

means for determining, at a control node for the serving node cluster, whether a serving node in the serving node cluster is managing the wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session; and

means for selecting, at the control node for the serving node cluster, a serving node in the serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session.

16. A method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

receiving a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster;

analyzing a mobile unit identifier to determine a control node associated with the registration request, wherein analyzing the mobile unit identifier comprises performing an algorithm on the mobile unit identifier;

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request;

determining, at the control node, whether a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session;

selecting, at the control node for the wireless serving node cluster, a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a message regarding wireless sessions being managed by a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster; and

updating a database containing information regarding wireless sessions being managed by serving nodes in the wireless serving node cluster.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving messages regarding load and wireless sessions for every serving node in the wireless serving node cluster.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the serving node managing the wireless session if a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request comprises accessing a database containing wireless session information for serving nodes in the wireless serving node cluster.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the selected serving node.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein selecting a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster to manage the wireless session comprises maintaining load balancing between the serving nodes.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating, if a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request, a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the serving node managing the wireless session; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the selected serving node.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the registration request comprises an A11-Registration Request.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a message regarding a control node of another wireless serving node cluster; and

updating a database containing information regarding control nodes, the database containing identifiers for control nodes.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a control node associated with the registration request by using an algorithm on a mobile unit identifier in the registration request comprises performing a hash method on the mobile unit identifier.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining a control node associated with the registration request by using an algorithm on a mobile unit identifier in the registration request further comprises performing a modulo operation on the mobile unit identifier, using a number associated with the loading between wireless serving node clusters as the basis for the operation and the remainder of operation as an index into a database containing identifiers for control nodes.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier of the associated control node is an Internet protocol address.

29. A set of logic for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, the logic encoded in media and operable to:

receive a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster;

analyze a mobile unit identifier to determine a control node associated with the registration request, wherein analyzing the mobile unit identifier comprises performing an algorithm on the mobile unit identifier;

generate a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request; and

determine, at the control node, whether a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session; and

select, at the control node for the wireless serving node cluster, a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session.

30. A system for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

means for receiving a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster;

means for analyzing a mobile unit identifier to determine a control node associated with the registration request, wherein analyzing the mobile unit identifier comprises performing an algorithm on the mobile unit identifier;

means for generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request; and

means for determining, at the control node, whether a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session;

means for selecting, at the control node for the wireless serving node cluster, a serving node in the wireless serving node cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session.