Method, system and device for called party recovery in mobile switch center pool

• US 8,160,582 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Han, Runsheng, Zhang, Hao, Cui, Xiaochun, Ye, Sihai
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US12/401,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/8, 455/10, 455/11, 455/14, 455/20, 455/21, 455/24, 455/29
• US Class Current: 455/433
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A method for called party recovery in an MSC Pool, applied in a system that comprises an HLR and an MSC Pool including multiple MSC/VLRs, includes configuring a backup server for each MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool; if an MSC/VLR serving a user is down, the user has not initiated any calling service or location update and the user is called, further includes: the HLR sending a call signaling to the backup server of the MSC/VLR that is down; the backup server of the MSC/VLR initiating a paging request to the user and initiating a location update for the user to the HLR; the HLR registering user data of the user at the backup server and switching the MSC/VLR serving the user to the backup server. The present invention also discloses other methods, systems and devices, which can solve the problem of called party recovery in the MSC Pool.

Claims

1. A method for called party recovery in a Mobile Switch Center (MSC) Pool, applied in a system that comprises a Home Location Register (HLR) and an MSC Pool including multiple Mobile Switch Centers/Visitor Location Registers (MSC/VLRs), comprising:

configuring a backup server for each MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool;

the method further comprising;

if an MSC/VLR serving a user is down, the user does not initiate a calling service or a location update, and the user is called,

sending, by the HLR, a call signaling to the backup server of the MSC/VLR that is down;

initiating, by the backup server of the MSC/VLR, a paging request to the user and initiating a location update for the user to the HLR;

registering, by the HLR, user data of the user at the backup server of the MSC/VLR and switching the MSC/VLR serving the user to the backup server of the MSC/VLR;

wherein initiating the location update for the user to the HLR;

the HLR registering user data of the user at the backup server of the MSC/VLR and switching the MSC/VLR serving the user to the backup server of the MSC/VLR comprise;

sending, by the backup server of the MSC/VLR, a location update request to the HLR after receiving a paging response from the user;

sending, by the HLR, a message to the backup server to cancel user location;

removing, by the backup server, the user data of the user backed up at the local server from the MSC/VLR that is down and returning a cancel user location confirmation to the HLR;

inserting, by the HLR, the user data of the user into the backup server and registering the backup server as an serving MSC/VLR of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the paging request to the user comprises:

obtaining, if the user is not registered in a local server and an MSC number contained in the call signaling is not the MSC number of the local server, the user data of the user backed up at the local server by the MSC/VLR serving the user when the backup server receives the call signaling;

initiating the paging request to the user according to the obtained user data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning a response indicating that the user is unreachable to the HLR when initiating the paging request to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein returning the response indicating that the user is unreachable to the HLR when initiating the paging request to the user comprises:

configuring a timer;

activating the timer when initiating the paging request to the user;

returning the response indicating that the user is unreachable after the timer expires.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a timer;

activating the timer when initiating the paging request to the user;

returning a response containing a roaming number of the user to the HLR if a paging response is received before the timer expires;

returning a response indicating that the user is unreachable to the HLR if no paging response is received before the timer expires.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the paging request to the user comprises:

initiating multiple paging requests to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring, in a Signaling Transfer Point (STP), the priority of a direct route to the MSC/VLR to be higher than the priority of an indirect route to the MSC/VLR via the backup server of the MSC/VLR;

or

configuring, in the STP, a signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR to be a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) load sharing signal point of a signaling point of the MSC/VLR, and the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR to be lower than the signaling point of the MSC/VLR;

wherein

sending the call signaling to the backup server of the MSC/VLR that is down comprises;

sending, by the HLR, the call signaling to the STP;

sending, by the STP, the call signaling to the backup server of the MSC/VLR that is down via the indirect route when confirming that the MSC/VLR is down;

or

sending, by the HLR, the call signaling to the STP;

sending, by the STP, the call signaling to the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR with low priority when confirming that the MSC/VLR is down;

sending the cancel user location message to the backup server comprises;

sending, by the HLR, the cancel user location message to the STP; and

sending, by the STP, the cancel user location message to the backup server of the MSC/VLR via the indirect route when confirming that the MSC/VLR is down;

or

sending, by the HLR, the cancel user location message to the STP;

sending, by the STP, the cancel user location message to the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR which is load sharing with the signaling point of the MSC/VLR when confirming that the MSC/VLP is down; and

the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR is lower than the signaling point of the MSC/VLR.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

backing up, by the backup server, the user data of the user registered in the backup server at the backup server of the backup server after the HLR registers the user data of the user at the backup server and switches the MSC/VLR serving the user to the backup server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the backup server, a location update request to the HLR if the user is not registered in the local server after the backup server receives a paging response from the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating, by the backup server, a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) containing a null Network Resource Identifier (null-NRI) to the user after the HLR registers the user data of the user at the backup server and switches the MSC/VLR serving the user to the backup server, and sending, via a Radio Access Network (RAN) to which the user belongs a TMSI re-allocation command containing the TMSI and a non-broadcast Location Area Identity (LAI) to the user;

initiating a location update request containing the null-NRI to a Radio Network Controller (RNC) to which the user belongs after receiving the non-broadcast LAI;

allocating, by the RNC, a new MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool as a serving MSC/VLR for the user according to the null-NRI.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the backup server for each MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool comprises:

configuring a backup center as the backup server of the MSC/VLRs in the MSC Pool;

or

configuring one MSC/VLR as the backup server of another MSC/VLR in the MSC/VLR Pool.

12. A method for called party recovery in a Mobile Switch Center (MSC) Pool, applied in a system that comprises a Home Location Register (HLR) and an MSC Pool including multiple Mobile Switch Centers / Visitor Location Registers (MSC/VLRs), comprising:

configuring a backup server for each MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool;

the method further comprising;

if an MSC/VLR serving a user is recovered within a period of one periodic location update after the MSC/VLR is down, the user has not initiated any calling service or location update, and the user is called during the period of one periodic location update,

one of;

configuring, in a Signaling Transfer Point (STP), the priority of a direct route to the MSC/VLR to be higher than the priority of an indirect route to the MSC/VLR via the backup server of the MSC/VLR;

or configuring, in the STP, a signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR to be a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) load sharing signal point of a signaling point of the MSC/VLR, and the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR to be lower than the signaling point of the MSC/VLR;

sending, by the HLR, a call signaling to the MSC/VLR that is recovered;

obtaining, by the MSC/VLR that is recovered, first user data of the user, updating location information of the user, recovering second user data of the user in the HLR, allocating a roaming number of a local server for the user and returning the roaming number to the HLR;

wherein sending the call signaling to the MSC/VLR that is recovered comprises;

sending, by the HLR, the call signaling to the STP when the STP confirms that the MSC/VLR is valid; and

one of;

sending, by the STP, the call signaling to the MSC/VLR that is recovered via the direct route;

or sending, by the HLR, the call signaling to the STP when the STP confirms that the MSC/VLR is valid; and

sending, by the STP, the call signaling to the signaling point of the MSC/VLR that is recovered; and

the priority of the signaling point of the MSC/VLR is higher than the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR which is load sharing with the signaling point of the MSC/VLR.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining the first user data of the user comprises:

obtaining the first user data of the user from the backup server of the MSC/VLR when the user is not registered in the local server and a MSC number in the call signaling is a MSC number of the local server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining the first user data of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the MSC/VLR that is recovered, the first user data of the user from the backup server of the MSC/VLR; and

obtaining the first user data from the HLR if there are the first user data in the backup server of the MSC/VLR.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein configuring the backup server for each MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool comprises:

configuring a backup center as the backup server of the MSC/VLRs in the MSC Pool;

or

configuring one MSC/VLR as the backup server of another MSC/VLR in the MSC/VLR Pool.

16. A system for called party recovery in a Mobile Switch Center (MSC) Pool, comprising:

a Home Location Register (HLR) and a backup server of each MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool including multiple Mobile Switch Centers / Visitor Location Registers (MSC/VLRs);

wherein

the HLR is configured to send, when an MSC/VLR serving a user is down, the user has not initiated any calling service or location update and the user is called, a call signaling to the backup server of the MSC/VLR that is down;

insert, when the backup server initiates a location update, user data of the user to the backup server and switch the MSC/VLR serving the user to the backup server;

the backup server of the MSC/VLR that is down is configured to back up the user data of the user on the MSC/VLR, initiate a paging request to the user and initiate a location update for the user when receiving the call signaling from the HLR, register the user data of the user inserted by the HLR; and

a user terminal of the user and a Radio Access Network (RAN) to which the user terminal belongs;

wherein

the backup server is configured to, after registering the user data of the user, allocate a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) containing a null Network Resource Identifier (null-NRI) to the user, and issue, via the RAN, a TMSI re-allocation command containing the TMSI and a non-broadcast Location Area Identity (LAI) to the user terminal of the user;

the user terminal is configured to, after receiving the non-broadcast LAI, initiate a location update request with the null-NRI to the RAN;

the RAN is configured to allocate a new MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool as an MSC/VLR serving the user for the user according to the null-NRI.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the backup server is further configured to back up the user data of the user registered at the backup server at a backup server of the backup server.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a Signaling Transfer Point (STP), wherein

the STP is configured with that;

the priority of a direct route to the MSC/VLR is higher than the priority of an indirect route to the MSC/VLR via the backup server of the MSC/VLR;

or

a signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR is a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) load sharing signal point of a signaling point of the MSC/VLR, and the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR is lower than the signaling point of the MSC/VLR;

the STP is configured to, when the MSC/VLR is down, send the call signaling to the backup server of the MSC/VLR via the indirect route, or send the call signaling to the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR which is load sharing with the signaling point of the MSC/VLR; and

the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR is lower than the signaling point of the MSC/VLR.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the MSC Pool is configured with a backup center as the backup server of the MSC/VLRs in the MSC Pool;

or, one MSC/VLR as the backup server of another MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool.

20. A system for called party recovery in a Mobile Switch Center (MSC) Pool, comprising:

a Home Location Register (HLR) and an MSC Pool including multiple Mobile Switch Centers / Visitor Location Registers (MSC/VLRs) wherein the MSC Pool further comprises a backup server of each MSC/VLR;

wherein

the HLR is configured to, when an MSC/VLR serving a user is down and is recovered within a period of one periodic location update, the user has not initiated any calling service or location update within the period of one periodic location update, and the user is called, send a call signaling to the MSC/VLR that is recovered, output user data of the user to the MSC/VLR that is recovered, and receive a roaming number of the user from the MSC/VLR that is recovered;

the MSC/VLR is configured to, when the MSC/VLR that is down is recovered within the period of one periodic location update, obtain backup user data of the user from the backup server of the MSC/VLR after receiving the call signaling, update location information of the user, obtain the user data of the user from the HLR and recover the user data, allocate a roaming number for the user and return the roaming number to the HLR; and

a Signaling Transfer Point (STP), wherein

the STP is configured with that;

the priority of a direct route to the MSC/VLR is higher than the priority of an indirect route to the MSC/VLR via the backup server of the MSC/VLR;

or

a signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR is a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCOP) load sharing signal point of a signaling point of the MSC/VLR, and the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR is lower than the signaling point of the MSC/VLR;

the STP is configured to, when the MSC/VLR is recovered, send the call signaling to the MSC/VLR via the direct route;

or send the call signaling to the signaling point of the MSC/VLR;

and the priority of the signaling point of the MSC/VLR is higher than the priority of the signaling point of the backup server of the MSC/VLR which is load sharing with the signaling point of the MSC/VLR.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the MSC Pool is configured with a backup center as the backup server of the MSC/VLRs in the MSC Pool;

or, one MSC/VLR as the backup server of another MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool.

22. A switch device, located in a Mobile Switch Center (MSC) Pool including multiple Mobile Switch Centers / Visitor Location Registers (MSC/VLRs), wherein the switch device is a backup server of at least one MSC/VLR in the MSC Pool, and the at least one MSC/VLR is a main server of the switch device, and the switch device comprises:

a first module, configured to store backup user data of on the main server;

a second module, configured to, when a called user in a call signaling is not a user of a local server and the call signaling is not for calling the local server, obtain the backup user data of the called user from the first module, initiate a paging request to the called user, initiate a location update for the called user, remove the backup user data of the called user from the first module, and switch the switch device in which the second module is located to a new switch device serving the called user;

wherein the second module comprises;

a control module, a location update module, a paging module and a register unit;

wherein

the control module is configured to, when the called user in the call signaling is not a user of the local server and the call signaling is not for calling the local server, obtain the backup user data of the called user from the first module and trigger the paging module;

when the called user that responds to the paging request is not registered at the local server, trigger the location update module;

when a Home Location Register (HLR) confirms canceling location of the called user, remove the backup user data of the called user from the first module;

obtain the user data of the called user from the HLR and insert the user data into the register unit;

the location update module is configured to initiate a location update for the called user to the HLR after triggered by the control module;

the paging module is configured to initiate the paging request to the called user according to the backup user data of the called user obtained by the control module after triggered by the control module, and receive a paging response;

the register unit is configured to register the called user at the local server according to the user data of the called user inserted by the control module; and

a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) re-allocation module, configured to, after triggered by the control module after the register unit registers the called user, allocate a TMSI containing a null Network Resource Identifier (null-NRI) to the called user, and issue a TMSI re-allocation command containing the TMSI and a non-broadcast Location Area Identity (LAI) to a Radio Access Network (RAN) via the control module.

23. The switch device of claim 22, wherein the control module is further configured to back up the user data of the called user registered by the register unit at the backup server the switch device.

24. The switch device of claim 22, further comprising:

a roaming number allocation module;

wherein

the control module is further configured to, when the called user in the call signaling is nota user of the local server and the call signaling is for calling the local server, obtain the backup user data of the called user from the backup server of the switch device, update location information of the called user, obtain user data of the called user and recover the user data to the register unit, and trigger the roaming number allocation module;

the roaming number allocation module is configured to, after triggered by the control module, allocate a roaming number for the called user and send the roaming number to the HLR.