Register clustering in a SIP-based network

• US 8,234,390 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shanmugham, Saravanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/106,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20110219133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 709201-204, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method can include: receiving a request for service in a first edge proxy; applying a hash function to a source address of an endpoint; and forwarding the request to a second edge proxy in response to a first result of the hash function, or servicing the request in the first edge proxy in response to a second result of the hash function.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, using at least one processor device, a change to a first plurality of proxies resulting in a different second plurality of proxies, each proxy in the first plurality mapped to one or more respective hash keys of a particular hashing function according to a first mapping, the particular hashing function hashing source addresses corresponding to requests in a particular session initiation protocol (SIP) network to generate a corresponding hash key;

remapping the first mapping to accommodate for the change to the first plurality of proxies to generate a second mapping different from the first mapping, wherein at least one of the respective hash keys of the particular hashing function is mapped to a particular proxy included in the first plurality of proxies in the first mapping and mapped to a different, second proxy included in the second plurality of proxies in the second mapping;

receiving a particular request at a first proxy in the second plurality proxies following the remapping;

applying the particular hashing function to a particular source address associated with an endpoint that sent the request to identify a particular hash key corresponding the particular source address;

determining, from the second mapping, whether the first proxy in the second plurality of proxies is provisioned for servicing the request; and

forwarding the request to a second proxy based on a result of the particular hashing function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the particular hashing function includes evaluating second mapping includes a hash table that includes a plurality of proxies for servicing particular endpoint requests.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the particular hashing function is provided in a service control such that a particular one of the second plurality of proxies is identified in advance of servicing a particular request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular hashing function is provisioned in both the first proxy and the second proxy such that each of the first and second proxies can automatically forward incoming registration requests to each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular hashing function utilizes an address on register (AOR).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is associated with a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE, or a SIP REGISTER.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular hashing function considers a network address translator (NAT) parameter in determining which proxy should service the request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein key groups are defined within the second mapping for each proxy in the second plurality of proxies and-based, at least, on a current load across the second plurality of proxies.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the change to the first plurality of proxies includes removal of at least one particular proxy from the first plurality of proxies, and remapping the first mapping to generate a second mapping includes reassigning each hash key in a particular grouping of hash keys mapped to the removed particular proxy to other proxies included in the second plurality of proxies.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a proxy failure is determined such that the particular proxy is removed based on the proxy failure.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first mapping includes, for each hash key in the particular grouping, an assignment of at least one secondary proxy and each hash key in the particular grouping of hash keys is reassigned to a corresponding assigned secondary proxy.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each hash key in the particular grouping includes an assignment of at least two secondary proxies and the corresponding hash key is reassigned to the secondary proxy with a lower load.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the change to the first plurality of proxies includes addition of at least one new proxy to the first plurality of proxies, and remapping the first mapping includes causing at least one hash key to be mapped to the new proxy.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein hash keys are attempted to be reassigned to the new proxy from a proxy, included in the first plurality of proxies, that has a highest load within the first plurality of proxies before reassigning hash keys mapped to other proxies in the first plurality of proxies.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the change to the first plurality of proxies is identified at each of the first plurality of proxies.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each proxy in the first plurality of proxies included a copy of the first mapping and copies of the second mapping are generated at each of the second plurality of proxies.

17. Logic encoded in non-transitory tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

identifying, using at least one processor device, a change to a first plurality of proxies resulting in a different second plurality of proxies, each proxy in the first plurality mapped to one or more respective hash keys of a particular hashing function according to a first mapping, the particular hashing function hashing source addresses corresponding to requests in a particular session initiation protocol (SIP) network to generate a corresponding hash key;

remapping the first mapping to accommodate for the change to the first plurality of proxies to generate a second mapping different from the first mapping, wherein at least one of the respective hash keys of the particular hashing function is mapped to a particular proxy included in the first plurality of proxies in the first mapping and mapped to a different, second proxy included in the second plurality of proxies in the second mapping;

receiving a particular request at a first proxy in the second plurality of proxies following the remapping;

applying the particular hashing function to a particular source address associated with an endpoint that sent the request to identify a particular hash key corresponding the particular source address;

determining, from the second mapping, whether the first proxy in the second plurality of proxies is provisioned for servicing the request; and

forwarding the request to a second proxy based on a result of the particular hashing function.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the change to the first plurality of proxies is triggered by a proxy failure and a hash table provisioned in the first proxy includes the first mapping and is updated to remove an entry associated with the proxy failure.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a hash table; and

a forwarding engine configured for forwarding information in a network environment, wherein the processor, the hash table, and the forwarding engine interact such that the apparatus is configured for;

identifying, using at least one processor device, a change to a first plurality of proxies resulting in a different second plurality of proxies, each proxy in the first plurality mapped to one or more respective hash keys of a particular hashing function according to a first mapping, the particular hashing function hashing source addresses corresponding to requests in a particular session initiation protocol (SIP) network to generate a corresponding hash key;

remapping the first mapping to accommodate for the change to the first plurality of proxies to generate a second mapping different from the first mapping, wherein at least one of the respective hash keys of the particular hashing function is mapped to a particular proxy included in the first plurality of proxies in the first mapping and mapped to a different, second proxy included in the second plurality of proxies in the second mapping;

receiving a particular request at a first proxy in the second plurality of proxies following the remapping;

applying the particular hashing function to a particular source address associated with an endpoint that sent the request to identify a particular hash key corresponding the particular source address;

determining, from the second mapping, whether the first proxy in the second plurality of proxies is provisioned for servicing the request; and

forwarding the request to a second proxy based on a result of the particular hashing function.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein applying the particular hashing function includes evaluating the hash table, which includes a plurality of proxies for servicing particular endpoint requests, and wherein the particular hashing function is provided in a service control such that a particular one of the second plurality of proxies is identified in advance of servicing a particular request.