Method for migrating from an old communication switch to a new communication switch

• US 8,548,151 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Dianda, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US11/403,312
• Time in Patent Office: 2,728 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/207, 379/211.01, 379/212.01, 379/220, 379/221.1, 379/229
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A method for migrating from an old communication switch to a new communication switch is provided according to the invention. The old communication switch interfaces between a packet telephony network and a circuit switched telephony network. The method includes configuring the old communication switch to signal the new communication switch and swinging one or more logical links from the old communication switch to the new communication switch until all logical links between the circuit switched telephony network and the old communication switch have been swung.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

in an old communication switch, interfacing between a packet telephony network and a circuit switched telephony network over a plurality of logical links;

in the old communication switch, signaling a new communication switch to perform as an alternate interface path between the packet telephony network and the circuit switched telephony network; and

in the circuit switched telephony network, moving one or more of the logical links from the old communication switch to the new communication switch until all logical links between the circuit switched telephony network and the old communication switch have been moved.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising in the circuit switched telephony network, signaling the new communication switch to interface with the circuit switched telephony network after the moving.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in the packet telephony network, signaling the new communication switch to interface with the packet telephony network after the moving.

4. The method of claim 1, with moving the one or more logical links comprising:

in a Digital Access and Cross-connect System (DACS), changing one or more corresponding logical link endpoints from the old communication switch to the new communication switch; and

in a Signal Transfer Point (STP), mapping corresponding Circuit ID Codes (CICs) and signaling point codes of the circuit switched telephony network to route signaling to the new communication switch.

5. The method of claim 1, with the new communication switch comprising a Media Gateway Controller (MGC) and a Media Gateway (MG).

6. A method for operating a communication system comprising:

in an old communication switch, interfacing between a packet telephony network and a circuit switched telephony network over a plurality of logical links;

in the old communication switch, signaling a new communication switch to perform as an alternate interface path between the packet telephony network and the circuit switched telephony network;

in the circuit switched telephony network, moving one or more of the logical links from the old communication switch to the new communication switch;

in the old communication switch, receiving a call from the packet telephony network;

in the old communication switch, transporting the call to the circuit switched telephony network if the old communication switch has available capacity to the circuit switched telephony network; and

in the old communication switch, signaling the new communication switch to transport the call to the circuit switched telephony network if the old communication switch does not have available capacity to the circuit switched telephony network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising in the circuit switched telephony network, signaling the new communication switch to interface with the circuit switched telephony network after the moving.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in the packet telephony network, signaling the new communication switch to interface with the packet telephony network after the moving.

9. The method of claim 6, with moving the one or more logical links comprising:

in a Digital Access and Cross-connect System (DACS), changing one or more corresponding logical link endpoints from the old communication switch to the new communication switch; and

in a Signal Transfer Point (STP), mapping corresponding Circuit ID Codes (CICs) and signaling point codes of the circuit switched telephony network to route signaling to the new communication switch.

10. The method of claim 6, with the new communication switch comprising a Media Gateway Controller (MGC) and a Media Gateway (MG).

11. A method for operating a communication system comprising:

in an old communication switch, interfacing between a packet telephony network and a circuit switched telephony network over a plurality of logical links;

in the old communication switch, signaling a new communication switch to perform as an alternate interface path between the packet telephony network and the circuit switched telephony network;

in a Digital Access and Cross-connect System (DACS), changing one or more of the corresponding logical link endpoints from the old communication switch to the new communication switch; and

in a Signal Transfer Point (STP), mapping corresponding Circuit ID Codes (CICs) and signaling point codes of the circuit switched telephony network to route signaling to the new communication switch;

in the old communication switch, receiving a call from the packet telephony network;

in the old communication switch, transporting the call to the circuit switched telephony network if the old communication switch has available capacity to the circuit switched telephony network; and

in the old communication switch, signaling the new communication switch to transport the call to the circuit switched telephony network if the old communication switch does not have available capacity to the circuit switched telephony network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising in the circuit switched telephony network, signaling the new communication switch to interface with the circuit switched telephony network after the mapping and changing steps.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising in the packet telephony network, signaling the new communication switch to interface with the packet telephony network after the mapping and changing steps.

14. The method of claim 11, with the new communication switch comprising a Media Gateway Controller (MGC) and a Media Gateway (MG).