Methods, systems, and computer readable media for inter-message processor status sharing

• US 9,088,478 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Craig, Jeffrey Alan, Kanode, Mark Edward, Karmarkar, Kedar Kashinath, Sprague, David Michael, Wallace, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US13/026,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method of operating a Diameter signaling router (DSR) for routing Diameter messages. The method includes steps occurring at a DSR comprising a plurality of Diameter message processors, each configured to perform at least one Diameter function. The method also includes detecting, at a first of the plurality of Diameter message processors, a change in status relating to the at least one Diameter function. The method further includes communicating, by the first of the plurality of Diameter message processors and to a second of the plurality of Diameter message processors, an indication of the change in status.

Claims

1. A method of operating a Diameter signaling router (DSR) for routing Diameter messages, the method comprising:

at a DSR comprising a plurality of peer Diameter message processors, each configured to perform at least one Diameter function of a Diameter protocol;

detecting, at a first peer Diameter message processor of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors, a change in an ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function on a first Diameter message received by the DSR, wherein the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises a change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to process the first Diameter message;

communicating, by the first of the plurality of Diameter message processors and to a second of the plurality of Diameter message processors, an indication of the change in the ability of the first Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function, wherein communicating an indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises updating at least one of a message processor status database associated with the DSR, a message processor status table associated with the DSR, and a message processor status data structure associated with the DSR, wherein at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors is configured to query the at least one of the message processor status database associated with the DSR, the message processor status table associated with the DSR, and the message processor status data structure associated with the DSR;

selecting, at the second peer Diameter message processor and based at least in part on the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor, a third peer Diameter message processor of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors to perform the at least one Diameter function on the first Diameter message, wherein the second peer Diameter message processor is configured to route, using the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor, the first Diameter message to one or more of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors in the DSR capable of processing the Diameter message; and

sending the first Diameter message to the third peer Diameter message processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function further includes at least one of:

an operational status of a message processor, an operational status of a Diameter layer, and an operational status of a Diameter application, a change in operational status of a Diameter peer node, a change in connection status of a Diameter peer node, and a change in connection status of a Diameter application.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising, in response to detecting the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function, updating at least one of a routing table associated with the DSR, a routing database associated with the DSR, and a routing data structure associated with the DSR.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors is a distinct message processor for one of:

implementing Diameter transport connections;

implementing Diameter routing;

or implementing Diameter applications.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors implements a layer for providing transport connections and a layer for performing Diameter routing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors implements a layer for implementing transport connections, a layer for performing Diameter routing, and a layer for providing Diameter applications.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of peer Diameter message processors are interconnected via either an internal communications network or an external communications network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors comprises one of:

a distinct message processing module of a distributed computing platform;

a computing blade in a blade-based distributed computing platform;

a processing core element associated with a single or multi-core computing device; and

a virtual node instantiated on a single physical message processing / computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises sending broadcast/multicast status information to at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors.

10. A system for routing Diameter messages, the system comprising:

a Diameter signaling router including;

first, second, and third peer Diameter message processors, each for implementing at least one Diameter function of a Diameter protocol,

wherein the first peer Diameter message processor is configured to detect a change in an ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function on a first Diameter message received by the DSR, wherein the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises a change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to process the first Diameter message, and communicate, to the second peer Diameter message processor, an indication of the change in the ability of the first Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function, wherein the first peer Diameter message processor is configured to communicate the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function by updating at least one of a message processor status database associated with the DSR, a message processor status table associated with the DSR, and a message processor status data structure associated with the DSR, wherein at least one of the first peer Diameter message processor and the second peer Diameter message processor is configured to query the at least one of the message processor status database associated with the DSR, the message processor status table associated with the DSR, and the message processor status data structure associated with the DSR, and

wherein the second peer Diameter message processor is configured to select, based at least in part on the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor, the third peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function on the first Diameter message and send the first Diameter message to the third peer Diameter message processor, wherein the second peer Diameter message processor is configured to route, using the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor, the first Diameter message to one or more of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors in the DSR capable of processing the Diameter message.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function further includes at least one of:

an operational status of a message processor, an operational status of a Diameter layer, and an operational status of a Diameter application, a change in operational status of a Diameter peer node, a change in connection status of a Diameter peer node, and a change in connection status of a Diameter application.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first and second peer Diameter message processors is configured to, in response to the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function, update at least one of a routing table associated with the DSR, a routing database associated with the DSR, and a routing data structure associated with the DSR.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first peer Diameter message processor and the second peer Diameter message processor is a distinct message processor for one of:

implementing Diameter transport connections;

implementing Diameter routing;

or implementing Diameter applications.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first peer Diameter message processor and the second peer Diameter message processor implements a layer for providing transport connections and a layer for performing Diameter routing.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first peer Diameter message processor and the second Diameter message peer processor implements a layer for providing transport connections, a layer for performing Diameter routing, and a layer for providing Diameter applications.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the first peer Diameter message processor and the second peer Diameter message processor are interconnected via either an internal communications network or an external communications network.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first peer Diameter message processor and the second peer Diameter message processor comprises one of:

a distinct message processing module of a distributed computing platform;

a computing blade in a blade-based distributed computing platform;

a processing core element associated with a single or multi-core computing device; and

a virtual node instantiated on a single physical message processing / computing device.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein communicating the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises sending broadcast/multicast status information to at least one of the first peer Diameter message processor and the second peer Diameter message processor.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a DSR comprising a plurality of peer Diameter message processors, each configured to perform at least one Diameter function of a Diameter protocol;

detecting, at a first peer Diameter message processor of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors, a change in an ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function on a first Diameter message received by the DSR, wherein the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises a change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to process the first Diameter message;

communicating, by the first of the plurality of Diameter message processors and to a second of the plurality of Diameter message processors, an indication of the change in the ability of the first Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function, wherein communicating an indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor to perform the at least one Diameter function comprises updating at least one of a message processor status database associated with the DSR, a message processor status table associated with the DSR, and a message processor status data structure associated with the DSR, wherein at least one of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors is configured to query the at least one of the message processor status database associated with the DSR, the message processor status table associated with the DSR, and the message processor status data structure associated with the DSR;

selecting, at the second peer Diameter message processor and based at least in part on the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor, a third peer Diameter message processor of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors to perform the at least one Diameter function on the first Diameter message, wherein the second peer Diameter message processor is configured to route, using the indication of the change in the ability of the first peer Diameter message processor, the first Diameter message to one or more of the plurality of peer Diameter message processors in the DSR capable of processing the Diameter message; and

sending the first Diameter message to the third peer Diameter message processor.