Architecture for high availability conferencing

• US 9,363,478 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Wamorkar, Vivek, Pullamkottu, Boby Skaria, Venkatasubramanian, Ramesh Krishnamani
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US14/621,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• 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: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Providing high availability multi-way conferencing. Separate signaling and media components may be provided within an MCU or among a cluster of MCUs. A signaling server may control signaling aspects of a conference while a media server may provide media support for the conference. In the event of media server failure, the signaling server may assign a new media server to provide media support for the conference. A backup signaling server may also monitor the signaling server and may provide signaling support for the conference in the event of signaling server failure.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for a backup signaling server to provide high-availability video conferencing, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

monitor a signaling server, wherein the signaling server facilitates video conference signaling between endpoints and media servers, wherein the media servers provide media support for video conferences between the endpoints, including providing one or more of;

receiving, decoding, mixing, compositing, encoding, or transmitting media streams to and from endpoints participating in the conferences;

detect that the signaling server has failed;

facilitate video conference signaling between the endpoints and the media servers in response to detecting that the signaling server has failed.

2. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the signaling server maintains scheduling data and call context data for video conferences supported by the media servers, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

maintain the scheduling data and the call context data for the video conferences supported by the media servers.

3. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the program instructions for monitoring the signaling server are further executable to periodically receive a heartbeat signal from the signaling server;

wherein the program instructions for detecting that the signaling server has failed are further executable to detect an absence of the heartbeat signal from the signaling server.

4. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions for facilitating video conference signaling between the endpoints and the media servers are further executable to:

register the media servers;

establish calls with the endpoints;

select media servers to provide media support for video conferences for the endpoints;

monitor the media servers for failure.

5. A method for providing high-availability video conferencing, wherein the method is implemented by a backup signaling server, the method comprising:

monitoring a signaling server, wherein the signaling server facilitates video conference signaling between endpoints and media servers, wherein the media servers provide media support for video conferences between the endpoints, including providing one or more of;

receiving, decoding, mixing, compositing, encoding, or transmitting media streams to and from endpoints participating in the conferences;

detecting that the signaling server has failed;

facilitating video conference signaling between the endpoints and the media servers in response to detecting that the signaling server has failed.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the signaling server maintains scheduling data and call context data for video conferences hosted by the media servers;

wherein the backup signaling server also maintains the scheduling data and the call context data for the video conferences hosted by the media servers.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein monitoring the signaling server comprises periodically receiving a heartbeat signal from the signaling server;

wherein detecting that the signaling server has failed comprises detecting an absence of the heartbeat signal from the signaling server.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein facilitating video conference signaling between the endpoints and the media servers comprises:

registering the media servers;

receiving calls from the endpoints;

selecting media servers to host video conferences for the endpoints based on receiving calls from the endpoints;

monitoring the media servers for failure.

9. A backup signaling server computer system configured to provide high availability video conferencing, the backup signaling server comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by the processor to;

monitor a signaling server, wherein the signaling server facilitates video conference signaling between endpoints and media servers, wherein the media servers provide media support for video conferences between the endpoints, including providing one or more of;

receiving, decoding, mixing, compositing, encoding, or transmitting media streams to and from endpoints participating in the conferences;

detect that the signaling server has failed;

facilitate video conference signaling between the endpoints and the media servers in response to detecting that the signaling server has failed.

10. The backup signaling server computer system of claim 9, wherein the signaling server maintains scheduling data and call context data for video conferences supported by the media servers, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

maintain the scheduling data and the call context data for the video conferences supported by the media servers.

11. The backup signaling server computer system of claim 9,

wherein the program instructions for monitoring the signaling server are further executable to periodically receive a heartbeat signal from the signaling server;

wherein the program instructions for detecting that the signaling server has failed are further executable to detect an absence of the heartbeat signal from the signaling server.

12. The backup signaling server computer system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions for facilitating video conference signaling between the endpoints and the media servers are further executable to:

register the media servers;

establish calls with the endpoints;

select media servers to provide media support for video conferences for the endpoints;

monitor the media servers for failure.