Organizing, managing, and selectively distributing routing information in a signaling message routing node

• US 9,379,965 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Craig, Jeffrey Alan, Erickson, Mark Allen, Kanode, Mark Edward, Khadri, Seetharaman
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCallum, Latresa
• Application Number:
  US14/302,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing and selectively distributing routing information in a routing node are disclosed. In one implementation, a method for selectively distributing routing information in a routing node includes organizing internal signaling resources are organized so as to facilitate the efficient mapping of signaling system 7 (SS7) message transfer part (MTP) signaling protocol attributes to Internet protocol (IP)-based signaling resources. A routing status information sharing hierarchy is defined, which enables routing status information to be efficiently shared among members of a signaling mateset group. Members of a signaling mateset replicate and distribute SS7 MTP network management information across non-MTP signaling connections, such as IP connections.

Claims

1. A method for managing status information in a message routing system, the method comprising:

at a first communication module that hosts non-message-transfer-part (non-MTP) signaling connections associated with a first destination;

detecting a change in status of a signaling connection of the non-MTP signaling connections associated with the first destination, and in response to detecting the change in status, determining whether a number of available or unavailable connections of the non-MTP signaling connections to the destination has a predetermined relationship with respect to a threshold;

in response to determining that the number of available or unavailable connections of the non-MTP signaling connections to the destination does not have the predetermined relationship with respect to the threshold, communicating the change in status of the signaling connection to a second communication module; and

in response to determining that the number of available or unavailable connections of the non-MTP signaling connections to the destination has the predetermined relationship with respect to the threshold, communicating a change in status of the destination to at least the second communication module,

wherein the change in status of the signaling connection includes availability of the signaling connection, wherein the threshold includes an availability threshold, and wherein communicating a change in status of the destination includes communicating a change in status of the destination in response to determining that a number of available signaling connections to the destination is greater than or equal to the availability threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 where the first and second communication modules are members of a same signaling mateset.

3. The method of claim 1 where the non-MTP signaling connections comprise Internet protocol (IP) connections.

4. The method of claim 1 where the first destination comprises an IP signaling destination.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the availability threshold is equal to one.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the availability threshold is equal to a number greater than one.

7. A method for managing status information in a message routing system, the method comprising:

at a first communication module that hosts non-message-transfer-part (non-MTP) signaling connections associated with a first destination;

detecting a change in status of a signaling connection of the non-MTP signaling connections associated with the first destination, and in response to detecting the change in status, determining whether a number of available or unavailable connections of the non-MTP signaling connections to the destination has a predetermined relationship with respect to a threshold;

in response to determining that the number of available or unavailable connections of the non-MTP signaling connections to the destination does not have the predetermined relationship with respect to the threshold, communicating the change in status of the signaling connection to a second communication module; and

in response to determining that the number of available or unavailable connections of the non-MTP signaling connections to the destination has the predetermined relationship with respect to the threshold, communicating a change in status of the destination to at least the second communication module, wherein the change in status of the signaling connection includes unavailability of the signaling connection, wherein the threshold includes an availability threshold, and wherein communicating a change in status of the destination includes communicating a change in status of the destination in response to determining that a number of available signaling connections to the destination is less than or equal to the availability threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the availability threshold is equal to zero.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the availability threshold is equal to a number greater than zero.