Fault tolerant distributed mobile architecture

• US 9,755,931 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lemko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lemko Corporation
• Inventors: Pan, Shaowei
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/184,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 370396, 455445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors

Abstract

A method includes detecting a failure condition relating to a first distributed mobile architecture (dMA) gateway (dMAG) at a dMAG management system. The dMAG management system is in communication with at least the first dMAG, a second dMAG, and dMA nodes. The method also includes determining that the first dMAG is offline based on the failure condition, selecting the second dMAG, sending a first notification from the dMAG management system to the second dMAG, and sending a second notification from the dMAG management system to an external system. The external system is configured to connect calls to a mobile station via the first dMAG. The first notification instructs the second dMAG to take over operations from the first dMAG. The second notification indicates that the external system is to connect subsequent calls to the mobile station via the second dMAG.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a failure condition associated with a first distributed mobile architecture (dMA) gateway (dMAG) at a dMAG management system, wherein the dMAG management system is in communication with at least the first dMAG, a second dMAG, and a plurality of dMA nodes;

in response to detecting the failure condition, sending a first notification from the dMAG management system to the second dMAG, wherein the first notification instructs the second dMAG to take over operations from the first dMAG;

sending a second notification from the dMAG management system to a dMA node of the plurality of dMA nodes, the dMA node configured to connect a call from a mobile station to an external system via the first dMAG, wherein the second notification indicates that the second dMAG has taken over the operations from the first dMAG and instructs the dMA node to connect calls from the mobile station to the external system via the second dMAG; and

sending a third notification from the dMAG management system to the external system, wherein the third notification instructs the external system to connect subsequent calls to the mobile station via the second dMAG.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the failure condition is detected in response to receiving a message from the first dMAG, wherein the message indicates that the first dMAG is going offline.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the failure condition is detected based on a message received from a particular dMA node local to the first dMAG, the message indicating failure of the first dMAG.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising notifying the dMA node that the second dMAG is to take over the operations from the first dMAG.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the failure condition is detected based on a message received from a dMAG interface of the external system, the message indicating failure of the first dMAG.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the failure condition is detected in response to failing to receive a periodic heartbeat message from the first dMAG at the dMAG management system.

7. A system comprising:

a distributed mobile architecture (dMA) gateway (dMAG) management system comprising;

an operation determination module configured to;

receive messages; and

detect a failure condition associated with a first dMAG;

a dMAG selection module configured to select a second dMAG in response to detecting the failure condition; and

a notification module configured to;

send a first notification to the second dMAG, wherein the first notification instructs the second dMAG to take over operation of the first dMAG;

send a second notification to a dMA node configured to connect a call from a mobile station to an external system via the first dMAG, wherein the second notification indicates that the second dMAG has taken over the operations from the first dMAG and instructs the dMA node to connect calls from the mobile station to the external system via the second dMAG; and

send a third notification to the external system, wherein the third notification instructs the external system to connect calls to the mobile station via the second dMAG.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the operation determination module, the dMAG selection module, and the notification module correspond to instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the operation determination module is further configured to detect the failure condition based on a message received from the first dMAG, wherein the message is an offline message that indicates the first dMAG is going offline.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the operation determination module is further configured to detect the failure condition based on a message received from a from the dMA node.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the operation determination module is further configured to detect the failure condition based on a message received from the external system, and wherein the message indicates failure of the first dMAG.

12. A machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a failure condition associated with a first dMA gateway (dMAG) at a dMAG management system, wherein the dMAG management system is in communication with at least the first dMAG, a second dMAG, and a plurality of dMA nodes;

in response to detecting the failure condition, sending a first notification from the dMAG management system to the second dMAG, wherein the first notification instructs the second dMAG to take over operation of the first dMAG;

sending a second notification from the dMAG management system to a dMA node of the plurality of dMA nodes, the dMA node configured to connect a call from a mobile station to an external system via the first dMAG, wherein the second notification indicates that the second dMAG has taken over the operations from the first dMAG and instructs the dMA node to connect calls from the mobile station to the external system via the second dMAG; and

sending a third notification to the external system, wherein the third notification instructs the external system to connect subsequent calls to the mobile station via the second dMAG.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the failure condition is detected in response to receiving a message from the first dMAG, wherein the message indicates that the first dMAG is going offline.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein detecting the failure condition is detected based on a message received from a particular dMA node local to the first dMAG indicating failure of the first dMAG.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise notifying the dMA node that the second dMAG is to take over the operation of the first dMAG.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the failure condition is detected in response to a message received from a dMAG interface of the external system, the message indicating failure of the first dMAG.