Methods, systems, and computer readable storage devices for adjusting the use of virtual resources providing communication services based on load

• US 9,888,127 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Jackson, James E., Daddona, Art
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Kan
• Application Number:
  US14/814,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The use of virtual resources providing communication services is adjusted based on load. A determination is made, for a specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized. If the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized, a virtual telephone number mapping service instance dedicated to the specific number range is selected for removal. A determination is also made, for the specific number range, whether a number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle requests for communication services. If the number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not sufficient to handle the requests, instantiation of a virtual telephone mapping instance is initiated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, information indicative of performance of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to a specific number range associated with requests for communication services;

determining, by the processor, for the specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized based on the information received;

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized, selecting, by the processor, a virtual telephone number mapping service instance dedicated to the specific number range for removal; and

initiating, by the processor, removal of the virtual telephone number mapping service instance selected for handling the requests.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, reserving the virtual telephone number mapping service instance selected as a resource for handling the requests.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining, by the processor, for the specific number range, whether a number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests includes determining whether an available capacity of the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances is below a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to determining that the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services, initializing instantiation of the virtual telephone number mapping service instance reserved.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, for the specific number range, whether a number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests includes determining whether an available capacity of the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has reached a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, responsive to determining that the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services, initializing instantiation of a new virtual telephone number mapping service instance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized includes determining whether a capacity provided by the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range exceeds a capacity needed to handle the requests.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether a number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range exceeds the capacity needed to handle the requests includes determining whether the capacity of the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances is above a predetermined threshold.

11. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving information indicative of performance of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to a specific number range associated with requests for communication services;

determining, for the specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized based on the information received;

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized, selecting a virtual telephone number mapping service instance dedicated to the specific number range for removal; and

initiating removal of the virtual telephone number mapping service instance selected for handling the requests.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform reserving the virtual telephone number mapping service instance selected as a resource for handling the requests.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform determining, for the specific number range, whether a number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform initializing instantiation of the virtual telephone number mapping service instance reserved responsive to determining that the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform determining, for the specific number range, whether a number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform initializing instantiation of a new virtual telephone number mapping service instance responsive to determining that the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not insufficient to handle the requests for the communication services.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized includes determining whether a capacity provided by the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range exceeds a capacity needed to handle the requests.

18. A computer readable storage device having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information indicative of performance of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to a specific number range associated with requests for communication services;

determining, for the specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized based on the information received;

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized, selecting a virtual telephone number mapping service instance dedicated to the specific number range for removal; and

initiating removal of the virtual telephone number mapping service instance selected for handling the requests.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform reserving the virtual telephone number mapping service instance selected as a resource for handling the requests.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

determining, for the specific number range, whether a number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services; and

responsive to determining that the number of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not sufficient to handle the requests, initializing instantiation of a new virtual telephone mapping instance.