Registration redirect server

• US 9,998,526 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terpstra, Richard D., Hearty, John, Malas, Daryl William
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Application Number:
  US14/804,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamically registering a communication device are disclosed. As one example, a communication network architecture is disclosed that includes multiple feature servers, multiple registration redirect servers (RRSs), and multiple communication devices. The feature servers provide services to the communication devices. The RRSs each service a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address and perform load balancing of registration requests on behalf of multiple feature servers located geographically proximate to the RRS. The communication devices are configured to issue initial registration requests intended for any of the feature servers to the shared virtual IP address, whereby upon issuing an initial registration request, a communication device is directed to a particular feature server that is associated with a RRS that is closest to the communication device, and where the particular feature server is selected by a load balancing routine executing on the RRS.

Claims

1. A communication network comprising:

a plurality of feature servers providing services to communication devices within the communication network, the plurality of feature servers including at least a first feature server;

a plurality of registration redirect servers each servicing a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address common to the plurality of registration redirect servers, each of the plurality of registration redirect servers performing load balancing of registration requests on behalf of two or more of the plurality of feature servers located geographically proximate to the registration redirect server; and

a plurality of geographically dispersed communication devices communicatively coupled with the plurality of registration redirect servers, each of the plurality of geographically dispersed communication devices configured to issue initial registration requests intended for any of the plurality of feature servers to the shared virtual IP address, whereby upon issuing an initial registration request, a first communication device of the plurality of geographically dispersed communication devices is directed to the first feature server, the first feature server being selected by a load balancing routine executing on a first registration redirect server of the plurality of registration redirect servers;

wherein the first feature server is further configured to;

receive, from the first registration redirect server, the initial registration request;

determine that the first communication device is associated with a home feature server that is different from the first feature server;

notify the home feature server of the initial registration request for the first communication device;

receive service settings for the first communication device; and

provide requested services to the first communication device based on the service settings.

2. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the service settings are received by the first feature server from the home feature server.

3. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the service settings are received by the first feature server from a central feature server.

4. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the home feature server and the first feature server are clustered, and the service settings are retrieved by the first feature server from a database accessible to both the home feature server and the first feature server.

5. A method for dynamically provisioning feature server access in a communication network, comprising:

receiving, at a registration redirect server, a registration request for a first communication device connected to the communication network;

selecting a first feature server to which to redirect the registration request, wherein the selecting is performed by a load balancing routine executing on the registration redirect server;

receiving, at the first feature server and from the registration redirect server, the registration request for the first communication device connected to the communication network;

determining, by the first feature server, that the first communication device is associated with a home feature server;

notifying the home feature server of the registration request for the first communication device;

receiving, at the first feature server, service settings for the first communication device; and

providing, by the first feature server, requested services to the first communication device based on the service settings.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when no response is received by the first feature server from the home feature server, obtaining the service settings from a central feature server.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

waiting a predetermined amount of time for a response from the first feature server and, when no response from the first feature server is received in the predetermined amount of time, sending a request to the central feature server for the service settings.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the first feature server and the home feature server are clustered;

when the first feature server and the home feature server are clustered, retrieving the service settings from a database accessible to both the home feature server and the first feature server; and

when the first feature server and the home feature server are not clustered, retrieving the service settings from a central feature server.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first feature server receives the service settings from the home feature server.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the registration request is addressed to a virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address shared by multiple registration redirection servers.

11. A system for dynamically provisioning feature server access in a communication network, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving, at a registration redirect server, a registration request for a first communication device connected to the communication network;

selecting a first feature server to which to redirect the registration request, wherein the selecting is performed by a load balancing routine executing on the registration redirect server;

receiving, at the first feature server and from the registration redirect server, the registration request for the first communication device connected to the communication network;

determining, by the first feature server, that the first communication device is associated with a home feature server;

notifying the home feature server of the registration request for the first communication device;

receiving, at the first feature server, service settings for the first communication device; and

providing, by the first feature server, requested services to the first communication device based on the service settings.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

when no response is received by the first feature server from the home feature server, obtaining the service settings from a central feature server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting a predetermined amount of time for a response from the first feature server and, when no response from the first feature server is received in the predetermined amount of time, sending a request to the central feature server for the service settings.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the first feature server and the home feature server are clustered;

when the first feature server and the home feature server are clustered, retrieving the service settings from a database accessible to both the home feature server and the first feature server; and

when the first feature server and the home feature server are not clustered, retrieving the service settings from a central feature server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first feature server receives the service settings from the home feature server.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the registration request is addressed to a virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address shared by multiple registration redirection servers.