Methods, systems, and computer program products for organizing, managing, and selectively distributing routing information in a signaling message routing node

• US 20050232407A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Craig, Jeffrey A., Kanode, Mark E., Khadri, Seetharaman, Erickson, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/229
• 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 and selectively distributing routing status information in a message routing system which includes at least one communication interface for communicating signaling system 7 (SS7) information over a non-message-transfer-part (MTP) transport protocol, the method comprising:

(a) assigning a plurality of non-MTP-transport communication modules to a first signaling mateset (SM) group;

(b) communicating non-MTP routing status information associated with the first SM group among the communication modules in the first SM group; and

(c) communicating MTP routing status information associated with the first SM group to at least one communication module that is not in the first SM group.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning a plurality of non-MTP transport communication modules in the system to a first SM group includes assigning a plurality of Internet protocol (IP) transport communication modules to the first SM group.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein assigning a plurality of IP transport communication modules to a first SM group includes assigning a plurality of data communication modules (DCMs) to the first SM group.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning a plurality of non-MTP transport communication modules to a first SM group includes assigning a plurality of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) transport communication modules to the first SM group.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising associating a virtual SS7 signaling link entity with each communication module in the first SM group.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating non-MTP routing status information includes communicating IP destination status information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating non-MTP routing status information includes communicating IP connection status information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating MTP routing status information includes communicating SS7 MTP level 3 route status information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating MTP routing status information includes communicating virtual SS7 signaling link entity status information.

10. A method for managing and distributing signaling system 7 (SS7) network management (NM) information in a message routing system including at least one communication interface adapted to communicate signaling system 7 (SS7) information over at least one non-message-transfer-part (MTP) transport protocol signaling connection, the method comprising:

at a first communication module that includes at least one non-MTP transport protocol based signaling connection;

(a) receiving a message that includes SS7 network management information;

(b) determining a network type associated with the received SS7 network management information; and

(c) communicating the SS7 network management information over non-MTP transport protocol signaling connections associated with the determined network type.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving a message that includes SS7 network management information at a first communication module includes receiving SS7 network management information at a communication module that includes an Internet protocol (IP) signaling connection.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving a message that includes SS7 network management information at a first communication module includes receiving SS7 network management information from a second communication module in the routing system.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a network type associated with the received SS7 network management information includes examining a national network indicator parameter associated with the network management information.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a network type associated with the received SS7 network management information includes examining message origination information associated with the network management information.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a network type associated with the received SS7 network management information includes examining concerned point code information associated with the network management information.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a network type includes determining whether network management information is associated with an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) signaling network.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a network type includes determining whether network management information is associated with an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) signaling network.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein communicating the SS7 network management information over non-MTP transport protocol signaling connections includes communicating the SS7 network management information over an IP connection.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein communicating the SS7 network management information includes replicating the SS7 network management information and communicating the replicated SS7 network management information over multiple IP connections.

20. A method for managing and distributing routing status information in a distributed message routing system, the method comprising:

(a) defining a routing status information hierarchy including a plurality of levels, each level including a plurality of routing entities;

(b) detecting a change in status of a routing entity associated with a first level;

(c) in response detecting the change in status, determining whether the change in status of the first routing entity associated with the first level affects a second routing entity associated with a second level higher than the first level; and

(d) in response to determining that the change in status affects the second routing entity, communicating a change in status of the second routing entity to communication modules in a distributed signaling message routing system.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the routing entities include virtual signaling links.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the routing entities include IP destinations.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the routing entities include SS7 routes.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the routing entities include IP connections.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein determining whether the change in status of the first routing entity associated with the first level affects a second routing entity of a second level higher than the first level includes determining a routing entity associated with a highest level in the routing status hierarchy affected by the change in status of the first routing entity.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein communicating the change in status includes communicating the change in status of the routing entity associated with the highest level.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein communicating the change in status includes refraining from communicating the change in status of the first routing entity.

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

at a first communication module that hosts a plurality of non-message-transfer-part signaling connections associated with a first destination;

(a) detecting a change in status of one of the 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 connections to the destination has a predetermined relationship with respect to a threshold;

(b) in response to determining that the number of available or unavailable 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

(c) in response to determining that the number of available or unavailable 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.

29. The method of claim 28 where the first and second communication modules are members of the same signaling mateset.

30. The method of claim 28 where the signaling connections comprise Internet protocol (IP) connections.

31. The method of claim 28 where the first destination comprises an IP signaling destination.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the change in status of the signaling connection includes availability of the signaling connection, wherein the predetermined 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.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the availability threshold is equal to one.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the availability threshold is equal to a number greater than one.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein the change in status of the signaling connection includes unavailability of the signaling connection, wherein the predetermined 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.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the availability threshold is equal to zero.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the availability threshold is equal to a number greater than zero.

38. A method for distributing SS7 network management information collected by a plurality of non-MTP communication modules in a signaling message routing node, the method comprising:

(a) organizing a plurality of non-MTP communication modules into a group for distribution of non-MTP signaling connection status information;

(b) designating one of the non-MTP communication modules in the group as a proxy for distributing MTP network management information to communication modules that are not members of the group; and

(c) using the proxy to distribute MTP network management information to communication modules that are not members of the group.

39. A signaling message routing system, the system comprising:

(a) a first communication module for hosting at least one first signaling link for sending and receiving Internet protocol (IP) signaling messages via at least one first IP connection;

(b) a second communication module for hosting at least one second signaling link for sending and receiving IP signaling messages at least one second IP connection; and

(c) a third communication module for hosting at least one third signaling link for sending and receiving signaling messages, wherein the first and second communications modules are adapted to share with each other status information regarding the first and second IP connections and to share with the third communication module status information regarding the first and second signaling links.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the first and second communication modules comprise IP communication modules and wherein the third communication module comprises an SS7 communication module.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the first, second, and third communication modules comprise IP communication modules.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein at least one of the first, second, and third communication modules comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) communication module.

43. The system of claim 39 including a network management (NM) function associated with the first communication module for receiving an SS7 NM message containing SS7 NM information and for communicating the SS7 NM information to IP signaling destinations over the at least one IP connection.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the NM function is adapted to communicate the SS7 NM information only to IP signaling destinations that are associated with the same network type as that of the SS7 NM message.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein the first communication module is adapted to detect changes in status associated with signaling link entities hosted by the first communication module, to determine a highest hierarchical level signaling link entity affected by a change in status of a signaling link entity, and to inform at least the second communication module of the highest hierarchical level signaling link entity affected by the change in status.

46. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) assigning a plurality of non-MTP-transport communication modules to a first signaling mateset (SM) group;

(b) communicating non-MTP routing status information associated with the first SM group among the communication modules in the first SM group; and

(c) communicating MTP routing status information associated with the first SM group to at least one communication module that is not in the first SM group.

47. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) defining a routing status information hierarchy including a plurality of levels, each level including routing information associated with a plurality of routing entities;

(b) detecting a change in status of a routing entity associated with a first level;

(c) in response detecting the change in status, determining a routing entity associated with a highest level in the routing status information hierarchy affected by the change in status; and

(d) communicating a change in status of the routing entity associated with the highest level to communication modules in a distributed signaling message routing system.