System and method for routing signaling messages in a communication network

• US 20070140262A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jin-Gen
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.520
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/484 using multiple routing trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

A system and method for routing signaling messages in a communication network includes an improved route engine having a plurality of dynamically loadable route trees encoded as standardized data files each provisioned for use according to a corresponding network service and having one or more nodes each encoded with logic to independently carry out processing for the service and return a corresponding route response.

Claims

1. For use with a core proxy server operative to receive and forward sip:

signaling messages in an IP network, an improved route engine module comprising;

a plurality of route trees encoded as XML files,

wherein each of said route trees is provisioned for use according to a corresponding network service and further comprises one or more nodes each encoded with logic to independently carry out required processing for the service.

2. An improved proxy server for receiving and forwarding signaling messages in a communication network, the server comprising:

a route engine comprising a plurality of route trees encoded in corresponding text files;

wherein each of said route trees is provisioned for use according to a corresponding network service and further comprises one or more nodes each encoded with logic to independently carry out required processing for the service.

3. An improved proxy server as in claim 2, wherein the proxy server is a core proxy server.

4. An improved proxy server as in claim 2, wherein the communication network is an IP network.

5. An improved proxy server as in claim 2, wherein the signaling messages are SIP messages.

6. An improved proxy server as in claim 2, wherein the text files are XML files.

7. For use in an IP network comprising a core proxy server operative to receive and forward SIP signaling messages, an improved method for determining where to route said messages, comprising:

providing a route engine in communication with the core proxy server, the route engine comprising a plurality route trees each provisioned for a selected network service and each route tree further comprising one or more nodes each encoded with logic in XML file format to independently carry out required processing for the service;

receiving a route request message at the core proxy server;

abstracting from the route request message the selected network service;

determining the corresponding route tree;

traversing the route tree to carry out the processing for the selected service; and

returning a route response message to the core proxy server in accordance with the results of the processing.

8. For use in an communication network comprising a proxy server operative to receive and forward signaling messages, an improved method for determining where to route said messages, comprising:

providing a route engine in communication with the proxy server, the route engine comprising a plurality route trees encoded as corresponding text files, each route tree provisioned for a selected network service and further comprising one or more nodes each encoded with logic to independently carry out required processing for the service;

receiving a route request message at the proxy server;

abstracting from the route request message the selected network service;

determining the corresponding route tree;

traversing the route tree to carry out the processing for the selected service; and

returning a route response message to the proxy server in accordance with the results of the processing.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the communication network is an IP network.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein the signaling messages are SIP messages.

11. A method as in claim 8, wherein the text files are XML files.