Message-based communication system

• US 6,072,806 A
• Filed: 05/02/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Telecommunications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Khouri, Felix F., Bommareddy, Mahesh
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/850,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 370/297, 370/401, 370/407, 370/422, 370/425, 370/465, 370/466, 370/469, 370/225, 370/228, 370/400, 370/423, 709/201, 709/203, 340/825.01
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A message-based communication system includes a communication link having an associated message version. A first device is coupled to the communication link. The first device is configured to communicate messages across the communication link using the message version associated with the communication link. A second device is also coupled to the communication link. The second device is configured to communicate messages across the communication link using any of several different message versions. A message version controller is also coupled to the communication link. The second device includes a link status database that is used to store information regarding communication links coupled to the second device.

Claims

1. A message-based communication system comprising:

a first communication link having an associated message version;

a first device coupled to the first communication link, wherein the first device is to communicate messages across the first communication link using the message version associated with the first communication link;

a second device coupled to the first communication link, wherein the second device is to communicate messages across the communication link using any of the plurality of message versions and wherein the second device includes a link status database to store status information regarding communications links coupled to the second device; and

a second communication link that is configured as a redundant communication link between the first device and the second device,

wherein a message version associated with the second communication link differs from the message version associated with the first communication link.

2. The message-based communication system of claim 1 further including a message version controller coupled to the communication link.

3. The message-based communication system of claim 1 wherein the second device is coupled to a plurality of communication links, and wherein each communication link is associated with one of a plurality of message versions.

4. The message-based communication system of claim 1 wherein the first device is a client node and the second device is a server.

5. The message-based communication system of claim 1 wherein the first device is a host and the second device is a call center.

6. An apparatus for communicating messages across a plurality of communication links, the apparatus comprising:

a communication device coupled to the plurality of communication links including first and second communication links, the second communication link comprising a redundant communication link for the first communication link, wherein the communication device is to communicate messages across each communication link, and wherein each communication link has one of a plurality of associated message versions; and

a link status database coupled to the communication device, wherein the link status database is to store information regarding the message version associated with each communication link coupled to the communication device,

wherein a message version associated with the second communication link differs from a message version associated with the first communication link.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the communication device includes a message version controller coupled to each communication link.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the communication device is a server.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the communication device is a call center.

10. A message-based communication system comprising:

a primary communication link having an associated message version;

a first device coupled to the primary communication link, wherein the first device is to communicate messages across the primary communication link using the message version associated with the primary communication link;

a second device coupled to the primary communication link, wherein the second device is to communicate messages across the primary communication link and is to communicate messages in a plurality of message versions and wherein the second device includes a link status database to store status information regarding communications links coupled to the second device; and

a redundant communication link coupled to the first device and the second device, wherein the redundant communication link has an associated message version that differs from the message version associated with the primary communication link.

11. The message-based communication system of claim 10 further including a message version controller coupled to the primary communication link and the redundant communication link.

12. The message-based communication system of claim 10 wherein the first device is a client node and the second device is a server.

13. The message-based communication system of claim 10 wherein the first device is a host and the second device is a call center.

14. A method for communicating a message between a first device and a second device, the method comprising:

receiving the message at the second device, wherein the message was generated by the first device and communicated from the first device to the second device using a primary communication link, and wherein the message was communicated using a message version associated with the primary communication link;

the second device generating a response to the received message;

the second device transmitting the response to the first device using the primary communication link if the primary communication link is functional, wherein the response is transmitted using the message version associated with the primary communication link; and

the second device identifying a redundant communication link associated with the primary communication link and transmitting the response to the first device using the redundant communication link if the primary communication link is not functional, wherein the response is transmitted using a message version associated with the redundant communication link,

wherein the message version associated with the primary communication link differs from the message version associated with the redundant communication link.