Methods and systems for providing dynamic routing key registration

• US 7,113,581 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark Ernest, Marsico, Peter Joseph, Brendes, Dan Alan, Sprague, David Michael, Benedyk, Robby Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/839,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/221.04, 379/230, 455/433, 370/225, 370/355, 370/389, 370/401
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

Disclosed is a communications network element that is capable of routing signaling messages and includes a dynamic routing key registration feature which allows Internet protocol (IP) nodes to automatically register/de-register and subsequently direct traffic towards or away from themselves without the need for manual operator intervention. A signaling gateway routing node includes a self-registering data communication module (sDCM) that is adapted to receive and process dynamic routing key registration messages from associated IP nodes. Such dynamic routing key registration messages may include information that is used to register a new routing key association with a TCP/IP connection, de-register an existing routing key association with the TCP/IP connection, or modify routing key information associated with the TCP/IP connection.

Claims

1. A method for use in a communication network for enabling a signaling node to automatically update routing instructions that are maintained at a network routing node, the method comprising:

(a) at a signaling node in an Internet protocol network, generating a routing key registration message, the routing key registration message including SS7 routing key data for updating the status of routing key information associated with the signaling node, the SS7 routing key data including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC);

(b) sending the routing key registration message to a network routing node capable of routing messages between the IP network and an SS7 network; and

(c) at the network routing node, receiving the routing key registration message and using the SS7 routing key data in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry associated with a connection between the signaling node and the network routing node, wherein using the SS7 routing key data includes extracting the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and CIC from the routing key registration message and using the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC extracted from the routing key registration message to update corresponding fields in the routing key database entry.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a routing key registration message includes generating a transport adapter layer interface (TALI) message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a routing key registration message includes generating a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a routing key registration message includes generating an SS7 MTP level two user adaptation layer (M2UA) message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the SS7 routing key data includes a DPC and wherein using the SS7 routing key data contained in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry includes using the DPC in the routing key registration message to update a DPC in the routing key database entry.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the SS7 routing key data includes an OPC and wherein using the SS7 routing key data contained in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry includes using the OPC in the routing key registration message to update an OPC in the routing key database entry.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the SS7 routing key data includes an SI and wherein using the SS7 routing key data contained in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry includes using the SI in the routing key registration message to update an SI in the routing key database entry.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the SS7 routing key data includes a CIC and wherein using the SS7 routing key data contained in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry includes using the CIC or a range of CICs in the routing key registration message to update a CIC value or range of CIC values in the routing key database entry.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the SS7 routing key data includes an SSN and wherein using the SS7 routing key data contained in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry includes using the SSN in the routing key registration message to dynamically update an SSN in the routing key database entry.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the routing key registration message includes sending the message over an IP socket.

57. The method of claim 1 wherein the routing key registration message includes a flag for indicating whether the routing key data in the routing key registration message is intended to override an existing association in the routing key database, and wherein the method further comprises, in response to determining that the SS7 routing key information is intended to override the existing association, replacing the routing key data in the routing key database entry with the routing key data in the routing key registration message.

58. The method of claim 57 comprising, in response to determining that the routing key registration data in the routing key registration message is not intended to override the existing association, adding an entry to the routing key registration database corresponding to the routing key data contained in the routing key registration message.

59. The method of claim 1 comprising maintaining a static routing key database at the network routing node, the static routing key database including entries that are manually provisioned by a network operator.

11. A method for routing a signaling message by a network routing node, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling message that requires routing;

(b) using SS7 routing key information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a first routing key table, the SS7 routing key information including at least one of an originating point code (OPC) and a destination point code (DPC);

(c) in response to locating a match in the first routing key table, routing the signaling message using routing information returned by the first routing key table;

(d) in response to failing to locate a match in the first routing key table, using the information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a second routing key table; and

(e) in response to locating a match in the second routing key table, routing the signaling message using routing information returned by the second routing key table.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling system 7 (SS7) signaling message.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a transport adapter layer interface (TALI) signaling message.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) signaling message.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes a DPC and wherein using the SS7 routing key information to search for a match in the first or the second routing key table includes using the DPC.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an OPC and wherein using the SS7 routing key to search for a match in the first or the second routing key table includes using the OPC.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an SI and wherein using the SS7 routing key information to search for a match in the first or the second routing key table includes using the SI.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes a CIC and wherein using the SS7 routing key information to search for a match in the first or the second routing key table includes using the CIC.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein searching for a match in a first routing key table includes searching for a match in a dynamic routing key table capable of receiving self-registration messages from IP nodes and automatically updating entries in the dynamic routing key table based on the self-registration messages.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an SSN and wherein using the SS7 routing key information to search for a match in the first or the second routing key table includes using the SSN.

21. A method for routing a signaling message by a network routing node, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling message that requires routing;

(b) using information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a first routing key table;

(c) in response to locating a match in the first routing key table routing the signaling message using routing information returned the first routing key table;

(d) in response to failing to locate a match in the first routing key table using the information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a second routing key table; and

(e) in response to locating a match in the second routing key table, routing the signaling message using routing information returned by the second routing key table, wherein searching for a match in a second routing key table includes searching for a match in a static routing key table, containing routing key entries that are manually provisioned by an operator through a provisioning interface.

23. A method for performing reliable call signaling communications over an Internet protocol (IP) network using dynamic routing key registration, the method comprising:

(a) establishing a first IP connection between a signaling gateway and an IP node;

(b) establishing a second IP connection between the signaling gateway and the first IP node

(c) sending call signaling messages between the signaling gateway and the first IP node over the first IP connection; and

(d) in response to failure of the first IP connection, sending a routing key registration message from the first IP node to the signaling gateway over the second IP connection, the routing key registration message including at least one SS7 routing key for dynamically diverting signaling messages originally destined to be sent over the first IP connection to the second IP connection.

24. The method of claim 23 comprising establishing a third IP connection between the signaling gateway and a second IP node, and in response to detecting failure of the first IP node, sending a second routing key registration message from the second IP node to the signaling gateway, the second routing key registration message including at least one SS7 routing key for dynamically diverting traffic originally destined for the firs IP node to the second IP node.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the first IP node comprises a media gateway controller.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second IP nodes each comprise media gateway controllers.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the first IP node comprises a service control point.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second IP nodes each comprise a service control point.

29. A communication system that is adapted to enable a signaling node to automatically provide routing instructions to a signaling message routing node, the system comprising:

(a) a signaling node adapted to generate and send a routing key registration message that contains SS7 routing key information associated with the signaling node, the SS7 routing key information including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC); and

(b) a signaling message routing node including a routing key database, the signaling message routing node being adapted to receive the routing key registration message and to dynamically update an entry in the routing key database based on the SS7 routing key information, wherein the signaling message routing node is adapted to extract the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC from the routing key registration message and to update corresponding fields in the routing key database entry.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the signaling node comprises a media gateway controller (MGC).

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the signaling node comprises a service control point (SCP).

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the signaling node comprises a database server.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the routing key registration message comprises a transport adapter layer interface (TALI) message.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein the routing key registration message comprises a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) message.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes a DPC.

36. The system of claim 29 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an OPC.

37. The system of claim 29 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an SI.

38. The system of claim 29 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes a CIC.

39. The system for claim 29 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an SSN.

40. The system of claim 29 wherein the signaling message routing node comprises an SS7 -to-IP gateway routing node.

41. The system of claim 29 wherein the routing key database includes a dynamic routing key table having entries that are dynamically updated based on routing key registration messages received from IP nodes and a static routing key table having entries that are manually provisioned and that are not dynamically updated based on the routing key registration messages.

42. The system of claim 29 wherein the routing key database includes a single routing key table that includes both dynamic routing key data and static routing key data, the dynamic routing key data being dynamically updated based on received routing key registration messages and the static routing key data that is manually provisioned and that is not updated based on the routing key registration messages.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the dynamic routing key data and the static routing key data are each binary tree (b-tree) indexed.

60. The system of claim 29 wherein the routing key registration message includes a flag for indicating whether the routing key information in the routing key registration message is intended to override an existing association in the routing key database, and wherein, in response to determining that the SS7 routing key information is intended to override the existing association, the signaling message routing node is adapted to replace the routing key information in the routing key database entry with the routing key information in the routing key registration message.

61. The system of claim 60 wherein, in response to determining that the routing key registration information in the routing key registration message is not intended to override the existing association, the signaling message routing node is adapted to add an entry to the routing key registration database corresponding to the information contained in the routing key registration message.

62. The system of claim 29 wherein the signaling message routing node comprises a static routing key database ode, the static routing key database including entries that are manually provisioned by a network operator.

67. The self-registration data communications module of claim 62, wherein in response to determining that the routing key registration information in the routing key registration message is not intended to override the existing association, the dynamic routing key registration process is adapted to add an entry to the routing key registration database corresponding to the information contained in the routing key registration message.

44. A network routing node that is adapted to receive routing key registration information from an associated signaling node and subsequently use the routing key registration information to update a routing database, the network routing node comprising:

(a) a communication module adapted to receive a routing key registration message from an IP node in an IP network, the routing key registration message including SS7 routing key information for dynamically updating a routing key entry associated with a connection between the communication module and the IP node, the SS7 routing key information including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination pint code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC); and

(b) a dynamic routing key registration process and a dynamic routing key registration table, the dynamic routing key registration process being adapted to dynamically update SS7 message routing data for a dynamic routing key table entry associated with the connection based on the SS7 routing key information contained in the routing key registration message.

46. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the communication module comprises a self-registration data communication module (sDCM).

47. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the routing key registration message comprises a transport adapter layer interface (TALI) message.

48. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the routing key registration message comprises a stream control transmission protocol message.

49. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes a DPC.

50. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an OPC.

51. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes an SI.

52. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the SS7 routing key information includes a CIC.

63. The network routing node of claim 44 wherein the routing key registration message includes a flag for indicating whether the SS7 routing key information in the routing key registration message is intended to override an existing association in the dynamic routing key registration table, and wherein, in response to determining that the SS7 routing key information is intended to override the existing association, the dynamic routing key registration process is adapted to replace the routing key information in the dynamic routing key table entry with the SS7 routing key information in the routing key registration message.

64. The network routing node of claim 63 wherein, in response to determining that the routing key registration information in the routing key registration message is not intended to override the existing association, the dynamic routing key registration process is adapted to add an entry to the routing key registration database corresponding to the SS7 routing key information contained in the routing key registration message.

65. The network routing node of claim 44 comprising a static routing key table including entries that are manually provisioned by a network operator.

45. A network routing node that is adapted to receive routing key registration information from an associated signaling node and subsequently use the routing key registration information to update a routing database, the network routing node comprising:

(a) a communication module adapted to receive a routing key registration message from an IP node in an IP network, the routing key registration message including data for dynamically updating a routing key entry associated with a connection between the communication module and the IP node;

(b) a dynamic routing key table adapted to dynamically update SS7 message routing data for a routing key table entry associated with the connection based on the information contained in the routing key registration message;

(c) a static routing key table containing static routing key information that is not undated with the routing information contained in the routing key registration message; and

(d) a manager process for controlling the sequence in which the dynamic and static routing key tables are searched during a routing operation.

53. A self-registration data communication module for receiving dynamic routing key registration requests from signaling node in an Internet protocol (IP) network and for dynamically updating a routing key table based on the routing key registration requests, the self-registration data communication module comprising:

(a) an interface for receiving routing key registration request messages from one or more signaling nodes in an IP network, each routing key registration request message including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC);

(b) a dynamic routing key table for storing SS7 routing key information for routing SS7 signaling messages to the signaling nodes in the IP network based on corresponding routing key parameters in the signaling messages, the SS7 routing key information including the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC extracted from one of the routing key registration messages; and

(c) dynamic routing key registration process for dynamically updating the routing key information in the routing key database in response to the routing key registration requests.

54. The self-registration data communication module of claim 53 wherein the interface is adapted to receive routing key registration request messages from a media gateway controller (MGC).

55. The self-registration data communication module of claim 54 wherein the interface is adapted to receive routing key registration request messages from a service control point (SCP).

56. The self-registration data communication module of claim 54 wherein the dynamic routing key table maps the SS7 -based routing keys to TCP/IP socket associations for the signaling nodes in the IP network.

66. The self-registration data communication module of claim 53 wherein the routing key registration message includes a flag for indicating whether the routing key information in the routing key registration message is intended to override an existing association, and wherein, in response to determining that the SS7 routing key information is intended to override the existing association, the dynamic routing key registration process is adapted to replace the routing key information in the routing key database entry with the routing key information in the routing key registration message.

68. The self-registration data communications module of claim 53 comprising a static routing key database including entries that are manually provisioned by a network operator.