Distributed Link Table Consistency Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for link table consistency management in telecommunications network signaling routers are labor-intensive and prone to failure due to reliance on centralized operations, which can lead to unnecessary backplane traffic and delays in updating link status, especially if the centralized card fails.

Innovation Solution

Each link interface card in the system verifies its link table by requesting checksums from other cards, allowing for distributed and automatic detection and correction of inconsistencies, eliminating the need for complete table copies and reducing reliance on a central point of failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a centralized OA&M card is used to perform link table consistency management, then consistency checking can be performed, but the system becomes prone to failure if the centralized card fails and requires manual intervention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelink table consistency management reliabilityVSAvoidcentralized system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized consistency checking function into distributed segments, where each link interface card independently performs consistency verification by comparing its link table against others. This eliminates the single point of failure in centralized systems while maintaining consistency management capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each link interface card autonomously performs consistency checking and correction without requiring manual intervention or a centralized controller. The system serves itself by having individual cards detect and report inconsistencies automatically, reducing operational complexity and improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If complete copies of signaling link tables are sent over the internal bus to identify inconsistencies, then full consistency verification is achieved, but unnecessary backplane traffic increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconsistency verification accuracyVSAvoidbackplane traffic overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential verification data (checksums) from the complete link tables and transmits these compact representations over the backplane. This allows full consistency verification without sending entire table copies, dramatically reducing backplane traffic while maintaining detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the link table data into a different parameter form (checksum values) that preserves the essential consistency information while occupying minimal transmission bandwidth. This parameter transformation enables accurate verification with reduced communication overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If manual comparison of individual signaling link table entries is performed, then the cause of mismatch can be determined, but labor-intensive operations increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinconsistency diagnosis accuracyVSAvoidoperational simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements automated feedback mechanisms where each card reports checksum mismatches and specific problematic entries to the system. This automatic feedback loop replaces manual comparison operations, providing precise inconsistency diagnosis while eliminating labor-intensive human intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual entry comparison with an automated electronic system that uses checksum algorithms and digital comparison. This substitution maintains complete diagnostic accuracy while eliminating manual labor entirely.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS7383298B2Methods and systems for dynamic, distributed link table consistency management

Publication Date: 2008.06.03 TEKELEC GLOBAL INC

AI summary

Methods and systems for dynamic, distributed link table consistency management are disclosed. A method for dynamic, distributed link table consistency management includes requesting, from each link interface module that maintains a link table in a distributed routing system, a link table checksum from the other link interface modules in the system. The requesting link interface module computes a checksum for its local link table and compares the computed checksum to the received checksums. In response to detecting a mismatch between the local checksum and one of the received link table checksums, the link interface module requests individual entry checksums from the link interface module with which a mismatch was detected. Inconsistencies between individual entries may be automatically corrected and/or reported to an operator.