Distributed SIP Silo Signaling for Call Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional communication networks face challenges in maintaining call capacity when a signaling server fails, leading to overload conditions and customer dissatisfaction due to the unavailability of media resources.
Innovation Solution
A distributed SIP silo signaling (DSS) system that uses multiple non-redundant signaling servers to provide SIP signaling for a set of media ports, allowing seamless port selection and resource management to ensure continuous call handling even if one signaling server fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single signaling server manages media resources, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates when the signaling server fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the signaling server into multiple independent instances (first signaling server and second signaling server), each capable of independently managing media resources. This segmentation ensures that failure of one server does not affect the other, maintaining call capacity while distributing the complexity across multiple manageable units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements redundancy by having a second signaling server stand ready to take over media resource management if the first signaling server fails. This beforehand cushioning ensures continuous operation without interruption, as the backup server is prepared in advance and can immediately assume the failed server's responsibilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If media resources are tied to a specific signaling server, then resource management is simplified, but adaptability deteriorates when signaling server fails
Solution Approach 1:
The media server is designed with universal functionality to serve multiple signaling servers. It maintains a pool of ports that can be dynamically allocated to any signaling server, making the media server adaptable to different signaling server configurations and failures without requiring server-specific dedicated resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic port selection where the media server can assign ports to signaling servers based on real-time availability and configuration. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to adapt to signaling server failures by redistributing port assignments to remaining operational servers.
3Reliability
If all calls are redirected to voice mail when network is impaired, then call capacity is preserved, but customer satisfaction deteriorates due to overload conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining separate control over signaling and media resources. Each signaling server has its own associated media resources that can be independently managed. This local quality ensures that even when network impairment occurs, media resources remain available and can be selectively allocated to complete calls without overwhelming the media server.
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments described herein recite a telephone communication system used for handling information such as messages, typically voice mail messages, and, more particularly, is directed to a system that provides distributed session initiation protocol (SIP) silos. Distributed SIP silos (DSS) is a Communications Application Platform (CAP) feature that maintains the site's call capacity even when a signaling server fails. DSS uses multiple non-redundant signaling servers to provide SIP signaling for the same set of media ports. Because there are multiple signaling servers providing signaling for the same set of ports, the failure of one signaling server only terminates the calls it was actively processing and once those calls have been cleaned up, all the available (non-suspended) ports in the configuration are available to the remaining signaling servers.