Dual-Homing Core Control Equipment Network Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dual-homing techniques in communication networks, such as NGN and 3G networks, face challenges in efficiently managing core control equipment redundancy, leading to resource wastage and inadequate service continuity during equipment failures, as they lack effective mechanisms for timely switching between standby equipment.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual-homing method where core control equipment, like softswitches and MSC Servers, are configured with primary and standby links, and utilize heartbeat signals and data storage units to detect failures and seamlessly switch services between them, ensuring continuous service and optimizing resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If core control equipment adopts active/standby mode, then network reliability is improved, but networking cost and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The standby core control equipment performs preliminary actions by maintaining standby links and receiving heartbeat signals from the active equipment, so that when a failure occurs, the standby equipment can immediately take over without requiring complex real-time coordination or reconfiguration during the failure event.
Solution Approach 2:
The active core control equipment sends heartbeat signals to the standby equipment to provide continuous feedback about its operational status. This feedback mechanism enables the standby equipment to monitor the active equipment's health and automatically detect failures, simplifying the reliability mechanism while maintaining cost efficiency.
2Reliability
If core control equipment adopts active/standby mode, then network reliability is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates due to idle standby equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The standby core control equipment maintains useful action through continuous monitoring via heartbeat signals and keeping standby links in a ready state. This continuous readiness enables immediate failover without full system shutdown or complete inactivity, optimizing the balance between reliability and resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically transitions between active and standby states based on real-time operational conditions. The standby equipment remains in a low-power but alert state, capable of quickly becoming active when needed, rather than being completely idle or permanently active, thus optimizing resource consumption.
3Reliability
If dual-homing is implemented with standby links, then service continuity is improved, but switching speed deteriorates due to complex switching procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The standby link is pre-established and configured in advance, with all necessary routing and connection parameters pre-configured. When a failure occurs, the switching process simply involves activating the pre-prepared standby link rather than establishing a completely new connection, dramatically improving switching speed while maintaining service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The standby link is configured as a copy of the active link with identical parameters and settings. This copying approach allows the standby link to be activated immediately without requiring complex reconfiguration or parameter negotiation during the failover event, enabling fast switching while ensuring continuous service.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention discloses a method for implementing dual-homing, including: setting each one of any two core control equipment as a standby for each other, connecting a network entity belonging to one of the core control equipment with the two core control equipment through a primary link and a standby link respectively; setting the primary link connected with the core control equipment as activated, and setting the standby link connected with the core control equipment inactive; determining whether the core control equipment corresponding to the primary link is out of service, if the core control equipment corresponding to the primary link is out of service, activating the standby link; otherwise, continuously determining whether the core control equipment corresponding to the primary link is out of service. The invention also discloses another method for implementing dual-homing, by which the reliability of the network can be improved.