Edge Device SIP Message Modification for Network Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication service providers face challenges in managing network equipment deployment, subscriber growth, maintenance, and service availability, particularly in Next Generation Networks (NGN) where service unavailability can lead to unnecessary failovers and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an edge device that receives and modifies Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages from user endpoint devices to replace error messages indicating service unavailability with temporary errors, preventing unnecessary failovers and enhancing network stability by reducing false alarms and geographical rehousing of user endpoint devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network directly transmits error messages indicating service unavailability to user endpoint devices, then the network provides accurate error information, but unnecessary failovers and geographical rehousing occur increasing network complexity and costs
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary component (edge device or network element) is introduced between the server office and user endpoint devices. This intermediary intercepts error messages from the server office, modifies them to indicate temporary unavailability instead of permanent service unavailability, and forwards them to user devices. This prevents unnecessary failovers while maintaining accurate error reporting, resolving the contradiction between reliability and network management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful effect of accurate error messages causing unnecessary failovers is converted into a benefit by strategically modifying the error message content. By changing the error indication from permanent unavailability to temporary unavailability, the system benefits from maintaining service continuity and reducing unnecessary rehousing operations, while still providing meaningful error information to users.
2Loss of information
If the network implements accurate error message transmission from server office to user endpoint devices, then service unavailability is properly communicated, but false alarms increase leading to unnecessary failovers
Solution Approach 1:
The error message parameters are modified by the intermediary network element. Specifically, the error type parameter is changed from indicating permanent service unavailability to indicating temporary unavailability. This parameter change preserves the essential error information (service is unavailable) while adjusting the severity classification to prevent unnecessary failovers, thus resolving the contradiction between information accuracy and service stability.
3Productivity
If user endpoint devices perform geographical rehousing upon receiving service unavailability errors, then service continuity is attempted, but unnecessary rehousing operations increase deployment and maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary network element performs preliminary action by modifying error messages before they reach user endpoint devices. By preemptively changing the error indication from permanent to temporary unavailability, the system prevents user devices from initiating unnecessary geographical rehousing operations. This preliminary modification saves network resources and reduces deployment costs while maintaining genuine service continuity capabilities when actually needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an edge device having a controller to receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message from a user endpoint device (UE) requesting communication services, forward the SIP message to a network element of a Server Office, receive from the network element a first error message indicating communication services at the Server Office are unavailable, replace the first error message with a second error message, the second error message indicating a temporary unavailability of communication services, and transmit the second error message to the UE. Additional embodiments are disclosed.