Edge Session Controller Redundancy via Shared Virtual IP
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing solutions for providing high availability and robustness in Voice over IP (VoIP) networks, such as duplicating Session Border Controllers (SBCs), are costly and complex, with proprietary failure detection and management mechanisms that are not mutually compatible, leading to increased maintenance and service costs.
Innovation Solution
A method using edge session controllers with identical addresses and a dynamic routing protocol to manage communication routes, allowing a main SBC to act as a backup for another, eliminating the need for specific backup SBCs and simplifying failure detection and management through existing routing mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated backup SBCs are implemented, then network reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each SBC is configured with multiple virtual IP addresses, allowing it to serve both as a primary SBC for its own clients and as a backup SBC for other SBCs simultaneously. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated backup SBCs, reducing device complexity while maintaining network reliability through mutual backup capabilities among all SBCs in the network.
2Reliability
If dedicated backup SBCs are implemented, then network reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By enabling each SBC to function as both primary and backup simultaneously through virtual IP address configuration, the network eliminates the need for redundant dedicated backup SBCs. This reduces the total quantity of SBC hardware required, thereby reducing deployment costs, maintenance costs, and resource consumption while maintaining high network reliability.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If proprietary failure detection mechanisms are used, then failure detection capability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses standard ICMP echo request/response messages to establish a simple feedback mechanism for failure detection. Each SBC periodically sends echo requests to its peers, and the absence of responses indicates failure. This standardized feedback approach replaces complex proprietary mechanisms, improving ease of operation while maintaining effective failure detection capability through universal protocol compatibility.
4Reliability
If multiple SBCs with identical addresses are used, then service availability is improved, but routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a router as an intermediary that maintains routing tables mapping virtual IP addresses to physical SBC addresses. The router automatically updates these tables based on real-time SBC availability status. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall routing complexity by centralizing the routing decision logic in the router, while allowing multiple SBCs to share identical virtual addresses for improved service availability.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a network (10) providing a service to a client of a terminal (T1) and comprising at least first and second border session controllers (A, B), at least one identical address (@Ain) is allocated to the first and second border session controllers. A router (Ra) connects the terminal (T1) to the first border session controller (A) and is configured in such a way as to dynamically manage a routing table indicating at least first and second routes for the address. A message transmitted from the terminal towards the network is received by the first border session controller when the router selects the first route, and by the second border controller when the router selects the second route.