Media Server Offline Survivability in Cloud Telephony
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud telephony systems face disruptions that cause Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems to fail, leading to user disconnection and data loss due to communication path failures between the media server and the cloud application, resulting in a poor user experience and potential loss of data.
Innovation Solution
The system implements offline survivability by using a media server with a dynamic local cache and host route operations to maintain local resources and route information, allowing IVR sessions to continue uninterrupted during communication failures, and employs load distribution and event queuing to ensure seamless recovery when connectivity is restored.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cloud telephony systems use centralized cloud applications for IVR control, then system functionality and resource sharing are improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to communication path failures between media servers and cloud applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the IVR functionality by separating media resource handling (local media server) from application logic (cloud application). The media server can operate independently with local caching capabilities, allowing it to function autonomously when communication with the cloud application fails, thus maintaining reliability while preserving centralized functionality when available.
Solution Approach 2:
The media server performs preliminary actions by caching application instructions and media resources locally before communication failures occur. This advance preparation enables the media server to continue servicing audio flows and executing IVR logic without real-time cloud application connectivity, ensuring system reliability during disruptions.
2Loss of information
If the system maintains continuous communication between media server and cloud application, then data synchronization is improved, but system resilience to communication disruptions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The media server implements beforehand cushioning by maintaining a local cache of application instructions and media resources. This buffer protects the system against communication disruptions, allowing the media server to continue operating with cached data even when synchronized communication with the cloud application is interrupted, thus resolving the contradiction between data synchronization and system resilience.
3Reliability
If the media server processes all IVR operations locally without cloud application, then system availability during disruptions is improved, but system complexity increases due to local resource management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The media server implements partial local processing by caching only essential application instructions and media resources needed for IVR operation. It maintains the ability to process IVR operations locally when needed, while still allowing cloud application control when available. This partial action approach provides availability during disruptions without requiring full local resource management capability, thus reducing complexity.
4Productivity
If the system uses centralized cloud application control for all IVR sessions, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but user experience during communication failures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by enabling the media server to independently execute cached application instructions and handle media resources locally when cloud application control is unavailable. This localized operation ensures continuous user experience during communication failures while maintaining centralized resource utilization efficiency when cloud connectivity is available, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are presented for on premises and offline survivability of an interactive voice response system in a cloud telephony system. Voice interaction control may be divided from the media resources. Survivability is invoked when the communication technology between the Cloud and the voice interaction's resource provider is degraded or disrupted. The system is capable of recovering after a disruption event such that a seamless transition between failure and non-failure states is provided for a limited impact to a user's experience. When communication paths or Cloud control is re-established, the user resumes normal processing and full functionality as if the failure had not occurred.