NAPTR Record Partitioning for Subscriber Home Domain Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In large communication networks, the increasing number of subscribers leads to longer times to locate a specific subscriber, increasing the chances of connection failures, as each network must be polled to determine subscriber location and provide features, causing delays and failed connections.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine a called party's home domain by querying a database to obtain a name authority pointer, which includes data identifying the home domain and IP address, allowing direct communication with the home domain without polling all networks, using an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network with modified NAPTR records to identify the region and facilitate timely call completion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each smaller network is polled to locate a subscriber, then the subscriber can be found, but the time required to locate the subscriber increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing subscriber location information and home domain mappings in a database before calls need to be routed. When a call arrives, the system queries the database to retrieve the pre-stored home domain information, eliminating the need to poll all networks in real-time. This pre-computation of location data resolves the contradiction by providing accurate subscriber location without requiring time-consuming network polling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a database as an intermediary component that mediates between the calling network and the subscriber locations. Instead of directly polling each smaller network, the calling network queries the database, which returns the home domain information. This intermediary approach decouples the location determination from the actual network polling, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining location accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of subscribers increases, then more communication services are available, but the time required to locate a particular subscriber increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and storing subscriber information, including home domain mappings, in a database before calls need to be routed. This pre-computation allows the system to handle large numbers of subscribers efficiently, as the location information is already ready and can be retrieved instantly through database queries rather than requiring real-time polling of all networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying by creating a database copy of subscriber information and home domain mappings. Instead of maintaining direct connections to all subscriber networks, the system creates a replicated information structure that can be queried independently. This copying approach allows the system to scale with the number of subscribers while maintaining fast lookup times, as the database can be searched efficiently regardless of the total subscriber count.
3Loss of information
If network polling is performed to determine subscriber location and features, then complete subscriber information can be obtained, but the connection establishment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-retrieving and storing subscriber feature information and home domain data in the database before connection establishment is needed. When a call arrives, the system queries the database to obtain all necessary subscriber information in a single operation, rather than polling networks during the connection setup process. This eliminates the time delay between information retrieval and connection establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of subscriber location determination and feature information retrieval into a single database query operation. Instead of performing separate polling operations for location and features, the system combines these into one consolidated query that retrieves all necessary information simultaneously. This merging approach reduces the total time required for connection establishment while ensuring complete subscriber information is obtained.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for identifying a subscriber home domain in a communication network are described. A national subscriber profile is partitioned into regions and a NAPTR resource record is modified to identify in which region a particular subscriber is located. In response to a calling party requesting that a connection to a called party be established, a database is queried to provide a modified NAPTR record which identifies the region in which the called party is located. A connection can then be established without polling each region.