Pluggable Service Hot Deployment for Communication Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems require significant operational downtime and impact multiple users when upgrading call treatment features, as they do not enable convenient or per-user system upgrades, and testing new features is typically done system-wide.
Innovation Solution
The system allows different users to have different services and service versions, enabling administrators to download and assign new services or versions to specific users without affecting others, with the ability to test and deploy new features during calls and without downtime, using a pluggable service architecture that includes call processing, user interface, and management components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a new service version is deployed system-wide, then the service functionality is updated, but operational downtime occurs and multiple users are impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user base into different groups that can be assigned different service versions. Instead of deploying a service version system-wide, the system allows selective deployment to specific user groups or individual users, enabling incremental rollouts without forcing system-wide updates that cause operational downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic service version assignment where users can be moved between service versions at runtime without system downtime. The service deployment is made dynamic through runtime configuration capabilities that allow administrators to assign different service versions to different users on-the-fly, and through hot-swappable service components that can be updated while the system remains operational.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a new service version is deployed system-wide, then the service functionality is updated, but the impact extends to all users rather than being limited to specific users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the user population into separable groups that can be independently assigned different service versions. This segmentation allows administrators to target specific user groups for service updates while leaving other users on previous versions, thereby limiting the scope of impact to only those users who are actively being upgraded.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different service versions to coexist simultaneously for different user groups within the same system. Each user group can have customized service version assignments tailored to their specific needs, testing requirements, or organizational policies, rather than forcing a uniform service version across all users.
3Ease of manufacture
If service upgrades are performed, then new functionality is introduced, but testing must be done system-wide rather than on individual users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables segmented testing by allowing service versions to be deployed to specific user groups or individual users for testing purposes. This segmentation transforms the testing process from a complex system-wide operation into a manageable, targeted process where small groups of users can serve as test subjects without affecting the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent facilitates preliminary testing through controlled service version assignments to selected user groups before system-wide deployment. Administrators can perform preliminary actions by assigning new service versions to small test groups, validate functionality, and resolve issues before expanding the deployment to broader user bases, thereby simplifying the overall deployment process.
4Reliability
If the system requires server replacement for service upgrades, then new services can be deployed, but downtime is required during the upgrade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic service component replacement that occurs at runtime without requiring system shutdown or operational downtime. Service components can be hot-swapped, meaning they can be installed, activated, and deactivated while the communication system remains fully operational, eliminating the downtime traditionally associated with service upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces service components as intermediary elements that can be independently deployed and managed. These service components act as mediators between the core communication system and the service functionality, allowing service upgrades to occur by replacing only the intermediary service components rather than the entire server system, thereby maintaining system availability during upgrades.
5Productivity
If service upgrades are performed, then new functionality is introduced, but the previous service version cannot be accessed by users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains multiple service versions simultaneously available to different user groups through segmentation. This allows the system to preserve access to previous service versions for users who need them while enabling new service versions to be deployed to other users, thereby maintaining both development efficiency and service version adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables parameter changes by allowing dynamic modification of service version assignments for different user groups. Administrators can change the service version parameter for specific users or groups without affecting other users, enabling flexible transitions between service versions and maintaining the ability to access multiple service versions concurrently across the system.
Data Source
AI summary
Downloadable pluggable services and methods of distributing the same are described. The downloadable pluggable services may correspond to communication services that can be downloaded to upgrade a communication system. The downloadable pluggable services may include a number of component parts that can be distributed among various servers in the communication system being upgraded along with instructions that enable the component parts to instruct each server in the communication system to operate in a coordinated fashion so as to provide the downloaded service.