Repackage Server for Network-Initiated Message Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy communication systems struggle to adapt to modern peripherals with client-side applications, requiring costly re-programming and potential downtime to distinguish between network-initiated messages for core processing circuitry and peripheral-resident client-side applications.
Innovation Solution
A repackage server that receives network-initiated messages, consults a database to identify whether the client-side application is resident on core or peripheral processing circuitry, and reformats messages accordingly to ensure correct delivery, allowing legacy systems to utilize modern peripherals without extensive reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If legacy systems are programmed to format network-initiated messages assuming client-side applications run on core processing circuitry, then message formatting is simple and consistent, but the system cannot distinguish messages destined for peripheral-resident applications, requiring costly re-programming and downtime to adapt to modern peripherals
Solution Approach 1:
A repackage server is introduced as an intermediary component between the legacy message formatting system and the peripheral-resident client-side applications. The repackage server receives messages formatted by legacy systems, consults a database to determine the correct application identifier format, and reformats messages as needed. This intermediary approach allows legacy systems to maintain their simple formatting logic while enabling support for both core and peripheral-resident applications without requiring re-programming of legacy infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining a database that maps application identifiers to their execution locations (core or peripheral processing circuitry). Before messages are routed, the repackage server consults this database to determine the appropriate formatting. This preliminary lookup and formatting adjustment prevents the need for legacy systems to be re-programmed, as the correct formatting is prepared in advance by the repackage server based on pre-stored mapping information.
2Adaptability or versatility
If service providers re-program and re-integrate servers to adapt to modern peripherals, then the system can distinguish between core and peripheral applications, but this incurs added costs, possible downtime, and decreased robustness
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: legacy message formatting servers that maintain their original simple logic, a repackage server that handles the intelligence of determining correct formatting, and a database that stores application identifier mappings. This segmentation isolates the complexity and potential failure points to the repackage server and database, while legacy servers continue to operate with their proven robust formatting logic unchanged, thereby maintaining overall system reliability while enabling peripheral support.
Solution Approach 2:
The repackage server acts as a mediator that shields legacy systems from the complexity of adapting to new peripheral architectures. By placing this intermediary layer, the system avoids direct modification of legacy servers, preserving their robustness and reliability. The mediator handles all the complexity of determining correct message formatting based on application location, allowing legacy systems to continue operating with their original proven reliability while still enabling communication with peripheral-resident applications.
3Measurement precision
If a database is consulted for each message to determine application identifier format, then message routing accuracy is improved, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-populating a database with application identifier mappings and their corresponding execution locations during system initialization or maintenance windows, not during active message processing. This allows the database to be ready with all necessary mapping information before messages arrive, enabling fast lookups during message routing without adding significant processing time to the critical message path. The preliminary preparation of mapping data separates the time-consuming database setup from the time-critical message formatting operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for execution by a network element of a communications network. The method comprises receiving from a first network entity a first communication that includes at least (i) a network-initiated message generated by a server-side portion of an application that also has a corresponding client-side portion and (ii) a first application identifier associated with the application. The method further comprises consulting a database based at least on the first application identifier in an attempt to identify a second application identifier associated with the application; and releasing to a second network entity a second communication that includes at least (i) the network-initiated message and (ii) either the second application identifier, if the attempt was successful, or the first application identifier, if the attempt was unsuccessful.