Session Border Controller Autonomous Routing for Service Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional IP telephony networks face challenges in maintaining high availability and robustness due to the cost and inefficacy of redundancy measures, which do not adequately address failures in communication between service platforms and border session controllers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where edge session controllers can autonomously route messages to alternative network devices if the service platform is inaccessible, allowing for continued service by selecting a proxy or local mode operation, thereby ensuring service continuity without relying solely on redundant infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundancy of service platform elements is implemented to increase resistance to failures, then service availability is improved, but infrastructure cost and management complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The border session controller performs autonomous accessibility checks to the service platform and automatically switches to standby mode when the platform becomes inaccessible, without requiring manual intervention or complex redundancy management systems. This self-service mechanism reduces infrastructure complexity while maintaining service availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures a border session controller to be in standby mode with the capability to take over service functions. Instead of implementing complex active-active redundancy, a preliminary standby configuration is sufficient to handle failures, reducing both infrastructure and management complexity.
2Reliability
If border session controllers continuously check service platform accessibility, then service continuity is improved, but network traffic and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The border session controller performs accessibility checks at periodic intervals rather than continuously. This periodic action maintains service continuity detection capability while significantly reducing network traffic and processing overhead compared to continuous monitoring.
3Reliability
If a border session controller switches to autonomous operation mode, then service availability is improved during platform failures, but service consistency may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
When the service platform becomes inaccessible, another border session controller acts as an intermediary by relaying signaling messages between the autonomous border session controller and the service platform. This intermediary mechanism maintains service consistency by ensuring that all control messages still pass through the service platform for proper handling, even when one border session controller operates autonomously.
Data Source
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AI summary
A service is provided to a user of a terminal in a network, comprising a service platform and network equipment including session border controllers. Each of the controllers is capable of communicating with the service platform. At least one given session border controller is capable of routing messages received from the terminal, intended for the service platform. This controller decides that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of an accessibility check (302) and then operates in an autonomous operating mode (303, 310) according to which the controller selects a network equipment separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal to said selected network equipment.