S-CSCF Server Group Allocation for IMS Session Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
In IMS-based Multimedia over IP networks, subscriber data synchronization is critical for establishing communication sessions, but it is disrupted when S-CSCF servers become temporarily non-operational or when subscriber data is lost, leading to failed session establishment and unregistered call handling.
Innovation Solution
A method that allocates a group of S-CSCF servers instead of a single server, allowing for dynamic selection based on capabilities and operational conditions, with subscriber data stored in P-CSCF and HSS, enabling session initiation through any available S-CSCF server in the group.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If subscriber data is stored in a single S-CSCF server, then the system is simpler to manage, but the system becomes vulnerable to server overload or non-operational conditions that disrupt communication session establishment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the S-CSCF server function into multiple distributed S-CSCF servers that collectively handle subscriber data. Instead of relying on a single S-CSCF server, the system divides the workload and data storage across multiple servers, eliminating the single point of failure and improving reliability of communication session establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple S-CSCF servers into a unified group that collectively provides the S-CSCF function. The P-CSCF server can access subscriber data through any S-CSCF server in the group, merging the capabilities of multiple servers to provide redundant and reliable access to subscriber data for session establishment.
2Reliability
If subscriber data is distributed across multiple S-CSCF servers, then the system becomes more resilient to server failures, but data synchronization and retrieval complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The P-CSCF server acts as an intermediary that manages access to distributed subscriber data. Instead of requiring direct synchronization between multiple S-CSCF servers, the P-CSCF server mediates data retrieval by querying any S-CSCF server in the group, simplifying the data access mechanism while maintaining system resilience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements universal access to subscriber data through any S-CSCF server in the group. Each S-CSCF server can potentially contain subscriber data, and the P-CSCF server can retrieve data through any of them, creating a multi-functional access path that improves resilience without requiring complex synchronization protocols.
3Ease of operation
If a single S-CSCF server is allocated to each subscriber, then the registration process is simpler, but the system cannot handle server overload or non-operational conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects which S-CSCF server to query for subscriber data based on operational conditions. Instead of statically assigning a single S-CSCF server to each subscriber, the P-CSCF server can dynamically choose any S-CSCF server in the group, allowing the system to adapt to server overload or non-operational conditions while maintaining simple registration procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and network entities for enabling server allocation in an IMS-based Multimedia over IP network. The method includes receiving by a S-CSCF server of the network subscriber registration data, transmitting, by the S-CSCF server, information representative of subscriber data to a P-CSCF server and/or to an HSS for storing the information representative of the subscriber data in a memory by the P-CSCF server and/or by the HSS, and transmitting, by the S-CSCF server, a S-CSCF group address to the P-CSCF server and/or to the HSS, respectively, said S-CSCF group address being representative of a group of S-CSCF servers, the S-CSCF server being included in said group of S-CSCF servers.