SIP Message Prioritization for Network Overload
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Solution Overview
Problem
SIP network elements often experience high-load and overload conditions, leading to SIP message delays and drops despite network engineering efforts, as they receive more messages than they can process, affecting the quality of services like emergency calls and VOIP.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method and apparatus for SIP message prioritization across network elements, where a prioritization policy is determined and distributed to assign message priority levels, allowing for selective processing and routing of SIP messages based on urgency and importance, using prioritizing SIP network elements and non-SIP network elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If SIP network elements receive more messages than they can process, then message throughput increases, but message processing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments SIP messages into different priority levels (high priority for emergency calls, low priority for regular VOIP) and processes them through separate handling paths. This allows the network element to process high-priority messages reliably while managing overall throughput by deprioritizing low-priority messages during high-load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different message types based on their priority. High-priority emergency call messages receive expedited processing with guaranteed delivery, while low-priority regular VOIP messages receive standard processing. This local differentiation of quality ensures reliability for critical messages without sacrificing overall system productivity.
2Productivity
If network load increases, then service capacity increases, but message delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the message processing function into priority-based queues and processing paths. High-priority messages are processed in separate, expedited paths that bypass the processing delays affecting low-priority messages. This segmentation allows the system to maintain low latency for critical messages while accommodating high overall service capacity through prioritized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary classification of messages into priority levels at the point of ingress, before processing begins. By pre-categorizing messages as high or low priority based on their content and destination, the system can prepare appropriate processing paths in advance, reducing processing delays for high-priority messages during high-load conditions.
3Ease of operation
If all SIP messages are treated equally, then processing simplicity is maintained, but quality of service for critical messages deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces local quality differentiation by treating high-priority and low-priority messages differently at the processing stage. While the overall architecture remains relatively simple, the patent applies selective processing quality based on message priority, ensuring that critical emergency call messages receive enhanced reliability and low latency treatment without fundamentally complicating the entire processing system.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention includes a method and apparatus for providing SIP message prioritization between network elements along at least a portion of an end-to-end path between a SIP client and a SIP server. The method includes determining a SIP message prioritization policy and distributing the SIP message prioritization policy toward a prioritizing network element adapted to assign message priority levels to respective received SIP messages using the SIP message prioritization policy, process the received SIP messages according to the respective assigned message priority levels, and transmit the prioritized SIP messages toward at least one network element in a manner for propagating the respective assigned message priority levels to the at least one network element. The prioritizing network elements include SIP network elements and non-SIP network elements.