Geographically Separated Telephony Hosts via Transparent LAN Bridging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telecommunication systems face challenges in providing reliable redundancy for telephony call processing hosts located in the same physical frame, as they are susceptible to simultaneous failures due to site-wide events like power outages or natural disasters, and deploying redundant hosts at geographically diverse locations complicates network topology and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
Deploying dual-host telephony call processing systems in geographically separate locations using transparent LAN bridging over WAN, with a novel IP addressing scheme and additional half-systems to provide redundancy, allowing for efficient switchover and reduced maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant telephony call processing hosts are deployed in the same physical frame, then device complexity is reduced and maintenance is simplified, but reliability is compromised because both hosts are susceptible to simultaneous failure from site-wide events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the redundant host system into geographically separated segments, placing active and standby hosts in different physical locations. This segmentation ensures that a site-wide failure at one location does not simultaneously affect both hosts, thereby improving reliability while the patent manages the resulting complexity through standardized interconnection protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces transparent LAN bridging as an intermediary mechanism that connects geographically separated hosts over WAN links while maintaining the appearance of a single LAN. This intermediary approach allows hosts to be distributed for improved reliability while the bridging technology manages the complexity of inter-site communication and topology management
2Reliability
If redundant hosts are deployed at geographically diverse locations, then reliability is improved by protecting against site-wide failures, but device complexity increases due to distributed network architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universal networking protocols and standardized configurations that allow the same network architecture to function both locally and across wide geographic distances. This multi-functionality enables the system to provide site redundancy while using familiar, manageable network technologies rather than requiring specialized distributed system protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates identical copies of the telephony call processing host system at different geographic locations. Each copy is a complete, standalone system that can assume the active or standby role, simplifying the architecture by avoiding complex distributed state management while achieving site redundancy through physical duplication
3Ease of operation
If transparent LAN bridging is used to interconnect geographically separated hosts, then ease of operation is improved by maintaining a single LAN subnet appearance, but device complexity increases due to WAN interconnection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses transparent LAN bridging devices as intermediaries that sit between the LAN and WAN networks. These bridging devices automatically handle protocol conversion and packet forwarding, making the WAN interconnection transparent to the telephony hosts while providing the necessary geographic separation for reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent LAN bridging infrastructure is configured to automatically manage its own operation, including dynamic routing and failover detection, without requiring manual intervention for routine management tasks. This self-service capability reduces the operational burden despite the added infrastructure complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing redundant telephony call processing in geographically separate locations are disclosed. First and second telephony call processing hosts are provided in first and second geographic locations separated from each other. The telephony call processing hosts are located on the same LAN, which is also divided among the geographically separated locations. The geographically separate LAN or LANs are bridged using either a customer's IP network or isolation routers associated with the redundant telephony call processing hosts.