Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamically adjusting load sharing distributions in response to changes in network conditions

A system for load sharing signaling messages and dynamically adjusting load sharing distribution weights in response to changes in network operating conditions, the system comprising:

• (a) a first communications module for receiving a signaling message that is destined for a signaling destination, which is a member of a load sharing group;
• (b) a load sharing function for:
• (i) maintaining load sharing weight (LSW) assignment information for each member of the load sharing group;
• (ii) maintaining maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT) information for each member of the load sharing group;
• (iii) dynamically adjusting LSW assignments in response to a change in availability status of a group member such that the resulting LSW for each available group member does not exceed the associated MWT for each member;
• and
• (iv) selecting a member of the load sharing group to receive the signaling message;
• and
• (c) a second communications module for communicating the signaling message to the selected member of the load sharing group.

A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

• (a) defining a group of signaling destinations as a load sharing (LS) group;
• (b) assigning each member of the LS group a nominal load sharing weight (LSW) and a maximum load sharing weight threshold (MWT);
• (c) in response to a LS group member becoming unavailable to receive signaling message traffic, distributing the LSW associated with the unavailable member among the remaining available members in a manner such that the MWT thresholds associated with each of the remaining available members are not exceeded;
• and
• (d) load sharing received signaling message traffic destined for a member of the LS group in accordance with each available group member's LSW.