US 2007/0165516 A1 · Method and system for providing availability and reliability for a telecommunication network entity

Abstract

Geographical redundancy and an efficient switchover process to redundant equipment (210) is achieved by separating active main equipment (220) and standby redundant equipment in different geographical locations so that failures can be avoided in the event of a natural disaster or other event that affects an entire building or region. In addition, partial switchover can be performed for components or functions that become inoperative to corresponding redundant components in the standby equipment. To provide further redundancy and prevent unneeded switchovers, status or heartbeat messages are transmitted between the active main equipment and standby redundant equipment over two different networks.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A system for providing redundancy for an entity in a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a first network entity adapted to send and receive traffic;
and
a second network entity configured to operate as a standby network entity, wherein the second network entity takes control of only a portion of the functions of the first network entity in response to a partial failure in the first network entity.

A method for providing redundancy for an entity in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

transmitting a primary status message over a first network from a standby network entity to an active network entity;
determining that no primary status message has been received from the active network entity by the standby network entity over the first network;
transmitting a secondary status message over a second network from the standby network entity to the active network entity;
determining that no secondary status message has been received from the first active network entity by the standby network entity over the second network;
and
initiating a switchover of traffic control from the active network entity to the standby network entity.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/597,950Filed 14 Feb 2005

Priority

13 Feb 2004

Published

19 Jul 2007

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

G06F 11/2038
Where processing functionality is redundant: with a single idle spare processing component
G06F 11/2028
Failover techniques: eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
H04L 1/22
Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received: using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
H04L 41/0663
Using network fault recovery: performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements

Method and system for providing availability and reliability for a telecommunication network entity

Life of this patent

Method and system for providing availability and reliability for a telecommunication network entity

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22