US 5,089,954 AGranted

Method for handling conversational transactions in a distributed processing environment

AssigneeBell Communications Research, Inc.

InventorVito Rago

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Abstract

In a distributed processing system having a least an originating node and a responding node connected through a communication path, the responding node comprising a plurality of processors and a memory device and where each of these processors is capable of accessing information from a corresponding database residing within the memory device, the inventive method involves: storing context information for an associated conversational transaction using a first processor situated within the responding node wherein the context information is stored at a pre-defined address in a first database residing within the memory device and associated with the first processor; producing a first message using the first processor for transmission from the responding node over the communication path to the originating node wherein the first message contains a first transaction identifier field having a value that corresponds to the pre-defined address; generating within the originating node a second message for transmission from the originating node over the communication path to the responding node wherein the second message contains a second transaction identifier field having substantially the same value as the first transaction identifier filed; and accessing the record using a second processor located within the responding node in response to reception of the second message at the second processor by generating the pre-defined address within the second processor using the value of the second transaction identifier field so as to permit the second processor to incrementally process said conversational transaction within the responding node.

Claims22

Dependent claims

In a distributed processing system having at least an originating and a responding node connected through a communication path wherein the responding node comprises a plurality of processors and a memory device, wherein each of said processors has a corresponding database associated therewith and residing within said memory device, a method for use in processing successive portions of a conversational transaction using different ones of said processors comprising the steps of:

in a first one of the processors in said responding node:
processing a first portion of a conversational transaction as specified by a first record, wherein the first record defines a manner in which the conversational transaction is to be completely processed and is located within a first database residing within the memory device and associated with the first processor;
storing context information for the conversational transaction as a second record at a pre-defined address in the first database, wherein the context information defines a current state of the conversational transaction;
and
producing a first message, as part of the conversational transaction for transmission from said responding node over said communication path to said originating node wherein the first message contains a request for application information from the originating node, and a first transaction identifier field having a value that corresponds to said pre-defined address, said application information being defined by the first record and required for processing a second portion of the conversational transaction subsequent to said first portion;
in said originating node;
generating a second message, as part of said conversational transaction and in response to said first message, for transmission over said communication path to said responding node, wherein said second message contains the application information, furnished in response to said request, and a second transaction identifier field having the same value as the first transaction identifier field;
and
in a second one of said processors in said responding node and different from the first one of said processors:
receiving said second message;
generating the pre-defined address from the value of the second transaction identifier field contained in the second message;
accessing, in response to said pre-defined address generating step, the context information from said first database;
and
processing the second portion of the conversational transaction using the application information contained in said second message and commencing at a point in the first record defined by the context information.

11 more elements

In a distributed processing system having at least an originating and a responding node connected through a communicating path wherein the responding node comprises a plurality of processors and a memory device, wherein each of said processors has a corresponding database associated therewith and residing within said memory device, a method for use in processing successive portions of a conversational transaction using different ones of said processors comprising the steps of:

in said originating node:
generating, in response to an incoming request for a specific service, a corresponding request to begin a conversational transaction;
transmitting the corresponding request over said communication path to said responding node;
in a first one of the processors in said responding node:
receiving said corresponding request;
processing, in response to said corresponding request, a first portion of a conversational transaction as specified by a first record, wherein the first record defines a manner in which the conversational transaction is to be completely processed and is located within a first database residing within the memory device and associated with the first processor;
creating a second record at a pre-defined address in the first database;
storing context information for the conversational transaction within the second record, wherein the context information defines a current state of the conversational transaction;
producing a first message, as part of the conversational transaction for transmission from said responding node over said communication path to said originating node wherein the first message contains a request for application information from the originating node, and a first transaction identifier field having a value that corresponds to said pre-defined address, said application information being defined by the first record and required for processing a second portion of the conversational transaction subsequent to said first portion;
and
transmitting said first message to said originating node;
in said originating node;
receiving said first message;
and
generating a second message, as part of said conversational transaction and in response to said first message, for transmission over said communication path to said responding node, wherein said second message contains the application information, furnished in response to said request, and a second transaction identifier field having the same value as the first transaction identifier field;
and
in a second one of said processors in said responding node and different from the first one of said processors:
receiving said second message;
generating the pre-defined address from the value of the second transaction identifier field contained in the second message;
accessing, in response to said pre-defined address generating step, the context information from said first database;
processing the second portion of the conversational transaction using the application information contained in said second message and commencing at a point in the first record defined by the context information so as to provide a response message;
and
transmitting said response message to said originating node to conclude the conversational transaction such that the originating node is able to provide the specific service.

20 more elements

In a system for processing calls for network services, said system having a service switching point (SSP) and a service control point (SCP) connected through a signalling network containing a signal transfer point (STP) and wherein the SCP comprises a plurality of processors and a memory device, wherein each of the processors has a corresponding database associated therewith and residing within said memory device, a method for use in processing successive portions of a conversational transaction using different ones of said processors comprising the steps of:

in the SSP:
generating a query message to begin a conversational transaction in response to an incoming call for a desired network service;
and
transmitting the query message over said network to the SCP;
in a first one of the processors in the SCP:
receiving said query message;
processing, in response to said query message, a first portion of a conversational transaction as specified by a first record, wherein the first record defines a manner in which the conversational transaction is to be completely processed and is located within a first database residing within the memory device and associated with the first processor;
creating a second record at a pre-defined address in the first database;
storing context information for the conversational transaction within the second record, wherein the context information defines a current state of the conversational transaction;
producing a first message, as part of the conversational transaction for transmission from said SCP over said communication path to said SSP wherein the first message contains a request for application information from the SSP, and a first transaction identifier field having a value that corresponds to said pre-defined address, said application information being defined by the first record and required for processing a second portion of the conversational transaction subsequent to said first portion;
and
transmitting said first message to the SSP;
in the SSP:
receiving said first message;
and
generating a second message, as part of said conversational transaction and in response to said first message, for transmission over said network to said SCP, wherein said second message contains the application information, furnished in response to said request, and a second transaction identifier field having the same value as the first transaction identifier field;
and
in a second one of said processors in the SCP and different from the first one of said processors:
receiving said second message;
generating the pre-defined address from the value of the second transaction identifier field contained in the second message;
accessing, in response to said pre-defined address generating step, the context information from said first database;
processing the second portion of the conversational transaction using the application information contained in said second message and commencing at a point in the first record defined by the context information so as to provide a response message;
and
transmitting said response message to said SSP to conclude the conversational transaction such that the SSP is able to provide the desired network service.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.