Methods and systems for distributing application data among multiple processing modules in a telecommunications network element having a distributed internal processing architecture

#The present invention relates to methods and systems for distributing a database among multiple processing modules. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for distributing a database associated with a telecommunications service among processing modules in a network element having a distributed internal processing architecture.

#Some telecommunications network elements have distributed internal processing architectures. For example, the Eagle® signal transfer point (STP) and IP7 Secure Gateway™ products available from Tekelec of Calabasas, Calif., are two examples of such distributed processing systems. FIG. 1 is block diagram, which illustrates the distributed system architecture of a Tekelec Eagle® STP 100. In FIG. 1, STP 100 includes an interprocessor message transport (IMT) communication bus 102, multiple signaling system 7 (SS7) link interface communication modules (LIMs) 104, and multiple uniformly provisioned, database service modules (DSMs) 106. In this example, DSMs 106 are provisioned to support local number portability (LNP) processing of received signaling messages. Each of the DSMs of cluster 106 is provisioned with the same LNP translation data. Received signaling messages that require LNP translation processing are load-shared among DSMs of cluster 106. As indicated in FIG. 1, each DSM of cluster 106 contains a complete copy of all LNP translation data, which is obtained from a local provisioning system that includes a local service management system (LSMS) 110 and one or more Eagle® LNP application processor (ELAP) provisioning servers 112.

#In the exemplary STP architecture shown in FIG. 1, a signaling message requiring LNP translation service is received by a LIM and is distributed to an available LNP DSM of cluster 106. Such a system architecture is attractive because a minimal message processing burden is placed on the LIM communication modules, and consequently, high message throughput rates may be achieved. However, recent developments in the telecommunications industry have exposed a potential weakness or shortcoming in storing all of the LNP data in a single database. This shortcoming involves cost and processing inefficiencies that emerge when the amount of number portability data that must be stored and accessed on each DSM becomes great. For example, the time required to perform each lookup in the database increases as the size of the database increases. In addition, storing multiple copies of a large database unnecessarily wastes memory and card reload times will increase proportionally to the increase in database size.

#Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional LNP database implementation in a signal transfer point;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture of a signaling gateway (SG) routing node suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention;

#Disclosed herein are several embodiments of the present invention, which may include an underlying hardware platform similar to that of a signal transfer point (STP) or an SS7-over-Internet protocol signaling gateway (SG). FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary SG node 200, which employs a highly distributed, multi-processor system architecture suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, SG 200 includes the following subsystems: a maintenance and administration subsystem (MAS) 202, a communication subsystem 204 and an application subsystem 206. MAS 202 provides maintenance communications, initial program loading, peripheral services, alarm processing and system disks. Communication subsystem 204 includes an interprocessor message transport (IMT) bus that is the main communication bus or network in SG 200. The IMT bus facilitates communication among the various modules and subsystems in SG 200. The IMT bus may include two 1 Gbps counter-rotating serial rings.

#Application subsystem 206 includes processing modules or printed circuit boards capable of communicating with the other cards through IMT bus. Numerous types of processing modules can be included in SG 200. Exemplary processing modules that may be part of application subsystem 206 include an SS7 LIM 208 that provides SS7 links and X.25 links, a data communication module (DCM) 210 that provides an Internet protocol (IP) signaling interface to external nodes, and a high-speed asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) communication link module (HSL) 212. A DSM 214 may host one or more signaling message processing applications, such as global title translation, flexible routing, number portability translation, call screening, pre-paid calling service, mobile services (e.g., home location register, short message service center, mobile authentication center, equipment identity register, location-based service), 800 number service, caller identification service, and other applications that involve routing or application layer signaling message processing.

#From a hardware perspective, each processing module may include an application processor and a communications processor. The application processor may perform telecommunications signaling message processing functions, such as parsing messages and performing database lookups. The communications processor on each module may control communications with other processing modules via the IMT bus.