Method and apparatus for providing retry-after-timer overload control

A method for handling an overload condition in a communication network, comprising:

• calculating a retry-after-timer parameter by a core signaling network element for an edge signaling network element;
• sending the retry-after-timer parameter by the core signaling network element to the edge signaling network element, when a total queueing delay of the core signaling network element exceeds a predefined high threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the retry-after-timer parameter is used by the edge signaling network element in an overload control that throttles signaling traffic;
• and
• deactivating the overload control by instructing the edge signaling network element to stop throttling the signaling traffic if the total queueing delay of the core signaling element drops below a predefined low threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the predefined low threshold is calculated by multiplying a low watermark factor, β, with a target queueing delay parameter, de, and the predefined high threshold is calculated by multiplying a high watermark factor, α, with the target queueing delay parameter, de.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for handling an overload condition in a communication network, comprising:

• calculating a retry-after-timer parameter by a core signaling network element for an edge signaling network element;
• sending the retry-after-timer parameter by the core signaling network element to the edge signaling network element, when a total queueing delay of the core signaling network element exceeds a predefined high threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the retry-after-timer parameter is used by the edge signaling network element in an overload control that throttles signaling traffic;
• and
• deactivating the overload control by instructing the edge signaling network element to stop throttling the signaling traffic if the total queueing delay of the core signaling element drops below a predefined low threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the predefined low threshold is calculated by multiplying a low watermark factor, β, with a target queueing delay parameter, de, and the predefined high threshold is calculated by multiplying a high watermark factor, α, with the target queueing delay parameter, de.

An apparatus for handling an overload condition in a communication network, comprising:

• a core signaling network element configured to:
• calculate a retry-after-timer parameter for an edge signaling network element;
• send the retry-after-timer parameter to the edge signaling network element, when a total queueing delay of the core signaling network element exceeds a predefined high threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the retry-after-timer parameter is used by the edge signaling network element in an overload control that throttles signaling traffic;
• and
• deactivate the overload control by instructing the edge signaling network element to stop throttling the signaling traffic if the total queueing delay of the core signaling element drops below a predefined low threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the predefined low threshold is calculated by multiplying a low watermark factor, β, with a target queueing delay parameter, de, and the predefined high threshold is calculated by multiplying a high watermark factor, α, with the target queueing delay parameter, de.

An apparatus for handling an overload condition in a communication network, comprising:

• a core signaling network element configured to:
• calculate a retry-after-timer parameter for an edge signaling network element;
• and
• send the retry-after-timer parameter to the edge signaling network element, when a total queueing delay of the core signaling network element exceeds a predefined high threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the retry-after-timer parameter is used by the edge signaling network element in an overload control that throttles signaling traffic, wherein the retry-after-timer parameter is defined as dt−β*de, where de is a target queueing delay parameter, dt is calculated by dividing a signaling message queue length by a message service rate, μt, and β is a low watermark factor.