Methods and systems for load balancing call sessions over a dual ring internet protocol (IP) network

A method of operating a communication node in a telecommunication network for load balancing call sessions over a dual ring Internet Protocol (IP) network, wherein the telecommunication network includes a plurality of communication nodes distributed among a plurality of sites interconnected by first and second rings of the dual ring IP network, the method comprising:

• monitoring, for received ongoing call sessions, transmission quality of packets received at a first node over the first ring from a first IP subnetwork of at least one remote site of the plurality sites and received at the first node over the second ring from a second IP subnetwork of the at least one remote site, wherein the plurality of sites are in the telecommunication network but are outside of the dual ring IP network;
• based on the monitoring, determining which one of the first and second rings is associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards a particular one of the at least one remote sites;
• and
• forwarding packets of a call session to a second node contained in the particular remote site over the one of the first and second rings determined to be associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the particular remote site;
• wherein the packets are transported over the IP network using a Real Time Protocol (RTP);
• wherein the monitoring, determining, and forwarding are performed by the first node;
• and
• wherein each one of the plurality of sites is configured as first and second IP subnetworks having different IP addresses and, for each site, each node in the site is configured to access the first ring via the first IP subnetwork of the site and to access the second ring via the second IP subnetwork of the site.

A telecommunication network node for load balancing call sessions over a dual ring Internet Protocol (IP) connected to a telecommunication network, wherein the telecommunication network includes a plurality of communication nodes distributed among a plurality of sites interconnected by first and second rings of the dual ring IP network, the telecommunication network node comprising:

• a monitoring circuit configured to:
• monitor, for received ongoing call sessions, transmission quality of packets received over the first ring from a first IP subnetwork of at least one remote site and received over the second ring from a second IP subnetwork of the at least one remote site, wherein the plurality of sites are in the telecommunication network but are outside of the dual ring IP network;
• and
• determine which one of the first and second rings is associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards a particular one of the at least one remote sites based on the monitoring;
• and
• an interface controller circuit configured to control interfaces of the telecommunication network node to forward packets of a call session to the particular remote site over the one of the first and second rings determined to be associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the particular remote site;
• wherein the packets are transported over the IP network using a Real Time Protocol (RTP);
• and
• wherein each one of the plurality of sites is configured as first and second IP subnetworks having different IP addresses and, for each site, each node in the site is configured to access the first ring via the first IP subnetwork of the site and to access the second ring via the second IP subnetwork of the site.

A system for load balancing call sessions over a dual ring Internet Protocol (IP) network connected to a telecommunication network, where the system comprises a plurality of communication nodes of the telecommunication network, the nodes being distributed among a plurality of sites interconnected by first and second rings of the dual ring IP network, the system comprising:

• a first node of a first site of the plurality of sites comprising one or more processing circuits configured to:
• monitor, for ongoing call sessions received the first node, transmission quality of packets received over the first ring from a first IP subnetwork of a second site and received over the second ring from a second IP subnetwork of the second site, wherein the first and second sites are in the telecommunication network but are outside of the dual ring IP network;
• determine which one of the first and second rings is associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the second site based on the monitoring;
• and
• forward packets of a call session from the first node to a second node in the second site over the one of the first and second rings determined to be associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the second site;
• and
• the second node comprising one or more processing circuits configured to:
• monitor, for ongoing call sessions received at the second node, transmission quality of packets received over the first ring from the first IP subnetwork of the first site and received over the second ring from the second IP subnetwork of the first site;
• determine which one of the first and second rings is associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the first site based on the monitoring;
• and
• forward packets of the call session from the second node to the first node over the one of the first and second rings determined to be associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the first site;
• wherein the packets are transported over the IP network using a Real Time Protocol (RTP);
• and
• wherein each one of the plurality of sites is configured as first and second IP subnetworks having different IP addresses and, for each site, each node in the site is configured to access the first ring via the first IP subnetwork of the site and to access the second ring via the second IP subnetwork of the site.

A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product comprising program instructions for load balancing call sessions over a dual ring Internet Protocol (IP) network connected to a telecommunication network, wherein the telecommunication network includes a plurality of communication nodes distributed among a plurality of sites interconnected by first and second rings of the dual ring IP network, the computer program product comprising computer program code which, when run on a first network node, configures the first network node to:

• monitor, for ongoing call sessions received at the first node in a first site of the plurality of sites, transmission quality of packets received over the first ring from a first IP subnetwork of a second site, and received over the second ring from a second IP subnetwork of the second site, wherein the first and second sites are in the telecommunication network but are outside of the dual ring IP network;
• determine which one of the first and second rings is associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the second site based on the monitoring;
• and
• forward packets of a call session from the first node to a second node in the second site over the one of the first and second rings determined to be associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the second site;
• wherein the packets are transported over the IP network using a Real Time Protocol (RTP);
• and
• wherein each one of the plurality of sites is configured as first and second IP subnetworks having different IP addresses and, for each site, each node in the site is configured to access the first ring via the first IP subnetwork of the site and to access the second ring via the second IP subnetwork of the site.

A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product comprising program instructions for operating a communication node in a telecommunication network for load balancing call sessions over a dual ring Internet Protocol (IP) network, wherein the telecommunication network includes a plurality of communication nodes distributed among a plurality of sites interconnected by first and second rings of the dual ring IP network, the computer program product comprising computer program code which, when run on a first network node, configures the first network node to:

• monitor, for received ongoing call sessions, transmission quality of packets received at the first node over the first ring from a first IP subnetwork of at least one remote site of the plurality sites and received at the first node over the second ring from a second IP subnetwork of the at least one remote site, wherein the plurality of sites are in the telecommunication network but are outside of the dual ring IP network;
• based on the monitoring, determine which one of the first and second rings is associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards a particular one of the at least one remote sites;
• and
• forward packets of a call session to a second node contained in the particular remote site over the one of the first and second rings determined to be associated with the highest packet transmission quality towards the particular remote site;
• wherein the packets are transported over the IP network using a Real Time Protocol (RTP);
• and
• wherein each one of the plurality of sites is configured as first and second IP subnetworks having different IP addresses and, for each site, each node in the site is configured to access the first ring via the first IP subnetwork of the site and to access the second ring via the second IP subnetwork of the site.