Granted Patent B2

US 7,715,307 · App. 11/301,590 · Granted May 11, 2010

Assignee: Alcatel Lucent

Abstract

Claims (54)

1. A communication connection controller comprising:

a function determination module configured to determine whether a control failure recovery function comprising one or more of a resynchronization function and a control information retrieval function is to be enabled for a segment of a data communication connection that is to be established between a source communication device and a destination communication device, the segment being established between a local communication device comprising the controller and a remote communication device comprising a remote controller by communicating control information between the controller and the remote controller, the data communication connection comprising a plurality of segments including the segment; and

a control failure recovery module, operatively coupled to the function determination module, configured to include in the control information communicated with the remote controller to establish the data communication connection an indication that the control failure recovery function is supported at the controller,

the function determination module being configured to determine whether the control failure recovery function is to be enabled by determining whether one or more of: a request to enable the control failure recovery function for the data communication connection, an indication that the remote controller supports the control failure recovery function, and an indication that a further remote controller of a further remote communication device supports the control failure recovery function for a further data communication connection segment between the local communication device and the further remote communication device, is received at the local communication device,

the control failure recovery module being configured to include the indication in the control information where the control failure recovery function is to be enabled.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the control failure recovery module is configured to support the resynchronization function by maintaining the data communication connection segment during a failure that affects the remote controller and providing to the remote controller control information associated with the data communication connection segment following correction of the failure.

3. The controller of claim 1 ,

wherein the function determination module is configured to determine whether a request to enable the control failure recovery function is received by determining whether control information received from the further remote controller for establishing the further segment of the data communication connection includes a control failure recovery function request.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the function determination module is configured to determine whether the control failure recovery function is to be enabled by determining, where the indication that the remote controller supports the control failure recovery function is received at the local communication device, whether the remote controller supports a function of maintaining the data communication connection during a failure that the resynchronization function.

5. The controller of claim 3 , wherein the control failure recovery module is further configured to include as the indication in at least one of the control information communicated with the remote controller to establish the one of the plurality of segments and the control information communicated with the further remote controller for establishing the further segment an indication that the control failure recovery module supports the resynchronization function where the control information received from the further remote controller includes a control failure recovery function request.

6. A communication device comprising:

a communication connection controller, the communication connection controller comprising:

a function determination module configured to determine whether a control failure recovery function comprising one or more of a resynchronization function and a control information retrieval function is to be enabled for a segment of a data communication connection that is to be established between a source communication device and a destination communication device, the segment being established between a local communication device comprising the controller and a remote communication device comprising a remote controller by communicating control information between the controller and the remote controller, the data communication connection comprising a plurality of segments including the segment; and

a control failure recovery module, operatively coupled to the function determination module, configured to include in the control information communicated with the remote controller to establish the data communication connection an indication that the control failure recovery function is supported at the controller,

the function determination module being configured to determine whether the control failure recovery function is to be enabled by determining whether one or more of: request to enable the control failure recovery function for the data communication connection, an indication that the remote controller supports the control failure recovery function, and an indication that a further remote controller of a further remote communication device supports the control failure recovery function for a further data communication connection segment between the local communication device and the further remote communication device, is received at the local communication device,

the control failure recovery module being configured to include the indication in the control information where the control failure recovery function is to be enabled,

the communication device further comprising:

a detector operatively coupled to the control failure recovery module and configured to detect a failure of the remote controller and correction of the failure,

wherein the control failure recovery module is configured to support the resynchronization function by maintaining the data communication connection segment for a predetermined amount of time after detection of a failure by the detector, and releasing the data communication connection segment unless correction of the failure is detected by the detector within the predetermined amount of time.

7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the control failure recovery module is configured to support the control information retrieval function by storing control information associated with the data communication connection segment, and retrieving the stored control information following recovery of the controller from a failure.

8. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices, each communication device of at least a subset of the plurality of communication devices comprising a communication connection controller, the communication connection controller comprising:

a function determination module configured to determine whether a control failure recovery function comprising one or more of a resynchronization function and a control information retrieval function is to be enabled for a segment of a data communication connection that is to be established between a source communication device and a destination communication device, the segment being established between a local communication device comprising the controller and a remote communication device comprising a remote controller by communicating control information between the controller and the remote controller, the data communication connection comprising a plurality of segments including the segment; and

a control failure recovery module, operatively coupled to the function determination module, configured to include in the control information communicated with the remote controller to establish the data communication connection an indication that the control failure recovery function is supported at the controller,

the function determination module being configured to determine whether the control failure recovery function is to be enabled by determining whether one or more of: request to enable the control failure recovery function for the data communication connection, an indication that the remote controller supports the control failure recovery function, and an indication that a further remote controller of a further remote communication device supports the control failure recovery function for a further data communication connection segment between the local communication device and the further remote communication device, is received at the local communication device,

the control failure recovery module being configured to include the indication in the control information where the control failure recovery function is to be enabled,

wherein the control failure recovery module is configured to support the control information retrieval function by storing control information associated with the data communication connection segment, and retrieving the stored control information following recovery of the controller from a failure,

the controllers of the communication devices of the subset allowing the control failure recovery function to be enabled on a per-segment basis for data communication connection segments between the communication devices of the subset for recovery from a failure that affects a controller of a communication device of the subset.

9. A method comprising:

communicating control information between respective controllers associated with first and second communication devices, the control information being used by the controllers to establish a segment of a data communication connection between a source communication device and a destination communication device, the segment being established between the first and second communication devices, the data communication connection comprising a plurality of segments including the segment;

determining whether a control failure recovery function comprising one or more of a resynchronization function and a control information retrieval function is to be enabled for the data communication connection segment between the first and second communication devices, by determining whether one or more of: a request to enable the control failure recovery function for the data communication connection is received at the first communication device or the second communication device, an indication that the first communication device supports the control failure recovery function is received at the second communication device, an indication that the second communication device supports the control failure recovery function is received at the first communication device, and an indication that a further controller of a further communication device supports the control failure recovery function for a further data communication connection segment between the further communication device and one of the first communication device and the second communication device is received at the one of the first communication device and the second communication device; and

including in the control information communicated between the controllers to establish the data communication connection segment an indication of whether each of the first and second communication devices supports the control failure recovery function for the data communication connection segment, where the control failure recovery function is to be enabled for the data communication connection segment.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the resynchronization function comprises:

maintaining the data communication connection segment during a failure that affects the controller associated with one of the first and second communication devices; and

releasing the data communication connection segment where the failure is not corrected within a predetermined amount of time.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the resynchronization function comprises:

maintaining the data communication connection segment during a failure that affects a controller associated with one of the first and second communication devices;

receiving from the controller a request for control information; and

providing control information to the controller responsive to the received request.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating control information comprises:

for each communication device of a subset of communication devices comprising the source communication device, the destination communication device, and any communication devices connected to the source communication device or the destination communication device through a segment of the data communication connection:

determining whether the controller associated with the communication device supports one or more of the resynchronization function and the control information retrieval function; and

including as the indication in the control information that is communicated between the controller associated with the communication device and a controller associated with another communication device of the subset to establish the segment an indication of whether the controller associated with the communication device supports one or more of the resynchronization function and the control information retrieval function.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control information retrieval function comprises:

storing, locally at a controller, control information associated with the data communication connection segment; and

retrieving the locally stored control information following correction of a failure that affects the controller.

14. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the control failure recovery module is configured to perform the control information retrieval function by storing control information associated with the data communication connection segment and retrieving the stored control information following correction of a failure that affects the controller where the indication that the remote controller supports the control failure recovery function is received at the local communication device and indicates that the remote controller supports at least the resynchronization function.

15. The controller of claim 14 , wherein the control failure recovery module is further configured to request control information from the remote controller following correction of the failure, and to reconcile the retrieved control information with control information received from the remote controller responsive to the request.

16. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the remote controller is configured to support the resynchronization function by detecting the failure, maintaining the data communication connection for up to a predetermined time interval between detection of the failure and receipt of the control information request from the controller, and providing control information to the controller responsive to the request.

17. The controller of claim 14 , wherein the control failure recovery module is further configured to include in control information communicated with the remote controller an indication that the control failure recovery function has been enabled for the data communication connection segment where the indication that the remote controller supports the control failure recovery function is received at the local communication device and indicates that the remote controller supports at least the resynchronization function.

18. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

where the control failure recovery function is to be enabled for the data communication connection segment:

storing, locally at a controller, control information associated with the data communication connection segment; and

retrieving the locally stored control information following correction of a failure that affects the controller.

Assignments (11)

Continuity (1)