Service continuity management in a network
A service is provided to a user of a terminal in a network, comprising a service platform and network equipment including session border controllers. Each of the controllers is capable of communicating with the service platform. At least one given session border controller is capable of routing messages received from the terminal, intended for the service platform. This controller decides that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of an accessibility check ( 302 ) and then operates in an autonomous operating mode ( 303, 310 ) according to which the controller selects a network equipment separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal to said selected network equipment.
1. A method of managing a service offered to a user of a terminal in a network, the network having a service platform and equipment including session border controllers that communicate with the service platform, a session border controller routing messages received from the terminal to the service platform, said method comprising the steps of:
deciding at the session border controller that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of a platform accessibility check; and
operating in an autonomous operating mode in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal and intended for a destination terminal, to said selected network equipment, in which:
if an other session border controller of a group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is the other session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform; and
otherwise, if no session border controller of the group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal of said message, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the session border controller to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform;
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and
each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.
2. A method of managing a service according to claim 1 , wherein:
in said operating step, the session border controller receives a message from the terminal intended for a destination terminal;
said selected network equipment is a service gateway connecting said first network to a second network in charge of managing said destination terminal; and
the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the destination terminal.
3. A method of managing a service according to claim 1 , wherein the platform accessibility check includes the following steps:
transmitting a check message from the session border controller to the service platform and starting a timer;
checking if a response to the check message is received from the service platform before said timer elapses;
repeating said step of transmitting and said step of checking N times, N being a predetermined integer; and
if no response is received before the timer elapses for the N times, deciding that the service platform is not accessible.
4. A session border controller in a network offering a service to a user of a terminal, said network having a service platform and other session border controllers, said session border controllers communicating with the service platform, said session border controller transmitting messages received from the terminal to the service platform and comprising:
a control unit that decides that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of platform accessibility check; and
an operating mode management unit that switches into an autonomous operating mode, according to a decision taken by the control unit, in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal and intended for a destination terminal, to said selected equipment of the network, and:
if an other session border controller of a group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is the other session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform; and
otherwise, if no session border controller of the group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the session border controller to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform;
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and
each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.
5. A service gateway in a first network offering a service to a user of a terminal and in a second network, said first network comprising session border controllers in communication with the service platform, said service gateway comprising:
means for receiving, from a session border controller of the first network, a destination request indicating a destination terminal to which a message received by the session border controller from a terminal belonging to the first network is intended; and
means for responding to said destination request if the destination terminal is managed in said second network;
means for receiving said message from the session border controller without passing through the service platform; and
means for transmitting said message to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform;
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and
each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.
6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer instructions recorded thereon, the computer instructions configured to perform a method of managing a service offered to a user of a terminal in a network when executed by a session border controller, the network including a service platform and additional session border controllers, the method comprising the steps of:
deciding at the session border controller that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of a platform accessibility check; and
operating in an autonomous operating mode in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal and intended for a destination terminal, to said selected network equipment, in which
if another session border controller of a group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is the other session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform; and
otherwise, if no session border controller of the group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal of said message, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the session border controller to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and
each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.