Methods, systems, and computer readable media for performing diameter answer message-based network management at a diameter signaling router (DSR)

1. A method for providing answer message-based network management, the method comprising:

receiving, at a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a first Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter answer message includes error indicator information, wherein the first Diameter answer message is transmitted by the first Diameter node in response to a request transmitted to the first Diameter node and wherein the error indicator information concerns status of the first Diameter node;

examining, at the DSR, the error indicator information included in the first Diameter answer message; and

using the error indicator information to update status information for routes maintained by the DSR to the first Diameter node.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising generating, by the DSR, a network management message based on the error indicator information received from the first Diameter node and communicating the network management message to other Diameter nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein using the error indication information to update the status information includes updating status information maintained by each of a plurality of message processors of the DSR.

4. A method for providing answer message-based network management, the method comprising:

receiving, at a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a first Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter answer message includes error indicator information;

examining, at the DSR, the error indicator information included in the first Diameter answer message; and

using the error indicator information to update status information for routes maintained by the DSR to the first Diameter node, wherein the error indicator information indicates that the first answer message cannot be immediately delivered to a peer because a transport layer queue for the peer is full or congested.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising buffering the first answer message for a configurable time period X 1 .

6. The method of claim 5 comprising forwarding the buffered answer message to the peer if the peer's status changes before the configurable time period X 1 expires.

7. The method of claim 5 comprising attempting to forward the buffered answer message, if the configurable time period X 1 expires and the peer's status is available, until the buffer is flushed or another blocking condition occurs.

8. The method of claim 5 comprising discarding the first answer message once the time period X 1 expires.

9. A method for providing answer message-based network management, the method comprising:

receiving, at a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a first Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter answer message includes error indicator information;

examining, at the DSR, the error indicator information included in the first Diameter answer message;

using the error indicator information to update status information for routes maintained by the DSR to the first Diameter node;

receiving, the DSR, a first Diameter request message sent by a second Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter request message is destined for the first Diameter node;

in response to receiving the first Diameter request message, generating a second Diameter answer message on behalf of the first Diameter node, wherein the second Diameter answer message includes information based on at least a portion of the error indicator information included in the first Diameter answer message; and

communicating the second answer message to the second Diameter node.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the error indicator information identifies an affected application subsystem associated with a Diameter node.

11. A system for providing answer message-based network management, the system comprising:

a Diameter signaling router including:

a Diameter message processor associated for receiving a first Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter answer message includes error indicator information, wherein the first Diameter answer message is transmitted by the first Diameter node in response to a request transmitted to the first Diameter node and wherein the error indicator information concerns status of the first Diameter node; and

a network management (NM) module for examining the error indicator information contained in the first Diameter answer message and using the error indicator information to update status information for routes maintained by the DSR to the first Diameter node.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the Diameter message processor is configured to generate a network management message based on the error indicator information received from the first Diameter node and to communicate the network management message to other nodes in the Diameter network.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein using the error indication information to update the status information includes updating status information maintained by each of a plurality of message processors of the DSR.

14. A system for providing answer message-based network management, the system comprising:

a Diameter signaling router including:

a Diameter message processor associated for receiving a first Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter answer message includes error indicator information; and

a network management (NM) module for examining the error indicator information contained in the first Diameter answer message and using the error indicator information to update status information for routes maintained by the DSR to the first Diameter node, wherein the error indicator information indicates that the first answer message cannot be immediately delivered to a peer because a transport layer queue for the peer is full or congested.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the network management module is configured to buffer the first answer message for a configurable time period X 1 .

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the network management module is configured to forward the buffered answer message to the peer if the peer's status changes before the configurable time period X 1 expires.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the network management module is configured to attempt to forward the buffered answer message, if the configurable time period X 1 expires and the peer's status is available, until the buffer is flushed or another blocking condition occurs.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the network management module is configured to establish a maximum answer message queue delay time period after expiration of which the answer message will be discarded.

19. A system for providing answer message-based network management, the system comprising:

a Diameter signaling router including:

a Diameter message processor associated for receiving a first Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the first Diameter answer message includes error indicator information; and

a network management (NM) module for examining the error indicator information contained in the first Diameter answer message and using the error indicator information to update status information for routes maintained by the DSR to the first Diameter node, wherein the network management module is configured for:

generating a second answer message on behalf of the first Diameter node in response to receiving the first Diameter request message, wherein the second answer message includes information based on at least a portion of the error indicator information included in the first Diameter answer message; and

communicating the second Diameter answer message to the second Diameter node.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the caching module is configured to identify an affected application subsystem associated with a Diameter node.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and when executed by a processor of a computer performs steps comprising:

at a Diameter signaling router (DSR):

receiving, a Diameter answer message from a first Diameter node, wherein the Diameter answer message includes error indicator information, wherein the first Diameter answer message is transmitted by the first Diameter node in response to a request transmitted to the first Diameter node and wherein the error indicator information concerns status of the first Diameter node;

examining the error indicator information included in the Diameter message; and

using the error indicator information to update status information for routes to the first Diameter node.