System and method for providing geographic redundancy for mobile wireless data network components

1. A method for managing geo-redundant configured resources in a mobile wireless data network environment including a geographic redundancy coverage issuer (GRCI), redundantly configured resources, operating on network nodes distinct from a GRCI node, provided in the form of a set of active geo-redundant nodes (AGNs) and a set of standby geo-redundant nodes (SGNs), and a set of covered agents (CAs) that rely upon the redundantly configured resources for carrying out data communications in the mobile wireless data network environment, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining, by the GRCI, a CA list identifying a set of subscribers to redundancy management services supported by the GRCI;

maintaining, by the GRCI, an AGN list identifying a set of active geo-redundant nodes;

maintaining, by the GRCI, an SGN list identifying a set of standby geo-redundant nodes;

providing, by the GRCI, the AGN list and the SGN list to subscriber CAs identified in the CA list;

receiving, by the GRCI, a failure message, issued by a first CA identified in the set of subscribers enumerated in the CA list, and wherein the failure message identifies a failed AGN; and

in association with receiving notification of the failure message, performing the further steps of:

updating, by the GRCI, the AGN list to reflect a failed status for the failed AGN, and

issuing, by the GRCI, one or more update messages to CAs in the CA list, the one or more update messages reflecting the failed status for the failed AGN and a transition of an activated SGN from the SGN list to the AGN list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the AGN list and SGN list elements are administered by the GRCI as a group such that the GRCI issues an update message to CAs, in the CA list affiliated with the group, when an element within either one of the AGN list and SGN list changes status.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the update messages include a complete listing of each element of the AGN list and SGN list.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the update messages include, for each element of the AGN list, a specified timeout and retry count applied by CAs to determine whether an AGN has failed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the failure message is received by the GRCI via an SGN designated for the failed AGN.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining, by the GRCI, a failed AGN list containing a list of geo-redundant nodes identified in failure messages received by the GRCI from CAs.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the GRCI, a registration message from the failed AGN indicating the failed AGN is restored and ready for active status;

issuing, by the GRCI, a synchronize message to the activated SGN requesting the activated SGN to synchronized session information with the failed AGN that is now restored;

receiving a synchronization complete message in response to the issuing a synchronization message, and in response the GRCI performs the further steps of:

updating the AGN list to reflect an active status for the now restored, previously failed, AGN, and

issuing one or more update messages to CAs in the CA list, the one or more update messages reflecting the active status for the restored AGN and a transition of the activated SGN from the AGN list to the SGN list.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a second GRCI configured as a standby GRCI, the second GRCI including at least a synchronized copy of the CA list, the AGN list, and the SGN list.

9. A system for managing geo-redundant configured resources in a mobile wireless data network environment comprising:

redundantly configured resources comprising:

a set of active geo-redundant nodes (AGNs), and

a set of standby geo-redundant nodes (SGNs);

a set of covered agents (CAs) that rely upon the redundantly configured resources for carrying out data communications in the mobile wireless data network environment; and

a geographic redundancy coverage issuer (GRCI), operating on a GRCI node distinct from the set of AGNs and the set of SGNs, the GRCI node including a non-transitory computer readable medium and a processor configured to perform the steps of:

maintaining a CA list identifying a set of subscribers to redundancy management services supported by the GRCI;

maintaining an AGN list identifying a set of active geo-redundant nodes;

maintaining an SGN list identifying a set of standby geo-redundant nodes;

providing the AGN list and the SGN list to subscriber CAs identified in the CA list;

receiving a failure message, issued by a first CA identified in the set of subscribers enumerated in the CA list, and wherein the failure message identifies a failed AGN; and

in association with receiving notification of the failure message, performing the further steps of:

updating the AGN list to reflect a failed status for the failed AGN, and

issuing one or more update messages to CAs in the CA list, the one or more update messages reflecting the failed status for the failed AGN and a transition of an activated SGN from the SGN list to the AGN list.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the GRCI is configured to administer the AGN list and SGN list elements as a group such that the GRCI issues an update message to CAs, in the CA list affiliated with the group, when an element within either one of the AGN list and SGN list changes status.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the update messages include a complete listing of each element of the AGN list and SGN list.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the update messages include, for each element of the AGN list, a specified timeout and retry count applied by CAs to determine whether an AGN has failed.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the failure message is received by the GRCI via an SGN designated for the failed AGN.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising maintaining, by the GRCI, a failed AGN list containing a list of geo-redundant nodes identified in failure messages received by the GRCI from CAs.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the GRCI is further configured to perform the steps of:

receiving a registration message from the failed AGN indicating the failed AGN is restored and ready for active status;

issuing a synchronize message to the activated SGN requesting the activated SGN to synchronized session information with the failed AGN that is now restored;

receiving a synchronization complete message in response to the issuing a synchronization message, and in response performing the further steps of:

updating the AGN list to reflect an active status for the now restored, previously failed, AGN, and

issuing one or more update messages to CAs in the CA list, the one or more update messages reflecting the active status for the restored AGN and a transition of the activated SGN from the AGN list to the SGN list.

16. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a second GRCI configured as a standby GRCI, the second GRCI including at least a synchronized copy of the CA list, the AGN list, and the SGN list.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for managing geo-redundant configured resources in a mobile wireless data network environment including a geographic redundancy coverage issuer (GRCI), redundantly configured resources, operating on network nodes distinct from a GRCI node, provided in the form of a set of active geo-redundant nodes (AGNs) and a set of standby geo-redundant nodes (SGNs), and a set of covered agents (CAs) that rely upon the redundantly configured resources for carrying out data communications in the mobile wireless data network environment, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of:

maintaining, by the GRCI, a CA list identifying a set of subscribers to redundancy management services supported by the GRCI;

maintaining, by the GRCI, an AGN list identifying a set of active geo-redundant nodes;

maintaining, by the GRCI, an SGN list identifying a set of standby geo-redundant nodes;

providing, by the GRCI, the AGN list and the SGN list to subscriber CAs identified in the CA list;

receiving, by the GRCI, a failure message, issued by a first CA identified in the set of subscribers enumerated in the CA list, and wherein the failure message identifies a failed AGN; and

in association with receiving notification of the failure message, performing the further steps of:

updating, by the GRCI, the AGN list to reflect a failed status for the failed AGN, and

issuing, by the GRCI, one or more update messages to CAs in the CA list, the one or more update messages reflecting the failed status for the failed AGN and a transition of an activated SGN from the SGN list to the AGN list.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the AGN list and SGN list elements are administered by the GRCI as a group such that the GRCI issues an update message to CAs, in the CA list affiliated with the group, when an element within either one of the AGN list and SGN list changes status.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the update messages include a complete listing of each element of the AGN list and SGN list.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the update messages include, for each element of the AGN list, a specified timeout and retry count applied by CAs to determine whether an AGN has failed.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the GRCI is configured to receive the failure message via an SGN designated for the failed AGN.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising computer executable instructions for maintaining a failed AGN list containing a list of geo-redundant nodes identified in failure messages received by the GRCI from CAs.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving, by the GRCI, a registration message from the failed AGN indicating the failed AGN is restored and ready for active status;

issuing, by the GRCI, a synchronize message to the activated SGN requesting the activated SGN to synchronized session information with the failed AGN that is now restored;

receiving a synchronization complete message in response to the issuing a synchronization message, and in response the GRCI performs the further steps of:

updating the AGN list to reflect an active status for the now restored, previously failed, AGN, and

issuing one or more update messages to CAs in the CA list, the one or more update messages reflecting the active status for the restored AGN and a transition of the activated SGN from the AGN list to the SGN list.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

maintaining a second GRCI configured as a standby GRCI, the second GRCI including at least a synchronized copy of the CA list, the AGN list, and the SGN list.