Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing traffic congestion in a network through detection of a source of excessive call volume

1. A method of operating a communication network that includes a signaling system seven network, comprising:

associating call release messages, which are indicative of call failures in the communication network, with an originating point code and a calling number; and

adjusting a rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network based on associations between the call release messages and the originating point code and the calling number;

wherein the call release messages comprise no circuit available messages and unallocated number messages;

wherein associating the call release messages comprises:

determining a count of no circuit available messages during a measurement interval;

determining a count of unallocated number messages during the measurement interval;

determining if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds a no circuit available threshold;

determining if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds an unallocated number threshold;

determining at a signal transfer point network element a count of initial address messages from the originating point code to a destination point code for the measurement interval;

determining at the signal transfer point a count of initial address messages from a calling number to the destination point code for the measurement interval;

determining an average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals; and

determining an average count of initial address messages from a calling number to the destination point code over the N previous measurement intervals;

wherein adjusting the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network comprises performing the following operations if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds the no circuit available threshold and if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds the unallocated number threshold:

subtracting the average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals from the count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code for the measurement interval to obtain a result;

dividing the result by the average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals to obtain a percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code;

determining if the result exceeds an originating point code to destination point code count threshold;

determining if the percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code exceeds a percentage originating point code to destination point code threshold; and

reducing the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code are admitted to the network if the result exceeds the originating point code to destination point code count threshold and the percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code exceeds the percentage originating point code to destination point code threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network further comprises performing the following operations if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds the no circuit available threshold and if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds the unallocated number threshold:

subtracting the average count of initial address messages from the calling number to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals from the count of initial address messages from the calling number to the destination point code for the measurement interval to obtain a result;

dividing the result by the average count of initial address messages from the calling number to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals to obtain a percentage increase in initial address messages from the calling number to the destination point code;

determining if the result exceeds a calling number to destination point code count threshold;

determining if the percentage increase in initial address messages from the calling number to the destination point code exceeds a percentage calling number to destination point code threshold; and

reducing the rate at which calls originating from the calling number are admitted to the network if the result exceeds the calling number to destination point code count threshold and the percentage increase in initial address messages from the calling number to the destination point code exceeds the percentage calling number to destination point code threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting a rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network comprises:

adjusting a minimum time that elapses between successive calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number and are admitted to the network.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

regulating a volume of incoming calls from the originating originating point code and calling number by only accepting calls within a constrained range of circuit identification codes.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a destination point code of an end office switch; and

providing call admission control targeted to an increase in traffic intended for the end office switch.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein identifying the destination point code of the end office switch comprises:

inspecting a called number field in an initial address message to relate the end off switch destination point code to at least portions of telephone numbers served by the end office switch.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein inspecting the called number field comprises:

using a learning function to assemble a table of relations between switch destination point codes and corresponding telephone numbers.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein using the learning function further comprises:

using the learning function to assemble a table of maximum circuit identification code size for each relation between a tandem switch point code and a corresponding tandem served end office point code based on initial address messages transmitted by the tandem switch; and

updating the table with a new maximum circuit identification code value if the circuit identification code number exceeds a previously stored maximum circuit identification code value.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

selecting a choke size for call admission control at the tandem switch based on the maximum circuit identification code value.

10. A call processing system, comprising:

a signal transfer point network element that is configured to associate call release messages, which are indicative of call failures in the communication network, with an originating point code and a calling number and to adjust a rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network based on associations between the call release messages and the originating point code and the calling number

wherein the call release messages comprise no circuit available messages and unallocated number messages;

wherein the signal transfer point is configured to associate the call release messages by:

determining a count of no circuit available messages during a measurement interval;

determining a count of unallocated number messages during the measurement interval;

determining if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds a no circuit available threshold;

determining if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds an unallocated number threshold;

determining at a signal transfer point network element a count of initial address messages from the originating point code to a destination point code for the measurement interval;

determining at the signal transfer point a count of initial address messages from a calling number to the destination point code for the measurement interval;

determining an average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals; and

determining an average count of initial address messages from a calling number to the destination point code over the N previous measurement intervals;

wherein the signal transfer point is configured to adjust the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network by performing the following operations if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds the no circuit available threshold and if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds the unallocated number threshold:

subtracting the average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals from the count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the DPC for the measurement interval to obtain a result;

dividing the result by the average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals to obtain a percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code;

determining if the result exceeds an originating point code to destination point code count threshold;

determining if the percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code exceeds a percentage originating point code to destination point code threshold; and

reducing the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code are admitted to the network if the result exceeds the originating point code to DPC count threshold and the percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code exceeds the percentage originating point code to destination point code threshold.

11. A computer program product for operating a communication network that includes a signaling system seven network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to associate call release messages, which are indicative of call failures in the communication network, with an originating point code and a calling number; and

computer readable program code configured to adjust a rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network based on associations between the call release messages and the originating point code and the calling number;

wherein the call release messages comprise no circuit available messages and unallocated number messages;

wherein the computer readable program code configured to associate the call release messages comprises:

computer readable program code configured to determine a count of no circuit available messages during a measurement interval;

computer readable program code configured to determine a count of unallocated number messages during the measurement interval;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds a no circuit available threshold;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds an unallocated number threshold;

computer readable program code configured to determine at a signal transfer point network element a count of initial address messages from the originating point code to a destination point code for the measurement interval;

computer readable program code configured to determine at the signal transfer point a count of initial address messages from a calling number to the destination point code for the measurement interval;

computer readable program code configured to determine an average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals; and

computer readable program code configured to determine an average count of initial address messages from a calling number to the destination point code over the N previous measurement intervals;

wherein the computer readable program code configured to adjust the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code and the calling number are admitted to the network comprises computer readable program code configured to perform the following operations if the count of no circuit available messages exceeds the no circuit available threshold and if the count of unallocated number messages exceeds the unallocated number threshold:

computer readable program code configured to subtract the average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals from the count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code for the measurement interval to obtain a result;

computer readable program code configured to divide the result by the average count of initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code over N previous measurement intervals to obtain a percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the result exceeds an originating point code to destination point code count threshold;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code exceeds a percentage originating point code to destination point code threshold; and

computer readable program code configured to reduce the rate at which calls originating from the originating point code are admitted to the network if the result exceeds the originating point code to destination point code count threshold and the percentage increase in initial address messages from the originating point code to the destination point code exceeds the percentage originating point code to destination point code threshold.