CN100438687C

CN100438687C - Method for ensuring general wireless packet business to support node business continuity

Info

Publication number: CN100438687C
Application number: CNB2004100741541A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 袁昊
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-09-01
Filing date: 2004-09-01
Publication date: 2008-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 2024-09-01
Also published as: CN1744757A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for guaranteeing service continuity among support nodes of general radio packet service, which comprises procedures that a signaling path among the support nodes of the general radio packet service is detected by a path management message in a tunnel protocol of the general radio packet service; scheduled time is delayed after the disconnection of the signaling path is detected; contexts on the signaling path are processed according to information variation on the signaling path within the scheduled time. The service continuity of a user can be guaranteed in a complicated network environment by the system by utilizing the present invention, and the influence that system performance is lowered and a single plate is reset without heartbeat caused by a large amount of repeated disconnection alarm of the signaling path is avoided.

Description

Guarantee the method for business continuance between the GPRS support node

Technical field

The present invention relates to network communications technology field, be specifically related to a kind of method that guarantees business continuance between the GPRS support node.

Background technology

UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) is the 3-G (Generation Three mobile communication system) that adopts WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)) air interface technologies, also the UMTS system is called the WCDMA communication system usually.The UMTS system has adopted and the similar structure of second generation mobile communication system, comprise RAN (Radio Access Network) and CN (core network), wherein RAN is used to handle all and wireless function associated, and all voice calls are connected with data in the CN processing UMTS system, and the exchange of realization and external network and routing function.UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial radio access network), CN have constituted whole UMTS system with UE (subscriber equipment), its network configuration as shown in Figure 1, wherein:

RNC (radio network controller) finishes the control and management function of base station, and UTRAN is connected by the Uu interface with subscriber equipment, links to each other with CN by the Iu interface.

CN is from being divided into CS (circuit commutative field) and PS (packet-switched domain) in logic.Wherein, MSC/VLR (mobile switching centre/visitor's location register), GMSC (critical point mobile services switching centre) belong to the CS territory, and SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node), GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node) belong to the PS territory.HLR (attaching position register) belongs to the total functional node in CS territory and PS territory.MSC/VLR (mobile services switching centre/VLR Visitor Location Register) finishes the functions such as control, management, authentication and encryption in CS territory, and GMSC is the webmaster of MSC, is responsible for fixing with other or being connected of mobile network.

SGSN and GGSN are the functional nodes of WCDMA core network-packet switched domain, are connected by the Gn/Gp interface.Wherein, SGSN is the equipment that connects Access Network and GGSN, finishes the functions such as routing forwarding, mobile management, session management, authentication and encryption in PS territory.GGSN is the interface with the external IP packet network, and route and the encapsulation of packet between WCDMA mobile network and external data network is provided.

Interface between SGSN and the GGSN is based on GTP (GPRS Tunnel Protocol) and realizes the tunnel transmission function, comprises signaling plane GTP-C (GTP chain of command agreement) and user's face GTP-U (GTP user plane protocol).GTP-C finishes the management in tunnel and the transfer function of other signaling messages, the packet of GTP-U transmission user face.The 3GPP29060 protocol specification has defined GTP.

In WCDMA, the data message of mobile phone directly carries by the GTP encapsulation at SGSN and GGSN, be that the tunnel by GTP carries out the mutual of data and signaling between the gn interface of GGSN and the SGSN, set up the information such as PDP (packet data protocol) context of validated user by Signalling exchange GGSN and SGSN, GGSN will carry out data interaction by Gi interface and external packet data network after will being reduced into the IP message from the data message that the wireless access network side joint is received on this basis.

In the GTP agreement, comprise Trail management function.Described path is meant the path of command transmitting and data between a pair of GSN, is made of IP address/UDP (user datagram protocol) port numbers of end points separately, can be divided into signaling paths and data path; The path agreement is meant the UDP/IP agreement that is used to carry the GTP agreement between GSN.

At present, in GSN to the processing of signaling paths promptly according to the regulation of GTP agreement, the specific implementation process is as follows:

Preserve the signaling paths table of safeguarding routing information among the GSN, signaling paths has write down the signaling transmission channel of this GSN and other GSN nodes, comprising: send Echo Req path position, maximum signaling paths number, information such as the number of path of current use.Its function is to safeguard the demand signalling formation of wait acknowledge, and record data path information (such as the source, destination address, the context number on the path etc.).

Signaling paths is disposable distribution when system initialization, so the signaling paths table is determined when system initialization.Be responsible for the signaling paths table is safeguarded by the resource management module among the GSN.Resource management module is safeguarded an idle route chain, and record begin chain, last-of-chain when needs dispense path list item, begin to distribute from the chained list gauge outfit, when the release way list item, join chained list table tail, and this chained list uses a territory in the routing table to realize.

GSN timed sending ECHO request message, and the response of wait opposite end GSN after the ECHO request message that sends on the signaling paths is overtime, increase the expired times on the path; If expired times are during greater than preset threshold, signaling paths breaks, and the request message waiting list on the release way triggers the disconnected alarm of this signaling paths, and deletes the contextual operation on this signaling paths.

Though existing scheme is followed the description of agreement fully, there is not to consider the situation of actual on-line apparatus operation comprehensively.Because the connection situation of network may be very complicated, the performance of network also not necessarily keeps good level, and the performance issues such as (service quality) of the QOS on the GPRS backbone network also solves fully, network congested inevitable.In this case, occur the temporary transient communicating interrupt that GGSN and some SGSN cause because of reasons such as network congestions unavoidably, perhaps GGSN loses to the request message that SGSN sends.So just might cause temporary transient being connected of GGSN and SGSN to interrupt causing the deletion of all users on the respective path.Because two temporary transient situations of interrupting of equipment connection are inevitably under present network environment, therefore such way is in fact also unreasonable.

In addition, before the context above the deletion signaling paths, it is disconnected that based on context signaling paths detection timer can detect signaling paths, report the disconnected warning line of accusing in path, according to the prior art scheme, if there are a plurality of contexts just might trigger a plurality of identical alarm logs on this signaling paths, when on this signaling paths a large amount of context being arranged, the alarm log of printing and reporting just might take CPU (CPU) resource of system fully, thereby the system that makes can't work, and can cause system to be restarted when serious.

Summary of the invention

The purpose of this invention is to provide a kind of method that guarantees business continuance between the GPRS support node, to overcome in the prior art because the temporary fault of network causes all users to go offline and because the disconnected shortcoming that repeats to alarm that causes of signaling paths makes system fully guarantee the continuity of Business Processing under network congestion.

For this reason, the invention provides following technical scheme:

A kind of method that guarantees business continuance between the GPRS support node, described method comprises:

The signaling paths table of setting up in advance between A, initializing universal grouping service wireless support node, and by the path management information in the GPRS tunnel protocol signaling paths in the described signaling paths table is detected;

B, after detecting described signaling paths and breaking, trigger the disconnected alarm in path, and corresponding path status is set to the disconnected state in path, delay scheduled time in the signaling paths table;

C, handle context on the described signaling paths according to change in information on the described signaling paths in the described scheduled time.

Before the described steps A, also comprise:

A1, set up the signaling paths table, described signaling paths table comprises: send the path position of response request, maximum signaling paths number, the number of path of current use, data path information, the path counter that breaks, path status, described path status comprises: idle condition, and normal condition, state breaks in the path.

The signaling paths table of setting up in advance between described initializing universal grouping service wireless support node comprises:

The path status of each list item correspondence is set to idle condition in A21, the described signaling paths table;

A22, the disconnected counter in the path of each list item correspondence in the described signaling paths table is put 0;

The threshold value of A23, the disconnected counter in the described path of setting.

Described signaling paths in the described signaling paths table is detected comprises:

A31, set up path detection mechanism;

A32, the signaling paths in the described signaling paths table is detected according to described path detection mechanism.

Described steps A 31 is specially: set T3 timer and N3 counter in the described path management information, described T3 timer is used for response time of presetting message, and described N3 counter is used for the number of retransmissions of presetting message.

Described steps A 32 comprises:

From described signaling paths table, select detected signaling paths;

Transmit path administrative messag on described detected signaling paths;

If receive receiveing the response of opposite end in described T3 timer timing, then protecting this signaling paths is normal condition;

Otherwise the frequency so that described T3 timer is set repeats the transmit path administrative messag;

If receive receiveing the response of opposite end in the expired times scope of described N3 counter, then protecting this signaling paths is normal condition;

Otherwise it is the disconnected state in path that this signaling paths is set.

Described step C comprises:

C1, start the described idle route testing mechanism of idle route testing mechanism and comprise: the T3 timer is used for response time of presetting message;

C2, behind described T3 timer expiry, the disconnected counter in the described path of adding up;

C3, after the accumulated value of the disconnected counter in described path surpasses described threshold value, delete the context on the corresponding signaling paths.

Described step C also comprises:

If the response request message that has context activation or renewal or opposite end GPRS support node to send in the described scheduled time on the described signaling paths is then with the disconnected counter clear 0 in the path of corresponding list item in the described signaling paths table.

Described GPRS support node comprises: gateway general grouping service wireless support node and/or service general grouping service wireless support node.

By above technical scheme provided by the invention as can be seen, the present invention is in GSN equipment connection procedure, by path management information to path detection, detecting the path has no progeny and does not delete user context information on this path at once, but keep a preset time, in this scheduled time, because network temporary fault or congested eliminating, make this path that context activation or renewal or ECHO request may be arranged again, like this, might make this signaling paths come back to normal condition, avoided in the prior art because the user's context that the temporary fault of network causes deactivation, reduce the disconnected alarm of unnecessary signaling paths simultaneously, thereby improved system survivability, strengthened the stability of system; By increasing the state in the signaling paths table and detecting time counter, make system under the network environment of complexity, guarantee the customer service continuity, and avoided the disconnected alarm of a large amount of repetition signaling paths to reduce systematic function even cause the influence that veneer is restarted; Simultaneously under the long-time fault of network, can remove the user effectively again, avoid problems such as unnecessary charging the user.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a network of universal mobile communication system cellular construction schematic diagram;

Fig. 2 is the flow chart of the inventive method;

Fig. 3 is the flow chart that signaling paths is detected by the idle route testing mechanism;

Fig. 4 carries out the flow chart that idle route detects in the given time in the inventive method.

Embodiment

When being by path management information path detection, core of the present invention adopts activation mechanism, in the signaling paths list item, increase the indication of " path is disconnected " state, promptly ought detect this path of having no progeny, path and be set to " path disconnected " state, at this moment, do not delete the user context information on this path at once, but keep a preset time, if context activation or renewal or ECHO request is arranged on this path in this scheduled time again, then this path is re-set as " normally " state, promptly activate this path, and with the necessary condition of path status as alarm, having no progeny in the path, no matter signaling manipulation is still deleted in the ECHO detection is all no longer triggered the disconnected alarm in path.Avoid detecting in the prior art path influence that the processing mode of deleting the user context information on this path immediately produces system of having no progeny with this under network temporary fault situation, keep continuity professional between GSN (GPRS support node).

The present technique field personnel know, 3GPP agreement 29060 regulations, path management information has three kinds: Echo Request (Echo request) message, Echo Response (Echo response) message, VersionNot Supported (the GTP version is not supported) message is respectively described below:

1.Echo Request message: send on the path, whether the GSN or the RNC that detect the opposite end be normal.Echo Request message goes up " using the path " and sends." with " is meant to have at least a PDP Context to use this path to be connected to opposite end GSN for path.The transmission of Echo Request message should be not less than 60 seconds at interval.GSN or RNC equipment should can receive Echo Request message at any time, and respond Echo Response message, and it is optional that GSN or RNC send out Echo Request message.

2.Echo Response message: this message is as the response of Echo Request message.

3.Version Not Supported message: this message only comprises the GTP head, indicates the GTP protocol version that the GTP entity on this UDP/IP address is supported.

Use the Echo Request message of GTP protocol path administrative messag and the connectivity that Echo Response message detects signaling paths and data path.Echo Request message mails to opposite end GSN, returns Echo Response message after opposite equip. is received, if local terminal GSN equipment can not receive response message within a certain period of time, thinks that then the path is disconnected.

In order to guarantee the reliable delivery of signaling message, every paths is safeguarded a signaling message formation of being sent to peer-entities.If defined the request message of response, when sending, will be with sequence number in the message of queue front, and remain into always and received till the corresponding response.Every paths all has the routing table of oneself.In a routing table, the sequence number of the request message that each is unsettled is unique.GSN or RNC have a plurality of unsettled requests during wait-for-response.When sending the signaling request message, should start T3 timer (presetting the response time), and should set request number of times N3 (presetting number of retransmissions).

The present invention is exactly on the basis of using this agreement that the path is managed, when the path is detected, detect the path and have no progeny, make the user context information on this path keep the scheduled time, wait and be sure of to delete contextual information again behind the breaking really of this path.

In order to make those skilled in the art person understand the present invention program better, the present invention is described in further detail below in conjunction with drawings and embodiments.

With reference to Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is the flow chart of the inventive method, may further comprise the steps:

Step 201: set up the signaling paths table, described signaling paths table comprises: the path position that sends response request, maximum signaling paths number, the number of path of current use, data path information, counter breaks in the path, path status, described path status comprises: idle condition, and normal condition, state breaks in the path.

Step 202: initialization signaling paths table needs the following content of initialization to this signaling paths table:

(1) path status of each list item correspondence is set to idle condition in the signaling paths table;

(2) the disconnected counter in the path of each list item correspondence in the signaling paths table is put 0;

(3) threshold value of the disconnected counter of set path.

As seen, compare with the prior art scheme, the present invention has revised the structure of signaling paths:

In order under the temporary transient situation of interrupting of signaling paths, to preserve signaling paths information, thereby it is constant to preserve the signaling context, the signaling paths state has been increased " path is disconnected " state on the basis of " free time " and " normally " of prior art two states, and, guarantee to trigger an alarm after same signaling paths breaks by this state, and when detecting signaling paths and break, do not delete context at once, but temporarily keep one scheduled time of context, do concrete processing again according to change in information situation on this signaling paths in this scheduled time, perhaps delete context, perhaps recovering this path again is normal condition.Simultaneously, for the disconnected state of the signaling paths of keeping certain hour, but be unlikely to forever to keep, in the signaling paths structure, also increased the disconnected counter in path, even after breaking in the path, still the EchoRequest message of this signaling paths by the GTP agreement is detected,, when this counter reaches preset threshold, delete the contextual information on this path again according to detecting number of times this counter that adds up.

Step 203: set up path detection mechanism.

Step 204: the signaling paths in the signaling paths table is detected according to the path detection mechanism of setting up.

Just use the Echo Request message of GTP protocol path administrative messag and the connectivity that Echo Response message detects signaling paths and data path.For this reason, need T3 timer and N3 counter in the set path administrative messag.Then, successively the signaling paths in the signaling paths table is detected, identical in concrete detection mode and the prior art, promptly safeguard an idle route chain by the resource management module on the GSN, record begin chain, last-of-chain when needs dispense path list item, begin to distribute from the chained list gauge outfit; When the release way list item, join chained list table tail, this chained list uses a territory in the routing table to realize.For each bar signaling paths, timed sending Echo Request message, and await a response, the Echo Request message that sends on signaling paths is overtime, promptly surpasses the timing of the T3 timer of setting, and increases the expired times on the path; If expired times think then that greater than the value of the N3 counter of setting signaling paths breaks.

Fig. 3 is the flow process that every signaling paths is detected, and may further comprise the steps:

Step 301: set T3 timer and N3 counter.

Step 302: the signaling paths of from the signaling paths table, selecting required detection.

Step 303: start the T3 timer.

Step 304: send Echo Request (Echo request) message by this signaling paths.

Comprising the GTP protocol version that local terminal equipment is supported in this message, can be V0 and two kinds of versions of V1 of the GTP agreement of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) regulation.

The source address of Echo Request message is the network address of local terminal equipment, and destination address is the network address of opposite equip..These network addresss have been pre-configured in the routing table of each endpoint device When building their networks.

Then, enter step 305: judge whether the T3 timer is overtime.

If the T3 timer is not overtime, then to step 306: the Echo that receives opposite equip. is receiveed the response.

For Echo Request message, receiveing the response of opposite end has two kinds: Echo Response (Echo response) message; Version Not Supported (the GTP version is not supported) message.In EchoResponse message, comprise the GTP protocol version that opposite equip. is supported.

If receive Echo Response message, then think and opposite equip. interface UNICOM, show that the opposite end is movable, and the operation of GTP agreement is normal;

If receive Version Not Supported message, then think and opposite equip. interface UNICOM, show that the opposite end is movable, but do not support the GTP protocol version of local terminal.

Like this, show that this signaling paths is normal, so enter step 307: keeping this path is normal condition.

If the T3 timer expiry then subtracts 1 to step 308:N3 counter, show and finished one-time detection.

Then, enter step 309: judge and detect whether number of times is 0, that is to say and finished N3 detection whether;

If finished N3 detection, show that then at duration be N3*T3 does not also receive opposite equip. after the time response, at this moment, can think and opposite equip. between the path interrupt, enter step 310: this path is set is the disconnected state in path.

If also do not finish N3 detection, then return step 303: restart the T3 timer.

Have no progeny when detecting the path, need report the disconnected alarm in path, then, need the path status of this signaling paths correspondence to be set to the disconnected state in path.

Promptly enter step 205: after detecting described signaling paths and breaking, delay scheduled time in this scheduled time, at first will trigger the disconnected alarm in path, and corresponding signaling paths is set to the disconnected state in path in the signaling paths table then.

Being provided with signaling paths is the disconnected state in path, and after this, needing only this path is the disconnected state in path, and then no matter signaling manipulation is still deleted in the ECHO detection all can not be triggered the disconnected alarm in path.Like this, because signaling paths has had the path state that breaks, even also no longer send alarm information and print alarm log during the deletion context.Guarantee no longer to repeat on the same path the disconnected alarm of transmit path, avoided the generation of disconnected alarm in a large amount of paths and daily record to cause that CPU is monopolized, even having a strong impact on of causing that veneer restarts.

Then, enter step 206: handle context on this signaling paths according to change in information on the signaling paths in the scheduled time.

When context activation or renewal are arranged on this signaling paths, need from the idle route chain, distribute the context counting on a path list item or the existing route that adds up.Simultaneously, this signaling paths state is re-set as normal condition, and the disconnected counter in the path of corresponding list item in the signaling paths table is put 0.

Like this, guaranteed when signaling paths breaks that it is normal that this signaling paths still might recover.If the i.e. response request message that has on this signaling paths context activation or renewal or opposite end GSN node to send in the given time, the disconnected counter of this signaling paths puts 0 immediately, so that the disconnected counter in path is no more than preset threshold, and then guarantee that context is not deleted at once.

Except that doing above processing, have no progeny at path status, also need to start above-mentioned idle route testing mechanism.Keep confirming behind the disconnected state certain hour in path that this path do not recover to delete this path again under the possible situation.

Carry out idle route in the given time and detect, behind the T3 timer expiry, counter breaks in the path of this path correspondence that just adds up; After the accumulated value of the disconnected counter in this path surpasses preset threshold, delete all contexts on the corresponding signaling paths, delete this signaling paths at last.

Carry out flow process that idle route detects in the given time as shown in Figure 4, may further comprise the steps:

Step 401: the set path counter threshold of breaking.

Step 402: start the idle route testing mechanism.

Step 403: start the T3 timer.

Step 404: judge whether timer T3 is overtime.

If the T3 timer is not overtime, then arrive step 405: the Echo request message that receives the opposite end.That is to say, in the given time, received the Echo request message of opposite end on this signaling paths again, this path " resurrection " again is described.

Enter step 406: with the disconnected counter clear 0 in path.

Then, enter step 411: it is normal condition that this path is set.

If the T3 timer expiry then enters step 407: the disconnected counter in path is added 1.

Then, enter step 408: judge whether the disconnected counter in path surpasses preset threshold.

If the disconnected counter in path has surpassed threshold value, then enter step 409: delete the contextual information on this path.

Then, enter step 410: delete this path.

If the disconnected counter in path does not also surpass threshold value, then return step 403: restart the T3 timer.

For example, certain the bar signaling paths between GGSN and the SGSN is detected:

For the GGSN node, need send the Echo request message to SGSN from GGSN, SGSN sends the Echo response message to GGSN.

Under the normal condition, SGSN will respond the Echo response message to GGSN after receiving the Echo request message of GGSN transmission, if in the T3 timing, GGSN receives the Echo response message, thinks that then this path is a normal condition; Again after waiting for the T3 timer expiry, continue to send the Echo request message.

If in the T3 timing, GGSN does not receive the Echo response message, at this moment, starts the N3 rolling counters forward, Echo request message of every transmission, if in the T3 timing, GGSN does not receive the Echo response message, and then the N3 counter increases 1, and the rest may be inferred.If before N3 surpassed preset threshold, GGSN received the Echo response message of SGSN, then with the N3 counter reset, is changed to 0 again; Otherwise think that this signaling paths is disconnected.At this moment, do not delete context, but the state that this signaling paths the is set disconnected state that is the path at once, start simultaneously the disconnected counter in path that should signaling paths, with ECHO cycle timer T3 as the clock source, at every turn to the time disconnected counter of signaling paths that just adds up.If when this counter surpasses threshold value parameters such as (can be configured with webmaster) concrete thresholding sizes, receive the Echo response message again, then recover context, and with the disconnected counter O reset of signaling paths; Otherwise when counting down to above preset threshold, think that this signaling paths has broken fully this moment, so delete the contextual information on this path, deletes this signaling paths at last.

For the SGSN node, need send the Echo request message to GGSN from SGSN, GGSN sends the Echo response message to SGSN.

Testing process does not repeat them here with noted earlier identical.

Though described the present invention by embodiment, those of ordinary skills know, the present invention has many distortion and variation and do not break away from spirit of the present invention, wish that appended claim comprises these distortion and variation and do not break away from spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1, a kind of method that guarantees business continuance between the GPRS support node is characterized in that, described method comprises:

2, method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, before the described steps A, also comprises:

3, method according to claim 2 is characterized in that, the signaling paths table of setting up in advance between described initializing universal grouping service wireless support node comprises:

4, method according to claim 3 is characterized in that, described signaling paths in the described signaling paths table is detected comprises:

A31, set up path detection mechanism;

5, method according to claim 4 is characterized in that, described steps A 31 is specially: set T3 timer and N3 counter in the described path management information, described T3 timer, the response time that is used for presetting message, described N3 counter is used for the number of retransmissions of presetting message.

6, method according to claim 5 is characterized in that, described steps A 32 comprises:

From described signaling paths table, select detected signaling paths;

Transmit path administrative messag on described detected signaling paths;

7, method according to claim 3 is characterized in that, described step C comprises:

C1, start the idle route testing mechanism, described idle route testing mechanism comprises: the T3 timer is used for response time of presetting message;

8, method according to claim 2 is characterized in that, described step C comprises:

9, method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described GPRS support node comprises: gateway general grouping service wireless support node and/or service general grouping service wireless support node.