JPH08191345A - Module fault concealment system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To conceal a module fault in a service control node in a service management node and eliminate the need to interrupt a downloading process for a long time, and to prevent service quality from deteriorating by providing a data storage and difference transfer function part in the service control node. CONSTITUTION: Each of modules 12-15 is equipped with a data management part 18 which stores downloaded data, and a history management part which records and updates the serial numbers of the data stored in the data management part 18. If an optional module becomes faulty, downloaded data from the service management node 10 are stored in the data storage and difference transfer function part 17 in the service control node 11 even in the faulty state, and after the fault of the module is removed, the data storage and difference transfer function part 17 inquires history management of the module to receive a history inquiry answer from the history management part. Then difference information on downloaded data which become absent during the fault state is specified and only the difference information is transferred to the module.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a module fault concealment method in a service control node, and more particularly, the service control node sets service data by being downloaded from a service management node and performs processing using this service data. The present invention relates to a failure concealment method for concealing a module failure in a service management node when executing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, network services such as a toll-free service have been provided by cooperation between a service management node and a service control node connected to a communication network. Examples of such services include "wide area representative service", "reception destination change service", "distribution service", and the like. In these services, the connection destination can be changed depending on the state of the connection destination terminal (in use, etc.) and the originating area information of the connection source terminal (e.g., it is difficult to make a call in the congestion state). In addition, these service management nodes and service control nodes are usually nodes installed by communication carriers (for example, in the case of NTT, NSSP (Network Service Support Point).
t) and NSP (Network Service Control Point). In this way, the conventional service control node that controls the connection of the toll-free service etc.
It was a batch configuration of individual devices and did not use a modular configuration. As a result, when a failure occurs, it is necessary for the service management node to be aware of it as a node failure, and it is necessary to suspend the download process during the entire period from the time when the node failure occurs until the time of restoration. It lacked responsiveness.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional service control node, even if there is a portion configured by modules, the entire node is handled as a batch configuration, so that there is a If the download process is interrupted during the failure of the module, the download process is interrupted also for the normal module in the service control node, and as a result, the service quality of the entire system is deteriorated. An object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem, conceal a module failure in a service control node in a service management node, and shorten a download processing interruption time due to a module failure in the service control node. An object of the present invention is to provide a module failure concealment method that can prevent deterioration of the overall service quality.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the module fault concealment method of the present invention comprises a service control node (11) composed of a plurality of modules for performing function distribution and load distribution in the node, In a system in which a service management node (10) for downloading service data used by the service control node to the service control node is connected, the service control node (1
Accumulation for accumulating data downloaded from the service management node (10) during failure of any module in 1) and transferring difference information of downloaded data accumulated after the module is restored to the module・
In order to specify the transfer means (17) and the difference information to be transferred to the module, the serial number of the data downloaded from the service management node (10) is recorded and updated, and the history inquiry (26) of the module is sent. And a history management means (24) for returning the latest serial number as a response (27).

[0005]

In the present invention, the service control node 1
When the service data used in 1 is downloaded from the service management node 10, by configuring the service control node 11 with a plurality of hardware modules 12 to 15, function sharing and load sharing are performed, and an arbitrary module fails. Even in the case of, the download is stopped from the service management node for an extremely short time, and the original complete set of modules is restored. That is, the download data from the service management node 10 is stored in the data distribution function unit 16 and then distributed to the plurality of modules 12 to 15 and also stored in the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17. Each module 12-15 has a data management unit 18 that stores download data.
And a history management unit 24 that records and updates the serial number of the data accumulated in the data management unit 18. When an arbitrary module fails, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 stores the download data from the service management node 10 even during the failure, and when the failure of the module is recovered, the data storage / differential transfer function unit 17 stores the data. The difference transfer function unit 17 makes a history inquiry 26 to the module, and the history management unit 2
By receiving the history inquiry response 27 from No. 4, the difference information of the download data which is missing during the failure is specified, and only the difference information is transferred to the module. in this way,
By providing the data storage / differential transfer function unit 17 in the service control node 11, it is only necessary to suspend the download data during the module failure and the transfer of the stored information when the failed module is restored. The interruption of the middle download process is extremely short. Further, with respect to the normal module, since the download processing can be continued, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the service quality of the entire system.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a service control node showing the operating principle of the present invention. The service control node is shown in FIG.
As shown in, the functions are distributed to a plurality of hardware modules 12 to 15 each having a different function. Further, a plurality of hardware modules having the same function execute load-balancing processing. In FIG. 1, module 12 and module 1
3 is a module of the same type n, and the module 14 and the module 15 are modules of the same type m. The service management node 10 is the service control node 1
1 implements registration, modification, and deletion of service data used for call control by a download process. At this time, the service data is transferred from the service management node 10 to the data distribution function unit 16 in the service control node 11 along the data flow 19 between the nodes. In the service control node 11, the data distribution function unit 16 decomposes the received service data into data for each module type,
Each module 12 along the data flow 20 in the node
Transfer to ~ 15. In each of the modules 12 to 15, the data management unit 18 stores the received data. The service control node 11 performs service control using the service data downloaded in this way.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the service control node 1
When the module 12 in 1 fails, the service control can be continuously executed by the other module 13 of the same type n as the module 12, and one module 13 and the module 14 of another type m In 15, the download is continued. At this time, the download data is accumulated in the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17, and when the failure module 12 is restored, the difference data is transferred from the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 via the difference transfer path 21. . The download process can be interrupted only during the transfer of this difference. When the differential transfer is completed, all the modules return to the normal state after that, and the download for all the modules is restarted. In this way, by providing the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 in the service control node 11,
It only interrupts the time for storing download data during a module failure and transferring the stored information when a failed module is restored, and the interruption time of the download processing during a module failure is extremely short. Further, with respect to the normal module, since the download processing can be continued, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the service quality of the entire system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a service control node showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the case of FIG. 2, the module 12 and the module 13 of the module type n, the module 14, the module 15, the module 22 and the module 23 of the type m exist in the service control node 11, respectively, and the module group of the type m and the module n. Are supposed to carry out different business processes. A data management unit 18 and a history management unit 14 are provided in each of the modules 12 to 13, 14 to 15 and 22 to 23. Then, each module issues a history information storage instruction 25 to the history management unit 24, when the service data received by each module is stored in the data management unit 18 each time a download request is made.

3 to 5 are sequence charts of the download processing in the service control node in FIG. When data is stored in a module group of module types m and n, there are three processing flow forms (hereinafter, download patterns). FIG. 3 shows the download pattern (a) 28, FIG. 4 shows the download pattern (a) 29, and FIG. 5 shows the download pattern (c) 30.
Are respectively shown. In FIG. 3, the data distribution function unit 16 receives da from the service management node 10.
The tax is decomposed into datax1 and datax2, and the former is transmitted to one selected from the module types m (in FIG. 3, datax1 is downloaded 33 to the module 14), and the latter is all modules of the module type n (module 12). And 13) (datax2 download 32). transmission of datax2 (that is, datax
2 download 32) is executed after the transmission of datax1 (that is, datax1 download 33) is completed.

In addition, the data distribution function unit 16 has a datax
The module of type m selected to implement the download of 1 may be any module as long as it is a module of that type. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, instead of the module 14, any other module 15, module 22 or module 23 may be used. datax1
The module 14 that received the download 33 of
While storing atax1 (35), datax1
All other modules (15, 22,
23) (datax1 download 33).
According to this, the module 15, the module 22 and the module 23 carry out the storage 35 of the data ax1.
The completion response is returned to the module 14 (OK37). After confirming the responses from all the modules of type m, the module 14 returns a completion response to the data distribution function unit 16 (OK38). The module 12 and the module 13 of the module type n execute the storage 34 of the datax2 and return the completion response to the data distribution function unit 16 (OK36). After confirming the response from each module, the data distribution function unit 16 returns a completion response to the service management node 10 (OK39).

In FIG. 4, data1 received by the data distribution function unit 16 from the service management node 10 is
Send to one selected from the module type m. In FIG. 4, it is indicated by the data 1 download 41 to the module 14. The module selection method is the same as that of the download pattern (a) 28. In the module 14 that has received the data1 download 41, the data
The storage 42 of y1 is performed, and datsy1 is set to all other modules (15, 22,
23) (data 1 download 41).
According to this, the module 15, the module 22 and the module 23 carry out the storage 42 of the data 1,
Returns a completion response to the module 14 (OK4
3). After confirming the responses from all the modules of type m, the module 14 returns a completion response to the data distribution function unit 16 (OK44). Further, the data distribution function unit 16 confirms the response from the module 14 and then
A completion response is returned to the service management node 10 (OK45).

In FIG. 5, the service management node 10
The data distribution function unit 16 receives the data 2 received from
It is sent to all modules (12, 13) of module type n (data2 download 47). Module 1
2 and the module 13 store the processing result of the data (data2 change 48) and return a completion response to the data distribution function unit 16 (OK49). After confirming the responses from all the modules, the data distribution function unit 16 returns a completion response to the service management node 10 (OK50).
As described above, the three processing patterns from the download pattern (a) 28 to the download pattern (c) 30 are independent of each other when either service data or operation (setting, changing, deleting) is different. , And in parallel. Therefore, due to the following reasons, the download message transmission order from the service management node 10 may differ from the download processing execution order in each module. Since the procedure in each download pattern is different, the order in which the data distribution function unit 16 receives the download request and the order in which each request reaches each module may be different. Even in each module, the processing to be executed differs depending on the content of the data, and the processing may be executed in parallel in the module, and the time required for each processing may change.

In FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, a download request from the service management node 10 is performed when the difference data is accumulated when a certain module fails and the difference data is transferred when the module is restored from the failure. Each time the data is received, the data distribution function unit 16 gives a serial number to the request, and the serial number is included in a message and transmitted to each module.
The serial number is unified for each module type, and is assigned in the order in which the data distribution function unit 16 receives a request from the service management node 10. Further, regardless of whether or not the module in the service control node 11 has a failure, the service management node 10
Each time a download request is received from the data storage / difference transfer function unit 1
In 7, each module type is stored. further,
The history management unit 24 is installed in all the modules in the service control node 11. Each module completes its processing by issuing a history information storage instruction 25 to the history management unit 24 when the service data received by each module is stored in the data management unit 18 each time a download request is made. The serial number for the download request is stored in the history management unit 24. The history management unit 24 overwrites the serial number received as history information each time the history information storage instruction 25 is received.

Next, the history managed by the history management section 24 of each module is
Inquiry about history from the data storage / difference transfer function unit 2
6. History management unit 24 of each module
Responds to the history inquiry 26 from the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 with the serial number stored by itself (history inquiry response 27). The data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 identifies the difference that has not been downloaded to the target module based on the serial number received in the history inquiry response 27, and performs the difference transfer 21. At this point,
The differential transfer function unit 17 restores a stored message from a request with a serial number, which is some number before the serial number stored in the recovery module, to a latest request managed by the data storage / differential transfer function unit 17, after the recovery module. Transfer to. here,
The reason for transferring from some previous serial number requests is that the download requests are not processed in the same order as the serial numbers in each module, as described above, so the serial numbers managed by each module side are accurate. This is because it does not indicate the history status of various download processes. Therefore,
By transferring from a serial number that is some number earlier than the serial number managed by the recovery module, it is possible to transfer all undownloaded electronic messages without omission.

Regarding the above-mentioned matters, the extent to which the serial number should be transferred is as follows, assuming download conditions. Download pattern 28 of FIG. 3, download pattern 29 of FIG. 4, and FIG.
The maximum number of requests per unit time (1 second) of each download pattern 30 is I, J, and K, and if the requests have the same pattern, the processing time in the module is equal, and the module Although the order inversion does not occur in the internal processing, the download pattern 28 is always interrupted once in the module internal processing, and the order inversion occurs with the request of another download pattern.
Further, the processing time of a certain download request in a certain module takes 1 second at worst. A request with a download pattern 28 in a module of type n may be completed after it has been sent to a module of type m and subsequent requests for download pattern 30 have been processed by at most 3K. On the other hand, a request with the download pattern 28 in the module of type m is
After the request for the download pattern 29 is processed at most 2J after being transmitted to another module of
Alternatively, another download pattern 28 request is I-1.
Then, the processing can be completed after the number of requests of the download pattern 29 is at most J. Therefore, for the module of type n, the difference may be transferred from the serial number before 3K. For a module of type m, I-
If 1> J, only I-1 + J will be changed from the previous serial number to I-
If 1 <J, it is sufficient to transfer the difference from the previous serial number by 2J.

FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 are sequence charts of assigning serial numbers, storing electronic messages and storing history information in the present invention. In these figures, a serial number assignment 51 in the data distribution function unit 16 of the download processing and a message storage 52 in the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 are shown.
(Above, FIG. 6) and the processing sequence chart of the history information storage 53 (above, FIG. 7) in each module, and the accumulated information 56 in the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17.
(Above, FIG. 6) and history information 5 in each module
7 to 62 (above, FIG. 7, FIG. 8) are shown.
As shown in FIG. 6, the accumulated information 56 of the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 has a serial number m1 for each module type m, n.
Information datax1 etc. accumulated as m2, serial number n1,
The information datax2 and the like accumulated as n2 are stored. When there is nothing, it is indicated by NULL. The latest serial number is stored in the accumulated information 57 to 62 in each module. NULL when not yet received
Is stored. The transmission order is as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, and the data distribution function unit 1 from the service management node 10 is transmitted.
6 and the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 have datax
The download 31 is transmitted, and the functional units 16 and 17 perform serial number assignment 51 and message storage 52. The data distribution function unit 16 first dats one module 14.
After ax1 is transmitted and this information and history information are stored (FIG. 6), other modules 15, 22,
The same data is transmitted to 23 (FIG. 7). An OK response is returned from each of the modules 15, 22 and 23 to the module 14 and further to the data distribution function unit 16 to complete the download request for the type m (FIG. 7). Next, from the data distribution function unit 16 to the module 1 of type n
A download request for datax2 is transmitted to the modules 2 and 13, an OK response is returned from the modules 12 and 13 to the data distribution function unit 16, and the download request for the type n is completed. Finally, the data distribution function unit 16 returns an OK response to the service management node 10 (FIG. 8).

9 and 10 are explanatory views showing an example of management information after execution of a plurality of download requests according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a format diagram of accumulated information in the data accumulation / difference transfer function section, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of history information in each module. As shown in FIG. 9, from the storage information 56 in the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17, download requests up to # m8 for modules of type m and up to # n5 for modules of type n. It has been implemented. From # n6 onward, the transmission has not been completed from the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17, so the storage information is NULL. On the other hand, as shown in the history information 61 in the module a and the history information 62 in the module b as shown in FIG. 10, the management serial numbers may be different even for the same module type. In FIG. 10, history information 57 and 58 in module c and module d have the same content. Also,
History information 59, 6 in module e and module f
0 is significantly different in content because module f is faulty.

FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing a stored information transfer processing procedure between the service management node, the data storage / difference transfer function unit and each module according to the present invention. In FIG. 11, the module f in the situation of FIGS.
An example of the processing procedure for recovering from a failure is shown.
In FIG. 11, the case where the serial number is traced back by 3 to specify the difference is shown as an example. Further, the case where the stop 64 and the restart 67 of the download to the service management node 10 are performed from the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 is shown. That is, after the failure of the module f is recovered, first, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 makes a history inquiry 26 to the module f, and when the module f returns a serial number # m5 as a response 27, the data storage The differential transfer function unit 17 uses the serial number # as the transfer serial number identification 63.
From m2 (three before # m5) to # m8 (latest value) are specified. Then, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 issues a download stop request 64 to the service management node 10, and the service management node 10 sends an O request.
When the K response is returned, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 1
7 is a differential transfer to the module f (serial numbers # m2 to #
up to m8). The module f returns an OK response for each serial number of differential transfer. When all the transfers are completed, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 causes the service management node 1
A download restart request 67 is issued to 0.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the state of the module in the service control node can be hidden in the service management node, the interruption of the download process from the service management node is only the differential transfer time after the failure recovery, and the download process does not have to be interrupted for a long time. Well, it is possible to prevent deterioration of service quality.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the operating principle of a service control node of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a service control node showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a download processing sequence chart (No. 1) showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is also a sequence chart (No. 2) of the download process.

FIG. 5 is also a sequence chart (No. 3) of the download process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in which serial number assignment, message storage,
7 is a sequence chart (1) of history information storage processing.

FIG. 7 is a sequence chart (No. 2) of the process of assigning a serial number, storing a message, and storing history information.

FIG. 8 is a sequence chart (No. 3) of the process of assigning a serial number, storing a message, and storing history information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram (accumulation information) showing an example of management information after execution of a plurality of download requests according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing history information stored in each module after the embodiment of multiple download requests.

FIG. 11 is a sequence chart of a stored information transfer processing procedure showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Service management node, 11 ... Service control node, 12, 13 ... Modules a, b, 14, 1 of type n
5 ... Modules of type m, d, 16 ... Data distribution function unit, 17 ... Data storage / difference transfer function unit, 18 ... Data management unit, 24 ... History management unit, 22, 23 ... Modules of type m e, f , 56 ... Data storage / difference transfer function unit 1
Accumulated information in No. 7, 57 to 62 ... History information in modules.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A service control node composed of a plurality of modules for performing function distribution and load distribution within the node, and a service management node for downloading service data used by the service control node to the service control node are connected. In the system, when any module in the service control node has a failure, the data downloaded from the service management node is accumulated, and the difference information of the downloaded data accumulated after the module is restored is transferred to the module. In order to specify the storage / transfer means and the difference information to be transferred to the module, the serial number of the data downloaded from the service management node is recorded and updated, and the latest serial number is sent to the history inquiry of the module. Equipped with history management means for returning as a response Module failure concealment method, characterized in that.