JP3177674B2 - Module fault concealment method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, provision of a network service such as a free dial service has been realized by cooperation between a service management node and a service control node connected to a communication network. Such services include, for example, "wide area representative service", "reception destination change service", and "distribution service". In these services, the connection destination can be changed according to the state of the connection destination terminal (for example, in use) and the transmission area information of the connection source terminal (for example, it is difficult to make a call in a congested state). In addition, these service management nodes and service control nodes are usually nodes installed by a communication carrier (for example, in the case of NTT, a network service support point (NSSP)).
t), NSP (Network Service Control Point). As described above, the conventional service control node that performs connection control of the free dial service or the like generally has one node.
This is a collective configuration of individual devices, and did not use a modular configuration. As a result, when a failure occurs, the service management node must be aware of the failure as a node failure, and the download process must be interrupted during the entire period from the occurrence of the node failure to the time of recovery. He lacked responsiveness.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional service control node, even if there is a portion configured by a module, the entire node is treated as a collective configuration. If the download process is also interrupted during the failure of the module, the download process is also interrupted for the normal module in the service control node, and as a result, the service quality of the entire system is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 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, reduce the interruption time of download processing due to a module failure in the service control node, and provide a system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a module failure concealment method capable of preventing a decrease in the overall service quality.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a module failure concealment system according to the present invention comprises a service control node (11) comprising a plurality of modules for performing function distribution and load distribution in a node; In a system in which a service management node (10) that downloads service data used by the service control node to the service control node is connected, the service control node (1)
1) In the event that an arbitrary module in 1) fails, data downloaded from the service management node (10) is stored, and difference information of the downloaded data stored after the module is restored is transferred to the module.・
The transfer means (17) records and updates the serial number of the data downloaded from the service management node (10) in order to specify the difference information to be transferred to the module, and responds to the history inquiry (26) of the module. 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 step 1 is downloaded from the service management node 10, the service control node 11 is constituted by a plurality of hardware modules 12 to 15, so that the function sharing and the load sharing are performed, and an arbitrary module fails. Even in the case of, the module is returned to the original complete set of modules only by stopping the download from the service management node for a very short time. That is, after the download data from the service management node 10 is stored in the data distribution function unit 16, the data is distributed to a plurality of modules 12 to 15 and also stored in the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17. Each of the modules 12 to 15 has a data management unit 18 for storing download data.
And a history management unit 24 that records and updates the serial numbers of the data stored in the data management unit 18. If any module fails, the data storage / differential 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 restored, the data storage / The difference transfer function unit 17 issues 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 lost during the failure is specified, and only the difference information is transferred to the module. in this way,
By providing the data accumulation / differential transfer function unit 17 in the service control node 11, it is only necessary to interrupt the time required to accumulate the download data during the module failure and to transfer the accumulated information at the time of restoration of the failed module. The interruption of the download process during the process is extremely short. Then, for normal modules, the download process can be continued, so that the service quality of the entire system can be prevented from lowering.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a service control node showing the operation principle of the present invention. The service control node is shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), the functions are distributed to a plurality of hardware modules 12 to 15 having different functions. In addition, a plurality of hardware modules having the same function execute processing while distributing the load. 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 a service control node 1
1 realizes registration, change, 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 manner.

In FIG. 1, the service control node 1
In the case where the module 12 in the module 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 the other type m, At 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 recovers, the difference data is transferred from the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 through the difference transfer path 21. . The interruption of the download process is only required during the transfer of this difference. When the differential transfer is completed, all modules thereafter return to a normal state, and download to all modules is resumed. As described above, by providing the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 in the service control node 11,
It only interrupts the time for accumulating download data during module failure and transferring accumulated information when restoring a failed module, and the interruption time for download processing during module failure is extremely short. Then, for normal modules, the download process can be continued, so that the service quality of the entire system can be prevented from lowering.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a service control node according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the case of FIG. 2, the module 12 and the module 13 of the module type n and 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. Are assumed to perform different business processes. Each of the modules 12 to 13, 14 to 15, and 22 to 23 is provided with a data management unit 18 and a history management unit 14. 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.

FIGS. 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). 3 is a download pattern (A) 28, FIG. 4 is a download pattern (A) 29, and FIG. 5 is a 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 data1 and data2, and the former is transmitted to one selected from the module type m (in FIG. 3, the data1 is downloaded 33 to the module 14), and the latter is all modules of the module type n (module 12). And 13) (data2 download 32). Transmission of datax2 (that is, datax
2 download 32) is performed after the transmission of data1 (that is, data1 download 33) is completed.

[0010] The data distribution function unit 16 stores datax
The module of the type m selected to execute the download of one may be any module as long as it is a module of the type. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, instead of the module 14, any of the other modules 15, 22, or 23 may be used. data1
In the module 14 having received the download 33 of
data1 is stored (35), and data1 is stored.
To all other modules (15,22,
23) (data1 download 33).
In accordance therewith, module 15, module 22 and module 23 implement storage 35 of data1,
A completion response is returned to the module 14 (OK37). After confirming responses from all 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 storage 34 of the data2 and return a completion response to the data distribution function unit 16 (OK 36). 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, data 1 received by the data distribution function unit 16 from the service management node 10 is
Transmit to one selected from module type m. In FIG. 4, this is indicated by data1 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 receiving the data1 download 41, the data 14
The storage 42 of y1 is executed, and datsy1 is stored in all other modules (15, 22,.
23) (data1 download 41).
According to this, the module 15, the module 22 and the module 23 carry out the storage 42 of the data1,
A completion response is returned 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, after confirming the response from the module 14, the data distribution function unit 16
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 data2 received from
The data is transmitted 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 service data or operation (setting, change, deletion) is different. And in parallel. Therefore, the download message transmission order from the service management node 10 may be different from the download processing execution order in each module for the following reasons. Since the procedure in each download pattern is different, the order in which the data distribution function unit 16 receives the download request may be different from the order in which each request reaches each module. The processing to be performed differs in each module depending on the content of data, and the processing is performed in parallel in the module, and the time required for each processing may change.

In FIG. 2, in this embodiment, when a difference data is accumulated when a certain module fails, and the difference data is transferred when the module is recovered from the failure, a download request from the service management node 10 is issued. Each time the data is received, the data distribution function unit 16 assigns a serial number to the request, and includes the serial number in a message to transmit to each module.
The serial numbers are unified for each module type, and are assigned in the order in which the data distribution function unit 16 receives requests from the service management node 10. Further, regardless of whether or not a module in the service control node 11 has failed, the service management node 10
Each time a download request is received from the server, the data transferred to each module is stored in the data storage / difference transfer function unit 1.
In step 7, the information is accumulated for each module type. further,
The history management unit 24 is installed in all modules in the service control node 11. Each module completes the process by issuing a history information storage instruction 25 to the history management unit 24 when storing the received service data 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 unit 24 of each module is used when each module recovers from a failure.
History inquiry 2 from data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17
6. History management unit 24 of each module
Responds to the history inquiry 26 from the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 with the serial number stored therein (history inquiry response 27). The data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 specifies a 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 difference transfer function unit 17 converts the stored messages from the serial number request before the serial number stored in the recovery module to the latest request managed by the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 thereafter to the recovery module. Transfer to here,
The reason for transferring from the request of the previous serial number is that the download request is not always processed in the same order as the serial number as described in the above, so the serial number managed by each module is accurate. This is because it does not show the history of the download process. Therefore,
By transferring from a serial number several times earlier than the serial number managed by the recovery module, all undownloaded messages can be transferred without omission.

[0015] Regarding the above-mentioned matter, as to how long before the serial number should be transferred, assuming download conditions, it is as follows. The download pattern 28 of FIG. 3, the download pattern 29 of FIG. 4, and FIG.
The maximum number of requests per unit time (1 second) of each of the download patterns 30 is I, J, and K, and if the requests are the same, the processing time in the module is equal and the module Although the order inversion in the internal processing does not occur, the download pattern 28 always undergoes one interruption processing in the module internal processing, and the order inversion occurs with requests for other download patterns.
The processing time of a certain download request in a certain module takes one second at worst. A request with a download pattern 28 in a module of type n can be completed after the request for the download pattern 30 has been processed at most 3K after the request has been transmitted to the module of type m. On the other hand, a request with a download pattern 28 in a module of type m
After the request for the download pattern 29 is processed by at most 2J after being transmitted to the other module,
Alternatively, the request of another download pattern 28 is I-1
The processing may be completed after the request for the download pattern 29 is processed at most J. Therefore, it is sufficient to transfer the difference from the serial number 3K earlier to the module of type n. For a module of type m, I-
If 1> J, I-I-J
If 1 <J, the difference may be transferred from the previous serial number by 2J.

FIGS. 6 to 8 are sequence charts of serial number assignment, message storage and history information storage in the download process according to the present invention. In these figures, a serial number assignment 51 in the data distribution function unit 16 for download processing and a message accumulation 52 in the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 are shown.
(FIG. 6) and the processing sequence chart of the history information storage 53 (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 (FIGS. 7 and 8) are shown.
As shown in FIG. 6, the accumulation information 56 of the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 includes serial numbers m1 and m1 for each module type m and n.
serial number n1, such as information data1 accumulated as m2
Information data2 and the like accumulated as n2 are stored. When there is nothing, it is indicated by NULL. The accumulated information 57 to 62 in each module stores the latest serial number. If not yet received, NULL
Is stored. The transmission order is as shown in FIGS.
6 and data storage / differential transfer function unit 17
The download 31 is transmitted, and a serial number assignment 51 and a message storage 52 are performed in the functional units 16 and 17. The data distribution function unit 16 first transfers dat to one module 14.
ax1 is transmitted, and after storing this information and the history information (FIG. 6), the other modules 15, 22,
23 is transmitted to the same data (FIG. 7). An OK response is returned from each of the modules 15, 22, and 23 to the module 14, and further returned to the data distribution function unit 16, and the download request for the type m ends (FIG. 7). Next, the module 1 of the type n is transmitted from the data distribution function unit 16.
The download request of datax2 is transmitted to the modules 2 and 13, the 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 ends. Finally, an OK response is returned from the data distribution function unit 16 to the service management node 10 (FIG. 8).

FIGS. 9 and 10 are explanatory diagrams showing examples 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 a data accumulation / differential transfer function unit. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of history information in each module. As shown in FIG. 9, from the accumulation information 56 in the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17, download requests up to # m8 for a module of type m and # n5 for a module of type n are received. It has been implemented. After # n6, since the transmission from the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 has not been completed yet, the accumulation 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, the history information 57 and 58 in the module c and the module d have the same contents. Also,
History information 59, 6 in module e and module f
0 indicates that module f is significantly different in content due to a fault.

FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing a stored information transfer processing procedure between the service management node, the data storage / differential transfer function unit, and each module in the present invention. In FIG. 11, the module f in the situation of FIGS.
The figure shows an example of a processing procedure when a user recovers from a failure.
FIG. 11 shows, as an example, a case where the difference is specified by tracing back the serial number by 3. Further, a case where the stop 64 and the restart 67 of the download to the service management node 10 are performed from the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 is shown. That is, after the failure of the module f is recovered, first, the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 makes a history inquiry 26 to the module f, and when the module f returns the serial number # m5 as a response 27, the data accumulation The difference transfer function unit 17 determines the transfer sequence number 63 as the sequence number #
From m2 (three prior to # m5) to # m8 (latest value) are specified. Then, the data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 17 issues a download stop request 64 to the service management node 10 and the service management node 10
When the K response is returned, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 1
7 is a differential transfer to module f (serial numbers # m2 to #m
m8). The module f returns an OK response for each serial number of the differential transfer. When all the transfer is completed, the data storage / difference transfer function unit 17 sends the service management node 1
A download resumption request 67 is made 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 download process from the service management node is interrupted only for the differential transfer time after the recovery from the failure, and the download process can be interrupted for a long time. Often, a decrease in service quality can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

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

FIG. 3 is a sequence chart (part 1) of a download process showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sequence chart (part 2) of the download process.

FIG. 5 is a sequence chart (part 3) of the download process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a sequence chart (part 1) of a history information storage process.

FIG. 7 is a sequence chart (part 2) of a serial number assignment, message storage, and history information storage process.

FIG. 8 is a sequence chart (part 3) of a serial number assignment, message storage, and history information storage process.

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

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

FIG. 11 is a sequence chart of a stored information transfer processing procedure according to 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 c and d of type m, 16 Data distribution function unit, 17 Data accumulation / difference transfer function unit, 18 Data management unit, 24 History management unit, 22, 23 Modules e and f of type m , 56... Data accumulation / difference transfer function unit 1
7, accumulated information in 57, history information in the module.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-327869 (JP, A) JP-A-5-235937 (JP, A) JP-A-58-182988 (JP, A) 252818 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04M 3/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A service control node comprising a plurality of modules for performing function distribution and load distribution in a node, and a service management node for downloading service data used by the service control node to the service control node. In the system, a plurality of the service control nodes are transmitted from the service management node.
While downloading to another module
The data for all the modules that have been
Any module in the service control node has failed
Sometimes, the data stored when the failure is recovered
Only the difference information lost during the failure is transferred to the module
Data storage and transfer means , provided for each module , from the service management node
Records the serial number of the data downloaded to the own module
Update and the history inquiry from the data storage and transfer means.
When a match is sent, the module
Download data difference information
A module failure concealment method, comprising: history management means for returning a response to a transmission means .