Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel

Northern Telecom Limited

Alcatel USA Sourcing, L.p.

Gerry R Dubois

Serge Francois Fourcand

Gary D Hanson

Dwight W Doss

David W Wynn

Michael Jhu

Henri R Vandette

Suryaram Alladi

Balachandar S Gettala

Ronald J Landry

Jim Hurd

Jay D Jeter

Glenn Arne Karlsen

Michael Roberts

James A Stanton, Jr

Patrick S Milligan

According to at least one embodiment of the invention, a protocol for managing redundant signaling links to form a reliable signaling connection is provided. The protocol has an initialization phase, in which the availability of signaling links is determined and an available signaling link is selected and activated, followed by an operational phase in which the activated link is used for sending signaling messages for a higher-level protocol. During the operational phase both links are monitored for availability using a query and reply technique. Should either link fail, a status message is sent to the remaining available link along with an activity switchover being performed, as required, depending on whether the failed link was the active link. The higher-level protocol process running on the media gateway performs management of the links, and the media gateway controller operates as a slave, whereby it need not initiate nor control any of the activities for management of the signaling links, thereby reducing the processing burden placed upon it. However, optionally, a media gateway controller may request a link switchover, which may be used to support link maintenance activities or link congestion avoidance measures.

Method and apparatus for redundant signaling links

A telecommunications network environment ( ) includes a signaling server ( ) accessible by maintenance interfaces ( ) and network interfaces ( ). The signaling server ( ) includes a signaling link controller ( ) that receives and processes signaling information received from network elements and other signaling servers. The signaling link controller ( ) extracts a data portion of the signaling information for message transfer part level two processing. For additional processing, the data portion of the signaling information may be routed over an Ethernet switch ( ) to another signaling link controller ( ) or to a signaling services controller ( ) for signaling connection control part processing. The signaling services control element ( ) may perform local number portability lookup and global title translation on the received data portion. After processing, the signaling link controller ( ) generates a return message in response to the signaling information.

Signaling server for processing signaling information in a telecommunications network

A unit controller for a delivery unit that interfaces telecommunications media to a switching matrix. The unit controller is partitioned into &ldquo;generic&rdquo; units, that can be easily configured for use as a line/trunk processor in an OC3 delivery unit. The same unit controller can be adapted for use in other types of delivery units, as well as for higher level controller applications.

OC3 delivery unit; unit controller

A computer system for controlling the mode of operation of a data cache. When a DMA state machine detects a DMA cycle to a memory block, the machine interrupts the processor so the processor sets a new value of the DMA state to control the mode of cache operation associated with the block.

System for controlling mode of operation of a data cache based on

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Lucas, TX, United States of America

Gerry R Dubois