Metaswitch Networks Limited

Nicholas Peter Larkin

Andrew Munro Caldwell

Michael Jeffrey Evans

Matthew Williams

Oliver James Carter

David Stephen Hammond

Michael Anthony Lyons

Colin Tregenza Dancer

David Reekie

Steven Kennedy

Andy Tylee

Alastair Mitchell

Charlie Stedman

A media gateway and method with a media session manager function, a media processor function, and a media session state datastore function. The functions are provided by one or more instantiations which allow for independent scalability of the functions in the media gateway.

Media gateway

A telephony signalling element and method with a signalling processing function and a session datastore function. The signalling processing function has associated functions that are provided by one or more instantiations, and the session datastore function has associated functions that are provided by one or more instantiations. The instantiations allow for independent scalability of the functions in the telephony signalling element.

Telephony signalling element

There is provided a method of enabling media bypass for a media gateway in a telecommunications network which includes a plurality of media gateways via which a signaling path for transfer of signaling information for setup of a communication session between endpoint devices can be established and via which a media path for transfer of media data between the endpoint devices during the communication session can be established. The method includes receiving, at the media gateway, an inbound communication session setup request message requesting setup of a communication session between an originating endpoint device and a terminating endpoint device in the telecommunications network, the inbound communication session setup request message being transmitted along an inbound signaling path to the media gateway; transmitting, from the media gateway, an outbound communication session setup request message in response to receiving the inbound communication session setup message, the outbound communication session setup request message being transmitted along an outbound signaling path from the media gateway; and including preceding device connectivity data in the outbound communication session setup request message, the preceding device connectivity data indicating at least one media connectivity setting for at least one preceding device which is located before the media gateway in the inbound signaling path, the at least one connectivity setting identifying one or more other devices to which the at least one preceding device is configured to be connectable in the media path, to enable bypass of the media gateway in the media path if an ensuing device in the outbound signaling path determines that such bypass should be conducted.

Controlling communication sessions

The invention relates to sending media packets, such as SIP or RTP, via a media forwarding element which includes an anycast interface having an address shared with other media forwarding elements. If network topology changes or a media forwarding element becomes unavailable, then anycast messages may be routed to a different media forwarding element sharing the same anycast address. The new media element can then take over handling of the call from the first one.

Media routing

A method, system and computer program product are described for managing network communications to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server capable of SIP processing using a SIP stack. A data packet is received from a network device. It is determined, from the data packet, whether the network device is a device recognized by the SIP server. Responsive to this determination, and before SIP processing using the SIP stack, it is determined whether the data packet conforms to a permitted configuration. The permitted configuration includes that data of the data packet indicates an unfragmented User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet and that data indicative of SIP data in the received data packet matches a parsing rule. If the data packet conforms to the permitted configuration, it is passed to the SIP stack, if not it is discarded.

Method and system for managing a SIP server

Measures for enabling media bypass of one or more session border controllers (SBCs) in a telecommunications network which includes a plurality of SBCs. An SBC receives an inbound offer message requesting setup of a media session between an originating endpoint device and a terminating endpoint device. The SBC transmits an outbound offer message to an ensuing SBC, wherein the originating endpoint device address comprised in the inbound offer message is re-written with an SBC address in the outbound offer message. The SBC receives an inbound answer message including a terminating endpoint device address. In response to receipt of the inbound answer message, the SBC transmits an outbound answer message to the originating endpoint device without re-writing the terminating endpoint device address, whereby the SBC and the ensuing SBC are bypassed in the media path for the media session.

Media sessions

There is provided a system, method and computer program product for managing network communications to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server. In the system, a packet limiter receives packets relating to SIP messages from a network and selectively forwards said packets for initial SIP processing. A work scheduler then accesses the result of the initial SIP processing and determines whether to proceed with further SIP processing based on a level of system activity. If a level of system activity is such that the system should proceed with further SIP processing, then further SIP processing may be scheduled. Initial SIP processing may involve one or more of parsing, request handling and response handling. Further SIP processing may involve one or more of initiating a new dialog, processing SIP messages relating to an existing dialog and processing messages that do not require a dialog.

SIP server overload control

An apparatus in a LAN has first and second hardware interfaces to connect to the LAN. First and second monitoring request messages are transmitted to one or more devices in a first VLAN and one or more devices in a second VLAN respectively, via both the first and second hardware interfaces. The monitoring request messages use the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) or the Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP). First and second monitoring response messages are received via the first and/or second hardware interfaces in response to the first and second monitoring request messages respectively. A selection is made between the first and second hardware interfaces for performing data communication, based on the first and second monitoring response messages. The selection is performed independently for data communication via the first and second VLANs based on at least one characteristic of the first and second monitoring response messages respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Enfield, United Kingdom

Nicholas Peter Larkin