Telephonic communications – Special services – Service trigger
Utility Patent
1998-05-13
2001-01-02
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Service trigger
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Utility Patent
active
06169794
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for synchronizing databases within an intelligent network (IN) or an advanced intelligent network (AIN) (hereinafter referred to generically as an intelligent network or IN) that has a plurality of service control points providing the same service, each service control point being able to update its database independently of the others.
2. Description of the Related Art
An IN comprises a plurality of service switching points (SSPs) as exchanges, service control points (SCPs) which have databases required to provide services and which execute services in response to requests from the SSPs by referring to the databases, and a service management system (SMS) which centrally manages data additions and updates made in the databases contained in the SCPs. The SSPs and SCPs are connected via a common channel signaling network that is also used to transfer call control signals, and the SCPs are connected with the SMS through a data communications network such as a local area network (LAN).
In such an IN, when the amount of traffic predicted for a certain service exceeds the amount that one SCP can handle, it is practiced to distribute the processing of the service among multiple SCPs by storing the records of identical contents necessary to provide the service in the databases at the multiple SCPs. In this case, when there occurs an addition or change in the registered contents, the addition or change is first applied to the database in the SMS, then its contents are converted into the data format compatible with that of the SCPs and downloaded into all of the associated SCPs. However, in the case of a service in which an update to the SCP database occurs for each call, such as a service that enables a password to be changed immediately in response to a request from a subscriber or a service that adds up total call counts and call charges per month and notifies a subscriber when the total count or charge approaches its upper limit value, there will be no problem if only one SCP provides the service but, if the same service is distributed among multiple SCPs, some means must be provided to synchronize updates between multiple databases in order to guarantee data consistency. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-107449 (EP 0 702 499 A2 Patent Family) describes a system in which synchronization of updates between databases distributed over geographically different locations is achieved by means of communications over a common channel signaling network.
In this document, a common channel signaling network is used to synchronize updates between multiple databases, but since the same common channel signaling network is also used to transfer call control signals, there can arise cases where a sufficient traffic capacity is not available. Furthermore, since INs are configured in various ways by different telephone companies, it is desirable that the system be constructed so that it can accommodate any configuration.
Further, backup of database contents and restore processing using the backup usually takes a considerable time, and to provide a service in which an update to the database occurs for each call as earlier described, there arises the problem of how the updates occurring during the backup and restore process are incorporated into the database.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide flexibility to a means used to synchronize updates between multiple databases within an IN.
A second object of the present invention is to maintain synchronization between databases by appropriately processing database updates occurring during backup processing.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of synchronizing a plurality of databases that are respectively contained in a plurality of service control points providing the service within an intelligent network, comprising the steps of: storing for each of the plurality of service control points a specification specifying a transfer mode for transferring a difference arising from an update made to the database; when a difference occurs as a result of an update made to the database, locating other service control points providing the service relevant to the difference; determining one of a plurality of transfer modes as a transfer mode for transferring the difference to those other service control points, in accordance with the stored transfer mode specification; and transferring the difference using the determined transfer mode.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of synchronization during backup of a database in a service management system within an intelligent network, comprising the steps of: prohibiting updates to the database during data transfer from the database to a database backup file or during data transfer from the database backup file to the database; accumulating update requests occurring during the data transfer in a history information file; and updating the database after completion of the data transfer on the basis of the contents of the history information file.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of synchronizing a database in a service control point to a database in a service management system within an intelligent network, comprising the steps of: creating database contents for the service control point from the contents of the database in the service management system; transferring the created contents from the service management system to the service control point; storing the transferred contents into the database in the service control point; accumulating, in an update accumulation file, differences arising from updates to the database in the service control point during an interval between the time the creation of the database contents is initiated and the time the database contents are stored; and transferring the accumulated differences to the service control point.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an apparatus for synchronizing a plurality of databases that are respectively contained in a plurality of service control points providing the same service within an intelligent network, comprising: means for storing for each of the plurality of service control points a specification specifying a transfer mode for transferring a difference arising from an update made to the database; means for, when a difference occurs as a result of an update made to the database, locating other service control points providing the service relevant to the difference; means for determining one of a plurality of transfer modes as a transfer mode for transferring the difference to those other service control points, in accordance with the stored transfer mode specification; and means for transferring the difference using the determined transfer mode.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an apparatus for synchronization during backup of a database in a service management system within an intelligent network, comprising: means for prohibiting updates to the database during data transfer from the database to a database backup file or during data transfer from the database backup file to the database; means for accumulating update requests occurring during the data transfer in a history information file; and means for updating the database after completion of the data transfer on the basis of the contents of the history information file.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an apparatus for synchronizing a database in a service control point to a database in a service management system within an intelligent network, comprising: means for creating database contents for the service control point from the contents of the database in the service management system; means for transferring the created contents from the service management system to the service control point; means for storing the transferred contents into the database in
Kida Hiroyuki
Kozuka Shinichi
Oshimi Kiyoshi
Watanabe Masaki
Fujitsu Limited
Helfgott & Kraas, P.C.
Hong Harry S.
Tieu Benny Q.
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