Abstract The invention relates to a replicating method for a switching system, the system comprising switching means (1) and at least one active control unit (21, 22, 23, 25) connected to a data bus (22) and having, permanently or when necessary, a replicating hot-standby spare unit connected to said data transmission means, so that the switching control process performed by the active control unit includes predetermined subprocesses communicating with each other, and the spare unit performs similar subprocesses of the switching control in parallel. In the invention, the subprocesses of the active control unit are performed in predetermined asynchronous groups, and the subprocesses of the spare unit in corresponding replicating asynchronous spare groups sending messages via said data bus (22). The relative consistency of the active control unit and the spare unit is guaranteed by sending the messages sent to the subprocess group of the active control unit via the data bus (22) substantially also to the corresponding replicating spare group of the spare unit.
A replicating method for a switching system, the system comprising switching means for selectively switching connections between a first group of transmission channels and a second group of transmission channels, and a switching control means comprising at least one active control unit connected to the internal data transmission means of the switching control means, said active control unit having, permanently or when necessary, a replicating hot-standby spare unit connected to said data transmission means, so that the switching control process performed by the active control unit includes predetermined subprocesses communicating with each other, and the spare unit performs similar subprocesses of the switching control in parallel, characterized by - performing the subprocesses of the active control unit In predetermined asynchronous groups, - sending the messages between said groups via said data transmission means and allowing within the subprocess group the subprocesses to send messages to one another without using said data transmission means, - performing the subprocesses of the spare unit in corresponding supporting asynchronous spare groups, said spare groups being capable of sending messages via said data transmission means, - allowing within the spare group the subprocesses to send messages to one another independently of the corresponding active subprocess group and without using said data transmission means, - ensuring the relative consistency of the operation of the active control unit and the spare unit by sending the messages sent to the subprocess group of the active control unit via the data transmission means substantially also to the corresponding replicating spare group of the spare unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that as large groups as possible are formed of the subprocess groups of the active control unit, so that two subprocesses communicating with one another are placed in different subprocess groups if said subprocesses are located in different computer units or if they deliver to each other connection or charging information that is vital to connection redundancy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when an active subprocess group requesting service sends to another active subprocess group an allocation request, the other active subprocess group allocates to the service of said first subprocess group certain subprocesses, ensures that a spare group corresponding thereto allocates exactly the same subprocesses, and thereafter sends the identifiers of these allocated subprocesses as an acknowledgement to said first active subprocess group and to the spare group corresponding thereto.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that when the subprocess allocated for service in the active subprocess group has completed its task, it sends a release message to the corresponding spare group to release the corresponding subprocess allocated therein, said spare group receives the release message, releases said subprocess, and sends an acknowledgement to the active subprocess group.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that message switching via the data transmission means is performed on the broadcast or multicast principle.
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