Switching module for a telecommunications switching platform

Abstract

A switching module capable of sending heartbeat messages and identifying other elements within a telecommunications switching platform as operational over one bus or both buses of a redundant-pair control bus. The module also has a reprogrammable, nonvolatile memory associated with it from which it can run its operating system. The module can also transfer the operating system into another memory, allowing the module to make updates to the operating system stored in the nonvolatile memory without interrupting its execution of its run-time operating code.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A switching module for use in a telecommunications switching platform for switching information channels borne on telecommunications signals connected to said telecommunications switching platform, said switching module comprising: a control bus interface connected to a control bus within said telecommunications switching platform;   a controller connected to said control bus interface, said controller operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through said control bus interface, said controller further operable to transmit a primary heartbeat message as a part of said communication with said other elements and to receive a primary heartbeat response sent by said other elements in response to said primary heartbeat message.   
     
     
       2. The switching module of claim 1 wherein said primary heartbeat response includes data sufficient to identify the other element in said telecommunications switching platform from which said heartbeat response was transmitted. 
     
     
       3. The switching module of claim 2 and further comprising a memory in which said switching module is operable to store a table of resources known to exist in the telecommunications switching platform. 
     
     
       4. The switching module of claim 3 wherein said controller is further operable to compare said data sufficient to identify said other element to said table of known resources to determine whether the existence of said element had previously been detected by a previous heartbeat response. 
     
     
       5. The switching module of claim 4 wherein said controller is operable to add the identity of said identified other element to said table of known resources if said identity is not already registered within said table. 
     
     
       6. The switching module of claim 3 wherein said controller is further operable to check said table of known resources to determine if other previously-known resources failed to respond to said heartbeat message. 
     
     
       7. The switching module of claim 6 wherein said controller is further operable to update said table of known resources to indicate whether there was a response by a previously-known resource. 
     
     
       8. The switching module of claim 1 wherein said control bus is a pair of redundant control buses. 
     
     
       9. The switching module of claim 8 wherein said primary heartbeat message and said primary heartbeat response are transmitted and received through one of said pair of redundant control buses and wherein said switching module is further operable to transmit through said control bus interface a secondary heartbeat message, which is transmitted by said control bus interface through the other of said pair of redundant control buses. 
     
     
       10. The switching module of claim 8 wherein said switching module communicates with a plurality of other elements in the telecommunications switching platform, and wherein said switching module sends primary heartbeat messages to and receives primary heartbeat responses from a first group of said plurality of other elements over a first bus of said pair and primary heartbeat messages to and primary heartbeat responses from a second group of said plurality of other elements over a second bus of said pair. 
     
     
       11. The switching module of claim 10 wherein said switching module is operable to send and receive secondary heartbeat messages and responses to and from said second group of said plurality of other elements over said first bus and to send and receive secondary heartbeat messages and responses to and from said first group of said plurality of other elements over said second bus. 
     
     
       12. The switching module of claim 11 wherein at least one of said secondary heartbeat messages contains addressing information sufficient to particularly identify the element within said telecommunications switching platform for which said secondary heartbeat message is intended. 
     
     
       13. The switching module of claim 12 wherein said switching module sends a plurality of said secondary heartbeat messages, thereby periodically, individually addressing a plurality of other elements within said telecommunications switching platform. 
     
     
       14. The switching module of claim 12 wherein said secondary heartbeat messages are sent to one of said other elements in said telecommunications switching platform when said switching module has failed to receive a primary heartbeat response from said other element. 
     
     
       15. A switching module for use in a telecommunications switching platform for switching information channels borne on telecommunications signals connected to said telecommunications switching platform, said switching module comprising: a control bus interface connected to a redundant pair of control buses within said telecommunications switching platform; and   a module controller connected to said control bus interface, said module controller operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through said control bus interface, said module controller further operable: to transmit primary heartbeat messages to a first group of a plurality of other elements within the telecommunications switching platform over a first bus of said redundant control buses and to receive primary heartbeat responses from said first group over said first bus; to transmit primary heartbeat messages to a second group of said plurality of other elements over a second bus of said redundant control buses and receive primary heartbeat responses from said second group over said second bus.   
     
     
       16. The switching module of claim 15 wherein said control bus interface is further operable to transmit secondary heartbeat messages to and receive secondary heartbeat responses from said first group over said second bus and to transmit secondary heartbeat messages to and receive secondary heartbeat responses from said second group over said first bus. 
     
     
       17. The switching module of claim 16 wherein each of said primary heartbeat responses and said secondary heartbeat responses contain information sufficient to identify from which of the other elements within the telecommunications switching platform said responses have originated, and wherein said switching module is operable to parse such information from said responses. 
     
     
       18. The switching module of claim 17 wherein said switching module is operable to compare the identities parsed from said primary and secondary heartbeat responses and compare said identities to a table of known resources to determine whether the existence of the other elements from which said responses originated had previously been known within said telecommunications switching platform. 
     
     
       19. The switching module of claim 18 wherein said controller is operable to add the identity of said identified other element to said table of known resources if said identity is not already registered within said table. 
     
     
       20. The switching module of claim 17 wherein said controller is further operable to check said table of known resources to determine if other previously-known resources failed to respond to said heartbeat message. 
     
     
       21. The switching module of claim 20 wherein said controller is further operable to update said table of known resources to indicate that there was no response from a previously-known resource. 
     
     
       22. The system of claim 16 wherein said secondary heartbeat messages comprise addressing sufficient to identify to which of said other elements in said telecommunications switching platform said secondary heartbeat messages are intended and wherein said controller sends a plurality of said secondary heartbeat messages, thereby periodically, individually addressing each of said plurality of resources. 
     
     
       23. A switching module for use in a telecommunications switching platform for switching information channels borne on telecommunications signals connected to said telecommunications switching platform, said switching module comprising: a nonvolatile memory;   another memory;   a local communications controller operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through a control bus; and   a module controller connected to said nonvolatile memory, said another memory, and said local communications controller, said module controller operable to control the operation of said switching module, said module controller further operable: to perform operations according to instructions stored in said nonvolatile memory; to effect the transfer of instructions from said nonvolatile memory to said another memory; to perform other operations according to instructions stored in said another memory; and to effect the loading of new operating instructions from the telecommunication switching platform's higher-level applications into said nonvolatile memory through said local communications controller.   
     
     
       24. The switching module of claim 23 wherein said module controller is operable to effect said loading of new operating instructions at substantially the same time as said module controller is performing said other operations according to instructions stored in said another memory. 
     
     
       25. The switching module of claim 24 wherein said module controller is operable to effect said loading of new operating instructions substantially without interruption of its operation according to instruction stored in said another memory. 
     
     
       26. The switching module of claim 24 wherein said new operating instructions are downloaded from higher-level elements in the telecommunications switching platform and wherein said operating instructions are uniquely identified by the format of the download of said operating instructions. 
     
     
       27. The switching module of claim 26 wherein said download of said operating instructions includes a header identifying the module and process within the telecommunications switching platform on which said operating instructions are to run.