Method and apparatus for measuring loads in a common channel signalling link

摘要

A method and apparatus for monitoring the load on a communications link in a common channel signalling system connecting an exchange in a telephone network to regional equipment such as a remote subscriber switch or a remote cellular base station. The length indicator field of each signal unit transmitted over the reserved channel of the communications link is monitored by the exchange to determine the number of bytes of message data being transmitted over the link during a predetermined time period. The load on the communications link is identified by taking the ratio of the determined number of bytes to the number of full value bytes capable of transmission over the communications link during an identical time period. The determined load ratio is compared to a predetermined threshold level to identify an overload condition in response to which the exchange relieves the overload by spreading the messages to other links, discarding low priority ones of the messages, or controlling message flow over the link as necessary.