Patent ID: 7107345

Claim:
A method for managing a socket in a mobile communication system, comprising: allocating a socket corresponding to a call control processor (CCP) in each one of a plurality of target processors; communicating, via a first protocol, with each one of the plurality of target processors using the corresponding allocated socket; releasing the socket allocated to a selected target processor based on a reception state of a status message corresponding to the selected target processor, wherein releasing the allocated socket comprises: transmitting a status confirmation message, via a second protocol different than the first protocol, from the CCP to the selected target processor if the status message using the first protocol corresponding to the selected target processor is not received by the CCP within a prescribed period of time; determining whether the status confirmation message has been received by the target processor; and determining whether to release the allocated socket according to the determination of the receipt of the status confirmation message; determining whether the corresponding selected target processor has an error according to a response to the status confirmation message; and allocating a new socket rather than releasing the formerly allocated socket according to the result of the determination, wherein the selected target processor is determined to have an error if a response to the status confirmation message is received.