Service continuity management in a network

A method of managing a service offered to a user of a terminal in a network comprising a service platform and equipment including session border controllers that communicate with the service platform, at least one given session border controller routing messages received from the terminal, to the service platform, said method comprising the following steps at the level of the given session border controller:

• /a/ deciding that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of an accessibility check;
• and
• /b/ operating in an autonomous operating mode in which the given session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal to said selected network equipment, in which:
• if at least one session border controller has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is a session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform;
• and,
• otherwise, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal of said message, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to said destination terminal.

A session border controller in a network offering a service to a user of a terminal, said network comprising a service platform and other session border controllers,

• said session border controllers communicating with the service platform,
• said session border controller transmitting messages received from the terminal to the service platform and comprising:
• a control unit adapted to decide that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of an accessibility check;
• and
• an operating mode management unit adapted for switching into an autonomous operating mode, according to a decision taken by the control unit, in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal to said selected equipment of the network, and:
• if at least one session border controller has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is a session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform;
• and
• otherwise, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to a destination terminal.

A service gateway in a first network offering a service to a user of a terminal and in a second network,

• said first network moreover comprising session border controllers, adapted for communicating with the service platform,
• said service gateway being adapted for;
• receiving a destination request indicating a destination terminal;
• and
• responding to said destination request if the destination terminal is managed in said second network.