Method, apparatus, and computer program product for reducing session related message size

A method comprising steps of:

• receiving a message in a protocol in which a header includes a first field for an identifier of a message sequence associated with the message and a second field for a tag associated with an identifier of a source or a recipient of the message;
• and
• when at least one of the first or second fields of the header of the received message is without data:
• extracting a domain-wide unique identifier from a third field of the header of the received message, the domain-wide unique identifier being associated with an identifier of the message sequence associated with the message and a tag associated with an identifier of the source or the recipient of the message otherwise intended for the first and second fields, respectively, of the header of the received message;
• and
• interpreting the header of the received message by inserting the domain-wide unique identifier into each of the first and second fields of the header of the message that is received without data.

An apparatus comprising:

• communication interface;
• and
• a processor coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to control operation of the apparatus to implement functions, including functions to:
• identify data for a first field and a second field for a message header of a message to be sent in a protocol in which the first field is for data identifying a message sequence associated with the message and the second field is for a tag associated with an identifier of a source or a recipient of the message;
• generate the message such that at least one of the first or second fields of the message header for the message is without data, and data is included in a third field of the message header, the data in the third field comprising at least a domain-wide unique identifier that is based at least in part on the data identified for at least one of the first or second fields that is without data;
• and
• send the generated message via the communication interface.