Automatic provisioning of trunking and routing parameters in a telecommunications network

An arrangement for provisioning call processing parameters in a telecommunications network, said network comprising a plurality of interconnected switches, said arrangement comprising;

• means, responsive to a change in particular equipment associated with one of said plurality of switches, for changing in said one of said plurality of switches call processing routing data associated with said particular equipment, and
• means, in said one of said switches and responsive to said changing, for forming a message characterizing the change in said associated call processing routing data and then sending said message to each of the other ones of said plurality of switches.

Apparatus comprising:

• a telecommunications network formed from a plurality of interconnected switches,
• means, responsive to a change in a connection between first and second ones of said switches, for causing said first and second ones of said switches to form respective messages characterizing said change as it respectively pertains to said first and second switches, and
• means in each of said first and second switches for sending the associated message to each of the other ones of said switches.

A method of provisioning call processing parameters in a telecommunications network, said network comprising a plurality of interconnected switches, said method comprising the steps of:

• responsive to an equipment change affecting particular trunks associated with one of said plurality of switches, changing said call processing parameters in said one of said plurality of switches, and forming a message characterizing said change, and
• responsive to the forming of said message, sending said message to each of the other ones of said switches.

A method of forwarding a telephone call in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of switches, said call being forwarded to a Network Addressable Destination (NAD), said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a direct route from a first switch to said NAD using a last successful direct route and forwarding said call to said NAD via said last successful direct route,
• (b) if said call cannot be forwarded to said NAD via said last p successful direct route from said first switch to said NAD, then identifying a second switch having a direct route to said NAD in which the latter direct route was previously used to route a call to said NAD successfully and forwarding said call to said second switch, and, if the routing of said call via said second switch is successful, then storing the identity of said second switch as the new successful direct route, and
• (c) if said call cannot be forwarded to said NAD via a direct route of said second switch, then identifying a number of other switches each having a direct route to said NAD and forwarding said call to each of said other switches, in turn, until said call is forwarded successfully to said NAD, and, if the routing said call via one of said other switches is successful, then storing the identity of said one of said other switches as the new successful direct route.

A method of forwarding a telephone call in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of switches, said call being forwarded to a Network Addressable Destination (NAD), said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a direct route from a first switch to said NAD and forwarding said call to said NAD via said direct route,
• (b) if said call cannot be forwarded to said NAD via said direct route from said first switch to said NAD, then identifying a second switch having a direct route to said NAD in which the latter direct route was previously used to route a call to said NAD and forwarding said call to said second switch, and
• (c) if said call cannot be forwarded to said NAD via a direct route of said second switch, then identifying a number of other switches each having a direct route to said NAD and forwarding said call to each of said other switches, in turn, until said call is forwarded successfully to said NAD.