Method of and system for providing services in a communications network

A method of providing services in a communications network, which comprises the steps of:

• receiving a request for a service;
• determining criteria for a resource necessary to provide the requested service;
• searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criteria wherein each resource of said resource data structure comprises a resource identifier, a set of static attributes, and a set of dynamic attributes;
• evaluating said set of candidate resources to find a best candidate resource;
• and,
• allocating said best candidate resource to meet said request for service.

A method of providing services in a communications network, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request for a service;
• determining at least one criterion for a resource necessary to provide the requested service, wherein the criterion is not explicitly provided as a part of the request for service;
• searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criterion;
• allocating at least one resource from the set of candidate resources to meet said request for service.

A method of invoking a service in a communications network comprising:

• receiving a request for service at a first service processing function;
• passing address-related information pertaining to the service request from the service processing function to a directory function;
• from the directory function receiving at the first service processing function an interworking interface to a second service processing function;
• and
• commencing, through the interworking interface, interoperation among the first and second service processing functions to fulfill the service request.

A system for providing services in a communications network, which comprises:

• a service processing function, said service processing function having means for receiving service requests, and formulating resource requests based upon service requests;
• a nodal resource manager having means for receiving resource requests and allocating resources to said service processing function in response to source requests;
• and,
• a resource data structure accessible by said nodal resource manager, said resource data structure including an entry corresponding to each network resource available to said nodal resource manager.