User registration in a communication system

A system, comprising:

• a first serving controller;
• a receiver configured to receive a request from a second serving controller, said request identifying the second serving controller using primary and secondary identifiers;
• and
• a processor configured to compare a primary identifier of the first serving controller in a user information store with the primary identifier in said request and, if there is a mismatch, compare a secondary identifier of the first serving controller in the user information store with the secondary identifier in said request,
• wherein, when there is a mismatch between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the second serving controller identified in the request is not the first serving controller, and
• wherein, when there is a match between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the second serving controller identified in the request is the first serving controller.

An apparatus comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a request from a first serving controller, said request identifying the first serving controller using primary and secondary identifiers;
• and
• a processor configured to compare a primary identifier of a second serving controller in a user information store with the primary identifier in said request and, if there is a mismatch, compare a secondary identifier of the second serving controller in the user information store with the secondary identifier in said request,
• wherein, when there is a mismatch between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is not the second serving controller, and
• wherein, when there is a match between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is the second serving controller.

An apparatus comprising:

• receiving means for receiving a request from a first serving controller, said request identifying the first serving controller using primary and secondary identifiers;
• and
• comparing means for comparing a primary identifier of a second serving controller in a user information store with the primary identifier in said request and, if there is a mismatch, comparing a secondary identifier of the second serving controller in the user information store with the secondary identifier in said request,
• wherein, when there is a mismatch between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is not the second serving controller, and
• wherein, when there is a match between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is the second serving controller.

A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform a process, the process comprising:

• receiving a request from a first serving controller, said request identifying the first serving controller using primary and secondary identifiers;
• and
• comparing a primary identifier of a second serving controller in a user information store with the primary identifier in said request and, if there is a mismatch, comparing a secondary identifier of the second serving controller in the user information store with the secondary identifier in said request,
• wherein, when there is a mismatch between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is not the second serving controller, and
• wherein, when there is a match between the secondary identifiers, a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is the second serving controller.

A method, comprising:

• receiving a request from a first serving controller, said request identifying the first serving controller using primary session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier and a secondary Diameter identifiers;
• and
• comparing a primary session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier of a second serving controller in a user information store with the primary session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier in the request and, if there is a mismatch, comparing a secondary diameter identifier of the second serving controller in the user information store with the secondary diameter identifier in said request,
• wherein, when there is a mismatch between secondary diameter identifiers a determination is made that the first serving controller is not the second serving controller, and a deregistration request is issued to the second serving controller, and
• wherein, when there is a match between the secondary diameter identifiers, a determination that the first serving controller is the second serving controller.

A network entity home subscriber server, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a request from a first serving controller, said request identifying the first serving controller using primary session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier and secondary diameter secondary identifiers;
• and
• a processor configured to compare a primary session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier of a second serving controller in a user information store with the primary session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier in said request and, if there is a mismatch, compare a secondary diameter identifier of the second serving controller in the user information store with the secondary diameter identifier in said request wherein,
• when there is a mismatch between the diameter identifiers a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is not the second serving controller and a deregistration command is dispatched, and
• when there is a match between the diameter identifiers a determination is made that the first serving controller identified in the request is the second serving controller.