Methods and systems for automatic time-based routing rule administration
AssigneeTekelec Global, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Delaney, Todd Eichler, Peter J. Marsico
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for automatic time-based routing rule administration are disclosed. According to one method, routing data for routing messages between a source address and a destination address is stored in a network routing table. A time period is associated with the routing data based on agreements between service providers. Messages are routed between the service providers during the time period. Outside of the time period, routing of messages between the source address and the destination address is automatically inhibited.
Claims39
A method for implementing time-based routing rules in a network routing node, the method comprising:
- at each module of a plurality of modules in a network routing node, wherein the network routing node is a signaling transfer point having a distributed routing architecture and is configured to distribute routing processing of signaling messages among the modules, wherein each module includes a memory for storing routing data, a processor, and a routing function executable by the processor for:
- (a) storing, in the memory of the module, routing data for routing signaling messages between a source address and a destination address;
- (b) associating a time period with the routing data;
- (c) routing signaling messages from the source address to the destination address during the time period;
- and
- (d) automatically inhibiting the routing of signaling messages from the source address to the destination address outside of the time period, wherein the time period corresponds to a time period specified by a service agreement between network operators.
A network routing node including automatic time-based routing rule administration capabilities, wherein the network routing node is a signaling transfer point having a distributed routing architecture and is configured to distribute routing processing of signaling messages among a plurality of modules in the network routing node, the network routing node comprising:
- (a) a link interface module for sending and receiving signaling messages via external signaling links, the link interface module being one of the plurality of modules in the network routing node;
- (b) a route table stored in memory of the link interface module including route table entries for routing signaling messages received by the network routing node, wherein at least one of the entries includes a time period;
- and
- (c) a routing function executable by a processor of the link interface module and operatively associated with the route table for routing the signaling messages receiving by the network routing node from the source address to the destination address during the time period associated with the routing data and for automatically inhibiting the routing of signaling messages from the source address to the destination address outside of the time period, wherein the time period corresponds to a time period specified by a service agreement between network operators.
A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
- at each module of a plurality of modules in a network routing node, wherein the network routing node is a signaling transfer point having a distributed routing architecture and is configured to distribute routing processing of signaling messages among the modules, wherein each module includes a memory for storing routing data, a processor, and a routing function executable by the processor for:
- (a) receiving, at the module, a signaling message including a source address and a destination address;
- (b) performing a lookup in a route table stored in the memory of the module and locating a routing rule corresponding to at least one of the source address and the destination address,
- (c) determining whether the routing rule has an associated time period;
- (d) in response to determining that the routing rule has an associated time period, determining whether the signaling message was received outside of the time period;
- (e) in response to determining that the message was received outside of the time period, inhibiting routing of the signaling message from the source address to the destination address, wherein the time period corresponds to a time period specified by a service agreement between network operators;
- and
- (f) in response to determining that the message was received within the time period, routing the signaling message to the destination address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.