Abstract: A method and system is provided to enable redundancy in the communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and redundant hosts through redundant switches. The peripheral devices and the host are connected through a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI-Express) architecture in a data processing system. In an embodiment of the invention, the system includes a switch, a redundant switch, and switch-level exchanging means. The switch-level exchanging means enables the exchange of data packets between the peripheral devices and the host, through an available switch. The available switch is either the switch or the redundant switch. In another embodiment of the invention, the system also includes a redundant host and host-level exchanging means. The host-level exchanging means enables the exchange of data packets between an available host and the available switch. The available host is either the host or the redundant host.

Abstract: A generic translator (10) is provided for processing service requests sent by a digit collection client (16). Requests include billing validation (11), call routing (19), call screening (17), account code validation (15) or other services. These requests are processed by the generic translator (10) and successful results are sent back to the digit collection client (16) or a trunk selection process (20). The generic translator (10) can access an external entity (18) to assist in digit translation (13).

Abstract: The present invention provides a central terminal (10), and method of operation of such a central terminal (10), for managing calls between a telephone exchange (500) connectable to the central terminal (10) and a plurality of subscriber terminals (520), the central terminal being arranged to communicate with the subscriber terminals (520) via wireless links (515). According to the invention, the central terminal (10) comprises a call manager (560) for receiving a call from the telephone exchange (500) or from subscriber terminals (520), and for generating a call instance to represent said call, the call instance having a plurality of attribute fields to store attributes defining the call, at least one attribute being provided by the call.