Abstract: Access (or egress) charges payable by an IXC to a LEC, and payable by the subscriber to the LEC for originating or terminating calls and for associated vertical call control features, are reduced or eliminated by providing a virtual piped collection that "bypasses" and thus does not require the involvement of, a local service provider. The virtual piped connection exists between a call control platform (CCP) in the IXC network, and specialized customer premises equipment (CPE) located m the subscriber location. The specialized CPE is arranged to provide call control functions using normal out-of-band signaling in a conventional manner, and, after an initial call is conventionally set up to the CCP, to provide the same functions using specialized in-band signaling. A complementary signaling and control capability is provided in the CCP.

Abstract: A real time fault tolerant transaction processing system, particularly one suited for use in a service control point (SCP), is described. Specifically, the system utilizes a communication protocol, such as signalling system 7, that adaptively distributes message packets on an equal basis over multiple physical links that connect two points, such as an SCP and a signalling transfer point (STP), and non-fault tolerant front end and back end processors that are connected to each physical link for processing packets appearing on that link and providing corresponding responses thereto. All the front and back end processors are loosely coupled together for purposes of processor synchronization and re-assignment. Through this system, all the physical links simultaneously carry an equal number of packets which are, in turn, processed by all the processors connected thereto. In the event any physical link or either a front or back end processor connected thereto fails, then that link is declared to be out of service.