Abstract: There is provided a method of signaling status information of an application service. The method is performed by a signaling gateway which interconnects an internet protocol network and a signaling system 7 network. The method comprises collecting application server status information of application servers associated with the application service and generating the status information of the application service from the collected application server status information by use of a given set of rules. The status information is generated for signaling the status information to at least one peer. The at least one peer can be comprised in the internet protocol network or in the signaling system 7 network.

Abstract: There is provided a method of coupling a telephone switched circuit network to an internet protocol network, wherein the telephone switched circuit network and the internet protocol network are interconnected by a gateway. The gateway comprises a non-routing key rule and the method comprises the step of generating a control method for a service by use of the non-routing key rule, wherein the service is located on the telephone switched circuit network and wherein the service is implemented by at least one application server, wherein the at least one application server is located on the internet protocol network and wherein the at least one application server is specified by an application server status. The method further comprises the step of sending the control message to a node, which is located on the telephone switched circuit network.

Abstract: A signalling gateway for transmitting messages between a first network and a second network, where the first network comprises an SS7 network and the second network comprises an IP network, the second network comprising a plurality of application servers, the signalling gateway being operable to store SS7 characteristic information corresponding to the application servers, the signalling gateway being operable to receive a message via the first network, the message comprising destination information and origin information identifying a calling entity, read the destination information and identify an application server in accordance with the destination information, transmit the message to the application server, the message comprising the destination information and origin information, receive a response from the application server, the response comprising a destination identifier corresponding to the origin information and an origin identifier corresponding to the destination information, substitute the SS7

Abstract: There is provided a method of signaling status information of an application service. The method is performed by a signaling gateway which interconnects an internet protocol network and a signaling system 7 network. The method comprises collecting application server status information of application servers associated with the application service and generating the status information of the application service from the collected application server status information by use of a given set of rules. The status information is generated for signaling the status information to at least one peer. The at least one peer can be comprised in the internet protocol network or in the signaling system 7 network.

Abstract: A signalling gateway for transmitting messages between a first network and a second network, where the first network comprises an SS7 network and the second network comprises an IP network, the second network comprising a plurality of application servers, the signalling gateway being operable to store SS7 characteristic information corresponding to the application servers, the signalling gateway being operable to receive a message via the first network, the message comprising destination information and origin information identifying a calling entity, read the destination information and identify an application server in accordance with the destination information, transmit the message to the application server, the message comprising the destination information and origin information, receive a response from the application server, the response comprising a destination identifier corresponding to the origin information and an origin identifier corresponding to the destination information, substitute the SS7

Abstract: There is provided a method of coupling a telephone switched circuit network to an internet protocol network, wherein the telephone switched circuit network and the internet protocol network are interconnected by a gateway. The gateway comprises a non-routing key rule and the method comprises the step of generating a control method for a service by use of the non-routing key rule, wherein the service is located on the telephone switched circuit network and wherein the service is implemented by at least one application server, wherein the at least one application server is located on the internet protocol network and wherein the at least one application server is specified by an application server status. The method further comprises the step of sending the control message to a node, which is located on the telephone switched circuit network.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, in a signaling gateway, of distributing the processing of incoming data amongst a plurality of application server processes (ASP), the distribution of the data being performed in accordance with a weighting parameter associated with each ASP, the method comprising: defining a group of one or more active ASPs to which data is distributed amongst and a group of one or more backup ASPs to which no data is distributed; and determining when to use the backup ASPs in place of the active ASPs, and thereafter distributing data amongst the backup ASPs in accordance with their associated weighting parameters.

Abstract: In a switched circuit telephone network implementing an SS7 protocol with out-of-band signaling for call establishment, the specification discloses a proxy load balancer coupled between a signaling gateway and application server processes running application services. The proxy load balancer receives signaling messages from the signaling gateway directed to an application server process running an application service, and forwards that signaling message to one of two or more application server processes, each running the application service. In this way, additional application server processes may be installed in the system without reconfiguration or even knowledge of the signaling gateway. The proxy load balancer appears as a single application server process running an application service to the signaling gateway, and correspondingly appears as a signaling gateway to the two or more application server processes running application services downstream of the proxy load balancer.