Abstract: The common channel signaling (CCS) system of the public switched telecommunication network involves digital call routing information that is communicated between the switches of the network and signal transfer points (STPs) of the CCS system and among the STPs themselves. The CCS system causes the network switches and the trunks that connect them to be so interconnected as to complete a connection between a calling party and a called party. The STPs are kept as close as practicable to the network switches so as to minimize the length of the digital transmission links between them. This results in a proliferation of less-than-optimally utilized STPs.

Abstract: An interactive voice response (IVR) system collects data associated with a telephone call, and provides the data to a server. The server transforms the data into a format consistent with a different telephony platform specification implemented by clients attached to the server such that the data can be retrieved by any client to which a telephone call is transferred. Data is also shared between remote servers when calls are transferred. The servers each broadcast their identity when initially connected to a wide area network. In response, each server on the network responds with their identify. Each server updates a table of servers in accordance with the messages exchanged.

Abstract: An ATM switched network has an ATM switch, an address server, and a plurality of nodes connected through virtual connections established by the ATM switch. When a node fails and is replaced, the ATM switch recognizes the installation of the node and notifies the address server. The address server selects an ATM address for the replacement node and sends the ATM address and an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the node. The node responds by requesting configuration data, which the address server downloads to the node. Thereafter, the node may initialize its communication interfaces within the ATM network. The address server also assigns ATM and IP addresses to network nodes following power-up of the network. Nodes are assigned an ATM address and an IP address by the address server, thereby eliminating the need to configure nodes with addressing information during manufacture or installation.