Abstract: A porting control routing (PCR) node (302) is adapted to efficiently route signaling messages associated with a mobile subscriber that has been either ported in to or out of a service provider's wireless communication network. The PCR node (302) includes both range- and exception based routing rule databases (348 and 346). These databases increase flexibility in allocating mobile identification numbers among multiple mobile service nodes. Furthermore, the association of a ported status indicator and related routing information with entries in the exception based database allows the PCR node (302) to more efficiently manage a service provider's mobile service resources.

Abstract: A flexible routing node for re-directing signaling messages in a communications network is disclosed. Re-direction or re-routing of signaling message packets is accomplished through the use of a range or block-based database in conjunction with an exception-based database. The range-based routing instruction databases incorporates a data structure that maps ranges or blocks of mobile identification numbers (MINs) to a single destination network address, while the exceptions database stores any exceptions to these range or block-based rules. The pair of routing databases is implemented such that, when a signaling message is received that requires re-direction, the exception-based database is queried first. If a match is found in the exceptions database, the signaling message is modified using the returned routing instructions and transmitted into an associated communication network. If no match is found in the exception-based database, a default query is performed against the range-based database.

Abstract: A flexible routing node for re-directing signaling messages in a communications network is disclosed. Re-direction or re-routing of signaling message packets is accomplished through the use of a range or block-based database in conjunction with an exception-based database. The range-based routing instruction databases incorporates a data structure that maps ranges or blocks of mobile identification numbers (MINs) to a single destination network address, while the exceptions database stores any exceptions to these range or block-based rules. The pair of routing databases is implemented such that, when a signaling message is received that requires re-direction, the exception-based database is queried first. If a match is found in the exceptions database, the signaling message is modified using the returned routing instructions and transmitted into an associated communication network. If no match is found in the exception-based database, a default query is performed against the range-based database.

Abstract: A porting control routing (PCR) node (302) is adapted to efficiently route signaling messages associated with a mobile subscriber that has been either ported in to or out of a service provider's wireless communication network. The PCR node (302) includes both range- and exception based routing rule databases (348 and 346). These databases increase flexibility in allocating mobile identification numbers among multiple mobile service nodes. Furthermore, the association of a ported status indicator and related routing information with entries in the exception based database allows the PCR node (302) to more efficiently manage a service provider's mobile service resources.