Method and gateway for sending subsystem allowed and subsystem prohibited SCCP management messages for distributed SCCP application servers

摘要

There is provided a method of coupling a signalling system (7) network to an internet protocol network, wherein the signalling system (7) 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 subsystem allowed or a subsystem prohibited SCCP management message in response to a subsystem test SCCP management message or in response to a change of an application server status by use of the non-routing key rule, 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 SCCP management message to a node, which is located on the signalling system (7) network. An advantage of the method in accordance with the invention is that the control message is generated by use of the non-routing key rule so that also for complex cases in which a service is implemented by more than one application serves whereof some are available and some are unavailable control messages can be generated in response to a control message request for the service or in response to a change of the status of one or more application servers.