METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTING SIGNALING MESSAGE TRAFFIC OVER A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

摘要

A method for routing message traffic over a communication network. In one example, the method comprises receiving, at a first server, a request from a subscriber terminal and transmitting, from the first server to a subscriber location function (SLF) of the network, a message requesting routing information to a user database serving the subscriber terminal. A response message is transmitted from the subscriber location function of the network to the first server, the response message including routing information for a second server instead of the user database, wherein the response message is transmitted in a format indicating to the first server that communication with the user database has occurred when it has not. The first server receives the response message transmitted by the subscriber location function and transmits the request from the subscriber terminal to the second server. The method is advantageously deployed in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) having a home subscriber server (HSS) and an interrogating call session control function (I-CSCF). The process works because the requesting I-CSCF believes it has actually communicated with an HSS where, in reality, it has received valid routing information from the SLF.