Aspects of the present disclosure include techniques for dynamically exchanging session initiation protocol (SIP) configurations between a SIP node and a neighbor SIP node. For example, a SIP node may send a first request to the neighbor SIP node to subscribe to neighbor SIP node configurations. The SIP node may then receive a second request from the neighbor SIP node for the neighbor SIP node to subscribe to SIP node configurations. The SIP node then sends the SIP node configurations from the SIP node to the neighbor SIP node and receives the neighbor SIP node configurations from the neighbor SIP node. In some aspects, the SIP node may store the neighbor SIP node configurations to a data store for formatting subsequent SIP messages exchanged between the SIP node and the neighbor SIP node.

A signalling protocol routing system comprising at least one routing service module and at least one rules processing module, the signalling protocol routing system being capable of accessing additional routing service modules and/or rules processing modules when required. The routing service modules convert protocol messages into deconstructed protocol messages, so that a rules processing module can apply routing rules to the deconstructed protocol messages and determine a route for a message.

An encapsulation method, an encapsulation device and an encapsulation node are disclosed. The encapsulation method includes: embedding, at an encapsulation node in an in-situ operation administration and maintenance, IOAM, domain, IOAM information in a segment routing multi-protocol label switching, SR MPLS, header.

A method performed by a function in a network node in a telecommunications network having at least one service communication proxy, SCP, deployed between a first network node and a second network node. The method includes receiving a request for routing information to signal a message from the first network node to the second network node. The method further includes responsive to the request from the first network node, providing a response to a network node that sent the request wherein the response identifies at least a portion of a routing path for the message based on a routing path configuration.

In one embodiment, network nodes coordinate recording of In-Situ Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (IOAM) data in packets traversing the network nodes, including a node adding IOAM data of another node to packets on behalf of the another node. After receiving a particular packet, a network node adds first IOAM data and second IOAM data to the particular packet, with the first IOAM data related to the first network node and the second IOAM data related to a second network node. The packet is then sent from the first network node. The coordinated offloading of the adding of IOAM data to packets allows a node to free up resources currently used for IOAM operations to be used for other packet processing operations, while still having IOAM data related to the node recorded in packets. The coordinated offloading may include control plane communication (e.g., via a routing or other protocol).

A method for Diameter signaling message external identifier address resolution and routing includes receiving a Diameter signaling message, decoding the Diameter signaling message and determining that an external identifier attribute value pair (AVP) is present in the Diameter signaling message. The method further includes decoding contents of the external identifier AVP, performing a lookup in a domain table using a domain identifier component of the external identifier AVP and locating an entry corresponding to the domain identifier component, determining whether a local identifier table is configured for the domain identifier component, performing a lookup in a local identifier table using a local identifier component of the external identifier AVP, populating at least one Diameter routing AVP of the Diameter signaling message with Diameter routing information obtained from the lookup in the domain table or the lookup in the local identifier table, and routing the Diameter signaling message using the Diameter routing information.

An NE (10) according to the present invention includes a main signal transfer unit (11) configured to transfer a main signal for user data through a main signal path r1 between this NE (10) and another NE (10), a monitoring and control processing unit (12) configured to transmit and receive a monitoring and control signal for monitoring and control through a monitoring and control path r2 between this NE (10) and an NMS (20), and a path separation unit (13) configured to separate the main signal path r1 and the monitoring and control path r2 upon detection of unauthorized access. This provides a network device capable of diminishing effects on communication services by the main signal.

A method for Diameter signaling message external identifier address resolution and routing includes receiving a Diameter signaling message, decoding the Diameter signaling message and determining that an external identifier attribute value pair (AVP) is present in the Diameter signaling message. The method further includes decoding contents of the external identifier AVP, performing a lookup in a domain table using a domain identifier component of the external identifier AVP and locating an entry corresponding to the domain identifier component, determining whether a local identifier table is configured for the domain identifier component, performing a lookup in a local identifier table using a local identifier component of the external identifier AVP, populating at least one Diameter routing AVP of the Diameter signaling message with Diameter routing information obtained from the lookup in the domain table or the lookup in the local identifier table, and routing the Diameter signaling message using the Diameter routing information.

In one embodiment, a service chain data packet is instrumented as it is communicated among network nodes in a network providing service-level and/or networking operations visibility. The service chain data packet includes a particular header identifying a service group defining one or more service functions, and is a data packet and not a probe packet. A network node adds networking and/or service-layer operations data to the particular service chain data packet, such as, but not limited to, in the particular header. Such networking operations data includes a performance metric or attribute related to the transport of the particular service chain packet in the network. Such service-layer operations data includes a performance metric or attribute related to the service-level processing of the particular service chain data packet in the network.

The disclosed embodiments include a computer implemented method for managing network communications. In one embodiment, the method includes gathering, using performance information packet (PIP) data packets, network performance information from a communications network that includes network performance information from a set of egress points between the communications network and an outside network. The method selects a network connection including an egress point and an egress packet path within the communications network to the egress point offering the best quality of service between the communications network and an outside network based on the network performance information. The method then establishes the network connection between the communications network and the outside network for routing communications.