Methods, systems, and computer readable storage devices for determining whether to forward requests from a physical telephone number mapping service server to a virtual telephone number mapping service server

• US 9,866,521 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Jackson, James E., Daddona, Art
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Kan
• Application Number:
  US14/814,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A determination is made whether to forward a request for communication services associated with a specific number range from a physical telephone number mapping service server to a virtual telephone number mapping service server. Responsive to determining to forward the request, a determination is made whether a virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a physical telephone number mapping service server, whether to forward a request for communication services associated with a specific number range to a virtual telephone number mapping service server;

responsive to determining to forward the request, determining, by the processor, whether a virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range; and

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, forwarding, by the processor, the request to the virtual telephone number mapping service instance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining not to forward the request, handling the request by the physical telephone number mapping service server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has not been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, handling the request by the physical telephone number mapping service server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to forward the request is based on configuration data associated with the physical telephone number mapping service server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration data is associated with the specific number range and indicates whether the physical telephone number mapping service server should forward requests associated with the specific number range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range comprises determining whether an address pool for a number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances has been provisioned for the physical telephone number mapping service server for handling requests associated with the specific number range.

7. A physical telephone number mapping service server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining whether to forward a request for communication services associated with a specific number range to a virtual telephone number mapping service server,

responsive to determining to forward the request, determining whether a virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, and

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, forwarding the request to the virtual telephone number mapping service instance.

8. The physical telephone number mapping service server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise responsive to determining not to forward the request, handling the request by the physical telephone number mapping service server.

9. The physical telephone number mapping service server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has not been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, handling the request by the physical telephone number mapping service server.

10. The physical telephone number mapping service server of claim 7, wherein determining whether to forward the request is based on configuration data associated with the physical telephone number mapping service server.

11. The physical telephone number mapping service server of claim 10, wherein the configuration data is associated with the specific number range and indicates whether the physical telephone number mapping service server should forward requests associated with the specific number range.

12. The physical telephone number mapping service server of claim 7, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range comprises determining whether an address pool for a number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances has been provisioned for the physical telephone number mapping service server for handling requests associated with the specific number range.

13. A computer readable storing device having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a physical telephone number mapping service server, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether to forward a request for communication services associated with a specific number range to a virtual telephone number mapping service server;

responsive to determining to forward the request, determining whether a virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range; and

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, forwarding the request to the virtual telephone number mapping service instance.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise responsive to determining not to forward the request, handling the request by the physical telephone number mapping service server.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has not been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range, handling the request by the physical telephone number mapping service server.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein determining whether to forward the request is based on configuration data associated with the specific number range that indicates whether requests associated with the specific number range should be forwarded.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instance has been provisioned to handle requests associated with the specific number range comprises determining whether an address pool for a number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances has been provisioned for the physical telephone number mapping service server for handling requests associated with the specific number range.