Importance

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Abstract

A distributed processing system (100) includes a protocol server (101) that enables a plurality of clients (103-104) to share the use of one set of Signaling System 7 (SS7) links (99), that centralizes the link-termination circuitry (110) for use by the plurality of clients, and that provides access to upper layers (215-219) of the SS7 protocol stack (200) by distributing the processing of different layers of the stack between the protocol server and the clients. The protocol server terminates the lower layers (210-213) of the SS7 protocol, while each client terminates the upper layers of the SS7 protocol. Communication between the protocol server and the clients of information expressed in the upper layers of the SS7 protocol is effected via the TCP/IP protocol over a LAN (102). A service access bridge process (113, 116) in the protocol server translates between the lower layers of the SS7 protocol and the TCP/IP protocol, and a distributed signaling server process (114, 117) in the protocol server routes communications across the LAN. A distributed signaling client process (121, 124) in each client translates between the TCP/IP protocol and the upper layers of the SS7 protocol. The distributed signaling server and distributed signaling client processes are substantially protocol independent, allowing for use of any protocol in place of the SS7 protocol. The distributed processing system may be either a multiprocessor or a uniprocessor.

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First Claim