Messaging applications router

1. A messaging applications router comprising:

means for interfacing with a plurality of external short message entities (ESMEs) using SMS messaging protocols for receiving mobile terminating messages generated by said ESMEs and for sending mobile originating messages addressed to said ESMEs;

means for interfacing with a plurality of short message service centres (SMSCs) using SMS messaging protocols for receiving mobile originating messages addressed to said ESMEs and for sending mobile terminating messages to said SMSCs;

routing means comprising means for routing said messages;

management means comprising means for setting a routing configuration;

a user interface comprising means for receiving user configuration settings and for outputting routing data;

wherein said interfacing means and said routing means route said message so that the router provides a single point of contact for said ESMEs such that the ESMEs do not need to be aware of the quantity or configuration of said SMSCs and so that the ESMEs and the SMSCs are not directly connected to each other;

wherein said routing means and said management means comprise means for sending mobile terminated messages from any of said ESMEs to a plurality of SMSCs;

wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for routing mobile originating messages from an SMSC to a correct ESME;

wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for rerouting to other SMSCs mobile terminating messages initially destined for failed SMSCs;

wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for throttling mobile terminated messages to said SMSCs according to a configuration by monitoring the number of messages in a time period; and

wherein said throttling configuration divides a throttling rate amongst said SMSCs according to weightings assigned to SMSCs; and

wherein the routing means comprises a plurality of router nodes for accepting messages from ESMEs and routing them to SMSCs and for receiving messages from SMSCs and routing them to ESMEs; and

wherein the routing means further comprises an addressing function for allowing ESMEs to use one address to contact the messaging applications router and for distributing ESME connections to router nodes according to their respective loads to balance their loads.

2. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the routing means comprises means for interfacing with SMSCs transparently to the ESMEs whereby SMSCs can be added or deleted without affecting the ESMEs.

3. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the routing means includes a plurality of router nodes and each router node comprises:

a routing agent for bi-directional routing of messages, and

a domain name server (DNS).

4. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each router node comprises means for sending bind requests to each SMSC associated with an ESME.

5. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each router node has an address.

6. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the address is an IP address.

7. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a DNS server comprising means for providing an address of a least busy router node.

8. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the DNS server comprises means for providing an address to a requesting ESME.

9. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the DNS server comprises means for polling router nodes to determine loading.

10. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the routing means includes an external address distributor comprising means for routing signals for load-balancing.

11. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the routing means is configured to route messages to more than one SMSC according to a load balancing process.

12. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the routing means comprises means for receiving operator inputs indicating available SMSCs and means for automatically detecting available SMSCs.

13. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the routing means comprises means for retrieving SMSC fault data in an SMSC.

14. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises means for generating and outputting real time client data indicating message traffic and bound ESMEs.

15. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the user interface comprises means for generating and outputting real time client data indicating router node traffic.

16. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a configuration management client having means for configuring ESME parameters, SMSC parameters, and router node configuration.

17. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the management means comprises means for forwarding configuration data to the router nodes.

18. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the management means includes an SNMP sub-agent for managing an alarm and statistics database.

19. The messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the management means includes an event handler for receiving and logging event information from the router nodes.

20. A computer program product comprising software code for causing operation of a digital computer as a messaging applications router as claimed in claim 1 .

21. A routing system for a mobile telecommunications network comprising:

a plurality of short message service centres (SMSCs);

a plurality of external short message entities (ESMEs); and

a messaging applications router including,

means for interfacing with said plurality of ESMEs using SMS messaging protocols for receiving mobile terminating messages generated by said ESMEs and for sending mobile originating messages addressed to said ESMEs;

means for interfacing with said plurality of SMSCs using SMS messaging protocols for receiving mobile originating messages addressed to said ESMEs and for sending mobile terminating messages to said SMSCs;

routing means comprising means for routing said messages;

management means comprising means for setting a routing configuration; and

a user interface comprising means for receiving user configuration settings and for outputting routing data;

wherein said interfacing means and said routing means route said message so that the router provides a single point of contact for said ESMEs such that the ESMEs do not need to be aware of the quantity or configuration of said SMSCs and so that the ESMEs and the SMSCs are not directly connected to each other;

wherein said routing means and said management means comprise means for sending mobile terminated messages from any of said ESMEs to a plurality of SMSCs;

wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for routing mobile originating messages from an SMSC to a correct ESME;

wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for rerouting to other SMSCs mobile terminating messages initially destined for failed SMSCs;

wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for throttling mobile terminated messages to said SMSCs according to a configuration by monitoring the number of messages in a time period;

wherein said throttling configuration divides a throttling rate amongst said SMSCs according to weightings assigned to SMSCs; and

wherein the routing means comprises a plurality of router nodes for accepting messages from ESMEs and routing them to SMSCs and for receiving messages from SMSCs and routing them to ESMEs; and

wherein the routing means further comprises an addressing function for allowing ESMEs to use one address to contact the messaging applications router and for distributing ESME connections to router nodes according to their respective loads to balance their loads.