System and method for routing signaling messages in a communication network

1. For use in an IP network comprising a core proxy server operative to receive and forward SIP signaling messages, a method for determining a route for said messages, comprising:

providing a route engine in communication with the core proxy server, the route engine comprising a plurality of route trees, each route tree provisioned for a selected network service and each route tree further comprising one or more nodes each encoded with logic in XML file format to independently carry out required processing for the service;

receiving a route request message at the core proxy server;

abstracting from the route request message the selected network service;

determining the corresponding route tree;

traversing the route tree to carry out the processing for the selected service; and

returning a route response message to the core proxy server in accordance with the results of the processing.

2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of route trees are dynamically loadable.

3. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the logic comprises standardized data structures.

4. For use in an communication network comprising a proxy server operative to receive and forward signaling messages, a method for determining a route for said messages, comprising:

providing a route engine in communication with the proxy server, the route engine comprising a plurality of route trees encoded as corresponding text files, each route tree provisioned for a selected network service and further comprising one or more nodes each encoded with logic to independently carry out required processing for the service;

receiving a route request message at the proxy server;

abstracting from the route request message the selected network service;

determining the corresponding route tree;

traversing the route tree to carry out the processing for the selected service; and

returning a route response message to the proxy server in accordance with the results of the processing.

5. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the communication network is an IP network.

6. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the signaling messages are SIP messages.

7. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the text files are XML files.

8. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of route trees are dynamically loadable.

9. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the logic comprises standardized data structures.

10. A system for use in a communications network, the system comprising:

a proxy server operative to receive and forward signaling messages;

a route engine in communication with the proxy server, the route engine comprising a plurality of route trees encoded as corresponding text files, each route tree provisioned for a selected network service and further comprising one or more nodes each encoded with logic to independently carry out required processing for the service;

wherein in receipt by the proxy server of a route request message, the proxy server is configured to forward the route request message to the route engine, and in receipt of the route request message from the route server, the route engine is configured to ascertain the selected network service from the route request message, determine the corresponding route tree, traverse the route tree to carry out the processing for the selected service, and return a route response message to the proxy server in accordance with the results of the processing.

11. A system as in claim 10 , wherein the communication network is an IP network.

12. A system as in claim 11 , wherein the signaling messages are SIP messages.

13. A system as in claim 10 , wherein the route trees are dynamically loadable.

14. A system as in claim 10 , wherein the logic comprises standardized data structures.

15. A system as in claim 10 , wherein the proxy server is a core proxy server.

16. A system as in claim 10 , wherein the text files are XML files.