Use of a distributed hash table to federate many small-sized IMS core infrastructures

1. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, comprising:

multiple domains, each domain containing a set of call session control function elements, CSCF, configured to send a signaling message (m) between a first communication client (T) connected to said multimedia subsystem and at least one second communication client,

a federating functional element (FF) implemented by a distributed hashing table, the federating functional element being configured to,

perform a hashing function on a logical address of the at least one second communication client to determine a hash value, and

route the signaling message to any one of the multiple domains based on the hash value, wherein,

said at least one second communication client is connected to said multimedia subsystem or remote and accessible through an interrogating functional element, I-CSCF, contained in each domain, and

the I-CSCF in each domain is configured to send the signaling message to an I-CSCF of a neighboring domain based on a physical address of an I-CSCF of a domain in which the second communication client is connected.

2. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 1 , in which serving functional elements, S-CSCF, of at least some of said domains form the nodes of said distributed hashing table.

3. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 1 , in which at least one domain is intended so that the signaling messages from said first communication client connected to said domain are sent to the interrogating functional element, I-CSCF, of said domain, said interrogating functional element itself being intended to interrogate said federating functional element (FF) in order to determine the path for said signaling messages.

4. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 3 , in which said interrogating functional element implements the functions of a THIG gateway.

5. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 3 , in which said interrogating functional element, I-CSCF, is configured, on receipt of a signaling message from said first communication client, to determine whether the recipient communication client determined by the logical address contained in said signaling message is connected to one of said domains, and if not, to send said signaling message outside said multimedia subsystem without interrogating said federating functional element (FF).

6. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 3 , in which said interrogating functional elements, I-CSCF, are configured, on receipt of a signaling message from said first communication client, to systematically interrogate said federating functional element (FF) and, in the absence of a response from this element determining a path, to send said signaling message outside said multimedia subsystem.

7. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 1 , in which the interface between the interrogating functional elements of said domains and said federating functional element (FF) is a Dx interface, implementing the Diameter protocol.

8. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 1 , in which the interface between the interrogating functional elements of said domains and said federating functional element (FF) contains a first function used to insert an association between the logical address and domain and a second function used to determine the domain corresponding to a given logical address.

9. Multimedia subsystem, IMS, according to claim 1 , in which said logical addresses contain an identifier corresponding to said multimedia subsystem.

10. Communication network containing at least one multimedia subsystem according to claim 1 .

11. Interrogating functional element, I-CSCF, for a domain of a multimedia subsystem, IMS, containing multiple domains, each domain containing a set of call session control function elements, CSCF, configured to send a signaling message (m) between a first communication client (T) connected to said multimedia subsystem and at least one second communication client, and a federating functional element (FF) implemented by a distributed hashing table, the federating functional element being configured to,

perform a hashing function on a logical address of the at least one second communication client to determine a hash value, and

route the signaling message to any one of the multiple domains based on the hash value,

said interrogating functional element being configured to,

receive the signaling message from the first communication client,

determine whether said at least one second client is connected to one of said domains of said multimedia subsystem,

if this is not the case, send said signaling message outside said multimedia subsystem without interrogating said federating functional element (FF), and

if this is the case, interrogate said federating functional element (FF) in order to determine the path for said signaling message, and send the signaling message to an I-CSCF of a neighboring domain based on a physical address of an I-CSCF of a domain in which the second communication client is connected.

12. Interrogating functional element according to claim 11 , in which the interface with said federating functional element (FF) is a Dx interface, implementing the Diameter protocol.

13. Interrogating functional element according to claim 11 , in which said determination is carried out based on a logical address contained in said signaling message.

14. Interrogating functional element according to claim 13 , in which the interface with said federating functional element (FF) contains a first function used to insert an association between the logical address and domain and a second function used to determine the domain corresponding to a given logical address.

15. Interrogating functional element, according to claim 13 , in which said logical addresses contain an identifier corresponding to said multimedia subsystem.

16. Method of sending a signaling message through a multimedia subsystem, IMS, containing multiple domains, each domain containing a set of call session control function elements, CSCF, between a first communication client, connected to said multimedia subsystem, and a second communication client, wherein said second communication client is connected to said multimedia subsystem or remote and accessible through an interrogating functional element, I-CSCF, contained in each domain, said method including,

performing a hashing function on a logical address of the second communication client to determine a hash value,

routing the signaling message to any one of the multiple domains based on the hash value, and

sending, by an I-CSCF of a first domain, the signaling message to an I-CSCF of a second domain based on a physical address of the I-CSCF of the second domain in which the second communication client is connected.

17. Method of sending a signaling message, according to claim 16 , in which the serving functional elements, S-CSCF, of at least some of said domains form the nodes of said distributed hashing table.

18. Method of sending a signaling message, according to claim 16 , in which at least one domain is intended so that the signaling messages from a communication client connected to said domain are sent to the interrogating functional element, I-CSCF, of said domain, said interrogating functional element itself being intended to interrogate said federating functional element (FF) in order to determine the path for said signaling messages.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium implementing the method according to claim 16 when it is run on a data processing device.