Patent ID: 6393122
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A method of operating first and second servers on a telephony network, each of said first and second servers operable to provide a subscribed telephony service in response to receiving incoming calls for specified subscribers prior to said incoming calls being processed at one or more additional call handling systems, said method comprising:associating with said first server a first plurality of primary subscribers for whom said subscribed telephony service is to be provided by said first server; associating with said second server, a second plurality of primary subscribers for whom said subscribed telephony service is to be provided by said second server, said first plurality being different from said second plurality; receiving an incoming call for one of said first plurality of primary subscribers, at said first server, in response to said receiving an incoming call for said one of said first plurality of primary subscribers, providing said subscribed telephony service to said incoming call for said one of said first plurality of plurality subscribers at said first server; receiving an incoming call for one of said second plurality of primary subscribers, at said first server, in the event of unavailability of said second server; forwarding said incoming call for said one of sad second plurality of primary subscribers from said first server to a downstream call handling system within said telephony network associated with said one of said second plurality of primary subscribers, thereby ensuring access to said downstream call handling system for calls for said second plurality of primary subscribers in the event of unavailability of said second server.