Patent ID: 8913603

Claim:
A method for implementing time-based routing rules in a network routing node, the method comprising: at each module of a plurality of modules in a network routing node, wherein the network routing node is a signaling transfer point having a distributed routing architecture and is configured to distribute routing processing of signaling messages among the modules, wherein each module includes a memory for storing routing data, a processor, and a routing function executable by the processor for: (a) storing, in the memory of the module, routing data for routing signaling messages between a source address and a destination address; (b) associating a time period with the routing data; (c) routing signaling messages from the source address to the destination address during the time period; and (d) automatically inhibiting the routing of signaling messages from the source address to the destination address outside of the time period, wherein the time period corresponds to a time period specified by a service agreement between network operators.