Patent ID: 8483233

Claim:
A method for routing Diameter messages between multiple Diameter message processors that comprise a Diameter signaling router (DSR), the method comprising: receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR, a Diameter message from a peer Diameter element; at the ingress Diameter message processor, using application routing data to determine whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required, wherein using application routing data to determine whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required includes determining whether one or more application routing data rules should be applied based on information in one or more Diameter attribute value pairs in the Diameter message; in response to determining that Diameter application processing is required, forwarding the Diameter message to a Diameter message processor hosting the Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing, wherein the Diameter application is within the DSR; and in response to determining that Diameter application processing is not required, forwarding the Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR.