Patent ID: 8660252

Claim:
A front end (FE) server of a data layered architecture (DLA) system, the DLA system including a common directory (CD) of subscriber data in a telecommunications network, comprising: a processing unit which defines an FE time zone (FETZ) based on the FE server's geographical location and that defines a current date and time of the FETZ; a network interfacing unit which obtains from the CD through the network: a subscriber default time zone (SDTZ), which defines a default reference time zone for the subscriber; a subscriber service time zone (SSTZ), which defines a time zone in which the subscriber service is executed; and a service activation date (SAD) and a service activation time (SAT), which define date and time to execute the service with reference to a service time zone (STZ); wherein the processing unit selects as the STZ for executing the service according to the following hierarchy: the SSTZ, if a valid SSTZ exists, the SDTZ, if a valid SSTZ does not exist, or the FETZ, if a valid SDTZ does not exist; and wherein the processing unit only executes the service after checking that the SAD and SAT of the STZ correspond to the current date and time of the FETZ.