Patent ID: 8051189

Claim:
A method for notifying a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) entity of a fast switchover event, the method comprising: (a) providing a first SIP entity having an active host and a standby host, where the active host is associated with plural dialogs maintained at a second SIP entity, wherein the second SIP entity comprises at least one of a media gateway controller (MGC) and a media gateway (MG); (b) receiving, at the active host, a SUBSCRIBE message from the second SIP entity for subscribing to a fast switchover notification service; (c) switching the standby host to an active mode, wherein switching the standby host to the active mode includes switching the standby host to the active mode in response to one of failure of the active host, a maintenance activity on the active host, and a provisioning update activity on the active host; and (d) in response to switching the standby host to active mode, sending a NOTIFY message to the second SIP entity for notifying the second SIP entity that the standby host is operating in active mode, wherein, in response to the NOTIFY message, the second SIP entity updates the dialogs with information included in the NOTIFY message to associate the dialogs with the standby host that has been switched to the active mode and thereby avoids individual messaging for each dialog to associate each dialog with the standby host.