Patent ID: 7756038

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a first forwarding node of a communications network from a second forwarding node of the communications network, a first update message that includes forwarded service type data that indicates a type of service available via the second forwarding node, and forwarded cost data that indicates a first cost of communications to obtain the type of service via the second forwarding node, wherein the type of service is different from data packet routing through the network and wherein the type of service is a dial directory to associate a network address with a user identifier for telephony using the Internet Protocol; determining an incremental cost for communications between the first forwarding node and the second forwarding node; storing, at the first forwarding node, service data that indicates the type of service is associated with the second forwarding node at a total cost based on the first cost and the incremental cost; and sending a second update message that includes forwarded cost data based on the total cost.