Patent ID: 7983240

Claim:
A method in a communication system of correlating different end-to-end data sessions, said method comprising: creating a globally unique correlation identifier during establishment of a first end-to-end data session between a first party and a second party, the creating step including: sending a first portion of the correlation identifier from the first party to the second party, wherein the first portion includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Call-ID and a SIP From-Tag; the second party adding a second, completing portion of the correlation identifier to the first portion, wherein the second portion includes a SIP To-Tag that uniquely identifies the second party; and sending the completed correlation identifier from the second party to the first party; storing the correlation identifier by the first and second parties; utilizing the correlation identifier to correlate with the first end-to-end data session, a second, independent end-to-end data session subsequently established by the first or second party; and modifying the correlation identifier by performing the steps of: creating a new correlation identifier; sending the new correlation identifier to the first and second parties along with an instruction to change the correlation identifier to the new correlation identifier, wherein the new correlation identifier and the instruction are sent in a SIP message selected from a group consisting of a re-INVITE message for the first or the subsequent session, a MESSAGE message, and an INFO message; and storing the new correlation identifier by the first and second parties.