Patent ID: 7590128

Claim:
A method for setting up a media session in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of media gateways and a media gateway controller, each of the plurality of media gateways comprising a pool of media processor resources, the method comprising: receiving a control address of a second media gateway at a first media gateway, wherein the control address is received from the media gateway controller; allocating first media processor resources at the first media gateway from a pool of media processor resources at the first media gateway; sending transport information associated with the first media processor resources to the second media gateway; receiving transport information of second media processor resources of the second media gateway; using the first media processor resources and the second media processor resources for setting up the media session between the first media gateway and the second media gateway; and determining that an in-band media path between an application layer of the first media gateway and an application layer of the second media gateway appears to be operating normally.