Patent ID: 7003080

Claim:
A method of monitoring at least one telephone call-related signaling message in a communications system including a source network and a destination network coupled together by an intermediate network, first and second communications paths extending between said source and destination network, the first and second communications paths being different, the method comprising: monitoring a first telephone call-related signaling message originating from said source network that is directed to said destination network via the second communications path; creating a copy of at least a portion of said first telephone call-related signaling message; sending a notification message from said source network to said destination network using said first communications path, indicating to the destination network that a message of interest, containing information supplied by the source network, is being communicated to said destination network; sending said first telephone call-related signaling message to said destination network through said intermediate network using said second communications path; operating said destination network to receive said notification message; receiving from said intermediate network a telephone call-related signaling message corresponding to the first telephone call-related signaling message; and in response to said received notification message sending at least a portion of said received telephone call-related signaling message corresponding to the first telephone call-related signaling message to a long-term storage device.