Patent ID: 7844033

Claim:
A method for performing a trace of communications transaction using a dynamically constructed endpoint identifier list, the method comprising: (a) receiving a first endpoint identifier for identifying a communications endpoint; (b) creating an endpoint identifier list including the first endpoint identifier; (c) searching for and locating a signaling message including the first endpoint identifier in the endpoint identifier list; (d) extracting at least one parameter from the signaling message having the first endpoint identifier, the at least one parameter being distinct from the first endpoint identifier; (e) searching for signaling messages having the at least one parameter; (f) adding to the endpoint identifier list any endpoint identifiers in signaling messages found in the search for signaling messages having the at least one parameter; and (g) searching for signaling messages having any of the endpoint identifiers in the endpoint identifier list and thereby tracing a communications transaction involving endpoints identified by the endpoint identifiers.