An algorithm for the efficient utilization of service control capabilities in intelligent networks

The service control point (SCP) sustains a key role in intelligent networks (IN) since it contains the software components for processing service requests. The increased demand of existing IN services by the users and the introduction of new more complex services in terms of processing requirements and messages exchanged among the IN nodes, overloads the IN and particularly the SCP. In this paper, an algorithm for the dynamic reservation of SCP resources is presented and evaluated. This algorithm uses a number of factors related with the profile requirements of the particular IN service; e.g. some services are very popular among users, others are categorized as expensive services due to their complexity, etc. The main scope of the proposed algorithm is to maximize the utilization of the SCP processor capacity, that is, to improve system scalability. The proposed algorithm allows the normal operation of the SCP under peak rates of requests for different kind of IN services. Furthermore it determines priorities on each IN service allowing the selective privileged handling of the requests. A study of the efficiency and adaptability of this algorithm over the SCP is performed by simulation.