Enhanced initiate call attempt

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing calls initiated by an initial call attempt request to permit the characteristics of call connections established in response to the ICA request to be controlled by translation information of a defining port. The defining port can be a real port of a switch, or a pseudo port having associated therewith a block of translation information, but no physical network equipment. Among the characteristics that can be controlled are a billing number of the call, and a routing plan for determining a route based on destination information specified in the ICA request, and the line or trunk features offered in the switch. Advantageously, the characteristics of the ICA request connection can be specified by translation information instead of being inflexibly tied to the pre-defined standard characteristics. Advantageously, this arrangement allows the full flexibility of port translations to be applied to ICA requests without requiring that a physical port be assigned to correspond to the translations required for determining where and how a call is to be routed to the target port. Advantageously, the existing call control structures (terminal processes, interfaces with the SCP) can be used without major modification.