In a

telephone network A telephone network is a telecommunications network that connects telephones, which allows telephone calls between two or more parties, as well as newer features such as fax and internet. The idea was revolutionized in the 1920s, as more and more ...

, flood search routing is non-deterministic

routing Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a Network theory, network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched ...

in which a dialed number received at a

switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

is transmitted to all switches, ''i.e.,'' flooded, in the

area code A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, rea ...

directly connected to that switch; if the dialed number is not an affiliated

subscriber The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century. It i ...

at that switch, the number is then retransmitted to all directly connected switches, and then routed through the switch that has the dialed number corresponding to the particular

user Ancient Egyptian roles * User (ancient Egyptian official), an ancient Egyptian nomarch (governor) of the Eighth Dynasty * Useramen, an ancient Egyptian vizier also called "User" Other uses * User (computing), a person (or software) using an ...

end instrument In the context of telecommunications, a terminal is a device which ends a telecommunications link and is the point at which a signal enters or leaves a network. Examples of terminal equipment include telephones, fax machines, computer termina ...

affiliated with it. All digits of the numbering plan are used to identify a particular subscriber. Flood search routing allows subscribers to have

telephone number A telephone number is the address of a Telecommunications, telecommunication endpoint, such as a telephone, in a telephone network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN). A telephone number typically consists of a Number, sequ ...

s independent of switch codes. Flood search routing provides the highest probability that a

telephone call A telephone call, phone call, voice call, or simply a call, is the effective use of a connection over a telephone network between the calling party and the called party. Telephone calls are the form of human communication that was first enabl ...

will go through even though a number of switches and links fail. Flood search routing is used in military telecommunication systems, such as the

mobile subscriber equipment The Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) system was a tactical communication system created by GTEGovernmentSystems (later acquired by General Dynamics) for the United States Army. Acquisition began in 1985 for echelons below Corps and down to the ba ...

(MSE) system.

References

Telephone exchanges Telecommunications techniques Routing algorithms {{telephony-stub

See also

References