Known control servers employ resource servers to handle various tasks. For example, a control server (e.g., a ringback tone call controller) may route a call that requires a specialized ringback tone to a resource server (e.g., a ringback tone server) to play the specialized ringback tone to a calling party on the call. A control server employs a resource server mapping table that comprises a plurality of indications of a plurality of resource servers in a network. The control server employs the resource server mapping table to select specific resource servers to handle specific tasks. Upon receipt of a task to be handled by one of the plurality of resource servers, the control server accesses the resource server mapping table to determine which of the plurality of resource servers to assign the task.
Known resource server mapping tables are manually updated by a technician when new resource servers are added to the network. The technician determines which control servers in the network will employ the new resource server. Then, the technician adds an indication of the resource server at appropriate places in the resource server mapping tables associated with each of the control servers that will employ the resource server. As one shortcoming, the process of manually updating the resource server mapping tables is time consuming and may not be available at all times. As another shortcoming, the process of manually updating the resource server mapping tables in large networks may be unreliable. Manually updating the resource server mapping tables tends to be error-prone and may require extensive troubleshooting. As yet another shortcoming, the technician may not add the indication of the new resource server to all appropriate resource server mapping tables. For example, the technician may not timely discover the control servers that were out of service at the time the new resource server was added to the network.
Thus, a need exists for an automatic discovery and registration process between a resource server that has been added to a network and a control server in the network.