Blocked routes

Blocked Routes are rules that prohibit calls being sent to specific carriers based on those calls destinations and tariffs. They are retained when a new routing table is brought into service and can be modified by clicking the Blocked routes link in the Routing box on the left sidebar of the DUAL Softswitch Administration System. It can also be reached using links on the individual tariff pages. If any Blocked Routes are defined, they will be shown in a table on the Blocked Routes page. Blocked Routes yet powerful tool for controlling real-time and long term routing if Least Cost Routing is in use for a call.

For example, if a Blocked Route is defined with the following attributes:

•	Description - "UK"

•	City - "London"

•	Carrier - "Carrier One"

•	Tariff - "Retail"

then customers on the "Retail" tariff will never have their London calls sent to "Carrier One" if Least Cost Routing is in use and "Carrier One" is returned as a candidate carrier for the call. In this case, the call will automatically overflow to the next available carrier in accordance with the Alternative Routing procedures.

Blocked Routes only apply in Least Cost Routing, and are overridden by tariff based routing and account based routing. If routing to a specific carrier is specified in a tariff or on an account, then any entry blocking that routing in the Blocked Routes table will be ignored.

Each row of the table represents a Blocked Route rule. The last column of this table contains a link that, after you confirm your action, removes the Blocked Route from the system database.

The next section of the page allows you to add a new rule by selecting the destination, carrier and tariff to which the rule should apply. If a destination includes "(*)", then the rule will apply to all breakouts within the destination.