Systems and methods for providing external services to core network traffic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10958574-B2
Application number	US-201916558811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2019
Priority date	Feb 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A network device, such as a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW), may receive network traffic, determine traffic processing services associated with a subscriber corresponding to the traffic, and identify a sequence of external traffic processing components to provide traffic processing services as though the external traffic processing components where part of the core network. The network device may modify the traffic in accordance with the sequence of external traffic processing components and forward the traffic to the first external traffic processing component of the sequence. The network device may later receive the traffic from the last external traffic processing component of the sequence, process the traffic in accordance with instructions provided by the external traffic processing components, and forward the traffic in accordance with a destination address of the traffic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of processor-executable instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the set of processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the set of processor-executable instructions causes the one or more processors to:
receive a data packet;
determine one or more traffic processing services to be applied to the data packet based on a subscriber identity associated with the packet;
determine a plurality of external traffic processing components associated with the determined one or more traffic processing services, the plurality of one or more external traffic processing components being external to a core network with which the device is associated;
identify one or more dependencies between two or more external traffic processing components, of the plurality of external traffic processing components;
determine a sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components based on the one or more dependences between the two or more external traffic processing components;
modify the data packet to indicate the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components corresponding to the one or more traffic processing services; and
output the data packet to the plurality of external traffic processing components, wherein the outputting facilitates the one or more traffic processing services by the plurality of external traffic processing components in the determined sequence.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first external traffic processing component, of the plurality of external traffic processing components, corresponds to a first traffic processing service that blocks traffic, and wherein a second external traffic processing component, of the plurality of external traffic processing components, corresponds to a second traffic processing service that charges based on accessing the traffic,
wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components, further causes the one or more processors to place, in the sequence, the first external traffic processing component before the second external traffic processing component, based on the first traffic processing service being the service that blocks traffic, and further based on the second external traffic processing service corresponding to the second traffic processing service that charges based on accessing the traffic.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components, further causes the one or more processors to:
determine a sequence of Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses that correspond to the sequence of external traffic processing components; and
modify, when modifying the data packet to indicate the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components, the data packet to indicate the sequence of IP addresses that correspond to the sequence of external traffic processing components.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the one or more processors to:
apply at least one network rule, corresponding to the core network, to the data packet.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one network rule is applied to the data packet prior to the data packet being sent to the plurality of external traffic processing components.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the one or more processors to:
receive the data packet from a last external traffic processing component of the plurality of external traffic processing components;
determine that the data packet has been modified to include instructions from at least one external traffic processing component, of the plurality of external traffic processing components; and
apply the instructions to the data packet.

7. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one network rule is received from at least one of:
a Policy Charging and Rules Function (“PCRF”) associated with the core network, or a Policy Control Function (“PCF”) associated with the core network.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
receive a data packet;
determine one or more traffic processing services to be applied to the data packet based on a subscriber identity associated with the packet;
determine a plurality of external traffic processing components associated with the determined one or more traffic processing services, the plurality of external traffic processing components being external to a core network with which the device is associated;
identify one or more dependencies between two or more external traffic processing components, of the plurality of external traffic processing components;
determine a sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components based on the one or more dependences between the two or more external traffic processing components;
modify the data packet to indicate the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components corresponding to the one or more traffic processing services; and
output the data packet to the plurality of external traffic processing components, wherein the outputting facilitates the one or more traffic processing services by the plurality of external traffic processing components in the determined sequence.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein a first external traffic processing component, of the plurality of external traffic processing components, corresponds to a first traffic processing service that blocks traffic, and wherein a second external traffic processing component, of the plurality of external traffic processing components, corresponds to a second traffic processing service that charges based on accessing the traffic,
wherein the processor-executable instructions, to determine the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components, further include processor-executable instructions to place, in the sequence, the first external traffic processing component before the second external traffic processing component, based on the first traffic processing service being service that blocks traffic, and further based on the second external traffic processing service corresponding to the second traffic processing service that charges based on accessing the traffic.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, to determine the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components, include processor-executable instructions to:
determine a sequence of Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses that correspond to the sequence of external traffic processing components; and
modify, when modifying the data packet to indicate the sequence of the plurality of external traffic processing components, the data packet to indicate the sequence of IP addresses that correspond to the sequence of external traffic processing components.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the processor-executable instructions further include processor-executable instructions to:
apply at least one network rule, corresponding to the core network, to the data packet.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network rule is appli

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc
• Verison Patent And Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Mathison James
• Hoffner Barry F

Classifications

• H04W28/0268 Primary

  using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24) · CPC title

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L43/0876

  Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level · CPC title

• H04W8/24

  Transfer of terminal data · CPC title

• H04W8/22

  Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities · CPC title