Method and system for correlating authentication, authorization and accounting sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380460-B2
Application number	US-74041908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2008
Priority date	Nov 1, 2007
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

The present invention handles Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) applications in an efficient manner. The present invention is a session aware Diameter relay agent that correlates sessions that require binding and relay sessions to the same AAA server, such as a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) server. In one embodiment, the relay agent may be arranged to select a Diameter server and forward the user equipment (UE) request to the respective server while registering the server selection. The Diameter server may be a PCRF server.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for efficient handling of Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) services in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
a relay agent:
receiving, using a communication interface, a Diameter protocol request from a Diameter client for starting a Diameter session, wherein the Diameter protocol request complies with a Diameter protocol;
in response to the Diameter client request, performing a lookup for determining existing Diameter sessions in a register;
selecting a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) server from among a plurality of PCRF servers if no existing Diameter session suitable for the requested Diameter session is found in the register;
relaying the Diameter client request to the PCRF server;
receiving an answer from the PCRF server;
registering the PCRF server selection in the register;
relaying the answer from the PCRF server to the Diameter client;
supporting multiple applications to correlate the requested Diameter session with one or more other subsequently requested Diameter sessions that require binding; and
relaying the correlated Diameter sessions to the same PCRF server selected for the requested Diameter session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing a lookup for determining existing Diameter sessions is performed in a local register.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing a lookup for determining existing Diameter sessions is performed in an external register.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Diameter server is located in a core network part of the telecommunications network.

5. The method of claim 1 , using at least one of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network Number (MSISDN), and other identification defining and distinguishing the session to determine whether to correlate the sessions.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving requests from a plurality of Diameter clients.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if there already exists a registered Diameter session suitable for the Diameter client request relaying the client request to the same Diameter server that was selected for the existing registered Diameter session.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is performed by at least one of choosing a registered server, arbitrarily choosing a server, controlled by an external entity, and choosing using a predefined algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Diameter client is a Proxy Call State Control Function (P-CSCF).

10. A relay agent in a telecommunications network, comprising:
a communication interface;
a processing unit coupled to the communication interface; and
a memory unit coupled to the processing unit, the processing unit is configured to run instruction sets stored in the memory unit to:
receive, using the communication interface, a request from a Diameter protocol client for starting a Diameter session, wherein the request complies with a Diameter protocol,
in response to the Diameter client request, perform a lookup in one of a local register and an external register for determining existing Diameter sessions;
select a PCRF server from among a plurality of PCRF servers if no existing Diameter session suitable for the requested Diameter session is found by the lookup,
relay the Diameter client request to the PCRF server,
receive an answer from the PCRF server,
register the PCRF server selection;
relay the answer from the PCRF server to the Diameter client, the relay agent being session aware;
support multiple applications to correlate the requested Diameter session with one or more other subsequently requested Diameter sessions that require binding; and
relay the correlated Diameter sessions to the same PCRF server selected for the requested Diameter session.

11. The relay agent according to claim 10 , wherein the agent is configured to be located in a core network part of the telecommunications network.

12. The relay agent according to claim 10 , configured to use at least one of an IP address, a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network Number (MSISDN), other identification defining and distinguishing the session to determine whether to correlate the sessions.

13. The relay agent according to claim 10 , wherein the Diameter client is a P-CSCF.

14. A computer system in a telecommunications network comprising a processor and an associated memory, storing instructions for session binding and correlation, that when the instructions are executed cause the computer system to:
receive a request from a Diameter protocol client for starting a Diameter session, wherein the request complies with a Diameter protocol;
in response to the Diameter client request, perform a lookup in one of a local register and an external register for determining existing Diameter sessions;
select a PCRF server from among a plurality of PCRF servers if no existing Diameter session suitable for the requested Diameter session is found by the lookup;
relay the Diameter client request to the PCRF server;
receive an answer from the PCRF server;
register the PCRF server selection;
relay the answer from the PCRF server to the Diameter client, the computer system being session aware;
support multiple applications to correlate the requested Diameter session with one or more other subsequently requested Diameter sessions that requires binding; and
relay the correlated Diameter sessions to the same PCRF server selected for the requested Diameter session.

15. An infrastructure network, comprising:
an interface to a radio access gateway;
at least one core network entity;
an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) relay agent in communication with at least one core network entity, the relay agent being configured to:
receive, using the communication interface, a Diameter protocol request from a Diameter client for starting a Diameter session, wherein the Diameter protocol request complies with a Diameter protocol;
in response to the Diameter client request, perform a lookup in one of a local register and an external register for determining existing Diameter sessions;
select a PCRF server from among a plurality of PCRF servers if no existing Diameter session suitable for the requested Diameter session is found by the lookup;
relay the Diameter client request to the Diameter server;
receive an answer from the Diameter server;
register the PCRF server selection;
relay the answer from the PCRF server to the Diameter client, the AAA relay agent being session aware;
support multiple applications to correlate the requested Diameter session with one or more other subsequently requested Diameter sessions that require binding; and
relay the correlated Diameter sessions to the same PCRF server selected for the requested Diameter session,
wherein said infrastructure network is in a telecommunications network.

16. The infrastructure network of claim 15 , wherein the agent is located outside the core network in one of the PCRF servers.

17. The infrastructure network of claim 15 , wherein the agent is located in the core network.

Assignees

• Stenfelt John
• Kopplin Dirk
• Mattsson Hans
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Stenfelt John
• Kopplin Dirk
• Mattsson Hans

Classifications

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L67/141

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• H04L63/0892

  by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols · CPC title

• H04L67/14

  Session management (for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066) · CPC title

• H04W12/06 Primary

  Authentication · CPC title