Customization of traffic control services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9979835-B1
Application number	US-201715417298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium to provide a user interface that allows a user to configure a traffic control service, the traffic control service including at least one of a content-based service, an application-based service, a time-based service, a location-based service, or a quality-of-service-based service; receive, via the user interface, selections of parameters that govern the traffic control service, and a unique identifier of an end user to which the traffic control service pertains; configure the traffic control service in a line card of a network device included in the data path, wherein the configuration includes the rules data and the unique identifier in the line card, and the traffic control service that includes an in-line quota enforcement service and a charging record service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing, by a first network device, a user interface that allows a user to configure a traffic control service, the traffic control service including at least one of a content-based service, an application-based service, a time-based service, a location-based service, or a quality-of-service-based service;
receiving, by the first network device and via the user interface, selections of parameters that govern the traffic control service, and a unique identifier of an end user to which the traffic control service pertains;
converting, by the first network device and in response to the selections, rules data that can be executed inline in a data path of end user traffic and can provide the traffic control service;
configuring, by the first network device and in response to the converting, the traffic control service in a line card of a second network device included in the data path, wherein the configuring includes configuring the rules data and the unique identifier in the line card;
generating, by the first network device, an identifier of the traffic control service;
storing, by the first network device, the identifier and the rules data;
receiving, by the first network device subsequent to the storing and in response to an attachment of the end user to a network, a message that include the unique identifier and a network address assigned to the end user;
correlating, by the first network device, the unique identifier and the network address, with the identifier of the traffic control service; and
configuring, by the first network device, the line card of the second network device with a mapping between the network address, the unique identifier, and the identifier of the traffic control service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selections of the parameters configure the content-based service, and wherein the selections of the parameters include an allowance that indicates a maximum data usage, a multiplier that indicates a scalar for counting data usage for a specified content, and a content specifier that indicates the specified content, wherein the specified content is at least one of a type of content including one or more of video, music, or web, or a particular content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selections of the parameters configure the application-based service, and wherein the selections of the parameters include an allowance that indicates a maximum data usage, a multiplier that indicates a scalar for counting data usage for a specified application, and an application specifier that indicates the specified application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selections of the parameters configure the time-based service, and wherein the selections of the parameters include an allowance that indicates a maximum data usage, a multiplier that indicates a scalar for counting data usage for a specified time period, and a time period specifier that indicates the specified time period, wherein the specified time period includes at least one of a time period less than a day, or a time period less than a week.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selections of the parameters configure the location-based service, and wherein the selections of the parameters include an allowance that indicates a maximum data usage, a multiplier that indicates a scalar for counting data usage for a specified location, and a location specifier that indicates the specified location.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the line card of the second network device in the data path of the end user traffic, a packet associated with the end user, the line card including an operating system space and an application space that are configured to provide the traffic control service, wherein the traffic control service includes an in-line quota enforcement service pertaining to the at least one of the content-based service, the application-based service, the time-based service, the location-based service, or the quality-of-service-based service;
identifying, by the operating system space of the line card and in response to the receiving of the packet, an identifier of the end user that is included in the packet, wherein the identifier of the end user is the network address;
determining, by the operating system space of the line card and in response to the identifying, whether a type of traffic control service to be applied to the packet can be determined;
passing, by the operating system space to the application space of the line card, the packet in response to determining that the type of traffic control service cannot be determined; and
determining, by the application space of the line card and in response to the passing, the type of traffic of traffic control service to be applied to the packet.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
adding, by the application space of the line card, a marker to the packet, wherein the marker indicates an identifier of the type of traffic control service to be applied to the packet, and wherein the identifier of the type of traffic control service is the identifier of the traffic control service;
passing, by the application space to the operating system space of the line card, the packet and the marker;
providing, by the operating system space of the line card and in response to the passing of the packet and the marker, the type of traffic control service to the packet based on the marker, wherein the type of traffic control service includes the in-line quota enforcement service;
generating, by the operating system space of the line card and in response to the providing of the type of traffic control service, a traffic control record that includes a quota usage; and
transmitting, by the operating system space of the line card, and to the first network device, the traffic control record.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the type of traffic service includes a data rate service and a charging record service, wherein the traffic control record includes a charging data record, and wherein the marker includes at least one of a parameter or a parameter value pertaining to the in-line quota enforcement service.

9. A system comprising:
a first network device, comprising:
a first communication interface;
a first memory, wherein the first memory stores first instructions; and
a first processor, wherein the first processor executes the first instructions to:
provide a user interface that allows a user to configure a traffic control service, the traffic control service including at least one of a content-based service, an application-based service, a time-based service, a location-based service, or a quality-of-service-based service;
receive, via the first communication interface and the user interface, selections of parameters that govern the traffic control service, and a unique identifier of an end user to which the traffic control service pertains;
convert, in response to the selections, rules data that can be executed inline in a data path of end user traffic and can provide the traffic control service;
configure, via the first communication interface and in response to the conversion, the traffic control service in a line card of a second network device included in the data path, wherein the configuration includes the rules data and the unique identifier in the line card;
generate an identifier of the traffic control service;
store the identifier and the rules data;
receive, via the first communication interface and subsequent to the storage and in response to an attachment of the end user to a network, a message that include the unique identifier and a network address assigned to the end user;
correlate the uniqu

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Jiang Xiaoxiao
• Siwach Vikram
• Joachimpillai Damascene M
• Zhao Li

Classifications

• H04M15/59

  based on real time · CPC title

• H04M15/39

  Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing · CPC title

• H04M1/72563

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M15/885

  limit per application · CPC title

• H04M15/723 Primary

  using the user's device · CPC title