Session management method, application function entity, policy server and protocol converter

• US 10,225,151 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xi'An Zhongxing New Software Co., Ltd. (ZTE Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Xi'An Zhongxing New Software Co., Ltd. (ZTE Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaoyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh Q
• Application Number:
  US15/506,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20170331691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709220, 709203, 709226, 709228, 709232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a session management method, an Application Function (AF) entity, a policy server, and a Protocol Converter. The method includes: When an AF entity establishes an AF session with a policy server, the AF entity sends a first HTTP request message to the policy server, herein the AF entity sends AF session identifier information to the policy server via the first HTTP request message, or AF session identifier information is allocated by the policy server and is sent to the AF entity via an answer for the first HTTP request message. When the policy server notifies the AF entity of a traffic plane event of the above-mentioned AF session, the policy server sends a second HTTP request message carrying the AF session identifier information to the AF entity. The AF entity returns an answer for the second HTTP request message to the policy server.

Claims

1. A session management method, comprising:

sending, by an application function AF entity, a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP request message to a policy server when the AF entity establishes an AF session with the policy server,

wherein the AF entity sends AF session identifier information to the policy server via the first HTTP request message;

or, the AF entity acquires AF session identifier information allocated for the AF session by the policy server from an answer for the first HTTP request message returned by the policy server;

receiving, by the AF entity, a second HTTP request message sent to the AF entity when the policy server notifies the AF entity of a traffic plane event of the AF session, wherein the second HTTP request message includes the AF session identifier information; and

returning, by the AF entity, an answer for the second HTTP request message to the policy server;

the method further comprising;

when the AF entity modifies or terminates the AF session, sending, by the AF entity, a third HTTP request message to the policy server, wherein the third HTTP request message includes the AF session identifier information; and

receiving, by the AF entity, an answer for the third HTTP request message returned by the policy server;

wherein sending, by the AF entity, the first HTTP request message or the third HTTP request message to the policy server comprises;

when a first Transmission Control Protocol TCP connection has existed between the AF entity and the policy server, sending, by the AF entity, the first HTTP request message or the third HTTP request message to the policy server by using the first TCP connection; and

when the first TCP connection is not established between the AF entity and the policy server, establishing, by the AF, the first TCP connection with the policy server first, and then sending the first HTTP request message or the third HTTP request message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the policy server is a Policy and Charging Rules Function PCRF entity or a Protocol Converter PC.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the AF session identifier information is a global unique identifier.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the AF entity supports an HTTP client and an HTTP server simultaneously, and the policy server supports an HTTP client and an HTTP server simultaneously.

5. A session management method, comprising:

receiving, by a policy server, a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP request message sent by an Application Function AF entity and including AF session identifier information, and returning an answer for the first HTTP request message to the AF entity;

or, receiving a first HTTP request message sent by an AF entity, allocating AF session identifier information for an AF session, and returning an answer for the first HTTP request message including the AF session identifier information to the AF entity; and

when notifying the AF entity of a traffic plane event of the AF session, sending a second HTTP request message to the AF entity, wherein the second HTTP request message includes the AF session identifier information; and

receiving an answer for the second HTTP request message returned by the AF entity;

wherein

the policy server is a Policy and Charging Rules Function PCRF entity or a Protocol Converter PC;

wherein the policy server is a PC, and after the policy server receives the first HTTP request message, the method further comprises;

sending, by the PC, a diameter Authentication and Authorization Request AAR message to a PCRF entity, requesting to establish a diameter session, wherein the AAR message includes a diameter session identifier; and

keeping, by the PC, a mapping between the AF session identifier information and the diameter session identifier,

and,

the method further comprises;

receiving, by the policy server, a third HTTP request message sent by the AF entity to the PC and including the AF session identifier information; and

sending, by the PC, a diameter AAR message or a diameter Session Termination Request STR message to the PCRF entity, wherein the AAR or STR message includes the diameter session identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein sending, by the policy server, the second HTTP request message to the AF entity comprises:

when a second Transmission Control Protocol TCP connection has existed between the policy server and the AF entity, sending, by the policy server, the second HTTP request message to the AF entity by using the second TCP connection; and

when the second TCP connection is not established between the policy server and the AF entity, establishing, by the policy server, the second TCP connection with the AF entity first, and then sending the second HTTP request message.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein when the policy server is a PC, sending, by the policy server, the second HTTP request message to the AF entity comprises:

when the PCRF entity sends a diameter Re-Authentication Request RAR including the diameter session identifier, and an Abort Session Request ASR or Session Termination Answer STA message to the PC, sending, by the PC, the second HTTP request message including the AF session identifier information to the AF entity.

8. An Application Function AF entity, comprising:

a first unit, arranged to;

send a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP request message to a policy server and receive an answer for the first HTTP request message returned by the policy server when the AF entity establishes an AF session with the policy server,

wherein the first unit is arranged to;

include AF session identifier information in the first HTTP request message, or acquire the AF session identifier information from the answer for the first HTTP request message returned by the policy server; and

a second unit, arranged to;

receive a second HTTP request message sent by the policy server and including the AF session identifier information when the policy server notifies the AF entity of a traffic plane event of the AF session, and return an answer for the second HTTP request message to the policy server;

the AF entity further comprising;

a third unit, arranged to;

send, when the AF entity modifies or terminates the AF session, a third HTTP request message to the policy server, wherein the third HTTP request message includes the AF session identifier information, and receive an answer for the third HTTP request message returned by the policy server.

9. The AF entity according to claim 8, wherein the first unit is arranged to:

send, when a first Transmission Control Protocol TCP connection has existed between the AF entity and the policy server, the first HTTP request message to the policy server by using the first TCP connection;

establish, when the first TCP connection is not established between the present AF and the policy server, the first TCP connection with the policy server first, and then send the first HTTP request message; and

the third unit is arranged to;

send, when the first TCP connection has existed between the AF entity and the policy server, the third HTTP request message to the policy server by using the first TCP connection;

establish, when the first TCP connection is not established between the present AF and the policy server, the first TCP connection with the policy server first, and then send the third HTTP request message.

10. The AF entity according to claim 8, wherein

the second unit is arranged to:

receive the second HTTP request message by using a second TCP connection between the policy server and the AF entity, and return the answer for the second HTTP request message to the policy server by using the second TCP connection.

11. A policy server, comprising:

a first unit, arranged to;

receive a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP request message sent by an Application Function AF entity and including AF session identifier information, and return an answer for the first HTTP request message to the AF entity;

or, receive a first HTTP request message sent by an AF entity, allocate AF session identifier information for an AF session, and return an answer for the first HTTP request message including the AF session identifier information to the AF entity; and

a second unit, arranged to;

send, when notifying the AF entity of a traffic plane event of the AF session, a second HTTP request message to the AF entity, wherein the second HTTP request message includes the AF session identifier information; and

receive an answer for the second HTTP request message returned by the AF entity;

wherein

the second unit is arranged to;

send, when a second TCP connection has existed between the present policy server and the AF, the second HTTP request message to the AF by using the second TCP connection; and

establish, when the second TCP connection is not established between the policy server and the AF, the second TCP connection with the AF first, and then send the second HTTP request message.

12. The policy server according to claim 11, wherein

the first unit is arranged to:

receive the first HTTP request message by using a first Transmission Control Protocol TCP connection between the AF entity and the present policy server, and return the answer for the first HTTP request message to the AF entity by using the first TCP connection.

13. The policy server according to claim 11, wherein

the policy server is a Policy and Charging Rules Function PCRF entity or a Protocol Converter PC.

14. Protocol Converter PC, comprising:

a first unit, arranged to;

receive a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP request message sent by an Application Function AF entity and including AF session identifier information in an AF session establishment process, send a diameter Authentication and Authorization Request AAR message to a Policy and Charging Rules Function PCRF entity, request to establish a diameter session, wherein the AAR message includes a diameter session identifier, and keep a mapping between the AF session identifier information and the diameter session identifier;

or, receive a first HTTP request message sent by an AF entity, allocate AF session identifier information for the AF session, send a diameter AAR message to a PCRF entity, request to establish a diameter session, wherein the AAR message includes a diameter session identifier, and keep a mapping between the AF session identifier information and the diameter session identifier;

a second unit, arranged to;

receive a third HTTP request message sent by the AF entity and including the AF session identifier information in an AF session modification or termination process, and send a diameter AAR message or a diameter Session Termination Request STR message to the PCRF entity; and

a third unit, arranged to;

receive a diameter Re-Authentication Request RAR sent by the PCRF entity and including the diameter session identifier, and an Abort Session Request ASR or Session Termination Answer STA message in a traffic plane event reporting process, and send the second HTTP request message including the AF session identifier information to the AF.