Scalable and iterative deep packet inspection for communications networks

• US 10,257,248 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yaana Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Yaana Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hammer, Michael P., Grootwassink, David, Puri, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lan-Huong
• Application Number:
  US15/143,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control

Abstract

Systems and methods for scalable and iterative deep packet inspection for communication networks are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a system comprises a home network and a visitor network in communication with the home network over an Internetwork packet exchange. The visitor network may have an intercept area with an intercept probe, a local packet data network gateway (PGW) and a local proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF). The system further includes a diameter edge agent that monitors signaling traffic in the visitor network passing to and from the home network. The system also has a targeting system in communication with the diameter edge agent that redirects the signaling traffic from the home PGW to the visiting PGW.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a home network including a multimedia subsystem, a home packet data network gateway (PGW), and

a home serving-call session control function (S-CSCF);

an Internetwork packet exchange; and

a visitor network in communication with the home network over the Internetwork packet exchange, the visitor network having an intercept area having an intercept probe, a local packet data network gateway (PGW) and a local proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF);

a diameter edge agent that monitors signaling traffic in the visitor network received from the home network;

a targeting system attached to and in communication with the diameter edge agent, wherein the targeting system redirects the signaling traffic from the home PGW to the local PGW by changing the an access point name (APN) from the home network to the visitor network;

and the intercept probe is disposed between and in communication with the local P-CSCF and the home S-CSCF, wherein the intercept probe copies and processes the signaling traffic in the intercept area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the targeting system delivers the signaling traffic to the local PGW.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the local PGW delivers the signaling traffic to the local P-CSCF.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the local PGW delivers real-time transport protocol (RTP) to media plane routers.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the local PGW filters out non-multimedia subsystem (IMS) related signaling or media traffic.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the local P-CSCF performs session initiation protocol (SIP) functions in the visitor network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the intercept probe is disposed between and in communication with a real-time transport protocol (RTP) voice streams and copies and processes the RTP voice streams.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the intercept probe is disposed between and in communication with the local PGW and a Trunking Gateway, wherein the intercept probe copies and processes the media traffic in the intercept area.

9. A method, comprising:

monitoring, with a diameter edge agent device, signaling traffic passing between a mobility management entity in a visiting network and a home subscriber server in a home network;

routing, with the diameter edge agent device in the visiting network, the signaling traffic to a targeting system attached to the diameter edge agent device;

routing, with the targeting system, the signaling traffic to an inspection area of a visitor network by a first mode or a second mode,

wherein the first mode includes relaying the signaling traffic to the inspection area of the visitor network and the second mode includes modifying routing information of the signaling traffic;

inspecting, with an inspection probe disposed in the inspection area of the visitor network, the signaling traffic; and

copying and processing, with an intercept probe, the signaling traffic in an intercept area, wherein the intercept probe is disposed between and in communication a local proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF) and a home serving-call session control function (S-CSCF) of the home network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the targeting system inspects identifiers in the signaling traffic and determines if the signaling traffic will be routed by the first mode or the second mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein routing the signaling traffic includes routing the signaling traffic by the first mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein routing the signaling traffic by the second mode when a requirement is not met.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising enabling, via an access point name (APN), the visitor network to connect a visiting user to a home network, such that the targeting system routes the signaling traffic from a visiting packet data network gateway (PGW) of the visitor network to a home packet data network gateway (PGW) of the home network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the targeting system routes signaling traffic to the visiting PGW in the second mode by changing the APN from the home network to the visitor network.