Policy co-ordination in a communications network

• US 20050091409A1
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDTP Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Williams, Brian, Graf, Leslie, Rytina, Ian, Hollis, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/247
• 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 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13372 Intercepting operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

In order to address the problem of allowing a GGSN 16 of a UMTS core network to work towards multiple Policy Control Functions (PCFs) 17 co-located with P-CSCF nodes 18 using the COPS protocol, a policy control function coordinator (PCF-C) 15 is implemented between the GGSN 16 and the P-CSCF 18. A single COPS connection is established between the GGSN 16 and the PCF-C 15, whilst a COPS connection is established between the PCF-C 15 and each of the P-CSCF nodes 18. Decisions made at the PCFs 17 are routed to the GGSN 16 via the PCF-C 17, and responses generated at the GGSN 16 are routed to the appropriate PCFs 17 via the GGSN 17. This architecture avoids conflicts which might otherwise arise with the COPS protocol.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a first policy enforcement point node of policies and/or policy decisions made at a plurality of second policy decision point nodes, the first and second nodes being arranged to communicate with one another via an IP network using the Common Open Policy Service, COPS, protocol, the method comprising:

at said first node, establishing a virtual policy enforcement point for each second node;

establishing a COPS connection between each of the virtual policy enforcement points and the corresponding second node; and

sending decisions and decision responses between the virtual policy enforcement points and the respective second nodes over the respective COPS connections.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first policy enforcement point node is a GGSN of a data network within a telecommunications network and said second policy decision point nodes are P-CSCF nodes of an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS), the P-CSCF nodes each implementing a Policy Control Function for the GGSN.

3. A method of operating a Gateway Support Node of a packet switched network of a mobile telecommunications network, which Node is coupled to a plurality of policy decision points via an IP network, the method comprising:

implementing a plurality of virtual Gateway Support Node functions which are mapped to policy decision points;

establishing a COPS connection between each of the virtual Gateway Support Node functions and the corresponding policy decision points; and

exchanging decisions and decision responses with the policy decision points over the respective COPS connections.

4. A Gateway Support Node for use in a packet switched network of a mobile telecommunications network, the Node comprising:

first input/output means for coupling to said packet switched network;

second input/output means for coupling to an IP network to which a plurality of policy decision points are being coupled; and

one or more processors coupled to the first and second input/output means for implementing a plurality of virtual Gateway Support Node functions, for establishing a COPS connection between each of the virtual Gateway Support Node functions and the corresponding policy decision points, and for exchanging decisions and decision responses with the policy decision points over the respective COPS connections

5. A Gateway Support Node according to claim 4, the node being a GPRS Gateway Support Node for use in providing a GPRS packet switched service.

6. A method of notifying a first policy enforcement point node of policies and policy decisions made at a plurality of second policy decision point nodes, the first and second nodes being arranged to communicate with one another via an IP network using the Common Open Policy Service (COPS) protocol, the method comprising:

establishing a single COPS connection between the first node and a third coordination network node also coupled to the IP network;

establishing a COPS connection between the third network node and each of the second network nodes;

sending decisions from the second network nodes to the third network node over the respective COPS connections and, at the third network node, recording the sources of the decisions and forwarding the decisions to the first network node over the COPS connections; and

sending responses to decisions from the first network node to the third network node over COPS connection and, at the third network node, identifying the source second nodes of the decisions based upon the recorded sources and forwarding the responses to the respective second nodes over the respective COPS connections.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said third network node records the identity of the originating second network node for each decision received by said third network node and routes responses received from the first network node according to the recorded information.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said first node includes a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node (GGSN).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of second nodes include Call State Control Function (CSCFs).