Information service communication network system and session management server

• US 20050220039A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hoshino, Kazuyoshi, Miyamoto, Takashi, Saigusa, Yasunori, Kiyoto, Satoshi, Yumoto, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 Session based

Abstract

A session management server, which is provided with a service determination table having a plurality of entries each indicating a service identifier in association with possible particular items of information which may be extracted from a session setup request packet, receives a session setup request packet issued from a client to a particular application server and determines whether the client terminal is authorized to receive an information service by referring to the determination table, in place of the particular application server. When the determination results in success, the session setup request packet is forwarded to the particular application server.

Claims

1. An information service communication network comprising a plurality of application servers for providing information services, and a session management server for carrying out a communication procedure to establish or disconnect a session between one of client terminals and one of said application servers in response to a request from the client terminal,

wherein said session management server includes control means for determining, when receiving a session setup request packet issued from one of said client terminals to a particular application server, whether the client terminal is authorized to received an information service to be provided by the application server, in place of the particular application server, and forwarding the session setup request to the particular application server when the determination resulted in success, and

wherein each of said application servers returns, upon receiving a session setup request from said session management server, a response packet to the session setup request without executing service authorization processing on the client terminal.

2. The information service communication network according to claim 1, further comprising a subscriber management server for performing user authentication in response to a request from said session management server,

wherein said control means of said session management server includes means for sending, when receiving said session setup request packet from said client terminal, a user authentication request specifying a user identifier and authentication information extracted from the request packet to said subscriber management server, and

wherein said control means determines, upon receiving a response indicating that the user identifier was authenticated from said subscriber management server, whether the client terminal is authorized to receive said information service.

3. The information service communication network according to claim 1,

wherein said session management server includes:

a service determination table comprising a plurality of entries each indicating the relation between possible particular items of information which may be extracted from said session setup request packet and a service identifier; and

a user subscribed service table comprising a plurality of entries each indicating the relation between a user identifier and a service identifier of information service available for a user having the user identifier, and

wherein said control means specifies a service identifier corresponding to the session setup request packet received from said client terminal by referring to said service determination table, and verifies the relation between the user identifier indicated in the session setup request packet and the specified service identifier by referring to said user subscribed service table, thereby to determine whether the client terminal is authorized to receive the information service.

4. The information service communication network according to claim 2, wherein

said session management server includes:

a service determination table comprising a plurality of entries each indicating the relation between possible particular items of information which may be extracted from a session setup request packet and a service identifier; and

said control means specifies, upon receiving a response indicating that the user identifier was authenticated from said subscriber management server, a service identifier corresponding to the session setup request packet by referring to said service determination table and sending a user subscribed service authorization request designating the user identifier indicated in the request packet and the specified service identifier to said subscriber management server, and forwards the session set up request packet to said particular application server when receiving a response indicating that the service identifier was authorized from said subscriber management server.

5. The information service communication network according to claim 4, wherein said subscriber management server includes:

a user authentication table comprising a plurality of entries each defining the relation between a user identifier and a password;

a user subscribed service table comprising a plurality of entries each defining the relation between a user identifier and a service identifier of information service available for a user having the user identifier;

means for determining, upon receiving said user authentication request specifying the user identifier and authentication information from said session management server, whether the authentication information is valid based on said user authentication table and returning a response indicating the result of the determination to said session management server; and

means for verifying, upon receiving said user subscribed service authorization request designating the user identifier and the service identifier from said session management server, the relation between the user identifier and the service identifier by referring to said user subscribed service table and returning a response indicating the result of the verification to said session management server.

6. The information service communication network according to claim 3,

wherein said session management server includes means for starting, when forwarding an acknowledge response packet received from said particular application server to the requester client terminal, collection of session log information in association with the user identifier of said session setup request packet and said service identifier specified.

7. The information service communication network according to claim 6, further comprising an accounting server, wherein

said session management server includes means for notifying said accounting server of said session log information upon session disconnection, and

each of said application servers includes means for starting, when returning said acknowledge response packet, collection of application log information on the requester of said session setup, and notifying said accounting server of said application log information upon session disconnection.

8. A session management server for carrying out a communication procedure for establishing or disconnecting a session between one of client terminals and one of application servers connected to a communication network, said session management server comprising:

control means for determining, when receiving a session setup request packet issued from one of said client terminals to a particular application server, whether the client terminal is authorized to receive an information service to be provided by the particular application server, in place of the particular application server; and

means for forwarding the session setup request packet to said particular application server when the determination resulted in success.

9. The session management server according to claim 8, further comprising:

a service determination table comprising a plurality of entries each indicating the relation between possible particular items of information which may be extracted from said session setup request packet and a service identifier;

a user subscribed service table comprising a plurality of entries each defining the relation between a user identifier and a service identifier of information service available for a user having the user identifier;

means for sending, when receiving said session setup request packet from said client terminal, a user authentication request designating the user identifier and authentication information extracted from the request packet to a subscriber management server connected to said communication network,

wherein, upon receiving a response indicating that the user identifier was authenticated from said subscriber management server, said control means specifies a service identifier corresponding to the request packet by referring to said service determination table, and verifies the relation between the user identifier indicated in the request packet and the specified service identifier, by referring to said user subscribed service table, thereby to determine whether the client terminal is authorized to receive an information service corresponding to the specified service identifier from said particular application server.

10. The session management server according to claim 8, further comprising:

a service determination table comprising a plurality of entries each indicating the relation between possible particular items of information which may be extracted from a session setup request packet and a service identifier;

wherein said control means includes;

means for sending, when receiving said session setup request packet from said client terminal, a user authentication request designating a user identifier and authentication information extracted from the request packet to a subscriber management server connected to said communication network; and

means for specifying, upon receiving a response indicating that the user identifier was authenticated from said subscriber management server, a service identifier corresponding to the request packet by referring to said service determination table and sending a user subscribed service authorization request designating the user identifier indicated in the request packet and the specified service identifier to said subscriber management server,

wherein, said session setup request packet is forwarded to said particular application server when a response indicating that the service identifier was authorized is received from said subscriber management server.

11. The session management server according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for starting collection of session log information in association with the user identifier of said session setup request packet and said specified service identifier, when forwarding an acknowledge response packet, which was issued in response to said session setup request packet by said particular application server, to the requester client terminal, and notifying an accounting server connected to said network of said session log information upon session disconnection.

12. The session management server according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for starting collection of session log information in association with the user identifier of said session setup request packet and said specified service identifier, when forwarding an acknowledge response packet, which was issued in response to said session setup request packet by said particular application server, to the requester client terminal, and notifying an accounting server connected to said network of said session log information upon session disconnection.