Nomadic subscriber data system

• US 20080253403A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apertio Ltd. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Apertio Ltd. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bondy, William M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/485
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]

Abstract

A logical network directory database compliant with the X.500 standard for a directory data system is disclosed. The network directory database provides a source of subscriber and service data accessible by various control and management processes that require subscriber information. The network directory database may be extensible across various communications service providers and IT domain. Further, the disclosed network directory database may be applied to new and existing services, such as, IP Multimedia Subsystem, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) and other IP services.

Claims

1. A system for improved communication of subscriber data in a communications network having a distributed subscriber data repository, comprising:

A plurality of event forwarders associated with a data repository containing subscriber data such that the data repository comprises a portion of the distributed subscriber data repository, wherein each event forwarder is configured to monitor access requests for subscriber data in its data repository, determine if an access request response time exceeds a performance threshold and send a subscriber data transfer indicator to a transfer manager for each access request that exceeds the performance threshold;

A transfer manager configured to receive from the plurality of event forwarders subscriber data transfer indicators and determine for each subscriber data transfer indicator if a set of subscriber data should be transferred from a first data repository associated with an event forwarder who transmitted the subscriber data transfer indicator to a second data repository associated with the access request; and

A transfer controller configured to control movement of the set of subscriber data from the first data repository to the second data repository.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second data repository is hosted on a directory server, and wherein following the transfer of the set of subscriber data to the second data repository, the directory server receives and processes all local access requests to subscriber data contained in the transferred set of subscriber data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer manager is further configured to deny the transfer of the set of subscriber data if the first data repository and the second data repository reside in geographically adjacent service areas.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer manager is further configured to deny the transfer of the set of subscriber data if communication latency is below a minimum target threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer manager is further configured to prevent thrashing between the first data repository and the second data repository caused by frequent attempts to transfer the set of subscriber data between the first data repository and the second data repository and frequent attempts to transfer the set of subscriber data from the second data repository to the first data repository.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer manager determines if the set of subscriber data should be transferred from the first data repository to the second data repository by examining configuration data, wherein the configuration data comprises a list of data repositories that are allowed to participate in a subscriber data transfer.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the configuration data further comprises restrictions on transfer of specific sets of subscriber data in the distributed data repository.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the configuration data further comprises restrictions on at least one of a time of day pertaining to transfer of subscriber data, a maximum size of subscriber data eligible for transfer, and ranges of data values in subscriber data eligible for transfer.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the configuration data further comprises restrictions related to required security for transfer of subscriber data.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the event forwarder measures response times against configuration data.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the configuration data includes a pre-configured quality of service profile.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the event forwarder resides at a point of data repository access associated with a directory server that contains the first data repository.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the event forwarder resides in a directory system agent that comprises the directory server and a plurality of other directory servers such that the directory server and the plurality of other directory servers each include a substantially similar data repository and have been configured for interoperability of the processing of data requests related to subscriber data contained in the substantially similar data repositories.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the performance threshold resides in a configuration file and wherein the event forwarder is configured to find and examine the configuration file.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the performance threshold comprises at least one of latency and unpredictability.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer manager is further configured to examine a configuration data file to determine if the set of subscriber data should be transferred to the second data repository.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the configuration data includes at least one pre-configured quality of service information and performance profiles.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer manager resides on a different directory server than a directory server holding the data repository.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the first data repository and the second data repository are configured as directories.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first data repository and the second data repository are configured as in-memory directories.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer controller is further configured to determine that the set of subscriber data has been moved from the first data repository to the second data repository without error.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer controller is further configured to use conventional protocols in performing the transfer.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer controller resides on a different directory server than a directory server holding the first data repository.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the distributed data repository also comprises service data, and wherein a portion of the event forwarders have service data in their respective data repositories and are further configured to monitor access requests to service data in their respective repositories, determine if an access request response exceeds a performance threshold and send a service data transfer indicator to the transfer manager for each access request response that exceeds the performance threshold, wherein the transfer manager is further configured to receive from the portion of event forwarders service data transfer indicators and determine if a set of service data should be transferred from a third data repository associated with an event forwarder who transmitted the service data transfer indicator to a fourth data repository more closely associated with the access request that generated the service data transfer indicator and wherein the transfer controller is further configured to control movement of service data from the first data repository to the second data repository.

25. The system of claim 24 in which the service data pertains to one of a home subscriber server application or a home locator service application deployed in a telecommunications network.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of subscriber data comprises one of a subscriber profile, a portion of a subscriber profile, a plurality of subscriber profiles, and portions of subscriber profiles from a plurality of subscriber profiles.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein a first portion of a subscriber profile resides in a second data repository following processing of a subscriber data transfer indicator and wherein a second portion of a subscriber profile resides in a third data repository following processing of another subscriber data transfer indicator.

28. A method for improved communication of subscriber data in a communications network having a distributed subscriber data repository, comprising:

Monitoring access requests for subscriber data in a plurality of data repositories, wherein each data repository represents a portion of the subscriber data in the distributed data repository, and wherein each data repository is monitored by an event forwarder of a plurality of event forwarders;

Determining if an access request response time for a set of subscriber data exceeds a performance threshold by an event forwarder associated with a first data repository of the plurality of data repositories, wherein the event forwarder sends a subscriber data transfer indicator to a transfer manager if the access request response time exceeds the performance threshold;

Receiving by a transfer manager the subscriber data transfer indicator and determining if the set of subscriber data should be transferred from the first data repository to a second data repository of the plurality of data repositories, wherein the second data repository is associated with the access request; and

Moving the set of subscriber data from the first data repository to the second data repository under the supervision of a transfer controller when the transfer manager determines that the first set of subscriber data should by transferred from the first data repository to the second data repository.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the second data repository is hosted on a directory server, the method further comprising:

Receiving and processing all local access requests to subscriber data contained in the transferred set of subscriber data in the directory server following the transfer of the set of subscriber data to the second data repository.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

denying the transfer of the set of subscriber data by the transfer manager if the first data repository and the second data repository reside in geographically adjacent service areas.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

denying the transfer of the set of subscriber data by the transfer manager if communication latency is below a minimum target threshold.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

preventing thrashing between the first data repository and the second data repository by the transfer manager wherein the trashing is caused by frequent attempts to transfer the set of subscriber data between the first data repository and the second data repository and frequent attempts to transfer the set of subscriber data from the second data repository to the first data repository.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

determining by the transfer manager if the set of subscriber data should be transferred from the first data repository to the second data repository by examining configuration data, wherein the configuration data comprises a list of data repositories that are allowed to participate in a subscriber data transfer.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the configuration data further comprises restrictions on transfer of specific sets of subscriber data in the distributed data repository.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the configuration data further comprises restrictions on at least one of a time of day pertaining to transfer of subscriber data, a maximum size of subscriber data eligible for transfer, and ranges of data values in subscriber data eligible for transfer.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the configuration data further comprises restrictions related to required security for transfer of subscriber data.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

Measuring response times against configuration data by the event forwarder.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the configuration data includes a pre-configured quality of service profile.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the event forwarder resides at a point of data repository access associated with a directory server that contains the first data repository.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the event forwarder resides in a directory system agent that comprises the directory server and a plurality of other directory servers such that the directory server and the plurality of other directory servers each including a substantially similar data repository and have been configured for interoperability of the processing of data requests related to subscriber data contained in the substantially similar data repositories.

41. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

Examining the performance threshold in a configuration file by the event forwarder.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the performance threshold comprises at least one of latency and unpredictability.

43. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

Determining by the transfer manager if the set of subscriber data should be transferred to the second data repository by examining a configuration data file.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the configuration data includes at least one pre-configured quality of service information and performance profiles.

45. The method of claim 28 wherein the transfer manager resides on a different directory server than a directory server holding the data repository.

46. The method of claim 28 wherein the first data repository and the second data repository are configured as directories.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the first data repository and the second data repository are configured as in-memory directories.

48. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

determining by the transfer controller that the set of subscriber data has been moved from the first data repository to the second data repository without error.

49. The method of claim 28 wherein the transfer controller is further configured to use conventional protocols in performing the transfer.

50. The method of claim 28 wherein the transfer controller resides on a different directory server than a directory server holding the first data repository.

51. The method of claim 28 wherein the distributed data repository also comprises service data, and wherein a portion of the event forwarders have service data in their respective data repositories, the method further comprising:

monitoring access requests to a set of service data in a third data repository by an event forwarder of the portion of event forwarders;

determining by the event forwarder of the portion of event forwarders if an access request response time for the set of service data exceeds a performance threshold and sending a service data transfer indicator to the transfer manager if the access request response time exceeds the performance threshold,

receiving by the transfer manager the service data transfer indicator and determining if the set of service data should be transferred from the third data repository to a fourth data repository associated with the access request that generated the service data transfer indicator; and

transferring under supervision of the transfer controller the set of service data to from the third data repository to the fourth data repository if the transfer manager determines that the set of service data should be transferred from the third data repository to the fourth data repository.

52. The method of claim 51 in which the service data pertains to one of a home subscriber server application or a home locator service application deployed in a telecommunications network.

53. The method of claim 28 wherein the set of subscriber data comprises one of a subscriber profile, a portion of a subscriber profile, a plurality of subscriber profiles, and portions of subscriber profiles from a plurality of subscriber profiles.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein a first portion of a subscriber profile resides in a second data repository following processing of a subscriber data transfer indicator and wherein a second portion of a subscriber profile resides in a third data repository following processing of another subscriber data transfer indicator.