METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR PERFORMING PCRF-BASED USER INFORMATION PASS THROUGH

• US 20110225309A1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Riley, Yusun Kim, Baniel, Uri
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for performing PCRF-based IP CAN session information pass-through are disclosed. According to one method, a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) receives Internet protocol connectivity access network (IP CAN) session information from an access network-aware gateway. The PCRF forwards at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to a deep packet inspection (DPI) node.

Claims

1. A method for performing Internet protocol connectivity access network (IP CAN) session information pass-through, the method comprising:

at a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) node;

receiving IP CAN session information from an access network-aware gateway as part of establishing an IP CAN session; and

forwarding at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to a deep packet inspection (DPI) node.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising caching, at an IP CAN session information cache accessible by the PCRF node, the IP CAN session information.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising receiving an IP address from the DPI node and obtaining the cached IP CAN session information associated with the IP address.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein caching the IP CAN session information includes storing the IP CAN session information at a subscription profile repository (SPR), at the PCRF node, or in a cache that is separate from the PCRF node.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to the DPI node comprises forwarding the information in response to determining, at the PCRF, that the DPI wishes to receive the IP CAN session information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to the DPI node includes automatically forwarding a copy of a message including the IP CAN session information to the DPI node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the IP CAN session information includes receiving IP CAN session information in a first format and further comprising one of translating and reformatting the IP CAN session information, at the PCRF, into a second format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the IP CAN session information includes sending the IP CAN session information at any time during an active user session and not in response to a request by the DPI node.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the access network-aware gateway includes one of a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) and a packet data network (PDN) gateway node.

10. A system for performing Internet protocol connectivity access network (IP CAN) session information pass-through, the system comprising:

a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) node including;

a communications interface for receiving IP CAN session information from an access network-aware gateway; and

an IP CAN session information pass-through module for receiving the IP CAN session information from the communications interface and for forwarding at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to a deep packet inspection (DPI) node.

11. The system of claim 10 comprising an IP CAN session information cache accessible by the PCRF node for caching the IP CAN session information.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the IP CAN session information cache co-located with the PCRF node, co-located with a subscription profile repository, or is located at a stand-alone node.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the communications interface is configured to receive an IP address from the DPI node and obtain the cached IP CAN session information associated with the IP address.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the IP CAN session information pass-through module is configured to forward the at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to the DPI node in response to determining, at the PCRF, that the DPI node wishes to receive the IP CAN session information.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the IP CAN session information pass-through module is configured to forward a copy of a message containing the IP CAN session information received from the access network-aware gateway to the DPI node.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the IP CAN session information pass-through module is configured to forward a subset of the IP CAN session information received from the access network-aware gateway to the DPI node.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the communications interface is configured to receive the IP CAN session information in a first format and the PCRF node further comprises a translation module configured to one of translate and reformat the IP CAN session information into a second format.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the IP CAN session information pass-through module is configured to send the IP CAN session information at any time during an active user session and not in response to a request by the DPI node.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein the access network-aware gateway includes one of a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) and a packet data network (PDN) gateway node.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and when executed by a processor of a computer performs steps comprising:

receiving IP CAN session information from an access network-aware gateway as part of establishing an IP CAN session; and

forwarding at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to a deep packet inspection (DPI) node.