SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POLICY SELECTION AND SWITCHING FUNCTION IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130166746A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andreasen, Flemming S., Shatzkamer, Kevin D., McBean, Kirk
• Granted Patent: US 9,077,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• 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 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for a service for a subscriber at an access gateway; receiving a default subscriber policy and a default service policy at the access gateway; receiving a subscriber policy and a service policy for the service being requested at the access gateway; receiving the service being requested at the access gateway; and communicating the service being requested from the access gateway to the subscriber in response to the request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for a service for a subscriber at an access gateway;

receiving a default subscriber policy and a default service policy at the access gateway;

receiving a subscriber policy and a service policy for the service being requested at the access gateway;

receiving the service being requested at the access gateway; and

communicating the service being requested from the access gateway to the subscriber in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying information within a bearer service request associated with a particular subscriber; and

determining a specific service policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server to be used for a particular transaction involving the particular subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information within the bearer service request includes a selected one of a group of pieces of information, the group consisting of:

a) a destination address;

b) a 5-tuple; and

c) a uniform resource locator (URL) provided in a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) header.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access gateway includes a local PCRF functionality to be provided to a particular subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access gateway is configured to evaluate behavior associated with the subscriber in order to respond to subscriber policy requests for particular network services associated with the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access gateway is configured to determine a subset of subscribers accessing similar services, and to group the subset of subscribers into a subscriber group for which a specific group policy is applied to.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the subscriber group is formed based on usage trends and current services associated with the subset of subscribers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second subscriber policy and a second service policy for the requested service if the subscriber policy and the service policy for the service being requested do not conform to the default subscriber policy and the default service policy.

9. Logic encoded in non-transitory media that includes instructions for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a request for a service for a subscriber at an access gateway;

receiving a default subscriber policy and a default service policy at the access gateway;

receiving a subscriber policy and a service policy for the service being requested at the access gateway;

receiving the service being requested at the access gateway; and

communicating the service being requested from the access gateway to the subscriber in response to the request.

10. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

identifying information within a bearer service request associated with a particular subscriber; and

determining a specific service policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server to be used for a particular transaction involving the particular subscriber.

11. The logic of claim 10, wherein the information within the bearer service request includes a selected one of a group of pieces of information, the group consisting of:

a) a destination address;

b) a 5-tuple; and

c) a uniform resource locator (URL) provided in a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) header.

12. The logic of claim 9, wherein the access gateway includes a local PCRF functionality to be provided to a particular subscriber.

13. The logic of claim 9, wherein the access gateway is configured to evaluate behavior associated with the subscriber in order to respond to subscriber policy requests for particular network services.

14. The logic of claim 9, wherein the access gateway is configured to determine a subset of subscribers accessing similar services, and to group the subset of subscribers into a subscriber group for which a specific group policy is applied to.

15. The logic of claim 14, wherein the subscriber group is formed based on usage trends and current services associated with the subset of subscribers.

16. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

receiving a second subscriber policy and a second service policy for the requested service if the subscriber policy and the service policy for the service being requested do not conform to the default subscriber policy and the default service policy.

17. A network element, comprising:

a memory element; and

a processor operable to execute instructions such that the network element is configured for;

receiving a request for a service for a subscriber;

receiving a default subscriber policy and a default service policy;

receiving a subscriber policy and a service policy for the service being requested;

receiving the service being requested; and

communicating the service being requested to the subscriber in response to the request.

18. The network element of claim 17, wherein the network element is further configured for:

identifying information within a bearer service request associated with a particular subscriber; and

determining a specific service policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server to be used for a particular transaction involving the particular subscriber.

19. The network element of claim 17, wherein the network element includes a local PCRF functionality to be provided to a particular subscriber.

20. The network element of claim 17, wherein the network element is configured to determine a subset of subscribers accessing similar services, and to group the subset of subscribers into a subscriber group for which a specific group policy is applied to, and wherein the subscriber group is formed based on usage trends and current services associated with the subset of subscribers.