MESSAGE HANDLING EXTENSION USING CONTEXT ARTIFACTS

• US 20150095439A1
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent Canada Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jorgensen, Peter K., Mann, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: identifying a context artifact, wherein the context artifact defines a context object type for use by the DRA; receiving a Diameter message at the DRA from an origin device; establishing a context object of the context object type defined by the context artifact; evaluating a rule that includes a context object reference, wherein the evaluation includes accessing the context object based on the context object reference; and transmitting a message based on the evaluation of the rule.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by a network node, the medium comprising:

instructions for establishing context objects in memory in response to receiving a message, wherein the context objects have respective context object types based on respective pre-stored context artifacts that define the respective context object types; and

instructions for processing the received message comprising;

instructions for accessing an established context object in memory; and

instructions for performing at least one action based on the processing the received message.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for processing the received message further comprise:

instructions for evaluating a plurality of rules in response to receiving the message,

wherein the instructions for accessing the established context object in memory are configured to be executed based on encountering a reference to the established context object within a rule of the plurality of rules, and

the instructions for performing at least one action are configured to be executed based on the instructions for evaluating identifying an applicable rule of the plurality of rules that specifies the at least one action.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the reference to the established context object corresponds to an annotation within the context artifact associated with the established context object.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for performing at least one action are configured to be executed in response to accessing the established context object.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for receiving a new context artifact defining a new context object type; and

instructions for storing the new context artifact in a location that is accessible to the instructions for establishing context objects, whereby the instructions for establishing context objects are subsequently capable of establishing context objects of the new context object type.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for providing a user interface for facilitating user definition of new rules, wherein the instructions for providing a user interface comprise;

instructions for presenting a plurality of available context object references;

instructions for receiving a selection of a context object reference of the plurality of available context object references; and

instructions for including the selected context object reference within a rule based on receiving the selection of the context object.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions for providing a user interface further comprise:

instructions for receiving a new context artifact defining a new context object type; and

instructions for scanning the new context artifact for at least one annotation corresponding to at least one new context object reference,

whereby the instructions for presenting a plurality of available context object references present the at least one new context object reference subsequent to receiving the new context artifact.

8. A method performed by a network node comprising:

establishing a context object in memory in response to receiving a message, wherein the context object has a context object type based on a pre-stored context artifacts that defines the context object type; and

processing the received message comprising;

accessing the established context object in memory; and

performing at least one action based on the processing the received message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processing the received message further comprises:

evaluating a plurality of rules in response to receiving the message,

wherein the accessing the established context object in memory is performed based on encountering a reference to the established context object within a rule of the plurality of rules, and

the performing at least one action is performed based on the evaluating identifying an applicable rule of the plurality of rules that specifies the at least one action.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reference to the established context object corresponds to an annotation within the context artifact associated with the established context object.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the performing at least one action is performed in response to accessing the established context object.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a new context artifact defining a new context object type;

storing the new context artifact in a location that is accessible to the instructions for establishing context objects; and

establishing a new context objects of the new context object type.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a user interface for facilitating user definition of new rules, comprising;

presenting a plurality of available context object references;

receiving a selection of a context object reference of the plurality of available context object references; and

including the selected context object reference within a rule based on receiving the selection of the context object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the providing a user interface further comprises:

receiving a new context artifact defining a new context object type;

scanning the new context artifact for at least one annotation corresponding to at least one new context object reference; and

presenting a plurality of available context object references present the at least one new context object reference subsequent to receiving the new context artifact.

15. A network node comprising:

a network interface;

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

establish context objects in the memory in response to receiving a message via the network interface, wherein the context objects have respective context object types based on respective pre-stored context artifacts that define the respective context object types; and

process the received message comprising;

accessing an established context object in memory; and

performing at least one action based on the processing the received message.

16. The network node of claim 15, wherein, in processing the received message, the processor is further configured to:

evaluate a plurality of rules in response to receiving the message,

wherein the processor is configured to perform the accessing the established context object in the memory based on encountering a reference to the established context object within a rule of the plurality of rules, and

the processor is configured to perform the at least one action based on the evaluating identifying an applicable rule of the plurality of rules that specifies the at least one action.

17. The network node of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to perform the at least one action in response to accessing the established context object.

18. The network node of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a new context artifact defining a new context object type; and

store the new context artifact in a location that is accessible to the processor, whereby the processor is subsequently capable of establishing context objects of the new context object type.

19. The network node of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a user interface for facilitating user definition of new rules, comprising;

presenting a plurality of available context object references;

receiving a selection of a context object reference of the plurality of available context object references; and

including the selected context object reference within a rule based on receiving the selection of the context object.

20. The network node of claim 19, wherein the in providing a user interface, the processor is configured to:

receive a new context artifact defining a new context object type; and

scan the new context artifact for at least one annotation corresponding to at least one new context object reference,

whereby the processor presents the least one new context object reference for selection subsequent to receiving the new context artifact.