Method and apparatus for session reconstruction and accounting involving VoIP calls

• US 6,957,255 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Amdocs Ltd.
• Inventors: Givoly, Tal, Kushnir, Ori, Black, Damian, Schweitzer, Limor
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/552,818
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 370/473, 370/474, 370/469, 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.2
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 : Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 : Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1325 : Priority service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0079 : involving restoration of networks, e.g. disaster recovery, self-healing networks

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and apparatus for reconstructing sessions on a network are described. The method allows for monitoring of quality of service at an application level as well as for understanding application specific events. This allows the method to be used to generate service detail records for usage based on application type for use in billing. It also allows the qualitative and quantitative analysis of quality of service based on application specific parameters. For example, for voice over IP calls, application events like adding participants and removing participants can be detected and billed accordingly. Also, the quality of service can be measured. For example, the actual latency can be compared to a predetermined latency amount set by a provider for voice over IP calls. Additionally, service detail records can be generated based on application specific events instead of generic flows, so usage billing can be performed based on factors such as a price per minute per leg, etc, with application specific events generated each time a leg is added or dropped.

Claims

1. A method of reconstructing a voice call session, the method comprising:

identifying a voice call prepaid account associated with a user;

receiving a plurality of packets over a network interface, the packets being representative of a voice call over a network;

filtering the received packets;

analyzing the filtered plurality of packets to identify at least a first flow;

identifying an application for the at least a first flow;

selecting a corresponding application flow identifier for the application;

using the corresponding application flow identifier to identify a plurality of flows in the plurality of packets corresponding to the session;

altering accounting operations based on a type of the identified application;

charging for the voice call against the voice call prepaid account; and

terminating access to voice calls by the user if the voice call prepaid account is exceeded;

wherein application events including adding participants and removing participants are detected and accounted for accordingly;

wherein a latency associated with the voice call is compared to a predetermined latency amount, and a compensation is given based on the comparison;

wherein addition and removal of call legs are tracked and corresponding service detail records are generated based thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a quality of service report for the session based on the application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the session is associated with an end user experience occurring within a definite time bound.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the session is comprised of one or more additional sessions.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising outputting a plurality of service detail records at predetermined intervals for the application, each service detail record including a billing identifier and a usage information, the usage information derived from the number of packets in the session during the corresponding predetermined interval.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a command to a network device to control the session based on a policy, the policy defining a quality of service for the application.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a command to a network device to control the session based on a policy, the policy defining the amount of resources available to the session.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a command to a network device to stop the session based on a policy, the policy specifying a cost for use of resources and the policy triggering the transmission of the command upon the cost exceeding a predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconstructed session analyzed, a plurality of statistics associated with the session are gathered based on the analysis, a policy is determined, and the accounting operations are performed based on the policy.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the statistics include start time, end time, time since last output, number of packets, number of bytes, average time between packets, moving average, latency, throughput, and jitter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein an aspect associated with an output of records is based on the identified application.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the statistics are gathered from a plurality of layers of a network protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the layers of the network protocol include a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, a transport layer, a session layer, a presentation layer, and an application layer.

14. The method of claim 9, and further comprising filtering the packets for removing packets unrelated to the session.

15. The method of claim 9, and further comprising gathering a plurality of flow statistics associated with the plurality of flows.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the flow statistics include timestamps.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the timestamps are used to generate the statistics associated with the session.

18. The method of claim 9, and further comprising outputting a plurality of reports including a plurality of the statistics reported in terms of the identified application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reports are outputted at an interval.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the reports are outputted at an application-specific interval.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the statistics are gathered based on the policy.

22. A system for reconstructing a voice call session, the system comprising:

a packet source, the packet source generating a plurality of packets, wherein the packets are filtered and are representative of a voice call over a network;

a flow manager coupled to the packet source, the flow manager identifying at least one flow in the plurality of packets;

an application recognizer coupled to the flow manager, the application recognizer identifying an application corresponding to the at least one flow;

a session streamer coupled to the flow manager, the session streamer identifying a plurality of flows in the plurality of packets corresponding to the session based on the application;

wherein a voice call prepaid account associated with a user is identified, accounting operations are altered based on a type of the identified application, the voice call is charged for against the voice call prepaid account, and access to voice calls by the user is terminated if the voice call prepaid account is exceeded;

wherein application events including adding participants and removing participants are detected and accounted for accordingly;

wherein a latency associated with the voice call is compared to a predetermined latency amount, and a compensation is given based on the comparison;

wherein addition and removal of call legs are tracked and corresponding service detail records are generated based thereon.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of packets includes a plurality of header elements and the at least one flow includes one or more packets with a common packet header element.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the application recognizer can identify at least one of a file transfer protocol (FTP), a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), a simple mail transport protocol (SMTP), a domain name service (DNS), a telnet protocol, a post office protocol (POP), an Internet message access protocol (IMAP), a network time protocol (NTP), a Netbios protocol, a network news transport protocol (NNTP), a network time protocol (NTP), a simple network management protocol (SNMP), an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol, a H.323 protocol, a voice over IP protocol, a NetMeeting(™

) protocol, a Quicktime(™

) protocol, a server message block (SMB) protocol, a RealAudio(™

) protocol, a real time streaming protocol (RTSP), and a real-time transport protocol (RTP).

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the application recognizer signals to the session streamer to treat the at least one flow as a session when the application recognizer cannot identify an application for the at least one flow.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising a data collector coupled to the session streamer, the data collector for producing service detail records at predetermined intervals for the application corresponding to the session, each service detail record including a billing identifier and a usage information.

27. An apparatus for reconstructing a voice call session the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a voice call prepaid account associated with a user;

means for receiving a plurality of packets, the packets being representative of a voice call over a network;

means for filtering the received packets;

means for identifying at least a first flow in the plurality of packets;

means for identifying an application for the at least a first flow;

means for selecting a corresponding application flow identifier for the application;

means for identifying a plurality of flows in the plurality of packets corresponding to the session using the corresponding application flow identifier;

means for altering accounting operations based on a type of the identified application;

means for charging for the voice call against the voice call prepaid account; and

means for terminating access to voice calls by the user if the voice call prepaid account is exceeded;

wherein application events including adding participants and removing participants are detected and accounted for accordingly;

wherein a latency associated with the voice call is compared to a predetermined latency amount, and a compensation is given based on the comparison;

wherein addition and removal of call legs are tracked and corresponding service detail records are generated based thereon.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for reporting application appropriate performance characteristics for the session.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, farther comprising means for controlling a network device according to a policy, the policy defining the amount of resources available to the session.

30. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

a computer program for session reconstruction;

a first set of instructions for identifying at least one flow in a plurality of packets;

a second set of instructions for analyzing the at least one flow to identify an application corresponding to the flow; and

a third set of instructions for identifying a plurality of flows in the plurality of packets corresponding to the session based on the application;

wherein a voice call prepaid account associated with a user is identified, accounting operations are altered based on a type of the identified application, the voice call is charged for against the voice call prepaid account, and access to voice calls by the user is terminated if the voice call prepaid account is exceeded;

wherein application events including adding participants and removing participants are detected and accounted for accordingly;

wherein a latency associated with the voice call is compared to a predetermined latency amount, and a compensation is given based on the comparison;

wherein addition and removal of call legs are tracked and corresponding service detail records are generated based thereon.