Maintaining a common AAA session ID for a call over a network

• US 7,328,268 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2001
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheng, Lio, Foltak, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): NEURAUTER, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US10/032,628
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709227-228, 705/30
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for maintaining a common unique session identifier for a call over a network. In at least one embodiment, a unique session identifier is created by appending the IP address of an access server to a local session identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a unique session identifier for a user, wherein

the unique session identifier is created by one of a plurality of network access servers; and

the unique session identifier is created in a manner that prevents more than one of the network access servers from creating a same unique session identifier; and

providing the unique session identifier from the one of the network access servers to an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) module; and

providing the unique session identifier from the one of the network access servers to an additional server, wherein

the additional server is also configured to provide the unique session identifier to the AAA module; and

each of the network access servers is configured to request AAA processing from the AAA module.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein:

the creating the unique session identifier further comprises appending a unique identifier to a local session identifier, and

the unique identifier is associated with the one of the network access servers.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein:

the unique identifier is an IP address of the one of the network access servers.

4. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing the unique session identifier to an off-load server.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein:

the creating the unique session identifier further comprises creating a unique session identifier for each of the network access servers.

6. A system, comprising:

a network access server

wherein the network access server is configured to generate a unique session identifier for a user;

wherein the unique session identifier is created in a manner that prevents more than one of a plurality of network access servers from creating a same unique session identifier,

wherein the plurality of network access servers include the network access server;

wherein the network access server is configured to provide the unique session identifier to an AAA module; and

wherein the AAA module performs AAA processing for each of the plurality of network access servers.

7. The system recited in claim 6, wherein:

the network access server is associated with an IP address; and

the unique session identifier comprises the IP address.

8. The system recited in claim 6, further comprising:

the plurality of network access servers;

wherein each of the plurality of network access servers is configured to generate a corresponding unique session identifier.

9. The system recited in claim 6, further comprising:

an off-load server, the off-load server being coupled to receive the unique session identifier from the network access server.

10. The system recited in claim 9, wherein:

the off-load server is configured to provide the unique session identifier to the AAA module.

11. The system recited in claim 9, wherein:

the off-load server is configured to provide the unique session identifier to the AAA module, and

the AAA module is configured to perform port counting.

12. The system recited in claim 6, further comprising:

the AAA module, the AAA module being further configured to receive the unique session identifier from the network access server.

13. The system recited in claim 6, wherein:

the network access server is further configured to generate the unique session identifier by appending an IP address of the network access server to a local session identifier.

14. The system recited in claim 9, wherein:

the off-load server is further configured to generate a start record, the off-load server being further configured to associate the start record with the unique session identifier; and

the off-load server is further configured to provide the start record to the AAA module that provides for performing accounting processing.

15. The system recited in claim 9, further wherein:

the off-load server is further configured to generate a stop record, the off-load server being further configured to associate the stop record with the unique session identifier; and

the off-load server is further configured to provide the stop record to the AAA module that provides for performing accounting processing.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

means for creating a unique session identifier for a user, wherein

the unique session identifier is created in a manner that prevents more than one of a plurality of network access servers from creating a same unique session identifier; and

means for providing the unique session identifier to an AAA module, wherein

each of the network access servers is configured to request AAA processing from the AAA module.

17. The apparatus recited in claim 16, wherein:

means for creating a unique session identifier further comprises means for appending a unique identifier associated with a network access server to a local session identifier.

18. The apparatus recited in claim 17 wherein:

the unique identifier is an IP address.

19. The apparatus recited in claim 16, further comprising:

means for providing the unique session identifier to an off-load server.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 16, wherein:

the means for creating a unique session identifier further comprises means for creating a unique session identifier for each of the network access devices.

21. A computer program product, encoded in computer readable storage media, comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to create a unique session identifier for a user, wherein

the unique session identifier is created in a manner that prevents more than one of a plurality of network access servers from creating a same unique session identifier; and

a second set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to provide the unique session identifier to an AAA module, wherein

each of the network access servers is configured to request AAA processing from the AAA module.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, encoded in computer readable storage media, wherein:

the first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, is further configured to append a unique identifier associated with one of the network access servers to a local session identifier.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, encoded in computer readable storage media, wherein:

the unique identifier is an IP address.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, encoded in computer readable storage media, further comprising:

a third set of instructions, executable on a computer system configured to provide the unique session identifier to an off-load server.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, encoded in computer readable storage media, wherein:

the first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, is further configured to create a unique session identifier for each of the network access servers.