Method and system for providing network services

• US 8,041,819 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Arghya T., Bhalla, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thuong T
• Application Number:
  US10/104,879
• Time in Patent Office: 3,500 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method for providing network services includes receiving a mobile station identifier (MSID) from a mobile node at a packet data serving node. The packet data serving node is operable to communicate with the mobile node. The method includes receiving a registration request (RRQ) from the mobile node and appending the MSID to the RRQ. The method includes forwarding the RRQ to a home agent. The home agent is operable to communicate with the packet data serving node. The method also includes receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the home agent. The IP address corresponds to the MSID. The MSID may be included in a normal vendor specific extension (NVSE) constructed by the packet data serving node. Appending the MSID to the RRQ may comprise appending the NVSE to the RRQ.

Claims

1. A method for providing network services, comprising:

receiving a mobile station identifier (MSID) from a mobile node at a packet data serving node, the packet data serving node operable to communicate with the mobile node;

receiving a registration request (RRQ) from the mobile node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI);

appending the MSID to the RRQ;

forwarding the RRQ to a home agent, the home agent operable to communicate with the packet data serving node; and

receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the home agent, the IP address corresponding to the MSID and to the NAI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the MSID is received in a tunnel request from the mobile node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the MSID is included in a normal vendor specific extension (NVSE) constructed by the packet data serving node, and appending the MSID to the RRQ comprises appending the NVSE to the RRQ.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning an IP address based upon the MSID using the home agent.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing the MSID and assigned IP address in a home agent table using the home agent.

6. A method for providing network services, comprising:

receiving a registration request (RRQ) at a home agent from a packet data serving node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI);

determining whether the RRQ comprises an appended mobile station identifier (MSID);

storing the MSID in a home agent table if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the MSID if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assigning an IP address corresponding to the NAI if the RRQ does not comprise an appended MSID; and

communicating the assigned IP address to the packet data serving node.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

appending the MSID to the RRQ at the packet data serving node; and

forwarding the RRQ to the home agent.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a tunnel request at the packet data serving node, the tunnel request comprising the MSID;

appending the MSID to the RRQ at the packet data serving node; and

forwarding the RRQ to the home agent.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the assigned IP address in the home agent table.

10. A system for providing network services, the system comprising:

a packet data serving node operable to;

receive a mobile station identifier (MSID) from a mobile node, the mobile node operable to communicate with the packet data serving node;

receive a registration request (RRQ) from the mobile node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI); and

append the MSID to the RRQ;

a home agent communicating with the packet data serving node, the home agent operable to receive the RRQ with the appended MSID from the packet data serving node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the packet data serving node is further operable to receive an assigned Internet Protocol (IP) address from the home agent, the IP address corresponding to the MSID.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the packet data serving node is further operable to receive an IP address from the home agent, the IP address corresponding to the NAI.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the home agent is further operable to:

determine whether the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

store the MSID in a home agent table if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the MSID if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an IP address corresponding to a network access identifier (NAI) if the RRQ does not comprise an appended MSID, wherein the RRQ comprises the NAI; and

communicate the assigned IP address to the packet data serving node.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the home agent is further operable to store the assigned IP address in the home agent table.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the MSID is included in a normal vendor specific extension (NYSE) constructed by the packet data serving node, and a packet data serving node operable to append the MSID to the RRQ comprises a packet data serving node operable to append the NYSE to the RRQ.

16. A system for providing data services, the system comprising:

a packet data serving node operable to receive a registration request (RRQ) from a mobile node, wherein the RRQ comprises a network access identifier (NAI); and

a home agent communicating with the packet data serving node, the home agent operable to;

receive the RRQ from the packet data serving node;

determine whether the RRQ comprises an appended mobile station identifier (MS ID)_;

store the MSID in a home agent table if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an Internet Protocol (EP) address corresponding to the MSID if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an IP address corresponding to the NAI if the RRQ does not comprise an appended MSID; and

communicate the assigned IP address to the packet data serving node.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the home agent is further operable to store the assigned IP address in the home agent table.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the packet data serving node is further operable to receive the MSID from the mobile node.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the packet data serving node is further operable to:

append the MSID to the RRQ; and

receive the assigned IP address from the home agent.

20. A packet data serving node for providing network services, comprising:

a processor operable to;

receive a mobile station identifier (MSID) from a mobile node;

receive a registration request (RRQ) from the mobile node, wherein the RRQ comprises a network access identifier (NAI);

append the MSID to the RRQ;

forward the RRQ to a home agent, the home agent operable to communicate with the packet data serving node; and

receive an IP address from the home agent, the IP address corresponding to the MSID; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory operable to;

store the MSID in a table; and

store the NAI in the table.

21. The packet data serving node of claim 20, wherein the MSID is included in a normal vendor specific extension (NVSE) constructed by the packet data serving node, and a processor operable to append the MSID to the RRQ comprises a processor operable to append the NVSE to the RRQ.

22. A home agent for providing network services, comprising:

a processor operable to;

receive a registration request (RRQ) from a packet data serving node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI);

determine whether the RRQ comprises an appended mobile station identifier (MSID);

assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the MSID if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an IP address corresponding to the NAI if the RRQ does not comprise an appended MSID; and

communicate the assigned IP address to the packet data serving node; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory operable to;

store the MSID in a table; and

store the assigned IP address in the table.

23. A system for providing network services, comprising:

means for receiving a mobile station identifier (MSID) from a mobile node at a packet data serving node, the packet data serving node operable to communicate with the mobile node;

means for receiving a registration request (RRQ) from the mobile node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI);

means for appending the MSID to the RRQ;

means for forwarding the RRQ to a home agent, the home agent operable to communicate with the packet data serving node; and

means for receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the home agent, the IP address corresponding to the MSID and to the NAI.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for assigning an IP address based upon the MSID.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising populating a home agent table with the MSID and assigned IP address.

26. A system for providing network services, comprising:

means for receiving a registration request (RRQ) at a home agent from a packet data serving node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAT);

means for determining whether the RRQ comprises an appended mobile station identifier (MSID);

means for storing the MSID in a home agent table if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

means for assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the MSID if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

means for assigning an IP address corresponding to the NAI if the RRQ does not comprise an appended MSID; and

means for communicating the assigned IP address to the packet data serving node.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for appending the MSID to the RRQ at the packet data serving node; and

means for forwarding the RRQ to the home agent.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

means for receiving a tunnel request at the packet data serving node, the tunnel request comprising the MSID;

means for appending the MSID to the RRQ at the packet data serving node; and

means for forwarding the RRQ to the home agent.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising means for storing the assigned IP address in the home agent table.

30. Logic encoded in media for providing network services, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

receive a mobile station identifier (MSID) from a mobile node at a packet data serving node, the packet data serving node operable to communicate with the mobile node;

receive a registration request (RRQ) from the mobile node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI);

append the MSID to the RRQ;

forward the RRQ to a home agent, the home agent operable to communicate with the packet data serving node; and

receive an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the home agent, the IP address corresponding to the MSID and to the NAI.

31. The logic encoded in media of claim 30, wherein the logic is further operable to assign an IP address based upon the MSID.

32. The logic encoded in media of claim 30, wherein the logic is further operable to populate a home agent table with the MSID and assigned IP address.

33. Logic encoded in media for providing network services, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

receive a registration request (RRQ) at a home agent from a packet data serving node, the RRQ comprising a network access identifier (NAI);

determine whether the RRQ comprises an appended mobile station identifier (MSID);

store the MSID in a home agent table if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the MSID if the RRQ comprises an appended MSID;

assign an IP address corresponding to the NAI if the RRQ does not comprise an appended MSID; and

communicate the assigned IP address to the packet data serving node.

34. The logic encoded in media of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to:

append the MSID to the RRQ at the packet data serving node; and

forward the RRQ to the home agent.

35. The logic encoded in media of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a tunnel request at the packet data serving node, the tunnel request comprising the MSID;

append the MSID to the RRQ; and

forward the RRQ to the home agent.

36. The logic encoded in media of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to store the assigned IP address in the home agent table.