Policy service system architecture for sessions created using STUN

• US 8,099,500 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Deason, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US13/101,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/226, 709/228, 709/229, 370/218, 370/219, 370/331
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2578 without involvement of the NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments for setting, managing, and monitoring connection policies for a plurality of network paths from a first endpoint to a second endpoint. In embodiments, a set of candidate addresses from a first endpoint and a set of candidate addresses from a second endpoint are received. Each candidate address of the first endpoint is paired with each candidate address of the second endpoint to create a plurality of candidate address pairs. Each candidate address pair has an associated network path. The network path is the route by which data flows to and from the various endpoints. Once all network paths between each candidate address pair have been determined, a connection policy is set for each network address pair and the associated network path.

Claims

1. A method of setting connection policies for a plurality of network paths from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a first set of candidate network addresses of the first endpoint and a second set of candidate network addresses of the second endpoint;

generating a plurality of candidate network address pairs, wherein each of the plurality of candidate network address pairs comprises a candidate network address of the first set of candidate network addresses paired with a candidate network address of the second set of candidate network addresses;

associating a network path with each candidate network address pair of the plurality of candidate network address pairs;

setting a connection policy for each associated network path of the plurality of associated network paths;

receiving session data comprising information regarding a requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;

identifying an allowable network path, comprising one of;

determining that at least one associated network path has a connection policy supporting the requested session; and

determining that none of the plurality of associated network paths has a connection policy supporting the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, wherein identifying the allowable network path further comprises;

receiving revised session data comprising revised information regarding the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, and

determining that at least one associated network path has a connection policy supporting the requested session;

upon identifying the allowable network path, establishing the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using the allowable network path; and

monitoring the established requested session to determine compliance with the connection policy associated with the allowable network path used for the established requested session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the session data indicates a type of session to be established between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the session data includes a bandwidth request that indicates an amount of bandwidth requested for the type of session.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the type of session is one of a voice-over internet protocol session, a video session, an audio session, a joint video-audio session, and a joint video voice-over internet session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy for each associated network path specifies at least one of:

a session type, a total amount of bandwidth, a maximum amount of bandwidth per session, a total number of data transmissions, a total number of phone calls, and a maximum number of sessions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically monitoring the established requested session to determine quality of experience on the allowable network path used for the established requested session.

7. A computer storage medium not consisting of a modulated signal and encoding computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for setting connection policies for a plurality of network paths from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a first set of candidate network addresses of the first endpoint and a second set of candidate network addresses of the second endpoint;

generating a plurality of candidate network address pairs, wherein each of the plurality of candidate network address pairs comprises a candidate network address of the first set of candidate network addresses paired with a candidate network address of the second set of candidate network addresses;

associating a network path with each candidate network address pair of the plurality of candidate network address pairs;

setting a connection policy for each associated network path of the plurality of associated network paths;

receiving session data comprising information regarding a requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;

identifying an allowable network path, comprising one of;

determining that at least one associated network path has a connection policy supporting the requested session; and

determining that none of the plurality of associated network paths has a connection policy supporting the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, wherein identifying the allowable network path further comprises;

receiving revised session data comprising revised information regarding the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, and

determining that at least one associated network path has a connection policy supporting the requested session;

upon identifying the allowable network path, establishing the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using the allowable network path; and

monitoring the established requested session to determine compliance with the connection policy associated with the allowable network path used for the established requested session.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the session data indicates a type of session to be established between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the type of session is one of a voice-over internet protocol session, a video session, an audio session, a joint video-audio session, and a joint video voice-over internet session.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the connection policy for each associated network path specifies at least one of:

a session type, a total amount of bandwidth, a maximum amount of bandwidth per session, a total number of data transmissions, a total number of phone calls, and a maximum number of sessions.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 7, further comprising periodically monitoring the established requested session to determine quality of experience on the allowable network path used for the established requested session.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 7, further comprising determining whether one or more of the candidate network addresses known by the server is behind a network address translator.

13. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor perform a method for setting connection policies for a plurality of network paths from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, the method comprising;

receiving, by a server, a first set of candidate network addresses of the first endpoint and a second set of candidate network addresses of the second endpoint;

generating a plurality of candidate network address pairs, wherein each of the plurality of candidate network address pairs comprises a candidate network address of the first set of candidate network addresses paired with a candidate network address of the second set of candidate network addresses;

associating a network path with each candidate network address pair of the plurality of candidate network address pairs;

setting a connection policy for each associated network path of the plurality of associated network paths;

receiving session data comprising information regarding a requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;

identifying an allowable network path, comprising one of;

determining that at least one associated network path has a connection policy supporting the requested session; and

determining that none of the plurality of associated network paths has a connection policy supporting the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, wherein identifying the allowable network path further comprises;

receiving revised session data comprising revised information regarding the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, and

determining that at least one associated network path has a connection policy supporting the requested session;

upon identifying the allowable network path, establishing the requested session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using the allowable network path; and

monitoring the established requested session to determine compliance with the connection policy associated with the allowable network path used for the established requested session.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the session data indicates a type of session to be established between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the type of session is one of a voice-over internet protocol session, a video session, an audio session, a joint video-audio session, and a joint video voice-over internet session.

16. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising periodically monitoring the established requested session to determine quality of experience on the allowable network path used for the established requested session.