Enhancement of network accounting records

• US 8,165,932 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Amdoes Limited
• Inventors: Schweitzer, Limor, Wagner, Eran, Givoly, Tal
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US11/850,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 705/400, 379/111, 379/114.12, 379/114.28, 379/115.01, 379/116, 379/119, 379/120, 370/524, 370/145, 370/189, 370/352, 370/380, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• 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 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• 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 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 : Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• 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 2215/44 : Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 : Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system and method are provided for processing network accounting information. A first network accounting record is received from a first source. Thereafter, the first network accounting record is correlated with accounting information available from a second source. The accounting information with which the first network accounting record is correlated is then used to enhance the first network accounting record.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving from a first source a first network record;

correlating the first network record with information available from a second source; and

using the information with which the first network record is correlated to enhance the first network record, the using performed by a processor;

wherein the information is in the form of a second network record and includes parameters and wherein the using comprises adding at least one parameter from the information to the first network record based on a policy;

wherein the enhancement includes adding at least one parameter missing from the first network record to an existing field of the first network record from the information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second source is a network source, further comprising:

receiving the second network record from the second source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second source is a memory, further comprising:

providing the information to the memory for storage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters include source IP address, destination IP address, application, sent bytes, received bytes, start timestamp, end timestamp, user name, contract type, and requested QoS.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy includes a QoS policy.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the at least one parameter missing from the first network record to the existing field of the first network record from the information is performed in a single step by placing the at least one parameter directly in the existing field of the first network record.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the using further comprises enhancing the first network record in two steps by using the information to obtain new additional data from a from a third source and placing the new additional data in the existing field of the first network record.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the using further comprises enhancing the first network record in three steps by using the information to obtain first additional data from a from a third source, using the first additional data to obtain second additional data from a fourth source, and placing the second additional data in the existing field of the first network record.

4. A system, comprising:

at least one data collector for receiving from a first source a first network record and for correlating the first network record with information available from a second source; and

an enhancement component for using the information with which the first network record is correlated to enhance the first network record;

wherein the system is operable such that the information is in the form of a second network record and includes parameters and wherein the system is operable such that the using comprises adding at least one parameter from the information to the first network record based on a policy;

wherein the system is operable such that the enhancement includes adding at least one parameter missing from the first network record to an existing field of the first network record from the information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second source is a network source, further comprising:

the at least one data collector for receiving the second network record from the second source.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second source is a memory, further comprising:

the enhancement component for providing the information to the memory for storage.

140. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one data collector is software installed on a network device.

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

computer code for receiving from a first source a first network record;

computer code for correlating the first network record with information available from a second source; and

computer code for using the information with which the first network record is correlated to enhance the first network record;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that the information is in the form of a second network record and includes parameters and wherein the computer program product is operable such that the using comprises adding at least one parameter from the information to the first network record based on a policy;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that the enhancement includes adding at least one parameter missing from the first network record to an existing field of the first network record from the information.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is a network source, further comprising:

computer code for receiving the second network record from the second source,

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is a memory, further comprising:

computer code for providing the information to the memory for storage,

15. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the parameters include at least one of a source IP address, destination IP address, application, timestamp, user name, contract type, and requested QoS.

16. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the parameters include at least two of a source IP address, destination IP address, application, timestamp, user name, contract type, and requested QoS.

17. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhanced first network record is utilized to allocate Quality of Service.

18. The compu program product of claim 7, wherein the receiving occurs in real time.

19. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the receiving is flexible to adapt to a change.

20. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the receiving occurs in real time and is flexible to adapt to a change.

21. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first source is a network element.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network element provides usage data,

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network element is a memory.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network element is a memory, and provides usage data.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network element is one of a server, a DNS, a firewall, an LDAP, a router, a switch, and an IP network.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network element provides usage data and is one of a server, a DNS, a firewall, an LDAP, a router, a switch, and an IP network.

27. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is enhanced to create a customer session record,

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network element provides usage data and the first network record from the network element is enhanced to create a customer session record.

29. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is received with a hatch of network records.

30. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is enhanced to create a customer session record and is received with a hatch of network records.

31. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes aggregating the information with the first network record.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating results in a single data record.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the first network record includes raw data, and the aggregating is performed in response to the receipt of the first network record including the raw data.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating is based on a scheme.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the scheme is based on at least one of a user identification information and a contract type associated with a user.

36. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the enhancing is used for network accounting.

37. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the enhancing is used for network accounting and includes aggregating the information with the first network record to result in a single data record.

38. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating is based on a contract type.

39. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating is based on usage information.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating is based on one of a scheme, a contract type, and usage information.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the aggregating is based on the scheme and the scheme is based on at least one of a user identification information and a contract type associated with a user.

42. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating is based on two of a scheme, a contract type, and usage information.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the aggregating is based on the scheme and the scheme is based on at least one of a user identification information and a contract type associated with a user.

44. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the aggregating is based on a scheme, a contract type, and usage information.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the scheme is based on at least one of a user identification information and a contract type associated with a user.

46. The cumyuicr program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is performed in real time.

47. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes merging.

48. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is performed within a particular proximity to the first source.

49. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is performed in real time and within a particular proximity to the first source.

50. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is based on an input from a user.

51. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is performed in real time and is based on an input from a user.

52. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is performed within a particular proximity to the first source and is based on an input from a user.

53. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the correlating is performed in real time, within a particular proximity to the first source, and is based on an input from a user.

54. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record includes network information.

55. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information includes information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

56. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is enhanced to create a customer session record, and includes network information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

57. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information relates to billing.

58. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information relates to billing and is received with a batch of network records.

59. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information includes statistics.

60. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information includes usage information.

61. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is enhanced to create a customer session record, includes usage information, and further includes network information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

62. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record relates to billing, and includes network information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

63. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is enhanced to create a customer session record, relates to billing, includes usage information, and further includes network information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

64. The computer program product of claim 60, wherein the usage information relates to services.

65. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information relates to billing and includes statistics.

66. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information relates to billing and includes usage information.

67. The computer program product of claim 66, wherein the usage information relates to services.

68. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information includes statistics and usage information.

69. The computer program product of claim 68, wherein the usage information relates to services.

70. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the network information relates to billing, includes statistics, and includes usage information.

71. The computer program product of claim 70, wherein the usage information relates to services.

72. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to a customer session.

73. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information from the second source is received with a batch of network records,

74. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source includes network information.

75. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source includes information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

76. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to billing information.

77. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source includes statistics.

78. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to billing information and includes statistics.

79. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source includes usage information.

80. The computer program product of claim 79, wherein the usage information relates to services.

81. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to billing information and includes usage information.

82. The computer program product of claim 81, wherein the usage information relates to services.

83. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source includes statistics and usage information.

84. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to billing information, includes statistics, and includes usage information.

85. The computer program product of claim 84, wherein the usage information relates to services.

86. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to a customer session and is received with a batch of network records.

87. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to a customer session and includes information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

88. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to a customer session, includes usage information, and further includes information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data. ISP session logging, and application layer use.

89. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to billing information and is received with a batch of network records.

90. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to billing information and includes information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

91. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source relates to a customer session and billing information, includes usage information, and further includes information from at least one of routers, firewall logging, email data, ISP session logging, and application layer use.

92. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is a network element.

93. The computer program product of claim 92, wherein the network element provides usage data.

94. The computer program product of claim 92, wherein the network element is one of a server, a DNS, a firewall, an LDAP, a router, a switch, and an IP network.

95. The computer program product of claim 92, wherein the network element is a memory.

96. The computer program product of claim 92, wherein the network element provides usage data and is one of a server, a DNS, a firewall, an LDAP, a router, a switch, and an IP network.

97. The computer program product of claim 92, wherein the network element is a memory, and provides usage data.

98. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the using is performed in accordance with business-rules.

99. The computer program product of claim 98, wherein the business-rules restrict input values to a field.

100. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the using further comprises transforming the first network record into a billing record according to the policy.

101. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing is performed in accordance with a set of rules.

102. The computer program product of claim 101, wherein the enhancing includes filling a field in accordance with the set of rules.

103. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes merging, is used for network accounting, and is performed in accordance with a set of rules.

104. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes removing duplicate data.

105. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes merging and removing duplicate data.

106. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing is based off of a plurality of parameters.

107. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes removing duplicate data, and is based off of a plurality of parameters.

108. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing includes applying functions.

109. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing requires user input.

110. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhanced first network record is a meaningful session record tailored to specific requirements.

111. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhanced first network record is a meaningful session record tailored to specific requirements, and is utilized to allocate Quality of Service.

112. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein each parameter is represented by a field.

113. The computer program product of claim 112, wherein at least one of the parameters is predefined.

114. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the adding at least one parameter to the first network record occurs in real time.

115. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhanced first network record is a session detail record.

116. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhanced first network record is a session detail record, and is utilized to allocate Quality of Service.

117. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the policy is based on at least one of a user identification information and a contract type associated with the user.

118. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the policy is flexible to adapt to a change.

119. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the correlating of the first network record with the information available from the second source is based on a threshold.

120. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first source is asynchronous.

121. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first source is a network element, and is asynchronous.

122. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is asynchronous,

123. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is a network element, and is asynchronous.

124. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is dynamically replaced.

125. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the second source is a network element, and is dynamically replaced.

126. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that statistics relating to at least one of the first network record and the information available from the second source are stored in a database.

127. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record includes data relating to session logging,

128. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information available from the second source includes data relating to session logging.

129. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the enhanced first network record is utilized to disable services.

130. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the enhancing is based on at least one of a maximum operation and an average operation.

131. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first network record is received based on a user input.

132. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information from the second source is collected based on a user input.

133. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that bottlenecks are reduced.

134. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that a customer session record is created.

135. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that services are capable of being disabled.

136. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the receiving occurs in real time, the enhancing results in a single data record and the enhanced first network record is utilized to allocate Quality of Service, the aggregating is based on a scheme, a contract type, and usage information, and further bottlenecks are reduced.

137. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that services are disabled, the receiving occurs in real time, the enhancing results in a single data record and the enhanced first network record is utilized to allocate Quality of Service, and the aggregating is based on a scheme, a contract type, and usage information.

138. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the receiving occurs in real time, the enhancing results in a single data record and the enhanced first network record is utilized to allocate Quality of Service, the aggregating is based on a scheme, a contract type, and usage information, and further wherein bottlenecks are reduced and services are disabled.

139. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the receiving occurs in real time, the enhancing results in a single data record and the enhanced first network record relates to a customer session record and is utilized to allocate uality of Service, the aggregating is based on a scheme, a contract type, and usage information, the parameters include at least one of a source IP address, destination IP address, application, timestamp, user name, contract type, and requested QoS, and further wherein bottlenecks are reduced and services are disabled.