Methods, systems, and computer readable media for diameter protocol harmonization

• US 8,532,110 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: McCann, Thomas M., Nas, Petrus Wilhelmus Adrianus Jacobus Maria, Marsico, Peter Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAMARA, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/026,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/401, 370/466, 370/230, 370/392, 707/999.101, 726/3
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing Diameter protocol harmonization. The method includes steps occurring at a Diameter node. The method further includes determining a first Diameter protocol associated with received Diameter information that is to be sent to a destination. The method also includes determining a second Diameter protocol associated with the destination. The method further includes harmonizing the received Diameter information such that the harmonized Diameter information is compatible with the second Diameter protocol. The method also includes providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination.

Claims

1. A method for providing Diameter protocol harmonization,

the method comprising:

at a Diameter node;

determining a first Diameter protocol associated with received Diameter

determining a second Diameter protocol associated with the destination, wherein the second Diameter protocol is different than the first Diameter protocol,

wherein determining the second Diameter protocol includes determining the second protocol based on an application identifier and an origination host ID associated with the received Diameter information;

harmonizing the received Diameter information such that the harmonized Diameter information is compatible with the second Diameter protocol, wherein harmonizing includes adding, deleting, or modifying an attribute value pair associated with the received Diameter information; and

providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first Diameter protocol and the second Diameter protocol each include a Diameter protocol implementation, a Diameter protocol version, a variant of a Diameter protocol version, a Diameter protocol variant, a version of a Diameter protocol variant, a Diameter protocol defined by a standards entity, or a Diameter protocol defined by a non-standards entity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination includes a node, a host, a realm, a domain, a network segment, or a network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein harmonizing the Diameter information includes generating, using a harmonization rule, a new Diameter message based on the received Diameter information and wherein providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination includes sending the new Diameter message to the destination.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein harmonizing the Diameter information includes modifying, using a harmonization rule, the received Diameter information and wherein providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination includes sending the modified Diameter information to the destination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more harmonization rule is stored at a database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the received Diameter information and the harmonized Diameter information includes a Diameter message, attribute value pair (AVP) information, parameter information, value information, message header information, or message payload information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the Diameter node comprises a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a Diameter relay agent, a Diameter redirect agent, a Diameter translation agent, a Diameter proxy agent, a Diameter node, a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS) and/or authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF), a serving gateway (SGW), a packet data network gateway (PDN GW), a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a subscriber profile repository (SPR), a Diameter agent, a network node, a policy engine, a policy server, an application function (AF), an application server, a Diameter signaling agent, a long term evolution (LTE) node, an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network node, a server, a node, a processor, a database, or a computing platform.

9. A system for providing Diameter protocol harmonization,

the system comprising:

a Diameter node including;

a communications interface for receiving Diameter information that is to be sent to a destination; and

a harmonization module for determining a first Diameter protocol associated with the received Diameter information, for determining a second Diameter protocol associated with the destination, wherein the second Diameter protocol is different than the first Diameter protocol, wherein determining the second Diameter protocol includes determining the second protocol based on an application identifier and an origination host ID associated with the received Diameter information, for harmonizing the received Diameter information such that the harmonized Diameter information is compatible with the second Diameter protocol, wherein harmonizing includes adding, deleting, or modifying an attribute value pair associated with the received Diameter information, and for providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first Diameter protocol and the second Diameter protocol each include a Diameter protocol implementation, a Diameter protocol version, a variant of a Diameter protocol version, a Diameter protocol variant, a version of a Diameter protocol variant, a Diameter protocol defined by a standards entity, or a Diameter protocol defined by a non-standards entity.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the destination includes a node, a host, a realm, a domain, a network segment, or a network.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein harmonizing the received Diameter information includes generating, using a harmonization rule, a new Diameter message based on the received Diameter information and wherein providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination includes sending the new Diameter message to the destination.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein harmonizing the received Diameter information includes modifying, using a harmonization rule, the received Diameter information and wherein providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination includes sending the modified Diameter information to the destination.

14. The system of claim 9 comprising a database for storing one or more harmonization rules.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the received Diameter information and the harmonized Diameter information includes a Diameter message, attribute value pair (AVP) information, parameter information, value information, message header information, or message payload information.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the system comprises a Diameter signaling router, a Diameter relay agent, a Diameter redirect agent, a Diameter translation agent, a Diameter proxy agent, a Diameter node, a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS) and/or authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF), a serving gateway (SOW), a packet data network gateway (PDN GW), a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a subscriber profile repository (SPR), a Diameter agent, a network node, a policy engine, a policy server, an application function (AF), an application server, a Diameter signaling agent, a long term evolution (LTE) node, an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network node, a server, a node, a processor, a database, or a computing platform.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a Diameter node;

determining a first Diameter protocol associated with received Diameter information that is to be sent to a destination;

determining a second Diameter protocol associated with the destination, wherein the second Diameter protocol is different than the first Diameter protocol,

wherein determining the second Diameter protocol includes determining the second protocol based on an application identifier and an origination host ID associated with the received Diameter information;

harmonizing the received Diameter information such that the harmonized Diameter information is compatible with the second Diameter protocol, wherein harmonizing includes adding, deleting, or modifying an attribute value pair associated with the received Diameter information; and

providing the harmonized Diameter information to the destination.