Subscriber-based network traffic management

• US 8,675,488 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Lordello, Claudio, El-Medani, Sherine, Poirier, Jason P., Dzhitenov, Vitaly, Sidebottom, Gregory A., Ries, Steffen, Gao, Yue, Dalle, Gregory M., Lima, Paulo
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, KIET G
• Application Number:
  US12/876,901
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370229-230
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed to techniques for offloading per-subscriber traffic management from an access gateway to one or more upstream service nodes within a service provider network. For example, as described herein, an upstream service node receives a new packet flow for a subscriber and sends packet flow information, such as a network address, to a session and resource controller (SRC). The SRC maintains a table of subscriber attachment sessions and maps the packet flow information to a subscriber attachment session in the table to obtain a subscriber identifier for a subscriber. The SRC then determines subscriber-specific services to be applied to subscriber data traffic, transforms the services to a set of one or more enforcement policies, and returns the enforcement policies to the service node. In turn, the service node applies the enforcement policies for the subscriber-specific services to the subscriber data traffic in the packet flow.

Claims

1. A service node device for providing subscriber-specific services upstream from an access router of an access network and coupled by a communication link to an external session and resource controller (SRC) that manages application services applied at the service node, the service node device comprising:

a network interface to receive an initial packet of a packet flow associated with a subscriber device attached to the access network, wherein the initial packet includes a network address dynamically assigned to the subscriber device by an authentication server upon attachment of the subscriber device to the access network, and wherein the service node device does not store a subscriber identifier associated with the network address when the initial packet is received;

a packet-triggered subscriber and policy interface (PTSP) client to generate a message that includes the network address but does not include a subscriber identifier associated with the network address, wherein the PTSP client sends the message to the external SRC to request an enforcement policy for the network address;

wherein the PTSP client receives, from the external SRC and in response to the message, the enforcement policy, wherein the enforcement policy represents a subscriber-specific service mapped to the network address by the external SRC; and

a services unit to apply the enforcement policy to the packet flow.

2. The service node device of claim 1, wherein the enforcement policy represents the subscriber-specific service mapped to the network address by associating a subscriber identifier with the network address and mapping the subscriber-specific service to the subscriber identifier.

3. The service node device of claim 1, wherein the service node device does not manage a subscriber attachment session for a subscriber associated with the network address.

4. The service node device of claim 1, further comprising:

a service unit that stores the enforcement policy as configuration data for the service unit,

wherein the service unit comprises a service card to apply the enforcement policy to the packet flow.

5. The service node device of claim 1, wherein the enforcement policy causes the service card to redirect the packet flow to a service complex.

6. The service node device of claim 1, further comprising:

a forwarding unit having a flow steering unit to determine the packet flow is a new packet flow and identify the network address using the initial packet of the new packet flow,

wherein, upon determining the packet flow is a new packet flow, the flow steering unit sends the network address to the packet-triggered subscriber and policy control (PTSP) client.

7. The service node device of claim 1, wherein the network interface outputs the initial packet to the layer three edge device.

8. The service node device of claim 1,

wherein the service node device is a network router,

wherein the service unit is integrated within the network router, the service unit comprising a service card configured to apply the enforcement policy to the packet flow, and further comprising:

a routing engine comprising a control unit that executes a routing protocol to maintain routing information specifying routes through a network;

a forwarding engine configured by the routing engine to select next hops for packets in accordance with the routing information, the forwarding engine comprising a switch fabric to forward the packets to the interfaces based on the selected next hops, wherein the forwarding engine includes a flow control module that, upon receiving packets from the network, directs one or more of the packets of the packet flow to the service unit for application of the enforcement policy that represents the subscriber-specific service.

9. A session and resource controller (SRC) comprising:

a session repository to store an attachment sessions table and a service sessions table, wherein the attachment sessions table comprises one or more subscriber attachment records that each map a network address to a subscriber identifier, and wherein the service sessions table comprises one or more service sessions records that each map a subscriber identifier to a service;

a subscriber attachment front end to receive an attachment notification message for a subscriber device, wherein the attachment notification message includes a mapping that maps, to a subscriber identifier, a network address dynamically assigned to the subscriber device by an authentication server upon attachment of the subscriber device to an access network, and wherein the subscriber attachment front end stores the mapping to the attachment sessions table as a subscriber attachment record; and

a service activation engine to receive, from an external service node device coupled by a communication link to the SRC, a message that includes a network address, but does not include the subscriber identifier associated with the network address, that characterizes a packet flow traversing the external service node device,

wherein the service activation engine, upon receiving the message from the external service node device;

queries the attachment sessions table using the first network address to obtain the subscriber identifier mapped to the network address;

queries the service sessions table using the subscriber identifier to obtain a subscriber-specific service to apply to the packet flow characterized by the network address; and

sends service information for the subscriber-specific service to the external service node device to cause the external service node device to apply the subscriber-specific service to the packet flow characterized by the network address.

10. The SRC of claim 9,

wherein the service activation engine translates the subscriber-specific service to a set of one or more enforcement policies, and

wherein the service information comprises the enforcement policies.

11. The SRC of claim 9, further comprising:

an advanced services gateway to receive a service activation request for the subscriber-specific service, wherein the service activation request includes the network address and a service identifier for the subscriber-specific service, wherein the advanced services gateway stores the network address and the service identifier as a service sessions record to the service sessions table,

wherein the service activation engine creates a subscriber session for the packet flow characterized by the network address,

wherein the service activation engine uses the network address received in the service activation request to query the attachment sessions table to obtain the subscriber identifier, and

wherein the service activation engine instantiates the subscriber-specific service as a service session for the subscriber session.

12. The SRC of claim 9,

wherein the service activation engine creates a packet-triggered subscriber and policy interface (PTSP) session for communication with the external service node device,

wherein the service activation engine creates a subscriber session for the packet flow characterized by the network address,

wherein the service activation engine associates the PTSP session with the subscriber session, and

wherein the service activation engine sends service information for the subscriber-specific service to the external service node device by determining the PTSP session is associated with the subscriber session and sending the service information for the subscriber-specific service to the external service node device with the PTSP session.

13. The SRC of claim 9,

wherein the external service node device comprises a first external service node device,

wherein the packet flow comprises a first packet flow,

wherein the message comprises a first message, and

wherein the service activation engine, upon receiving the network address in a second message from a second external service node device that is different than the first external service node device:

queries the attachment sessions table using the network address to obtain the subscriber identifier mapped to the network address;

queries the service sessions table using the subscriber identifier to obtain a subscriber-specific service to apply to a second packet flow transported by the second external service node device and characterized by the network address; and

sends service information for the subscriber-specific service to the second external service node device to cause the second external service node device to apply the subscriber-specific service to the second packet flow.

14. A method for applying, to a packet flow, policies with a service node device that is located upstream from an access router of an access network a coupled by a communication link to an external session and resource controller (SRC), comprising:

receiving an initial packet of a packet flow associated with a subscriber device attached to the access network, wherein the initial packet includes a network address dynamically assigned to the subscriber device by an authentication server upon attachment of the subscriber device to the access network, and wherein the service node device does not store a subscriber identifier associated with the network address when the initial packet is received;

generating a message that includes the network address but does not include the subscriber identifier associated with the network address and sending the message from the service node device to the external SRC to request an enforcement policy for the network address;

receiving the enforcement policy with the service node device and from the SRC, wherein the enforcement policy represents a subscriber-specific service mapped to the network address; and

applying the enforcement policy with the service node device to the packet flow.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the enforcement policy represents the subscriber-specific service mapped to the network address by the external SRC by associating a subscriber identifier with the network address and mapping the subscriber-specific service to the subscriber identifier.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising installing the enforcement policy in a services unit of the service node device for application to the packet flow by the services unit.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the packet flow is a new packet flow with a forwarding unit of the service node device;

identifying the network address from the new packet flow with the forwarding unit using the initial packet;

upon determining the packet flow is a new packet flow, creating a packet-triggered subscriber and policy control (PTSP) session with the SRC for the packet flow; and

sending the message to the session and resource controller using the PTSP session.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising outputting the initial packet from the service node device to the access router.

19. A method comprising:

with a session and resource controller (SRC), storing an attachment sessions table and a service sessions table, wherein the attachment sessions table comprises one or more subscriber attachment records that each map a network address to a subscriber identifier, and wherein the service sessions table comprises one or more service sessions records that each map a subscriber identifier to a service;

receiving, with the SRC, an attachment notification message for a subscriber device, wherein the attachment notification message includes a mapping that maps, to a subscriber identifier, a network address dynamically assigned to the subscriber device by an authentication server upon attachment of the subscriber device to an access network;

storing the mapping to the attachment sessions table as a subscriber attachment record;

receiving, with the SRC from an external service node device, a message that includes a network address, but does not include the subscriber identifier associated with the network address, that characterizes a packet flow traversing the external service node device;

by the SRC and in response to receiving the message, querying the attachment sessions table using the network address to obtain the subscriber identifier mapped to the network address in the subscriber attachment record;

by the SRC and in response to receiving the message, querying the service sessions table using the subscriber identifier to obtain a subscriber-specific service to apply to the packet flow characterized by the network address;

and

by the SRC and in response to receiving the message, sending service information for the subscriber-specific service to the external service node device to cause the external service node device to apply the subscriber-specific service to the packet flow characterized by the network address.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising translating the subscriber-specific service to a set of one or more enforcement policies, wherein the service information comprises the enforcement policies.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

creating a subscriber session that corresponds to the packet flow characterized by the network address;

receiving, with the SRC and from an application server, a service activation request for the subscriber-specific service, wherein the service activation request includes the network address and a service identifier for the subscriber-specific service;

storing the network address and the service identifier as a service sessions record to the service sessions table; and

instantiating the subscriber-specific service as a service session for the subscriber session.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

creating a packet-triggered subscriber and policy interface (PTSP) session for communication with the external service node device;

receiving the network address from the external service node device in the PTSP session;

creating, with the SRC, a subscriber session that corresponds to the packet flow; and

associating the PTSP session with the subscriber session,

wherein sending service information for the subscriber-specific service to the external service node device comprises determining the PTSP session is associated with the subscriber session and sending the service information for the subscriber-specific service to the external service node device with the PTSP session.

23. A system comprising:

an access gateway of an access network for a service provider network;

a session and resource controller (SRC) external to the access gateway; and

first and second service node devices of the service provider network that are external to and located upstream from the access gateway in the service provider network, wherein the first service node device comprises;

a first network interface to receive a first initial packet for a first packet flow associated with a subscriber device attached to the access network, wherein the first initial packet includes a network address dynamically assigned to the subscriber device by an authentication server upon attachment of the subscriber device to the access network, and wherein the first service node device does not store a subscriber identifier associated with the network address when the first initial packet is received;

a first packet-triggered subscriber and policy interface (PTSP) client to generate a first message that includes the network address but does not include a subscriber identifier associated with the network address and to send the first message to the SRC to request and receive an enforcement policy for the network address; and

a first service unit to apply the first enforcement policy to the first packet flow,

wherein the second service node device comprises;

a second network interface to receive a second initial packet for a second packet flow associated with the subscriber device, wherein the second initial packet includes the network address, and wherein the second service node device does not store a subscriber identifier associated with the network address when the second initial packet is received;

a second packet-triggered subscriber and policy interface (PTSP) client to generate a second message that includes the network address but does not include the subscriber identifier associated with the network address and to send the second message to the SRC to request and receive the enforcement policy for the network address; and

a second service unit to apply the second enforcement policy to the second packet flow,

wherein the SRC is external to the first and second service node devices and comprises;

an attachment sessions table comprising one or more attachment session records that each map a network address to a subscriber identifier;

a service sessions table comprising one or more service session records that each map a subscriber identifier to a service;

a service activation engine to receive the first message and the second message,

wherein the service activation engine uses the network address received in the first message and the second message to determine a subscriber identifier from the attachment sessions table,

wherein the service activation engine uses the subscriber identifier to determine the service from the service sessions table,

wherein the service activation engine sends the enforcement policy for the service to the first and second service node devices, and

wherein the respective first and second service units of the first and second service node devices apply the enforcement policy to the respective first and second packet flows.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the session and resource controller further comprises:

an advanced services gateway to receive a service activation request that comprises the network address and a service identifier for the service,

wherein the advanced services gateway stores the service identifier and the network address as a service session record in the service sessions table.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the respective first and second network interfaces output the respective first and second packet flows to the access gateway.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the enforcement policy causes the first and second service node devices to selectively redirect the first and second packet flows along a particular network path.