Methods, systems, and computer readable media for multi-interface monitoring and correlation of diameter signaling information

• US 8,750,126 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: McCann, Thomas M., Tomar, Mahesh, Marsico, Peter Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US13/026,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20110188397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-240, 370310-350, 370384-385, 370400-401, 370/410, 370/426, 370461-463, 370/496, 370522-525, 455446-466, 709223-231
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]

Abstract

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for multi-interface monitoring and correlation of Diameter signaling information. The method includes copying Diameter information from a first signaling message traversing a first signaling interface. The method further includes copying information from a second signaling message traversing a second signaling interface. The method further includes correlating the Diameter information from the first signaling message with the information from the second signaling message and storing the correlated information in a memory device.

Claims

1. A system for multi-interface monitoring and correlation of Diameter information, the system comprising:

a first screening module for copying Diameter information from a first signaling message traversing a first signaling interface;

a second screening module for copying information from a second signaling message traversing a second signaling interface;

a correlation module for correlating the Diameter information copied from the first signaling message with the information copied from the second signaling message and storing the correlated information in a memory device; and

a Diameter node for performing at least one Diameter function, wherein the screening modules are components of the Diameter node, wherein the Diameter node comprises a Diameter signaling router (DSR), wherein the DSR includes a plurality of message processors for routing Diameter signaling messages, wherein the correlation module is implemented on each of the message processors and shares Diameter message correlation capability with routing functionality of the message processors.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second signaling messages each comprise a Diameter signaling message.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first signaling message comprises a Diameter signaling message and the second signaling message comprises a non-Diameter signaling message.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlation module implemented on each message processor is adapted to correlate a set of messages relating to a Diameter transaction and to communicate a single message including the correlated set to a monitoring module.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the Diameter node comprises a Diameter signaling gateway.

6. The system of claim 1 comprising a stand-alone data collection platform, wherein the screening modules and the correlation modules utilize the stand-alone data collection platform.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the stand-alone data collection platform includes link probes, wherein additional screening modules are components of the link probes.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the stand-alone data collection platform includes link probes, wherein the screening modules are separate from the link probes and the screening modules screen signaling messages copied by the link probes.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlation module is configured to make the correlated information available to at least one application.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one application includes one of a fraud detection application, a billing application, a charging data function, and a roaming verification application.

11. The system of claim 1 comprising a communications detail record (CDR) or session detail record (SDR) generator module for generating a CDR or SDR containing Diameter information from the first signaling message and information from the second signaling message.

12. The system of claim 1 comprising a monitoring module for providing screening rules to the screening modules, wherein the screening rules screen Diameter signaling messages using the screening rules.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the monitoring module provides a first screening rule to a first screening module, the first screening module detects a first message based on the first screening rule and sends information regarding the first message to the monitoring module, and wherein the monitoring module uses the information regarding to the first message to formulate and send a second screening rule to the first screening module.

14. A method for multi-interface monitoring and correlation of Diameter information, the method comprising:

copying, by a first screening module, Diameter information from a first signaling message traversing a first signaling interface;

copying, by a second screening module, information from a second signaling message traversing a second signaling interface; and

correlating, by a correlation module, the Diameter information copied from the first signaling message with the information copied from the second signaling message and storing the correlated information in a memory device,

wherein the screening modules are components of a Diameter node for performing at least one Diameter function, wherein the Diameter node comprises a Diameter signaling router (DSR), wherein the DSR includes a plurality of message processors for routing Diameter signaling messages, and wherein the correlation module is implemented on each of the message processors and shares Diameter message correlation capability with routing functionality of the message processors.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and second signaling messages each comprise a Diameter signaling message.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first signaling message comprises a Diameter signaling message and the second signaling message comprises a non-Diameter signaling message.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the Diameter node comprises a Diameter signaling gateway.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein copying information from the signaling messages and correlating the Diameter information copied from the first signaling message with the information copied from the second signaling message are performed using a stand-alone data collection platform.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein copying information from the signaling messages is performed by one or more link probes.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein copying information from the signaling messages is performed separately from the link probes and wherein the information copied is from signaling messages copied by the link probes.

21. The method of claim 14 comprising making the correlated information available to at least one application.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one application includes one of a fraud detection application, a billing application, a charging data function, and a roaming verification application.

23. The method of claim 14 comprising generating a call detail record (CDR) or session detail record (SDR) containing the Diameter information from the first signaling message and the information from the second signaling message.

24. 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:

copying, by a first screening module, Diameter information from a first signaling message traversing a first signaling interface;

copying, by a second screening module, information from a second signaling message traversing a second signaling interface; and

correlating, by a correlation module, the Diameter information copied from the first signaling message with the information copied from the second signaling message and storing the correlated information in a memory device,

wherein the screening modules are components of a Diameter node for performing at least one Diameter function, wherein the Diameter node comprises a Diameter signaling router (DSR), wherein the DSR includes a plurality of message processors for routing Diameter signaling messages, and wherein the correlation module is implemented on each of the message processors and shares Diameter message correlation capability with routing functionality of the message processors.