Method and arrangement for enabling service delivery in a telecommunications network

• US 9,059,944 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Damola, Ayodele, Westberg, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US13/881,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/226, 709/219, 726/7, 370/468, 370/252, 705/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/78 Architectures of resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method and arrangement for enabling delivery of an IT-service to a client, wherein execution of the IT-service requires resources in a cloud architecture. First, a plurality of predefined cloud computing services and respective requirements for resources, are registered. Then, service subscriptions and associated subscription identities, valid in a telecommunications network, are provisioned for the predefined cloud computing services. One of the service subscriptions and associated subscription identity is assigned to an identity module, for enabling delivery of the IT-service to the client by providing an associated predefined cloud computing service when the client uses the identity module. Then, activity of the assigned service subscription is monitored in the network based on the associated subscription identity, and resources are allocated in the cloud architecture according to the assigned service subscription, when it is detected that the assigned service subscription is activated or has been activated.

Claims

1. A method in a service enabler for enabling delivery of an IT-service to a client, wherein execution of the IT-service comprises resources in a cloud architecture, the method comprising:

registering a plurality of predefined cloud computing services and their respective requirements for resources in the cloud architecture;

provisioning service subscriptions and associated subscription identities for the predefined cloud computing services, said service subscriptions and subscription identities being valid in a telecommunications network;

assigning one of said service subscriptions and associated subscription identity to an identity module, for enabling delivery of said IT-service to the client by providing an associated predefined cloud computing service responsive to the client using said identity module;

monitoring activity of the assigned service subscription in said telecommunications network based on the associated subscription identity; and

allocating resources in the cloud architecture according to the assigned service subscription, responsive to detecting that the assigned service subscription is activated or has been activated,

wherein the identity module is installed in a mobile broadband router or a fixed wireless terminal associated with a set of clients, thereby allowing said set of clients to utilise the provided cloud computing service.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises detecting that said service subscription is activated responsive to the client, using said identity module, connecting to said telecommunications network.

3. A method according to claim 2, the client comprising a mobile terminal, wherein said activation of the service subscription is detected responsive to the mobile terminal activating a primary PDP (Packet Data Protocol) context.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identity module comprises at least one of:

a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, soft SIM, USIM (UMTS SIM), ISIM (IMS SIM), VSIM (Virtual SIM), MCIM (Machine Communication Identity Module), smart card, and encryption circuit, adapted for installation in the client, and wherein corresponding subscriber data is maintained in a subscription database of the telecommunications network.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the telecommunications network is a mobile network, the identity module is a SIM card for use in mobile terminals, and the subscription database is an HLR (Home Location Register) or an HSS (Home Subscriber Server) of the mobile network.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said allocating comprises identifying the cloud computing service connected to the service subscription assigned to the identity module, and determining resource requirements of the identified cloud computing service.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said assigned service subscription comprises an aggregated subscription.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processing is interrupted and the allocated resources in the cloud architecture are released, responsive to detecting that the service subscription is de-activated.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the assigned service subscription comprises a pre-paid service subscription and said provided cloud computing service is suspended responsive to detecting that a pre-paid amount for the service subscription has been spent, and wherein the cloud computing service is resumed responsive to a new amount having been paid for the service subscription.

10. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the assigned service subscription comprises a pre-paid service subscription,

when the cloud computing service changes from an active state to a suspended state, responsive to detecting that a pre-paid amount for the service subscription has been spent,

wherein the cloud computing service changes from the suspended state to an active state, responsive to a new amount having been paid for the service subscription, and

wherein the cloud computing service changes from the active state to an inactive state, responsive to detection of de-activation of the subscription.

11. An arrangement in a service enabler configured to enable delivery of an IT-service to a client, wherein execution of the IT-service requires resources in a cloud architecture, the arrangement in the service enabler comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and comprising computer readable program code that when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

registering a plurality of predefined cloud computing services and their respective requirements for resources in the cloud architecture;

provisioning service subscriptions and associated subscription identities for the predefined cloud computing services, said service subscriptions and subscription identities being valid in a telecommunications network, and to assign one of said service subscriptions and associated subscription identity to an identity module for enabling delivery of said IT-service to the client by providing an associated predefined cloud computing service responsive to the client using said identity module; and

monitoring activity of the assigned service subscription in said telecommunications network based on the associated subscription identity,

allocating resources in the cloud architecture according to the assigned service subscription responsive to detecting that the assigned service subscription is activated or has been activated,

wherein the identity module is installed in a mobile broadband router or a fixed wireless terminal associated with a set of clients, thereby allowing said set of clients to utilise the provided cloud computing service.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise detecting that said service subscription is activated responsive to the client, using said identity module, connecting to said telecommunications network.

13. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the client comprises a mobile terminal, the operations further comprise detecting said activation of the service subscription responsive to the mobile terminal activating a primary PDP (Packet Data Protocol) context.

14. An arrangement according to claim 11,

wherein said identity module comprises at least one of:

a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, soft SIM, USIM (UMTS SIM), ISIM (IMS SIM), VSIM (Virtual SIM), MCIM (Machine Communication Identity Module), smart card, and encryption circuit, adapted for installation in the client, and

wherein corresponding subscriber data is maintained in a subscription database of the telecommunications network.

15. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a mobile network, the identity module comprises a SIM card for use in mobile terminals, and the subscription database comprises an HLR (Home Location Register) or an HSS (Home Subscriber Server) of the mobile network.

16. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise allocating the resources by identifying the cloud computing service connected to said service subscription assigned to the identity module and determining resource requirements of the identified cloud computing service.

17. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said assigned service subscription comprises an aggregated subscription.

18. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise interrupting the processing such that the allocated resources in the cloud architecture are released, responsive to detecting that said service subscription is de-activated.

19. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the assigned service subscription comprises a pre-paid service subscription, and wherein the operations further comprise suspending said provided cloud computing service responsive to detecting that a pre-paid amount for the service subscription has been spent, and to resume the cloud computing service responsive to a new amount having been paid for the service subscription.

20. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the assigned service subscription comprises a pre-paid service subscription, and wherein the operations further comprise:

changing the cloud computing service from an active state to a suspended state, responsive to detecting that a pre-paid amount for the service subscription has been spent,

changing the cloud computing service from the suspended state to an active state, responsive to a new amount having been paid for the service subscription, and

changing the cloud computing service from the active state to an inactive state, responsive to detection of de-activation of the subscription.