Methods, systems, and computer readable media for screening diameter messages within a diameter signaling router (DSR) having a distributed message processor architecture

• US 9,935,922 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Nas, Petrus Wilhelmus Adrianus Jacobus Maria, McCann, Thomas Matthew, Marsico, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELFERVIG, TAYLOR A
• Application Number:
  US13/354,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud

Abstract

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for screening Diameter messages within a Diameter signaling router (DSR) having a distributed message processor architecture. The method includes steps occurring at a DSR comprising a plurality of Diameter message processors, each configured to perform at least one Diameter function. The steps include receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor of the Diameter message processors, a Diameter message from a Diameter peer node. The steps also include identifying, at a Diameter application message processor of the Diameter message processors, a Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message. The steps further include performing, at the Diameter application message processor of the Diameter message processors, a screening function associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule on the received Diameter message.

Claims

1. A method for screening Diameter messages within a Diameter signaling router (DSR) having a distributed message processor architecture, the method comprising:

at a DSR comprising a plurality of Diameter message processors, each configured to perform at least one Diameter function;

receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor of the Diameter message processors, a Diameter message from a Diameter peer node;

identifying, at a Diameter application message processor of the Diameter message processors, a Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message, wherein the identified Diameter message screening rule specifies a maximum receipt rate for Diameter messages received from the Diameter peer node, wherein the Diameter messages received from the Diameter peer node are associated with a plurality of users;

performing, at the Diameter application message processor of the Diameter message processors, a screening function associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule on the received Diameter message based on message attribute value pair (AVP) values, wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes determining that the Diameter message is to be discarded or is to receive additional screening, wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes adjusting a current receipt rate of Diameter messages associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule to account for the received Diameter message;

after performing the screening function and determining that the Diameter message is to receive additional screening, performing a second screening function based on the maximum receipt rate for Diameter messages associated with the Diameter message screening rule; and

in response to the current receipt rate of Diameter messages associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule exceeding the maximum receipt rate, routing the received Diameter message by forwarding the received Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor of the Diameter message processors and notifying a network operator.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising forwarding the Diameter message from the ingress Diameter message processor to the Diameter application message processor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes discarding the received Diameter message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes modifying the received Diameter message and forwarding the modified Diameter message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein modifying the received Diameter message includes at least one of adding new information to the received Diameter message and removing information from the received Diameter message.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein forwarding the modified Diameter message includes forwarding the modified Diameter message to at least one of a Diameter peer node and a home subscriber server (HSS) node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes generating a screening event notification message regarding the received Diameter message and communicating the screening event notification message to a network operations center.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes generating an error message and communicating the generated error message to the Diameter peer node.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes generating an associated answer message to the received Diameter message and communicating the generated associated answer message to the Diameter peer node.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes recording or updating one or more usage or measurement statistics associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule to account for the received Diameter message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message includes identifying the Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message based on at least one of a Diameter connection over which the received Diameter message was received, a Diameter session of which the received Diameter message is a part, an origin host associated with the received Diameter message, an origin realm associated with the received Diameter message, a source Internet protocol (IP) address associated with the received Diameter message, a destination host associated with the received Diameter message, a destination realm associated with the received Diameter message, a Diameter connection over which the received Diameter message will be sent, a destination IP address to which the received Diameter message will be sent, a Diameter application identifier associated with the received Diameter message, a Diameter message command code associated with the received Diameter message, an AVP code associated with the received Diameter message, and an AVP data value associated with the received Diameter message.

12. A system for screening Diameter messages within a Diameter signaling router (DSR) having a distributed message processor architecture, the system comprising:

a DSR comprising;

an ingress Diameter message processor configured to receive a Diameter message from a Diameter peer node; and

a Diameter application message processor configured to identify a Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message, wherein the identified Diameter message screening rule specifies a maximum receipt rate for Diameter messages received from the Diameter peer node, wherein the Diameter messages are associated with a plurality of users, to perform a screening function associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule on the received Diameter message based on message attribute value pair (AVP) values, wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes determining that the Diameter message is to be discarded or is to receive additional screening, wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes adjusting a current receipt rate of Diameter messages associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule to account for the received Diameter message, after performing the screening function and determining that the Diameter message is to receive additional screening, to perform a second screening function based on the maximum receipt rate for Diameter messages associated with the Diameter message screening rule, and in response to the current receipt rate of Diameter messages associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule exceeding the maximum receipt rate, to route the received Diameter message by forwarding the received Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor of the Diameter message processors and notifying a network operator.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the ingress Diameter message processor is configured to forward the Diameter message to the Diameter application message processor.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to perform the screening function on the received Diameter message by discarding the received Diameter message.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to perform the screening function on the received Diameter message by modifying the received Diameter message and forwarding the modified Diameter message.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein modifying the received Diameter message includes at least one of adding new information to the received Diameter message and removing information from the received Diameter message.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein forwarding the modified Diameter message includes forwarding the modified Diameter message to at least one of a Diameter peer node and a home subscriber server (HSS) node.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to perform the screening function on the received Diameter message by generating a screening event notification message regarding the received Diameter message and communicating the screening event notification message to a network operations center.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to perform the screening function on the received Diameter message by generating an error message and communicating the generated error message to the Diameter peer node.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to perform the screening function on the received Diameter message by generating an associated answer message to the received Diameter message and communicating the generated associated answer message to the Diameter peer node.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to perform the screening function on the received Diameter message by recording or updating one or more usage or measurement statistics associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule to account for the received Diameter message.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the Diameter application message processor is configured to identify the Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message based on at least one of a Diameter connection over which the received Diameter message was received, a Diameter session of which the received Diameter message is a part, an origin host associated with the received Diameter message, an origin realm associated with the received Diameter message, a source Internet protocol (IP) address associated with the received Diameter message, a destination host associated with the received Diameter message, a destination realm associated with the received Diameter message, a Diameter connection over which the received Diameter message will be sent, a destination IP address to which the received Diameter message will be sent, a Diameter application identifier associated with the received Diameter message, a Diameter message command code associated with the received Diameter message, an AVP code associated with the received Diameter message, and an AVP data value associated with the received Diameter message.

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

at a DSR comprising a plurality of Diameter message processors, each configured to perform at least one Diameter function;

receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor of the Diameter message processors, a Diameter message from a Diameter peer node;

identifying, at a Diameter application message processor of the Diameter message processors, a Diameter message screening rule associated with the received Diameter message, wherein the identified Diameter message screening rule specifies a maximum receipt rate for Diameter messages received from the Diameter peer node, wherein the Diameter messages received from the Diameter peer node are associated with a plurality of users;

performing, at the Diameter application message processor of the Diameter message processors, a screening function associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule on the received Diameter message based on message attribute value pair (AVP) values, wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes determining that the Diameter message is to be discarded or is to receive additional screening, wherein performing the screening function on the received Diameter message includes adjusting a current receipt rate of Diameter messages associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule to account for the received Diameter message;

after performing the screening function and determining that the Diameter message is to receive additional screening, performing a second screening function based on the maximum receipt rate for Diameter messages associated with the Diameter message screening rule; and

in response to the current receipt rate of Diameter messages associated with the identified Diameter message screening rule exceeding the maximum receipt rate, routing the received Diameter message by forwarding the received Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor of the Diameter message processors and notifying a network operator.