METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR PROVIDING HOME SUBSCRIBER SERVER (HSS) PROXY

• US 20100250662A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Agarwal, Devesh, Bantukul, Apirux
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing a home subscriber server (HSS) proxy are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing a home subscriber server proxy. The method includes, at a node separate from a home subscriber server in a telecommunications network, receiving, from a requesting network entity, a request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, the information being associated with a subscriber, and, in response to receiving the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server.

Claims

1. A method for providing a home subscriber server proxy, the method comprising:

at a node separate from a home subscriber server in a telecommunications network;

receiving, from a requesting network entity, a request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, the information being associated with a subscriber; and

in response to receiving the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server comprises at least one of:

determining whether the subscriber has been ported to a recipient network, and, in response to determining that the subscriber has been ported to a recipient network, providing, to the requesting network entity, information identifying a switch that is associated with the recipient network; and

determining whether the subscriber has been migrated to a different technology, and, in response to determining that the subscriber has been migrated to a different technology, providing, to the requesting network entity, information identifying a switch that is associated with the migrated-to technology.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server further comprises:

determining that the subscriber has not been ported to a recipient network or migrated to a different technology; and

in response to determining that the subscriber has not been ported to a recipient network or migrated to a different technology, querying the home subscriber server to retrieve the information associated with the subscriber, and providing, to the requesting network entity, the information retrieved from the home subscriber server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server comprises receiving a request for location information associated with the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server comprises receiving a Diameter protocol request.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving the Diameter protocol request comprises receiving a location information request (LIR) message and wherein providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity comprises sending a location information answer (LIA) message to the requesting network entity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request for subscriber information from a requesting network entity comprises receiving a request from a call session control function (CSCF).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the CSCF sends the request in response to receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the information associated with the subscriber comprises providing information that identifies a serving switch associated with the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the information that identifies a serving switch associated with the subscriber comprises at least one of:

a location routing number (LRN);

a universal resource identifier (URI);

an Internet protocol (IP) address; and

a signaling system number 7 (SS7) point code.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising, at the network node, correlating TCP connections with switches with SCTP associations with HSS nodes.

12. A system for providing a home subscriber server proxy, the system comprising:

at least one database that includes number portability information, technology migration information, and information maintained at a home subscriber server; and

a home subscriber server proxy node for receiving, from a requesting network entity, a request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, the information being associated with a subscriber, and, in response to receiving the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the home subscriber server proxy node is configured to provide the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server by at least one of:

determining whether the subscriber has been ported to a recipient network, and, in response to determining that the subscriber has been ported to a recipient network, providing, to the requesting network entity, information identifying a switch that is associated with the recipient network; and

determining whether the subscriber has been migrated to a different technology, and, in response to determining that the subscriber has been migrated to a different technology, providing, to the requesting network entity, information identifying a switch that is associated with the migrated-to technology.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the home subscriber server proxy node is configured to provide the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server by, in response to determining that the subscriber has not been ported to a recipient network or migrated to a different technology, querying the home subscriber server to retrieve the information associated with the subscriber, and providing, to the requesting network entity, the information retrieved from the home subscriber server.

15. The system of claim 12 when the at least one database concludes a single home subscriber server proxy database and wherein the home subscriber server proxy accesses the number portability information, the technology migration information, and the information maintained at a home subscriber server in single access to the database.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one database includes current technology registration information for dual mode subscribers and wherein the home subscriber server proxy accesses the current technology registration information to determine a technology type for which the subscriber is currently registered.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the home subscriber server proxy and the at least one database are components of a signal transfer point.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the requesting network entity comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) routing node.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server comprises a request for location information associated with the subscriber.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server comprises a Diameter protocol message.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the home subscriber server proxy is configured to correlate TCP connections with switching nodes with SCTP associations with HSS nodes.

22. 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:

receiving, from a requesting network entity, a request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, the information being associated with a subscriber; and

in response to receiving the request for information maintained at a home subscriber server, providing the information associated with the subscriber to the requesting network entity on behalf of the home subscriber server.