Attribute assignment for IP dual stack devices

• US 8,300,637 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bennett, John H. III, Breau, Jeremy R., Pierce, Robert J., Rogers, Frederick C., Winn, Dale E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blanton, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US12/348,672
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/393, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Methods and computer-readable media are provided to allow for the assignment of domain-name system (DNS) servers, static IP addresses, and dynamic home agents to a device requesting the establishment of an IPv6 data session. DNS servers may be determined for a particular device based on one or more device capabilities, such as the type of device or certain products or services to which the device is subscribed. The device capabilities are determined by querying a customer-profile database that defines certain information about users and devices, such as static IP addresses and device capabilities. The DNS servers are used by a device to translate a host name into a host address, in addition to establishing an IPv6 data session. Once determined, a component, such as an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server may send the attributes to a packet-routing component, which assigns the DNS servers to the device.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of assigning a domain-name system server to a dual-stack mobile-communications device (“

device”

) based on the device'"'"'s capabilities so that the device is able to establish an Internet protocol data session for accessing various products and services, the method comprising;

receiving a request to initiate the Internet protocol data session on the device that is capable of interpreting both Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) requests, the request including an identifier that identifies the device;

in response to receiving the identifier, determining one or more device capabilities associated with the device by querying a customer-profile database;

from two or more available domain-name system servers, identifying the domain-name system server that can be used by the device to translate a host name into a host address and to establish an Internet protocol data session, wherein the domain-name system server is identified based on the determined one or more device capabilities such that the identified domain-name system server is assigned to other devices having similar device capabilities as the device; and

communicating the domain-name system server to a packet-routing component that assigns the domain-name system server to the device.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a network access identifier (NAI).

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the one or more device capabilities include a type of device.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein the type of device includes one or more of a Qchat subscriber, a Smart Device, or a standard device.

5. The media of claim 1, further comprising converting a first value associated with the domain-name system server to a second value, such that the second value can be communicated to the packet-routing component.

6. The media of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a static IP address is defined in the customer-profile database.

7. The media of claim 6, further comprising if the static IP address is defined, retrieving a static IP address value.

8. The media of claim 7, further comprising communicating the static IP address value to an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the AAA server converts the static IP address value to a static home agent value.

10. The media of claim 9, further comprising communicating the static home agent value to the packet-routing component.

11. The media of claim 6, further comprising if the static IP address is not defined, communicating a locally defined home agent to the packet-routing component.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of assigning a static Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) address to a dual-stack mobile-communications device (“

device”

), the method comprising;

receiving a request to initiate on the device an IPv6 data session;

querying a customer-profile database to determine whether the static IPv6 address is defined for the device in the customer-profile database and to determine one or more device capabilities associated with the device;

from two or more available domain-name system servers, identifying a domain-name system server that can be used by the device to translate a host name into a host address and to establish an Internet protocol data session, wherein the domain-name system server is identified based on the determined one or more device capabilities such that the identified domain-name system server is assigned to other devices having similar device capabilities as the device; and

communicating to a packet-routing component,

(1) the static IPv6 address upon determining that the static IPv6 address is defined, wherein the packet-routing component assigns the static IPv6 address to the device, and

(2) the domain-name system server, wherein the packet-routing component assigns the domain-name system server to the device.

13. The media of claim 12, further comprising authenticating the device.

14. The media of claim 12, further comprising communicating a home link prefix value to the packet-routing component, wherein the packet-routing component caches the home link prefix value.

15. The media of claim 12, further comprising communicating a static home agent value to the packet-routing component, wherein the packet-routing component caches the static home agent value.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of assigning a dynamic home agent to a dual-stack mobile-communications device (“

device”

), the method comprising;

receiving a request to initiate on the device an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) data session;

querying a customer-profile database to determine if a static IPv6 address for the device is defined in the customer profile database and to identify one or more device capabilities associated with the device;

from two or more available domain-name system servers, identifying the domain-name system server that can be used by the device to translate a host name into a host address and to establish the IPv6 data session, wherein the domain-name system server is identified based on one or more device capabilities such that the identified domain-name system server is assigned to other devices having similar device capabilities as the device;

if the static IPv6 address is defined in the customer-profile database,

determining from the static IPv6 address a static home agent, and

communicating the static home agent and an identification of the domain-name system server to a packet-routing component, wherein the packet-routing component assigns the static home agent and the domain-name system server to the device; and

if the static IPv6 address is not defined in the customer-profile database, determining the dynamic home agent to send to the packet-routing component that assigns the dynamic home agent to the device.

querying a customer-profile database to determine if a static IPv6 address for the device is defined in the customer profile database;

if the static IPv6 address is defined,

determining from the static IPv6 address a static home agent, and

communicating the static home agent to a packet-routing component, wherein the packet-routing component assigns the static home agent to the device; and

if the static IPv6 address is not defined in the customer-profile database, determining the dynamic home agent to send to the packet-routing component that assigns the dynamic home agent to the device.

17. The media of claim 16, further comprising establishing an IPv6 data session on the device such that the device can access various products and services.

18. The media of claim 16, further comprising querying the customer-profile database for valid user credentials.