Method and apparatus for handling policy and charging control rule or quality of service rule modification failures

• US 8,972,553 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jin, Haipeng, Giaretta, Gerardo, Song, Osok, Mahendran, Arungundram Chandrasekaran
• Primary Examiner(s): DAILEY, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/853,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 370/230, 370/329, 455/406
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided that facilitate handling failures in policy rule installation and/or related bearer modification procedures. A set of modified policy rules can be provided to a gateway for enforcement thereof and/or correlation with a bearer of a device. The gateway can attempt to install the modified rules and can utilize a credit control request (CCR)/credit control answer (CCA) exchange to notify of a status of the modified rule installation and/or related bearer modification. A policy charging and rules function (PCRF) can, thus, determine the status based on the CCR/CCA exchange. If the status indicates failure, the PCRF can revert to previous policy rules. In addition, an application function can be notified of the status.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, by a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), one or more modified policy rules to a gateway based at least in part on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

storing, by the PCRF, one or more previous policy rules in a memory based on providing the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway;

determining, by the PCRF, whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules; and

updating, by the PCRF, the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more previous policy rules stored in the memory based on the PCRF determining that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a credit control request (CCR) from the gateway requesting the one or more modified policy rules, wherein the providing the one or more modified policy rules includes communicating the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway in a credit control answer (CCA).

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a disparate CCR from the gateway related to installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway, wherein the determining is based at least in part on the disparate CCR.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the disparate CCR includes the one or more previous policy rules.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a timer upon providing the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway, wherein the determining is based at least in part on determining whether a credit control request (CCR) is received from the gateway in response to receiving the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway before expiration of the timer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving new service information from an application function; and

generating, the one or more modified policy rules based at least in part on the new service information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

notifying the application function that the one or more modified policy rules failed to install at the gateway.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a rules behavior indicator from the application function that specifies one or more actions to perform if the bearer modification procedure fails.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the rules behavior indicator to the gateway.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules behavior indicator specifies, upon a determination that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules, whether the PCRF is to update the one or more current policy rules to the one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF or the PCRF is to release the previous policy rules stored by the PCRF.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF based on a determination that the gateway has successfully installed the one or more modified policy rules.

12. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) to;

provide one or more modified policy rules to a gateway based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

store one or more previous policy rules based on the at least one processor providing the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway;

determine whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules; and

updating the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more previous policy rules based on the at least one processor determining that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to store the one or more previous policy rules in the memory.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing one or more modified policy rules to a gateway based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

means for storing one or more previous policy rules in a memory based on providing the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway;

means for determining whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules; and

means for updating the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more previous policy rules stored in the memory based at least in part on the means for determining indicating that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules.

14. A

non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for causing at least one computer to provide one or more modified policy rules to a gateway based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

code for causing the at least one computer to store one or more previous policy rules in a memory based on the at least one computer providing the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules; and

code for causing the at least one computer to update the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more previous policy rules stored in the memory based on the at least one computer determining that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a rules provisioning component that provides one or more modified policy rules to a gateway based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

a rules reverting component that stores one or more previous policy rules in a memory based on the rules provisioning component providing the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway; and

a modifying status receiving component comprising hardware that determines whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules,

wherein the rules reverting component updates the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more previous policy rules stored in the memory based on the modifying status receiving component determining that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rules provisioning component provides the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway in a credit control answer (CCA) based on a credit control request (CCR) received from the gateway as part of the bearer modification procedure.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the modifying status receiving component obtains a disparate CCR from the gateway related to installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway and determines whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules based on the disparate CCR.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the disparate CCR includes the one or more previous policy rules.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the modifying status receiving component initializes a timer when the rules updating component provides the one or more modified policy rules to the gateway and determines whether the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules based on whether a credit control request (CCR) is received before expiration of the timer.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a new service receiving component that obtains new service information from an application function, wherein the rules updating component generates the one or more modified policy rules based at least in part on the new service information.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a modifying status communicating component that notifies the application function when installation of the one or more modified policy rules fails.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a rules behavior receiving component that obtains a rules behavior indicator from the application function that specifies one or more actions to perform where the bearer modification procedure fails.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a rules behavior specifying component that communicates the rules behavior indicator to the gateway.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the rules behavior indicator specifies, upon a determination that the gateway has failed to install the one or more modified policy rules, whether the rules reverting component is to update the one or more current policy rules to the one or more previous policy rules stored in the memory or the rules reverting component is to release the previous policy rules stored in the memory.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rules reverting component removes the one or more previous policy rules from the memory based at least in part on the modifying status receiving component determining that the gateway has successfully installed the one or more modified polity rules.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a gateway, one or more modified policy rules from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of the gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

attempting, by the gateway, to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure; and

transmitting, by the gateway, when the gateway fails to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure, a credit control request (CCR) to the PCRF to indicate that the bearer modification procedure has failed,

wherein the CCR causes the PCRF to update the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF in a memory.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting a disparate CCR to the PCRF to request rule modification as part of the bearer modification procedure, wherein the receiving the one or more modified policy rules includes receiving the one or more modified policy rules in a corresponding credit control answer (CCA).

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising generating the CCR to include the one or more previous policy rules.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a rules behavior indicator that specifies one or more actions to perform if the bearer modification procedure fails.

30. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive one or more modified policy rules from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of a gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

attempt to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure; and

transmit a credit control request (CCR) to the PCRF, when the at least one processor fails to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure, to indicate that the bearer modification procedure has failed; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the CCR causes the PCRF to update the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF in the memory.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving one or more modified policy rules from a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of a gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

means for attempting to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure; and

means for transmitting a credit control request (CCR) to the PCRF, when the means for attempting fails to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure, to indicate that the bearer modification procedure has failed;

wherein the CCR causes the PCRF to update the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF in a memory.

32. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to obtain one or more modified policy rules from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of a gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

code for causing the at least one computer to attempt to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure; and

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit a credit control request (CCR) to the PCRF, when the at least one computer fails to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure, to indicate that the bearer modification procedure has failed,

wherein the CCR causes the PCRF to update the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF in a memory.

33. An apparatus, comprising:

a rules receiving component that obtains one or more modified policy rules from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) based on a bearer modification procedure, wherein the bearer modification procedure is configured to update one or more current policy rules of a gateway to the one or more modified policy rules by installing the one or more modified policy rules at the gateway;

a rules modifying component comprising hardware that attempts to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure; and

a modifying status communicating component that transmits a credit control request (CCR) to the PCRF, when the rule modifying component fails to install the one or more modified policy rules as part of the bearer modification procedure, to indicate that the bearer modification procedure has failed,

wherein the CCR causes the PCRF to update the one or more current policy rules of the gateway to one or more previous policy rules stored by the PCRF in a memory.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the rules receiving component receives the one or more modified policy rules in a credit control answer (CCA) in response to a disparate CCR requesting rule modification.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the modifying status communicating component generates the CCR to include the one or more previous policy rules.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a rules behavior receiving component that obtains a rules behavior indicator specifying one or more actions to perform where the bearer modification procedure fails.