Abstract: A first streaming media device, such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone initiates a communication session with a second streaming media device. An offer is sent to the second streaming media device comprising a plurality of potential configurations. The second device selects one of the plurality of configurations and communicates the selection to the first device during an Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) connectivity checks.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a visited network node, policy for a roaming terminal from a home network of the roaming terminal. The policy is associated with a home Internet Protocol (IP) address of the roaming terminal. The visited network node applies the policy in the visited network to data packets that include the home IP address. Applying the policy to a data packet encompasses either enforcing the policy at the node that applies the policy or sending data that indicates the policy to a different node that applies the policy based on the data sent, or both.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a first streaming media device, such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone initiates a communication session with a second streaming media device. An offer is sent to the second streaming media device comprising a plurality of potential configurations. The second device selects one of the plurality of configurations and communicates the selection to the first device during connectivity checks, for example during an Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) connectivity checks.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving packet flow optimization (PFO) configuration data that associates each rule name of multiple PFO rule names with a corresponding method for processing a data packet in a communications network based on data in a payload of a layer 3 protocol of the data packet. A first policy message is received from a policy management process in the communications network. The first policy message includes rule data that indicates a signaled rule name associated with a particular network address in the communications network. In response to receiving the first policy message, a data packet of the particular network address is processed according to a particular method associated with a particular rule name selected based on the signaled rule name. As a result, a PFO policy is controlled from the policy management process.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a network device receives an Internet protocol (IP) registration request, such as a mobile IP registration request, from an access terminal. The network device may be a home agent that is configured to register the access terminal for IP services at the network layer. In addition to registering the access terminal at the network layer, the network device may facilitate registration at another layer, such as the application layer. In one example, registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration, such as information needed to register for a session initiation protocol (SIP) services, is determined. The network device then facilitates registration at the application layer automatically using the registration information.

Abstract: A system for enforcing policy in a communication network includes a policy server which is operable to receive a request to invoke an application, receive a policy profile for a network user, and decide a proper allocation of network users based on the policy profile, the application, and available network resources. The policy server is further operable to communicate with a non-SIP application. The system also includes a network resource manager operably associated with the policy server and operable to monitor available network in the resources in the communication network. In addition, the network resource manager is functional to allocate network resource amongst a plurality of network users. The system also contains an application control point which is operably associated with the policy server and operable to communicate with a SIP application. The system is operable to use policy peering between the home and visited network to enable user-specific policies to be enforced while roaming.

Abstract: Establishing one or more facets of a policy includes facilitating a communication session for an access terminal at a visited network. The access terminal is associated with a home network having a home policy server. The policy is received at a visited policy server of the visited network. The policy comprises the facets. If the facets are unacceptable, the facets are negotiated until a stopping point is reached. The negotiation includes adjusting by the visited policy server at least one facet of the one or more facets, and notifying the home policy server of the adjustment. The facets are established in accordance with the negotiation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first message from a first manager. The first message includes a first element of a request for policy authorization. The request for policy authorization attempts to reserve particular network resources for a particular application context. The method includes, in response to the first message, establishing a policy rendezvous state at a policy manager for a policy decision on the request for policy authorization. The method includes receiving a second message from a second manager subsequent to the first message. The second message includes a second element of the request for policy authorization, and the second element completes the request for policy authorization. The method includes, in response to the second message, making the policy decision based on the first and second elements of the request for policy authorization.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of communication processing at a client (e.g., media gateway) connected to a server (e.g., media gateway controller) includes collecting events in a quarantine buffer. The contents of the buffer are examined to determine whether the collected events include one or more synchronizing events. An instruction signal sent to the client from the server includes information defining one or more events as a synchronizing event. If one or more synchronizing events is present, the collected events are processed from the buffer relative to the one or more synchronizing events. The processing may include processing the collected events beginning after the most recent or second most recent synchronizing event. The collected events that occurred up to the most recent or second most recent synchronizing event may be moved to a synchronized event list. The synchronized event list may be reported to the server or discarded.

Abstract: A method includes a network originating a QoS reservation message and communicating the network-originated QoS message through a radio access network (RAN) from an access gateway (AGW) to an access terminal (AT). The network-originated reservation message does not cause any network resource reservation by itself, but causes the AT to initiate a network resource reservation according to one or more parameters in the network-originated QoS reservation message. Accordingly, an existing network infrastructure supporting AT-originated QoS reservation may support network-originated QoS reservation (or proxied QoS) without any updates to an access-network infrastructure, such as the RAN. The method includes, in response to the network-initiated QoS reservation message, communicating a reservation confirmation through the RAN from the AT to the AGW. The reservation confirmation whether that the QoS reservation was successful.

Abstract: A mechanism provides for communication of “keep-alive” messages from clients to servers in a packet telephony network environment. The servers may be call agents and the clients may be gateways or MGCP-controlled IP phones. A client (e.g., gateway) registers a virtual endpoint. Upon a period of inactivity in which the client does not receive any commands or acknowledgments from an assigned server (e.g., call agent), the client starts to send keep-alive messages periodically to the server. The keep-alive message may include an endpoint identifier that identifies the registered virtual endpoint. If the server fails to respond to the keep-alive messages after a period of time, the client initiates a fallback mechanism from a first call control protocol (e.g., MGCP) to a second call control protocol (e.g., H.323 or SIP), to provide call control handling using a default application.

Abstract: A mechanism that provides for communication of heartbeat signals from servers (call agents) to clients (gateways) in a packet telephony network environment. Clients listen for receipt of multicast heartbeats from any of the servers that may be part of a multicast group. A client assigned to a particular server for control messaging, upon failure to receive a response to a message sent to the assigned server and failure to receive a heartbeat from the assigned server, may select a second server from among the servers and re-send the message to the second server. Without receipt of heartbeat signals, the client defaults to a normal retry behavior for re-sending the message first to the assigned server a number of times before attempting to re-send the message to the second server.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for performing automatic discovery of controlling policy enforcement points in a policy push computer network. The method involves a policy decision point sending a discover message toward an end point on a computer network; receiving a response from a policy enforcement point; reading a name and address from the received response; and sending a policy decision message to the name and address read from the response. The policy decision message is characterized by content suitable for being installed for a policy enforcement point. In an embodiment, the discover message sent includes a resource reservation protocol and a new policy enforcement point discover object. In another embodiment, the discover message sent causes the policy enforcement point to process the discover message. The policy decision point can receive notification that installation of the policy decision for the policy enforcement point failed.