Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of managing usage of a service. The method may include: defining a plurality of metering policies associated with the service; assigning an applicability condition to each of the plurality of metering policies; assigning a quota to each of the plurality of metering policies; selecting an applicable first metering policy for a subscriber session based on the applicability condition; measuring usage of the service according to the first metering policy; comparing the usage against the quota of the first metering policy; and selecting an applicable second metering policy for the subscriber session based on the applicability condition assigned to the second metering policy if the usage exceeds the quota of the first metering policy. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a network node for managing subscriber usage. The network node may include: a metering policy storage; a limit selector; an interface; and a processor.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, at the policy and charging rules node from a requesting entity, a message including a request associated with at least one service data flow (SDF), wherein the request includes at least one requested bandwidth; extracting at least one subscriber identifier from the message; retrieving a subscription record associated with the at least one subscriber identifier; determining whether the request should be fulfilled by performing at least one comparison of the at least one requested bandwidth for the SDF against at least one field of the subscription record; if the request should be fulfilled, establishing the SDF; and if the request should not be fulfilled: generating a response message that indicates that the request was rejected, and transmitting the response message to the requesting entity.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a subscriber profile repository (SPR) for determining a subscriber associated with a set of subscription identifiers. The subscriber profile repository may include: an interface which receives a subscriber profile request including at least one subscription identifier; a subscriber record database that includes a set of subscription identifiers; a subscriber record cache that contains a subset of the records contained in the subscriber record database; and a search manager that queries the subscriber record cache using each subscription identifier and queries the subscriber record database when the subscriber record cache does not contain a record matching a subscription identifier. The SPR may also include a results manager that compares subscriber records and updates the cache when a result is found in the subscriber records database. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by the SPR and a machine-readable medium including instructions for an SPR.

Abstract: The invention is directed to providing a method and apparatus for managing and tracking default bearers in an Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network while observing the requirements of the GPRS specifications.

Abstract: A method of exchanging a rules engine decision tree cache is disclosed. The method provides for provision accepting a command to build a replacement rules engine decision tree cache, replacing the existing cache if the decision tree creation process is successful, retaining the existing cache if the decision tree creation process is not successful, and providing specific error messages in the event that the replacement fails. The method allows an network operator to change the rules for the rule engine without disruption of real-time service and allows for a level of error checking prior to provisioning the new decision tree.

Abstract: A method of optimizing a rules engine rule set is disclosed. The method provides for identifying groups of rule conditions within a rule table that are repetitive; determining a hash function that will effectively summarize in a condensed form the set of criteria, operations and values that distinguish the group for each respective group of the identified groups; calculating hash values per the hash functions for each row of the rule table; storing the derived hash functions, the calculated hash values, and the original rule in memory when loading; and then at run time when the rule engine is invoked: calculating the hash values using the respective hash functions associated with the rule table using the attributes provided at invocation; and skipping all rows whose hash values are different from the calculated invocation hash values. The method of optimizing rule entities is particularly useful for overcoming the longer calculation times associated with un-optimized rule tables known in the art.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a system and related method for managing a connection of a user device to a communications network. Various embodiments relate to a Policy and Charging Rules Node (PCRN) receiving a user requests through multiple serving gateways. The PCRN may assign one of the serving gateways as a primary serving gateway when the serving gateway sends a Gateway Control Session that binds to an IP-CAN session established in the PCRN. When the PCRN receives a subsequent message from another serving gateway, the PCRN may reassign the new serving gateway as primary when its Gateway Control Session matches. The PCRN may then mark the former serving gateway as pending termination and signal the marked gateway to terminate. After sending rules to serving gateways not pending termination, the PCRN may delete those serving gateways marked for termination.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node and machine-readable storage medium including a policy and charging rules node (PCRN) receiving a plurality of related service requests from different devices. The PCRN may establish a Session Binding Identifier (SBI) for each message received. The SBI may include one or more subscriber IDs. Upon receipt of a message, the PCRN may compare the included subscriber IDs against information included in a subscriber database to match with a specific subscriber profile. The PCRN may use the subscriber profile to determine whether existing established sessions are associated with the same subscriber profile, and may bind the sessions together when they are associated with a common subscriber profile.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, at the policy and charging rules node from a requesting entity, a message including a request associated with at least one service data flow (SDF), wherein the request includes at least one requested bandwidth; extracting at least one subscriber identifier from the message; retrieving a subscription record associated with the at least one subscriber identifier; determining whether the request should be fulfilled by performing at least one comparison of the at least one requested bandwidth for the SDF against at least one field of the subscription record; if the request should be fulfilled, establishing the SDF; and if the request should not be fulfilled: generating a response message that indicates that the request was rejected, and transmitting the response message to the requesting entity.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, at a policy and charging rules node from a first requesting device, a first message including a first set of information regarding an application request; generating a set of PCC rules for fulfilling the application request based on the first set of information; determining whether the PCRN should wait for a period of time for at least one PCC rule to receive a second message including a second set of information regarding the application request; and if the PCRN should wait for the period of time: waiting for the period of time to receive a second message including a second set of information regarding the application request, determining, after the time has elapsed, whether the second message has arrived, and if the second message has not arrived, initiating a cleanup procedure.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a subscriber profile repository (SPR) for determining a subscriber associated with a set of subscription identifiers. The subscriber profile repository may include: an interface which receives a subscriber profile request including at least one subscription identifier; a subscriber record database that includes a set of subscription identifiers; a subscriber record cache that contains a subset of the records contained in the subscriber record database; and a search manager that queries the subscriber record cache using each subscription identifier and queries the subscriber record database when the subscriber record cache does not contain a record matching a subscription identifier. The SPR may also include a results manager that compares subscriber records and updates the cache when a result is found in the subscriber records database. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by the SPR and a machine-readable medium including instructions for an SPR.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving a message at a PCRN; determining whether a policy decision should be made with regard to the received message; when a policy decision should be made: identifying a rule of a plurality of rules as applicable to processing the received message, wherein the identified rule specifies an action to be taken in response to the received message, performing the action in response to the received message; and when a policy decision should not be made, processing the received message according to normal procedures. Such action may include one or more of the following: rejecting a request, accepting a request, modifying a request, and performing a predefined routine.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node and machine-readable storage medium including one or more of the following: receiving, at the PCRN, a request message from an Evolved Packet Core node; determining whether the request message includes a request for a modification to an IP-CAN session; and if the request message includes a request for a modification to the IP-CAN session: determining a current bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session, determining a previous bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session, comparing the current bearer control mode to the previous bearer control mode, and if the current bearer control mode is different from the previous bearer control mode, modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node and machine-readable storage medium including one or more of the following: receiving, at the PCRN, the application request message; determining at least one requested service flow from the application request message; for each requested service flow of the at least one requested service flow, generating a new PCC rule based on the application request message; and providing each new PCC rule to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Node (PCEN). Various exemplary embodiments further include an application request message including at least one media component and at least one media subcomponent and the step of for each media subcomponent, determining a requested service flow from the media subcomponent.

Abstract: A bulk Soft Permanent Virtual Circuit (SPVC) trace processor is provided. The bulk SPVC trace processor receives notifications of newly established SPVCs and SPVC re-routing instances. The bulk SPVC trace processor submits SPVC connection trace commands to corresponding trace source network nodes, and retrieves trace transit list information therefrom. The aggregate SPVC transport path information derived from trace transit list information is stored and provided to higher network management and service provisioning functions. The bulk SPVC trace processor may also be employed to trace SPVC portions of Hybrid SPVCs. As SPVC connection tracing is necessary subsequent to a failure, load balancing techniques are used to spread SPVC connection tracing over time, network resources, and network partitions to prevent weighting down the network. Network planning and design functions previously built for Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) provisioning may be seamlessly upgraded in migrating to (H)SPVC connectivity.

Abstract: A bulk Soft Permanent Virtual Circuit (SPVC) trace processor is provided. The bulk SPVC trace processor receives notifications of newly established SPVCs and SPVC re-routing instances. The bulk SPVC trace processor submits SPVC connection trace commands to corresponding trace source network nodes, and retrieves trace transit list information therefrom. The aggregate SPVC transport path information derived from trace transit list information is stored and provided to higher network management and service provisioning functions. The bulk SPVC trace processor may also be employed to trace SPVC portions of Hybrid SPVCs. As SPVC connection tracing is necessary subsequent to a failure, load balancing techniques are used to spread SPVC connection tracing over time, network resources, and network partitions to prevent weighting down the network. Network planning and design functions previously built for Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) provisioning may be seamlessly upgraded in migrating to (H)SPVC connectivity.