Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that allow inter-working between communication networks for the delivery of service to mobile nodes. A gateway is provided that communicates with a femto cell to extend service to an area that otherwise does not receive coverage from a service provider. The femto cell is a small scale base station used to provide coverage over a small area (such as a home or business), and connect to a home or enterprise network. The femto cell provides service for a mobile node and a gateway permits communication over a broadband network. The gateway integrates the mobile nodes connecting via a femto cell into the service provider's network. The gateway also allows provisioning of services and applications, control of service levels, and provides seamless handoffs to macro base stations and other types of access technologies such as Wi-Fi.

Abstract: A system and method for providing services to packet flows in a communication network. The services include enhanced charging, stateful firewalls, traffic performance optimization (TPO) and advanced services such as content differentiated charging, per-subscriber stateful firewalls, and VPNs, for example. A gateway can be used to route each packet flow through the services on a per-subscriber basis by inspecting accounting messages and checking subscriber profiles prior to setting up a new packet flow session. By directing the packet flow through the services requested latency can be reduced as well as the need to have equipment for each session regardless of whether the service is provided to the packet flow. The services can be provided in-line as well.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a handoff between technologies are disclosed. An intra-technology handoff occurs where the same integrated chassis handles the session for the different access technologies. In an intra-technology handoff, the same IP address and the session can be maintained through the handoff. The mobile node can undergo a handoff without issuing a registration request in some embodiments. An inter-technology handoff occurs from one integrated chassis to another integrated chassis. The integrated chassis can preserve session and context information in a session manager and in a handoff from one access technology to another the same session manager can be chosen with the session and context information remaining intact even though the access technology has changed. The integrated chassis can provide an access technology handoff where the core network does not notice any change and applications running on or delivered to the mobile node are not effected.

Abstract: Systems and methods for intercepting and redirecting requests are provided. More particularly, certain information is identified in a packet and the packet is redirected to a specified server. The information that is redirected may be bound for a server in a network that a mobile node is currently visiting, and it is advantageous to fulfill the request in another network instead. The request is redirected to the other network; however, the response to the request may be modified changing the source address and other information so that the response appears to have originated from the server in the visited network to which the mobile node sent the request. Load balancing may also be incorporated when redirecting requests from one or more mobile nodes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for managing wireless communication sessions with reduced signaling. A system of the present invention includes an Access Gateway (AGW) system configured to interface with at least one radio access network and at least one packet data network, wherein the AGW system has a policy enforcement component. The system further includes a session control component configured to receive one or more communication session control requests, obtain session information and policy decisions corresponding to the one or more communication session control requests, and directly reconfigure the policy enforcement component to enforce the obtained session information and policy decisions.

Abstract: A method for allocating network addresses comprises providing an address pool comprising a plurality of network addresses and then dividing the address pool into a plurality of address sub-pool that comprise a unique subset of the network addresses of the address pool. Each of the sub-pools is available for use by any one of a plurality of routing devices of a network access server. The method then comprises receiving a request to assign a first network address to a first user, allocating a first address sub-pool of the plurality of address sub-pools to a first routing device of the plurality of routing devices and transmitting a first message to the other routing devices to indicate that the first address sub-pool has been allocated. The method additionally comprises assigning the first network address to the first user from the first address sub-pool and advertising an aggregate route for the first address sub-pool over a network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for bridging packet flows to bypass call legs and/or tunnels are provided. A tunnel initiator, which can be an access gateway, a foreign agent, and a mobility anchor point, for example, provides a bypass for certain packets that have a destination serviced by the same tunnel initiator. The bridge allows the packets to bypass a backhaul loop and reduces latency and frees bandwidth for other purposes in the network. The bridging can be implemented in a tunnel initiator for mobile to mobile packet flows, mobile to land line packet flows, and land line to mobile packet flows. Route optimization can also be provided in certain embodiments.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that allow voice and data traffic to be shifted from one chassis to other chassis without interrupting service. Geographic Redundancy (GR) is an inter-chassis redundancy, where the chassis may be a home agent, a packet data serving node, or any combination of wireless networking devices. Additionally, each chassis can have one or more partitions that handle subscriber session traffic and a corresponding redundant partition on a different chassis. The redundant chassis partition can take over all or a portion of the functionality of the active chassis partition if the active chassis or any critical peer servers/gateways communicating with the active chassis should fail. This provides users with uninterrupted service in the case of some failures.

Abstract: A system for load balancing, the system includes a LAC, a contact LNS, and a plurality of load balancing LNSs. The LAC includes a contact LNS address, the contact LNS address specifies the address of a contact LNS. The contact LNS is communicatively coupled to the LAC and the plurality of load balancing LNSs are communicatively coupled to the contact LNS and to the LAC. The LAC sends a message to the contact LNS, the message informing the LAC of its availability and the contact LNS sends a response message containing IP address of a selected one of the plurality of load balancing LNSs to which the LAC should establish a session.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing redundancy in servicing packet data communications within wireless mobile data networks are disclosed. More particularly, the method and system provide a redundant Home Agent with the ability to assume the role of the primary Home Agent in the event of a primary Home Agent network, software, or other failure. The redundancy allows the Home Agent services to remain functional even in the event of a failure of one of the Home Agents in the redundant group, which may be composed of one or more Home Agents. The Home Agents can use a service redundancy protocol which is composed of messages that are sent between the redundant group of Home Agents. The messages allow the Home Agents to, for example, back up call session information, check on the status of one another, and share priority information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing redundancy in servicing packet data communications within wireless mobile data networks are disclosed. More particularly, the method and system for provide a redundant Home Agent with the ability to assume the role of the primary Home Agent in the event of a primary Home Agent network, software, or other failure. The redundancy allows Home Agent services to remain functional in the case of a failure of one of the Home Agents in the redundant group, which may be composed of one or more Home Agents. The Home Agents can be located in geographically separate areas to ensure that a network outage event in one geographic area does not cause subscriber services to be impacted.

Abstract: A system and method for processing packets of information includes an ingress module. The ingress module receives a plurality of packets of information from a first network. The ingress module determines the type of each of the plurality of packets. A route server module is coupled to the ingress module. The route server module sends a distributed processing request to the ingress module. The ingress module receives the distributed processing request and, responsively, performs a first set of processing operations on selected ones of the plurality of packets. The selected ones of the plurality of packets are of a first type. The ingress module forwards others of the plurality of packets of information to the route server module. Each of the others of the plurality of packets are of a type distinct from the first type.

Abstract: A method for switching between a first network element and a second network element, the first and second network elements each connected to a first network and a second network. The method may be carried out by configuring the first network element and the second network element to recognize the same data from the second network. Next, data may be readdressed so that it may be recognized by both network elements. After readdressed data are sent to the first network element and the second network element, the first network element may be disconnected from the first network and the second network element may be connected to the first network. Data may be forwarded from the second network to the first network with little or no loss during the switchover.

Abstract: A system and method are shown for offloading a computational service on a point-to-point connection. When a tunnel initiator network device, such as a Level 2 Tunneling Protocol Access Concentrator (LAC), detects a tunnel client network device, the LAC sets up a tunnel connection with a tunnel endpoint network device, such a Level 2 Tunneling Protocol Network Server (LNS). During a process of establishing a call session on the tunnel connection, the LAC sends its compression capabilities to the LNS. When the LNS detects that the LAC is capable of compressing tunnel packets, the LNS negotiates compression parameters with the tunnel client network device. Subsequently, the LNS transmits the negotiated compression parameters to the LAC that configures a compression engine based on the received compression parameters.

Abstract: A primary LNS, a peer LNS and a LAC are coupled to each other via a network A CPE is coupled to the LAC. A first tunnel is established between the CPE and the LAC using the network and information is transmitted through the first tunnel. A determination is made as to whether the primary LNS is overloaded or inoperative. State information is offloaded from the primary LNS to the peer LNS. If the primary LNS is inoperative or overloaded, a second tunnel is established from the CPE to the peer LNS using the state information. Information is transmitted though the second tunnel.

Abstract: A high density network access server implements a tunneling protocol between a modem module and a route server module. PPP and routing control packets received from the PPP link are tunneled to the route server for processing. The IP data packet forwarding function for the network access server is distributed directly to the modem modules. The combination of distributed PPP processing and distributed IP data packet forwarding enables the capacity of the network access server to be scaled to orders of magnitude greater than previously known, to handle thousands or even tens of thousands of simultaneous data sessions.

Abstract: A method for allocating network addresses comprises providing an address pool comprising a plurality of network addresses and then dividing the address pool into a plurality of address sub-pool that comprise a unique subset of the network addresses of the address pool. Each of the sub-pools is available for use by any one of a plurality of routing devices of a network access server. The method then comprises receiving a request to assign a first network address to a first user, allocating a first address sub-pool of the plurality of address sub-pools to a first routing device of the plurality of routing devices and transmitting a first message to the other routing devices to indicate that the first address sub-pool has been allocated. The method additionally comprises assigning the first network address to the first user from the first address sub-pool and advertising an aggregate route for the first address sub-pool over a network.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for transferring packet-switched data across a network. A network interface may be connected to a primary switch and a secondary switch, both of which may be connected to a network. The network interface may also convert between circuit-switched data and packet-switched data. Further, packet-switched data may be transferred between the network interface and the network across the primary switch if the primary switch is operable, and across the secondary switch if the primary switch is inoperable. The system and method may also include a selection switch, route server and controller. Additionally, the system and method may include a primary router and a secondary router. Packet-switched data may be transferred across the primary router if the primary router is operable, and across the secondary router if the primary router is inoperable.