Abstract: A method and a system for exercising policy control, a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF), and a policy control and charging rules function (PCRF) are provided, which can solve the problem that no policy control can be exercised over application service flows without an application function (AF). The method includes of the following steps: a PCRF receiving information about an application event sent by a PCEF; and the PCRF generating a control policy for a service flow of the application according to the information about the application event, and delivering the control policy to the PCEF.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a system are provided for load balancing of a service chain. The method includes: receiving, by a flow classifier, a service chain selection and control policy sent by a policy and charging rules function PCRF unit; hashing, by the flow classifier according to a hash quantity, a service flow corresponding to a service chain identifier, to obtain multiple subflows, and adding the service chain identifier and hashing factors to packets of the subflows, where different subflows correspond to different hashing factors; and sending, by the flow classifier, the packets of the subflows after the service chain identifier and the hashing factors are added, to a forwarding device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a load balancing method, apparatus and system. In the present invention, a network management and control center of a basic network system interacts with a service management and control center of a network service system, and determines a load balancing policy according to entity information about service function execution entities in the network service system; and the network management and control center generates an execution flow table according to the load balancing policy, and controls a network device to perform a load balancing operation according to the execution flow table. The present invention is applicable to a network service system comprising a service function execution entity in a transparent mode, so as to implement load balancing processing on the service function execution entity in transparent mode in the network service system.

Abstract: Disclosed are a flow classifier, policy and charging rules function unit and controller. The flow classifier receives a service chain selection control policy sent by a policy and charging rules function unit. The service chain selection control policy includes a corresponding relation between an application type and an identifier of a service chain. The service chain is a path formed by a forwarding device and a value-added service device both of which a service flow with the application type needs to pass through. The flow classifier detects the service flow with the application type based on the service chain selection control policy and adds the identifier of the service chain to a message of the service flow. The flow classifier sends the message of the service flow with the added identifier of the service chain to a forwarding device directly connected to the flow classifier.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for forwarding a packet, where a first network virtualization edge (NVE) receives a first packet sent by a first tenant end system (TES), where a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first packet is an IP address of a second TES, a destination media access control (MAC) address of the first packet is a gateway MAC address corresponding to the first NVE. The first NVE acquires an access virtual network identifier (VN ID) and a layer 3 virtual private network (VPN) instance identifier of the first TES, and searches a routing and forwarding table, to obtain an entry corresponding to the IP address of the second TES. Then the first NVE encapsulates the first packet into a network virtualization overlays (NVO3) packet according to the entry, and forwards the NVO3 packet to a second NVE to forward to the second TES.

Abstract: A service processing method, a service processing system, and a PCRF entity are disclosed to overcome this defect in the prior art: The prior art is unable to handle services discriminatively according to the policy context information when different services require the same QoS level. The method includes: receiving bearer priority information from a PCRF entity, where the bearer priority information includes: bearer priority information of a service data stream, bearer priority information of an IP-CAN session, and/or bearer priority information of an IP-CAN bearer; and handling services according to the bearer priority information. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the policy context information is converted into bearer priority information so that the PCEF handles services according to the bearer priority information. In this way, different services that require the same QoS level are handled discriminatively according to the policy context information.

Abstract: A packet processing method includes: a traffic classifier receives a first packet; the traffic classifier determines, in policy information in the traffic classifier and according to a first filtering rule that matches the first packet, a first service identifier that matches the first filtering rule, and an address, which matches the first filtering rule, of a first service routing trigger. The traffic classifier sends a second packet to the first service routing trigger. Where the policy information includes: a filtering rule, an address of a service routing trigger, and a service identifier corresponding to the filtering rule. Where the filtering rule is used to identify a packet, and the service identifier is used to represent a sequence of a service node that processes the packet. Where the second packet is formed by adding the first service identifier to the first packet.

Abstract: When there is a change from a first service chain instance path to a second service chain instance path, the head-end node of the second service chain instance path is notified to include information that specifies the second service chain instance path in data packets to be routed on the second service chain instance path. That information is used to route those data packets until the nodes in the second service chain instance path complete installation of a new steering policy. When those nodes have installed the new steering policy, the information that specifies the second service chain instance path may no longer be included in data packets, and the steering policy is then used to route the data packets.

Abstract: A method and a system for exercising policy control, a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) are provided, which can solve the problem that no policy control can be exercised over application service flows without an application function (AF). In the method, a PCRF receives information about an application event sent by a PCEF after subscribing the application event from the PCEF; and the PCRF generates a control policy for a service flow of the application according to the information about the application event. In the present invention, the PCEF sends the obtained information about the application event to the PCRF, so that even when no AF is involved, the PCRF can still generate a control policy according to policy contexts including the information about the application event and the like.

Abstract: A control method, system and function entity for reporting a bearer event of a signaling IP flow are provided. Flow identifier information may be generated for a signaling IP flow and a media IP flow, to unify a mechanism for reporting a signaling path status and a mechanism for reporting a bearer event of a media IP flow. In the method, the mechanism for reporting a signaling path status is not limited by the parameter of Flow Usage.

Abstract: A service processing method, a service processing system, and a PCRF entity are disclosed to overcome this defect in the prior art: The prior art is unable to handle services discriminatively according to the policy context information when different services require the same QoS level. The method includes: receiving bearer priority information from a PCRF entity, where the bearer priority information includes: bearer priority information of a service data stream, bearer priority information of an IP-CAN session, and/or bearer priority information of an IP-CAN bearer; and handling services according to the bearer priority information. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the policy context information is converted into bearer priority information so that the PCEF handles services according to the bearer priority information. In this way, different services that require the same QoS level are handled discriminatively according to the policy context information.

Abstract: A method and a system for maintaining session continuity, in which the system includes a Handover Source Function (HOSF), a Handover Destination Function (HODF), a Handover Anchor Function-Control Plane (HOAF-CP) and a Handover Anchor Function-User Plane (HOAF-UP). The method includes a first user establishing a connection through the HOSF with the HOAF-CP and the HOAF-UP which correspond to a second user, so as to establish a session with the second user. The method further includes that, during session handover, the HODF that corresponds to the HOSF establishing another connection with the HOAF-CP and HOAF-UP though which the first user continues the session with the second user, so as to maintain the session continuity. When access address or access technology of the terminal changes, or even the terminal changes during a session, the method and the system can logically replace the connection before the handover with a new connection to ensure the session continuity.

Abstract: A service processing method, a service processing system, and a PCRF entity are disclosed to overcome this defect in the prior art: The prior art is unable to handle services discriminatively according to the policy context information when different services require the same QoS level. The method includes: receiving bearer priority information from a PCRF entity, where the bearer priority information includes: bearer priority information of a service data stream, bearer priority information of an IP-CAN session, and/or bearer priority information of an IP-CAN bearer; and handling services according to the bearer priority information. In the embodiments of the present invention, the policy context information is converted into bearer priority information so that the PCEF handles services according to the bearer priority information. In this way, different services that require the same QoS level are handled discriminatively according to the policy context information.

Abstract: A method and a system of realizing event detection are provided, which detect a status of an Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity access network (IP-CAN) bearer corresponding to a policy and charging control (PCC) rule by binding an Event-Trigger parameter to the PCC rule, thereby realizing small-granularity detection for the specific PCC rule and reducing the load of the system. Furthermore, a status of the IP-CAN bearer or an IP flow is realized by binding the Event-Trigger parameter to an IP-CAN identifier (ID) or an IP flow ID, so as to avoid the problem about too large granularity of the binding of event detection and IP-CAN session and reduce the burden of the IP-CAN bearer detection and message exchange.

Abstract: A control method, system and function entity for reporting a bearer event of a signaling IP flow are provided. A 5-tuple is generated for a signaling IP flow and a media IP flow so as to unify a mechanism for reporting a signaling path status and a mechanism for reporting a bearer event of a media IP flow, so that the mechanism for reporting a signaling path status is not limited by the parameter of Flow Usage, the PDP context with a signaling tag, thereby establishing corresponding PCC rules for signaling and the association between a signaling IP flow and a bearer. A method for reporting a signaling path status is further provided in the invention. In the method, for a default PDP context or a PDP context of a signaling IP flow, the predefined PCC rules are activated or signaling PCC rules generated in accordance with an Application Function address are installed, thereby an IP signaling path status is reported in accordance with rule names of the predefine PCC rules or the signaling PCC rules.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for controlling multicast bearer resources are disclosed, which employ a resource and admission control subsystem (RACS) to control the multicast bearer resources. The method includes: a network entity in a RACS receives a request for controlling multicast bearer resources from a bearer-layer network entity and controls the multicast bearer resources. The network entity in the RACS includes: a receiving unit adapted to receive a request for controlling multicast bearer resources from a bearer-layer network entity and a control unit adapted to control the multicast bearer resources.

Abstract: A control method, system and function entity for reporting a bearer event of a signaling IP flow are provided. Flow identifier information such as a 5-tuple is generated for a signaling IP flow and a media IP flow so as to unify a mechanism for reporting a signaling path status and a mechanism for reporting a bearer event of a media IP flow, so that the mechanism for reporting a signaling path status is not limited by the parameter of Flow Usage, the PDP context with a signaling tag, thereby establishing corresponding PCC rules for signaling and the association between a signaling IP flow and a bearer. A method for reporting a signaling path status is further provided in the invention.

Abstract: The embodiments of present invention discloses a method for controlling service data flows transmitted in a tunnel, an information sending apparatus, an information enforcing apparatus, and an information reporting apparatus, and relates to the network communications field. With the embodiments of present invention, an access gateway (AGW) can implement correct policy control on data packets transmitted in a tunnel. The method for controlling service data flows transmitted in a tunnel includes: receiving policy information and identification information of service data flows transmitted in a tunnel; and enforcing policy operations on the service data flows according to the policy information and identification information of the service data flows transmitted in the tunnel. In the embodiments of present invention, a policy enforcement function (PEF) may identify data packets transmitted in a tunnel according to the received policy information and identification information.

Abstract: A method for obtaining capabilities of a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) includes these steps: a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) obtains capability information of the PCEF; and the PCRF performs processing according to the capability information. A PCRF is also disclosed. With the present disclosure, the PCEF reports its capabilities in advance so that the PCRF makes policy decisions for a service or subscribes to appropriate application events from the PCEF when it knows the capabilities of the PCEF. This avoids possible subscription errors and decision failures arising when the PCRF is unable to know the capabilities of the PCEF.

Abstract: A control method, system and function entity for reporting a bearer event of a signaling IP flow are provided. Flow identifier information such as a 5-tuple is generated for a signaling IP flow and a media IP flow so as to unify a mechanism for reporting a signaling path status and a mechanism for reporting a bearer event of a media IP flow, so that the mechanism for reporting a signaling path status is not limited by the parameter of Flow Usage, the PDP context with a signaling tag, thereby establishing corresponding PCC rules for signaling and the association between a signaling IP flow and a bearer. A method for reporting a signaling path status is further provided in the invention.