Active ADMF Identification via Ping Auditing in Lawful Interception

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In lawful interception deployments with multiple administration functions (ADMFs) using the same identifier, identifying the active ADMF is challenging, especially when the active ADMF changes, as auditing request messages do not specify the active ADMF, complicating communication between network elements and ADMFs.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a network element sending ping requests to all ADMFs after receiving an auditing request, identifying the active ADMF based on the response, ensuring communication with the correct ADMF through IP addresses and logical connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple ADMFs use the same identifier for redundancy, then system reliability is improved, but the ability to identify the active ADMF deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidactive ADMF identification

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an auditing request message as an intermediary mechanism that triggers the active ADMF to respond with its identity. When a network element receives an auditing request, it sends a ping message to all ADMFs, and only the active ADMF responds with an auditing response containing its identifier. This intermediary process resolves the identification difficulty while maintaining the redundancy benefit of multiple ADMFs with the same identifier.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If auditing request messages do not specify the active ADMF, then ADMF versatility is improved, but communication reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveADMF versatilityVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the active ADMF responds to auditing requests with its identity information. The network element sends a ping message to all ADMFs, and the active ADMF provides feedback by returning an auditing response message containing its identifier. This feedback loop ensures reliable communication by enabling the network element to identify and communicate with the correct active ADMF, while the generic auditing request structure maintains ADMF versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12549612B2Identifying an active administration function (ADMF) in a lawful interception deployment that utilizes a plurality of ADMFs

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A method for identifying an active administration function (ADMF) in a lawful interception deployment that utilizes an ADMF set comprising a plurality of ADMFs can be implemented by a network element. The method can include exchanging lawful interception signaling with a first ADMF when the first ADMF is the active ADMF. The method can also include receiving an auditing request message from one of the plurality of ADMFs in the ADMF set and sending a ping request message to each ADMF in the ADMF set. The method can also include receiving a ping response message from a second ADMF among the plurality of ADMFs in the ADMF set and identifying the second ADMF as the active ADMF in response to receiving the ping response message. The method can also include exchanging second lawful interception signaling with the second ADMF when the second ADMF is the active ADMF.