Clearinghouse AAA Server Priority Access During Emergencies
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Solution Overview
Problem
During emergency situations, WiFi networks are often overloaded with non-essential traffic, preventing first responders from accessing external data networks effectively.
Innovation Solution
Implementing techniques to provide priority access to external data networks for pre-registered first responders and other designated individuals during emergency situations, by using a clearinghouse AAA server and a Declared Emergency Location Registry (DELR) to manage access requests and authenticate priority users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If WiFi networks allow access to external data networks during emergency situations, then first responders can communicate effectively, but non-essential traffic overloads the network and prevents priority access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments network traffic into priority and non-priority classes. The clearinghouse AAA server and network servers distinguish between essential first responder traffic and non-essential traffic, applying different handling policies to each segment. This segmentation ensures that priority traffic receives guaranteed bandwidth and processing while non-priority traffic is managed separately, preventing overload from blocking emergency communications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by providing differentiated service levels at different points in the network. The clearinghouse AAA server assigns priority status to first responders, and individual network servers (visited and home) apply local quality policies to ensure priority users receive enhanced service. This localized differentiation maintains network functionality for essential users while allowing non-essential traffic to be managed according to local conditions.
2Reliability
If the network authenticates all users through the home AAA server, then access control is maintained, but the authentication process creates network congestion during emergencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the clearinghouse AAA server perform authentication and authorization decisions before traffic reaches the home AAA server. Priority users are pre-identified and pre-authenticated by the clearinghouse, which makes preliminary determination of access rights. This preliminary processing reduces the authentication burden on the home AAA server during emergencies, cutting authentication time while maintaining access control reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The clearinghouse AAA server acts as an intermediary between the visited network and the home AAA server. It receives authentication requests from visited networks, performs preliminary authentication and authorization decisions, and then interacts with the home AAA server only when necessary. This intermediary role filters and pre-processes authentication traffic, reducing the load on the home AAA server and accelerating the overall authentication process during emergency situations.
3Reliability
If the visited AAA server forwards all access requests to the home AAA server, then centralized authorization is maintained, but network traffic volume increases during emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having the clearinghouse AAA server handle authentication and authorization for priority users locally, rather than forwarding all such requests to the home AAA server. For non-priority users, the system maintains full centralized authorization through the home AAA server. This partial delegation to the clearinghouse reduces the total traffic volume to the home AAA server while maintaining centralized authorization reliability for essential users.
Solution Approach 2:
The clearinghouse AAA server serves as an intermediary that filters and pre-processes authorization requests before they reach the home AAA server. It makes preliminary authorization decisions for priority users based on local policies and emergency status information, thereby reducing the quantity of authorization traffic that must be forwarded to the home AAA server. This intermediary function maintains centralized authorization reliability while significantly reducing network traffic volume during emergency situations.
Data Source
AI summary
In certain embodiments, a clearinghouse AAA server receives, from a network AAA server of a network, a request for a priority UE to access an external data network via the network, accesses a Declared Emergency Location Registry (DELR) database to determine whether a current emergency situation has been declared for the network, determines whether the priority UE is permitted (e.g., authenticated and authorized) to access the external data network via the network, and determines whether the priority UE should receive priority or non-priority access to the external data network via the network. Depending on the situation, the network may be the UE's home network or a visited network having a roaming agreement with the home network. In this way, priority UEs can receive priority access to external data networks via networks during declared emergency situations.