Diameter Routing Unit Session Information Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Diameter Routing Agents (DRAs) face challenges in synchronizing session information across multiple units, leading to performance and reliability issues, especially in scenarios with two or more DRAs, resulting in potential session breaks and unnecessary traffic loads.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a storage unit within each DRA to store information about which policy and charging control unit handles a data packet session and the presence of additional DRAs, allowing for efficient forwarding of commands to the correct unit, thereby avoiding incorrect routing and reducing the need for session replication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If session information is replicated synchronously between DRAs, then reliability is improved, but delivery time to PCRF is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the session information storage function from the DRA and places it in a separate data storage unit. This allows the DRA to forward commands immediately without waiting for replication, while the storage unit maintains the session information for later retrieval by other DRAs, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and delivery time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data storage unit as an intermediary between DRAs and PCRFs. This intermediary stores session information centrally, allowing any DRA to retrieve the correct session information without synchronizing with other DRAs, thereby eliminating both the reliability issue and the time delay.
2Loss of time
If session information is replicated asynchronously between DRAs, then delivery time is improved, but session information may arrive too late causing session breaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-storing session information in the data storage unit when a session is first established. This ensures that when subsequent commands arrive at any DRA, the session information is already available in the storage unit, eliminating the need for asynchronous replication and preventing session breaks.
3Productivity
If multiple DRAs are deployed for load sharing, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the DRA system into two independent parts: the DRA units that handle command routing and forwarding, and the data storage unit that handles session information storage and retrieval. This segmentation allows multiple DRAs to operate independently for load sharing without requiring complex synchronization mechanisms, as the storage unit serves as a shared resource for all DRAs.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method, by a diameter routing unit (110), to route diameter commands of a data packet session using a diameter protocol in a mobile communications network, the diameter routing unit comprising a storage unit (111) storing information which policy and charging control unit is handling which data packet session and storing information about a presence of at least one additional diameter routing unit (100) which routes diameter commands of the diameter protocol to the same pool of policy and charging control units (31, 32) as the diameter routing unit. The method comprises the steps of receiving a diameter command for a data packet session; checking whether information is present in the storage unit (111) which policy and charging control unit is handling the session to which the received diameter command belongs, wherein, if information is present in the storage unit (111), the received diameter command is forwarded to one of the policy and charging control units (31, 32) in accordance with the stored information, wherein, if no information can be found in the storage unit (101) for the received diameter command, the diameter command is forwarded to the at least one additional diameter routing unit.