Header Detail Record for Granular Network Usage Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for tracking telecommunications network usage, particularly in data-based communications networks, lack granularity and detail, especially for VoIP, wireless, and broadband services, failing to provide comprehensive usage statistics at the user level, which is essential for businesses and consumers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating a header detail record (HDR) that analyzes packet data from network probes, using protocols like sflow or netflow, to extract and enrich header information, determining session and subscriber data through deep packet inspection, and creating actionable results for detailed usage statistics and billing purposes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional call detail records (CDRs) are used to track telecommunications usage, then billing information can be tracked for circuit switched calls, but the tracking lacks granularity and detail for data-based communications networks including VoIP and wireless services
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal header detail record (HDR) format that can track multiple types of communications including circuit switched calls, VoIP, wireless, and broadband services through a single standardized structure. The HDR incorporates fields for both traditional CDR data (calling party, called party, duration) and packet data network information (IP addresses, protocol types, application identifiers), enabling one system to handle diverse network protocols and service types that conventional CDRs could not track with sufficient granularity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the usage tracking system into distinct functional components: network probes that capture packet data at different network points, data collectors that aggregate information from multiple probes, and processing systems that create standardized HDRs. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high measurement precision for different protocol types while improving adaptability by allowing each component to be optimized for specific network segments
2Loss of information
If packet data is captured and analyzed from network probes to create detailed usage statistics, then user-level granularity is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary components including standardized HDR formats and centralized processing systems that mediate between complex network probes and simpler billing/analysis systems. The probes capture detailed packet information, but this data is transformed into standardized HDRs with predefined fields for usage information, subscriber identifiers, and session details. This intermediary standardization layer preserves complete usage information while reducing the complexity burden on downstream systems by providing structured, normalized data
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates simplified copies of the original packet data in the form of header detail records. Rather than processing and storing all raw packet data which would be extremely complex, the system extracts essential usage information and creates standardized HDR copies containing calling party, called party, duration, data volume, and application identifiers. These HDR copies preserve the necessary usage information completeness while dramatically reducing system complexity by working with structured summaries rather than raw packet streams
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, computer program product and computer processor-implemented method of generating a header detail record (HDR) for a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) data browsing user accessing network resources, may include: receiving, by at least one computer processor, packet data from at least one probe tapping into at least one network element of a data network of a communications services provider, said packet data comprising: header data, and payload data; analyzing said packet data comprising: extracting at least one header detail record (HDR) from said header data and said payload data for all said packet data, and creating said at least one header detail record (HDR).