LTE Roaming APN Adaptation via HSS Profile Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current LTE roaming scenarios require tedious editing and storage of individual subscriber profiles to manage Access Point Name (APN) access, leading to performance issues and high memory costs in Home Subscriber Servers (HSS) due to numerous roaming agreements.
Innovation Solution
The method involves modifying the home profile of a mobile station at the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to a visited profile, which includes a unique visited network identifier, allowing for APN adaptation without storing individual subscriber profiles at the visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN), using the Diameter edge agent to facilitate communication and parameter changes based on agreements between networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual subscriber profiles are edited and stored in HSS for each roaming agreement, then APN access control for roaming users is achieved, but memory consumption and database performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters stored in HSS from complete subscriber profiles with roaming-specific APN settings to a standardized home profile. The roaming APN selection is determined by changing the parameter of 'visited network identifier' rather than storing multiple profiles. This reduces memory consumption while maintaining APN access control capability through parameter transformation at the Diameter Edge Agent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the roaming-specific APN configuration information from the HSS subscriber profile and places it in the Diameter Edge Agent. The HSS only stores the home profile, while the visited network identifier and corresponding APN mappings are stored locally at the Diameter Edge Agent. This extraction reduces the quantity of data stored in HSS memory.
2Reliability
If individual subscriber profiles are stored for each roaming agreement, then roaming user authorization is controlled, but database performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the database query operation from retrieving complete subscriber profiles for each roaming agreement to retrieving a single standardized home profile. The authorization control is maintained through parameter transformation at the Diameter Edge Agent, which maps the visited network identifier to the appropriate home profile. This significantly improves database performance by reducing the amount of data retrieved and processed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple roaming profiles are maintained in HSS, then APN policy updates are supported, but administrative complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies APN policy updates by changing the approach from maintaining multiple roaming profiles to using a single home profile with parameter transformation. Policy updates are performed by modifying the parameter mappings at the Diameter Edge Agent rather than updating multiple subscriber profiles in HSS. This reduces administrative complexity while maintaining adaptability for different roaming agreements and APN policies.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing roaming profiles to a VPMN includes receiving, at a HPMN, an authentication request to authorize a mobile station in the VPMN. The HPMN transmits, to the VPMN, an authorization answer in response to the authentication request. Once the VPMN determines that the mobile station is authorized to operate in the VPMN, the HPMN receives a visited profile request for the mobile station. The request is transmitted from the VPMN to the HPMN. The HPMN retrieves a home profile for the mobile station in the HPMN. A device in the HPMN modifies, based on an agreement between the VPMN and HPMN and other policies, the home profile to a visited profile. The modification occurs in the same, or in a different, device as the device from which the home profile was retrieved. The visited profile is transmitted to the VPMN in response to the request.