Nested Policy Configuration for Network Resource Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current policy implementations in communications networks are inefficient as they lack the ability to define and query subscription profile information for groups of subscribers, leading to high network resource requirements and inability to apply chain of linked policy records to a single subscriber.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of nested policy configuration methods and systems that allow operators to use existing mechanisms to provision system-wide policies by creating nested policy records, where one policy record contains an identifier referencing another, enabling group policy settings to be applied to multiple subscribers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual-based policy definitions are used for each subscriber, then each subscriber can have customized policy rules, but network resource requirements increase significantly when many subscribers share the same profile information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested policy records where an individual subscriber's policy record contains a reference to a group policy record, which in turn may contain references to other group policy records. This hierarchical nesting allows individual customization while sharing common policy definitions across multiple subscribers, significantly reducing network resource requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates group policy records that can be referenced by multiple individual subscriber records. A single group policy record serves multiple subscribers simultaneously, allowing the same policy definition to be universally applied across different subscriber groups without duplicating storage resources.
2Reliability
If policy records are stored individually for each subscriber, then complete subscriber-specific policies can be maintained, but the complexity of managing and querying policies for groups of subscribers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments policy management into two distinct levels: individual subscriber policy records and group policy records. This segmentation allows the system to handle individual customization requirements separately from group-wide policy definitions, simplifying the overall management and query processes by dividing the complexity into manageable segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The nested structure of policy records, where individual records reference group records, creates a hierarchical organization that simplifies management. Queries can efficiently traverse from individual to group levels, and policy updates at the group level automatically propagate to all referencing individuals, reducing management complexity.
3Device complexity
If traditional policy implementation is used without nested references, then simple policy structures are maintained, but the ability to apply chains of linked policy records to a single subscriber is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested references within policy records, allowing an individual subscriber's policy record to contain a reference to a group policy record, which may itself contain references to other group policy records. This creates a chain of linked policy records that maintains structural simplicity while enabling complex, multi-level policy application capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing nested policy configuration in a communications network are disclosed. The method is performed at a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) node. According to one method, first policy profile information associated with a first identifier is obtained from a policy profile database, where the first identifier is associated with a first subscriber and where the first policy profile information includes a second identifier. Second policy profile information associated with the second subscriber is obtained, using the second identifier obtained with the first policy profile information, from the policy profile database.