Network Gatekeeper for Synchronized SLA Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telecommunications and network infrastructures are too rigid and complex to effectively enforce service level agreements (SLAs) across geographically separate domains, limiting the ability to deliver next-generation voice, data, and video services, and are challenged by increased regulatory pressures and the need for improved performance and security.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network gatekeeper application within an IP multimedia system (IMS) Service Delivery Platform and service access gateway that synchronizes SLA enforcement across geographically remote sites through hub-to-hub synchronization of internal state information, using a JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) compliant application server, and providing a policy-driven telecommunications web services gateway for granular control and secure access to network resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional telecommunications and network infrastructures are used, then existing IT and network infrastructures are maintained, but the system is too rigid and complex to effectively enforce service level agreements across geographically separate domains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network infrastructure into multiple geographically distributed domains, each with its own SLA enforcement capabilities. This allows SLA enforcement to be distributed across domains rather than centralized, reducing the complexity burden on any single infrastructure component while maintaining reliable cross-domain SLA enforcement through coordinated policy execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces policy enforcement points and gateway applications as intermediaries between the existing infrastructure and SLA requirements. These intermediaries handle the complex SLA enforcement logic, allowing the underlying infrastructure to remain relatively simple while still achieving reliable SLA compliance through the mediating policy layer.
2Reliability
If specialized telecommunication servers and gateway applications are implemented, then security and stability are improved, but performance improvements are still needed to meet network operator requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic performance optimization by allowing the system to adaptively adjust resource allocation and policy enforcement intensity based on real-time network conditions. This enables the system to maintain high security and stability through specialized servers while also achieving improved performance by dynamically optimizing operations based on current load and SLA requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters such as resource allocation, processing priority, and enforcement intensity to balance security/stability requirements with performance goals. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system can maintain the security and stability provided by specialized servers while optimizing performance to meet network operator requirements.
3Productivity
If geographically distributed domains are deployed, then service availability and load distribution are improved, but synchronizing SLA enforcement across these domains becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where each geographically distributed domain reports its state and SLA compliance status to a centralized policy management system. This feedback loop enables automatic coordination and synchronization of SLA enforcement across domains, reducing the synchronization complexity by using automated feedback-driven adjustments rather than manual coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal policy enforcement framework that can operate across multiple geographically distributed domains with different local conditions. This universal framework provides consistent SLA enforcement logic that adapts to local circumstances, enabling synchronized enforcement across domains without requiring domain-specific customization, thereby reducing synchronization complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A service access gateway is described that provides enforcement of service level agreements across geographically remote domains. Each domain can comprise an access tier and a network tier that can be scaled by adding or removing server nodes. At the network tier level, a master node can be selected in each domain in order to maintain budget state information for the domain. Additionally, a global master can be elected in order to maintain the state information across multiple domains such that the service level agreements can be enforced in a synchronized manner. A geographical configuration service can also be implemented to generate alarms in cases where service level agreements across the multiple sites are not identical.