Policy Server for SIP and Non-SIP Network Resource Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication networks, particularly those using IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), lack comprehensive policy enforcement capabilities, especially for legacy devices and applications not using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP, limiting support to Quality of Service and accounting, and failing to provide user-specific policies during roaming.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that includes a policy server capable of managing network resources beyond traditional Quality of Service and accounting, such as security, mobility, and deep packet inspection, to enforce policies for both SIP and non-SIP applications, with a network resource manager and application control point to allocate resources dynamically based on user-specific policies and available network resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the system uses traditional Quality of Service and accounting for policy control, then the implementation is simple, but the range of policy control is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal policy control framework that extends beyond traditional QoS and accounting to include security, mobility, relay, transcoding, packet replication, and deep packet inspection services. The policy server acts as a multi-functional controller that can enforce policies across diverse network resources and application types (SIP and non-SIP), making the system adaptable to various policy control needs without requiring separate specialized systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a policy server as an intermediary component that mediates between network resources and applications. This policy server receives policy profiles, determines appropriate resource allocations, and communicates decisions to application control points and network resource managers. This intermediary architecture enables comprehensive policy control while maintaining system manageability by centralizing policy decision-making logic.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system supports only SIP enabled devices, then the architecture is simple, but legacy devices and applications cannot be supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal interface architecture where the policy server can interact with both SIP and non-SIP applications through standardized mechanisms. The system uses application control points that can handle multiple application types and protocols, allowing legacy devices and modern SIP applications to coexist on the same network infrastructure without requiring separate policy control paths for each application type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter-based policy profiles that can be dynamically adjusted based on application type, user identity, and network conditions. By changing policy parameters rather than restructuring the entire system architecture, the patent enables support for diverse application protocols while maintaining a consistent underlying framework. The policy server can modify allocation decisions based on application-specific parameters without requiring dedicated interfaces for each protocol.
3Reliability
If user-specific policies are stored only by the home service provider, then storage is centralized, but roaming users cannot receive proper policy enforcement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the policy server as an intermediary that facilitates policy profile transfer and coordination between home and visited networks. When a user roams, the visited network's policy server can retrieve the user's policy profile from the home network through standardized interfaces, ensuring continuous policy enforcement. This intermediary mechanism maintains centralized policy management while enabling distributed policy execution across multiple network domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing policy profile retrieval and synchronization mechanisms before roaming scenarios occur. Policy profiles are made available for transfer through standardized interfaces in advance, allowing seamless policy enforcement when users roam. This preliminary preparation ensures that policy information is ready for immediate use when needed, maintaining reliable policy enforcement without requiring complex real-time negotiations during roaming events.
4Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive policy control is implemented across multiple network resources, then policy capability is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the policy control system into distinct functional components: the policy server for decision-making, application control points for application-specific enforcement, and network resource managers for resource-specific control. Each component has a specialized responsibility, managing a subset of network resources or application types. This segmentation allows comprehensive policy control across multiple resources while keeping each component's complexity manageable through clear separation of concerns and well-defined interfaces between components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for enforcing policy in a communication network includes a policy server which is operable to receive a request to invoke an application, receive a policy profile for a network user, and decide a proper allocation of network users based on the policy profile, the application, and available network resources. The policy server is further operable to communicate with a non-SIP application. The system also includes a network resource manager operably associated with the policy server and operable to monitor available network in the resources in the communication network. In addition, the network resource manager is functional to allocate network resource amongst a plurality of network users. The system also contains an application control point which is operably associated with the policy server and operable to communicate with a SIP application. The system is operable to use policy peering between the home and visited network to enable user-specific policies to be enforced while roaming.