Selective Credit Control Session Restart for EPC Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3GPP methods for handling congestion in the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) architecture do not allow for selective restart of credit control sessions, leading to inefficient resource management and poor subscriber experience due to mass termination of sessions during OCS failures, causing repeated congestion and heavy signaling.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where the Online Charging System (OCS) stores Session-IDs of terminated DCCA sessions and selectively requests their restart when the load decreases, using Re-Authorization Requests to re-establish credit control sessions without mass restarting, thereby allowing controlled re-authentication and re-authorization of active bearers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mass termination of credit control sessions is performed during OCS failures, then the system can handle congestion by terminating sessions, but subscriber experience deteriorates and repeated congestion occurs due to mass re-authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the credit control sessions into two categories: active sessions that should be maintained and inactive sessions that can be terminated. By maintaining session state information in the PGW, the system can selectively restart only the necessary sessions after OCS recovery, preventing mass re-authentication while ensuring service continuity for active subscribers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by storing session state information (Session-IDs, bearer status) in the PGW before OCS failure occurs. This pre-stored information enables the PGW to quickly identify and restart only the active credit control sessions after OCS recovers, avoiding the need for mass re-authentication and reducing signaling overhead.
2Ease of operation
If credit control sessions are restarted after OCS failure, then service continuity is improved, but signaling overhead increases due to mass re-authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the session state information from the OCS and stores it locally in the PGW. This extraction enables the PGW to independently identify active sessions and restart only those specific sessions after OCS failure, rather than performing mass re-authentication. This significantly reduces signaling overhead while maintaining service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the PGW to autonomously manage credit control session restart operations using the stored session state information. The PGW can identify active sessions and initiate restart procedures without requiring OCS intervention for each session, reducing the signaling burden on the OCS and improving overall system efficiency.
3Device complexity
If all credit control sessions are terminated during congestion, then resource management is simplified, but resource utilization efficiency decreases due to inability to selectively maintain active sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces session state information as an intermediary between the PGW and OCS. This intermediary enables the PGW to make informed decisions about which credit control sessions to restart after OCS failure, based on the stored session state. This selective restart capability improves resource utilization efficiency while avoiding the complexity of managing individual session states through constant signaling with the OCS.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products and computer-readable media regarding enhanced congestion control by means of selective restart of credit control sessions. The present invention comprises storing an identifier of each of a plurality of credit control sessions handled by the charging entity when a failure has occurred at the charging entity and the plurality of credit control sessions has been terminated and a bearer associated with each of the plurality of the credit control session is to be maintained; and sending a message for requesting restart of at least one of the plurality of credit control sessions to a gateway entity handling the plurality of credit control sessions, the message including an identifier of the at least one of the plurality of credit control sessions to be restarted.