Session Authentication Reuse for Lower PDU Signaling Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network authentication methods result in excessive signaling overheads due to repeated secondary authentication procedures for terminal devices establishing multiple PDU sessions with the same data network, as they rely on comparing DNNs to determine authentication necessity.
Innovation Solution
An authentication and authorization method that involves a session management network element to check for existing authentication results, allowing the skipping of secondary authentication when successful, and suspending or postponing sessions when no results are available, thereby reducing redundant authentication procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secondary authentication is performed for each PDU session establishment, then authentication security is ensured, but signaling overhead increases due to repeated authentication procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by checking whether authentication results already exist before initiating secondary authentication procedures. The session management network element queries the authentication network element to determine if authentication has already been performed for the terminal device accessing the data network. If authentication results exist, the patent skips the secondary authentication procedure, thereby avoiding redundant signaling while maintaining security.
2Ease of operation
If DNN comparison is used to determine authentication necessity, then authentication decisions are made, but the solution is limited to specific scenarios and cannot handle all cases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by establishing a query mechanism where the session management network element actively checks with the authentication network element about the existence of authentication results. This feedback loop provides real-time information about authentication status, enabling the system to make accurate authentication decisions regardless of whether DNNs are the same or different, thus greatly enhancing scenario applicability beyond simple DNN comparison.
Data Source
AI summary
A session management network element receives a session establishment request message from a terminal device, where the session establishment request message is used to request to establish a session with a data network. The session management network element determines whether an authentication result of authentication and/or authorization by the data network on the terminal device exists. When it is determined that the authentication result exists, the session management network element does not initiate a secondary authentication procedure for the session. In other words, the session management network element may decide, based on that the data network has authenticated the terminal device, to skip the secondary authentication procedure.