Standby PCRF IP-CAN Session Caching for Redundant Network Failover

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Solution Overview

Problem

In redundancy networking scenarios, when the interface between the application function device and the active policy and charging control function is faulty, the standby policy and charging control function device cannot establish a dedicated bearer due to the lack of corresponding IP-CAN session information, affecting user experience during voice calls.

Innovation Solution

The standby policy and charging control function device obtains IP-CAN session information from a standby subscription profile repository when receiving an AAR message, allowing it to avoid re-establishing the IP-CAN session and improve user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the standby PCRF receives AAR message without IP-CAN session information, then the system maintains redundancy networking capability, but the dedicated bearer cannot be established affecting user experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveredundancy networking capabilityVSAvoiddedicated bearer establishment
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The standby PCRF pre-obtains and caches IP-CAN session information from the standby SPR before needing to handle AAR messages. This preliminary action ensures that when failover occurs, the standby PCRF immediately has the necessary session information to establish dedicated bearers without delay

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The standby SPR acts as an intermediary that stores and provides IP-CAN session information to the standby PCRF. This intermediary component enables the standby PCRF to access cached session data without needing to communicate with the active PCRF or re-establish sessions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the standby PCRF requests IP-CAN session information after receiving AAR message, then user experience is improved, but session re-establishment time is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvededicated bearer establishmentVSAvoidsession re-establishment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

IP-CAN session information is cached in the standby SPR in advance, before the standby PCRF needs to use it. This eliminates the time required for session re-establishment during failover, as the information is already prepared and readily available

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The standby SPR maintains a copy of IP-CAN session information that mirrors what the active PCRF would have. This copying approach allows the standby PCRF to immediately access identical session data without time-consuming re-establishment procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3618468B1Wireless communication method and device
Publication Date: 2022.08.24 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3618468B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3618468B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3618468B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

This application provides a wireless communication method. In a redundancy networking scenario, a standby policy and charging control function device may obtain, from a standby subscriber repository, internet protocol address connectivity access network session information corresponding to an authentication authorization request message, so as to prevent the standby policy and charging control function device from re-establishing an internet protocol address connectivity access network session, and improve user experience. The method includes: receiving, by the standby policy and charging control function device, the authentication authorization request message sent by an application function; and obtaining, from the standby subscription profile repository based on an internet protocol address carried in the authentication authorization request message, the internet protocol address connectivity access network session information corresponding to the authentication authorization request message.