Abstract:
A network device. The network device includes a gateway switch to receive an incoming call and to identify a source of the call. A parser then receives a request associated with the incoming call and produces a parsed request. A message parser within the parser receives the request depending upon the source of the call. A policy switch then receives the parsed message and transmits the request to a policy processor based upon the parsed message.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is being filed with the related, co-pending applications as set forth below: 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/104,816 entitled “VOICE AND DIAL SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT ENFORCEMENT ON UNIVERSAL GATEWAY,” filed on Mar. 22, 2002 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/10/104,819 entitled “SEGREGATING SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS ACROSS LARGE-SCALE NETWORKS” filed on Mar. 22, 2002 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/104,820 entitled “EXPEDITING PORT RELEASE IN DISTRIBUTED NETWORKS” filed on Mar. 22, 2002 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/104,299 entitled “SHARING GATEWAY RESOURCES ACROSS MULTI-POP NETWORKS” filed on Mar. 22, 2002 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     This disclosure relates to network devices, more particularly to network devices in used for authentication, authorization or accounting (AAA) and other administrative functions. 
     2. Background 
     Many networks use AAA servers to control access and accounting for network use. For example, a wholesale network provider that owns the physical network of wires and cables sells time on the network to an Internet service provider (ISP). Generally, there is an agreement between the wholesaler and the ISP that governs how many calls per a given time period, such as calls per second, that ISP gets for a particular level of service. The parameters of this agreement are typically contained in a service level agreement (SLA). 
     However, many SLAs are not enforced or are not enforced consistently. This leaves the wholesaler in the position of having to buy or lease extra equipment to handle the maximum call traffic, or fail to meet their obligations to one customer when another customer exceeds their SLA. As a solution to this, many wholesalers and ISPs use single point solution to provide an AAA server, enforce port policy management (such as the number of ports allowed for a given endpoint), as well as handle the routing of the incoming calls. An example of this type of network configuration is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the wholesale network AAA server  10  is accessed by equipment at several points-of-presence (POP),  12   a - 12   n . This server then routes the AAA information to the various ISP AAA servers  14   a - 14   n , as well as routing the incoming call. This single-point solution allows one network device, such as a server, to coordinate the port policy enforcement, enforce SLAs, and to provide AAA information to the correct data. 
     In current implementations, basic dial-up AAA administrative messages may be switched by an AAA proxy server. They act as a ‘proxy’ for the AAA servers, receiving AAA messages intended for more than one AAA server. The proxy server then routes the AAA message to the appropriate server. 
     However, as can be seen in  FIG. 1 , this single-point of either an AAA server or an AAA proxy server becomes a choke point in the network. If the system uses other resource management servers, these contribute to the traffic backlog at these single point implementations. This is further complicated as high-bandwidth-requirement services are desired, such as the ability to place voice calls over data networks as in Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. 
     VoIP, and similar voice services, may place a strain on the network if managed poorly. Many providers set out their service levels for voice versus data calls in their SLAs. This makes the enforcement of these agreements even more critical. Similarly, the high-bandwidth requirements of these types of services consume network resources, contributing to the network delays that may occur at the AAA servers. 
     It would be useful to have a method and apparatus that could separate the various enforcement issues, such as AAA, port policy enforcement and SLA management, from the routing of the traffic itself. 
     SUMMARY 
     One embodiment is a network device. The network device includes a gateway switch to receive an incoming call and to identify a source of the call. A parser then receives a request associated with the incoming call and produces a parsed request. A message parser within the parser receives the request depending upon the source of the call. A policy switch then receives the parsed message and transmits the request to a policy processor based upon the parsed message. 
     Another embodiment of the invention is a method of providing service routing. The method includes receiving an incoming call from a point-of-presence (POP) and then parsing a message request from the incoming call. The parsed message request is then used to associate the call with a service level agreement and the administrative data about the call is transmitted to a policy processor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may be best understood by reading the disclosure with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a network having an authentication, authorization and accounting server, in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a network having a resource and authentication, authorization and accounting service device, in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of a wide-area network employing RASER devices, in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a RASER network device, in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a network including Resource and AAA SERvice (RASER) devices, in accordance with the invention. In this particular depiction, the other components of a network have been removed from the drawing to allow better understanding of the invention. The endpoints of the network, referred to here as points-of-presence (POPs), communicate their respective AAA data, as well as other resource and port management data, to the Resource and AAA SERvice devices (RASER)  20   a  and  20   b . The AAA resource and port data will be referred to here as administrative data. 
     Generally, RASERs have many more capabilities and are far more flexible than current solutions, such as AAA proxy servers. RASERS are multi-protocol controllers and can communicate with several different types of network devices in a point-of-presence (POP). RASERs are also multi-service level and can parse incoming messages and identify which particular policy should be applied, such as AAA, service level agreement (SLA), resource management or port policy. The RASER routes the administrative data to the appropriate policy processor, where the term policy processor may include AAA servers, SLA servers, and port policy managers. Port policy managers manage the port policies, as will be discussed with reference to  FIG. 3 , and may referred to as POP managers. 
     In addition to their ability to manage the administrative data, routing it to the appropriate policy processor, RASERs can also receive messages. For example, RASER Host A may route the administrative message to one policy processor for an ISP, such as ISP 1  Policy Processor  14 . That policy processor  14  may then send the results back to the RASER Host A, which then forwards the results to ISP 1  Policy Processor  15 . Finally, the RASER may route the results of that interaction back to the originating network device, such as POP 1   12   a . The RASER will generally not be involved in the actual policy decisions, but may identify the necessary decision makers that need to be involved. 
     The network may include several RASER devices, not just the two shown here. The routing to the RASERs may be done in several ways. For example, the Universal Gateway through which the POPs communicate with the network may send the requests to one of several RASERs based upon a round-robin rotation, to each RASER in turn. Alternatively, the gateway could assign a primary RASER for each POP, with a secondary in case the primary is backlogged beyond a certain point. Additionally, the incoming device may not be a universal gateway sending dial-up information, but could be a voice gatekeeper (GK) sending GKTMP information, such as for a VoIP call under H.323. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , POP 1  and POP 2  communicate with RASER host  20   a . The RASER then sends the appropriate data to the appropriate server. Data related to the wholesale network AAA requirements is sent to the Wholesale Network AAA Server  10 . Data related to the individual Internet Service Providers (ISP) is sent to the appropriate ISP AAA, or SLA (service level agreement) server. In this particular case, ISP  2   18  is a Voice ISP. Note that the term ‘Internet’ as used here is merely an example of a network with which most users are familiar. The ISPs may be generic network service providers as well. The SLA servers and AAA servers are particular types of policy processors as that term as used here. 
     For example, assume a user accesses the network using a dial in from a personal computer through ISP 1 . The server into which the user dialed is the POP. The ISP 1  has a leasing agreement for a certain number of calls per second on a wholesale network owned by Wholesaler. The information related to the use of the Wholesaler&#39;s network, that ISP 1  is using the network, is routed to the Wholesale AAA server. AAA servers in general are focused on security. One of their primary functions is to ensure that the user name and the password match for logging in operations. The Wholesale AAA server generally routes the necessary information to the ISP AAA server. 
     Other types of servers may also perform functions on this network, such as port policy enforcement. For example, “this POP may not have more than 40% of its traffic mix be voice traffic at this time of day.” The traffic mix is the percentage of voice and percentage of data traffic for a particular POP. Another example of port policy management may be “this POP has 2000 overflow ports used first-come-first-serve.” These global port policies may be governed by one of the described network devices, such as the Wholesale AAA server, the ISP 1  AAA server or the ISP 1  SLA server, or another policy processor, not shown. Another policy processor type, referred to here as a POP manager, enforces port policy agreements as well as performs other functions. 
     The RASER devices isolate this type of administrative function from the routing of the actual call. This reduces the overhead processing at the POPs and allows the network to isolate the traffic routing from the administrative routing of AAA, SLA and port policy data. The RASERs do not have to be reconfigured until there is a change in the network topology, such as the addition of a new ISP. Currently, every time an SLA is changed or new devices are added to the network, the AAA servers have to be reconfigured. 
     An additional aspect of this implementation is the applicability to adapt for ‘any service any port (ASAP)’ networks. The port policies and SLAs for these type of networks can be complicated and contribute to poor network performance. The use of RASERs alleviates this problem. Similarly, in large universal port (UP) networks, administrators can enforce global customer SLAs across several POPs while also enforcing POP service ratios. 
     Having viewed just the administrative routing for a network employing RASER devices, it is useful to see an entire network including the RASERs. This is shown in  FIG. 3 . This diagram shows two ‘ends’ of a network. At one end of the overall network is a smaller network, with POPs  12   a - 12   n , two RASER hosts  20   a  and  20   b , and an SLA server  22 . The SLA server is designated as HA ‘High Availability.’ Typically, this may involve dual servers that remain in sync. However, high availability is not a requirement. This ‘end’ of the network then connects to the main network through the network devices  28   a - 28   h.    
     As part of the network, a set of policy processors, which may also include AAA servers, for each ISP including VISPs is established at  24   a - c . These policy processors govern the POP agreements, enforce the SLAs, handle the AAA data, etc. They are in communication with the RASERs through the network, with the RASERs sending the administrative data related to these tasks apart from the data traffic. The other ‘end’ of the network is a similar configuration as the other end. POPs  32   a - 32   n  communicate with SLA processor  26 , and include RASERs  30   a  and  30   b.    
     If the network were to have one ‘end’ in Los Angeles (LA) and the other in Seattle, for example, the following series of events may occur. This example is intended only for understanding of the invention and is no way intended to limit application of the invention or its scope. In the following example, an incoming call from LA will need to be managed. LA RASER Host  20   a  receives a request from POP 1   12   a . RASER  20   a  sends the request to the ISP 1  policy processor  24   a . In this particular instance the ISP 1  policy processor  24   a  is an SLA processor. The policy processor  24   a  observes that there are already 65,000 regular active calls, 35,000 is LA and 30,000 in Seattle. The policy processor  24   a  is authorized to attempt to connect an additional 10,000 calls on best effort. Currently, there are only 2,000 excess calls, so the ISP 1  policy processor is then authorized to attempt a call connection. 
     ISP 1  policy processor  24   a  then sends a ‘best effort’ message to the RASER host  20   a . RASER host  20   a  then sends a ‘chain of command’ message to the LA POP manager  22 . The LA POP manager  22  has a limit of 7,000 users and notes that there are only 6,500 excess active calls. The POP manager  22  then accepts the call and sends a call accept message to the RASER host  20   a . The RASER host  20   a  then sends a connect message to the user through the POP 1   12   a.    
     Upon receipt of the connect message, the user then enters the user name and password, which is sent to the POP 1   12   a . POP 1   12   a  then sends the AAA message to the RASER host  20   a . The RASER then matches the user name to the ISP 1  AAA server and sends the information. The AAA information is either routed to the ISP  1  AAA directly from the RASER, or a LA AAA server routes the information to the appropriate ISP upon receipt of the user name information. 
     In this particular example, the LA AAA server is equivalent to the Wholesale AAA server. For legacy or other reasons, it may be preferable to route the AAA information to the Wholesale AAA server rather than directly to the AAA server for the ISP. Generally, in embodiments similar to the above example, the RASER host, POP manager, ISP 1  SLA server, the LA AAA server (not shown) and the POP 1  devices would be owned by the wholesale network provider, and the ISP 1  AAA server is owned by the ISP. 
     The RASERs may be any network device, including workstations, routers, servers, etc. Generally, the RASER will comprise a network device executing machine-readable code, where the machine is the router, workstation, etc. The machine-readable code, when executed, causes the machine to perform the methods of the invention. An example of a RASER device is shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The RASER  20  includes a universal gateway switch  40 . The UG switch  40  is configured to associate a hardware specific parser based upon the address of the message source. For example, if the RASER were operating under Internet Protocol (IP), the UG switch would decode the IP address of the message source and identify the hardware at that address. Examples include Lucent-manufactured equipment, Cisco-manufactured equipment, and Northern Telecom-manufactured equipment. The UG switch  40  then sends the message request to the appropriate equipment parser in the parser container  44 . 
     The equipment parser then parses the message request into a format that can be used by the policy switch  48 . The policy switch  48  then associates the call with the appropriate policy, such as a service level agreement or port enforcement policy and then routes the message to the appropriate policy processor, which may be an SLA server, an AAA server, or other policy processor. The message request is transmitted to the appropriate proxy in the proxy container  50 , which then communicates with the appropriate policy processor. In this manner, the RASER transmits the appropriate administrative data to the appropriate policy processor. The administrative data may include calls per second at a particular POP as well as any of the parameters discussed here. 
     The network device configured as a RASER may also include a translation loader. It provides the necessary information to UG switch to allow the device to identify the incoming call by its access identification, whether that be username, DNIS, call type, trunk group from the universal gateway IP/Slot/Port, or even the phone number, as examples. It may also include information that identifies the equipment as voice over data networks equipment, such as a VoIP phone. Similarly, the policy switch  48  may be loaded with the necessary proxying information by the policy proxy loader  46 . When the device needs to be reconfigure or updated, it is the information in these loaders that is updated. 
     As mentioned previously, the UG switch may communicate with many different types of devices of many different protocols. The incoming request may be sent via a universal gateway sending remote authentication dial-in user services (RADIUS), a voice gatekeeper sending GKTMP information, etc. The translation and proxy loader allow this flexibility. New protocol translators and new policy ‘chain of command’ work flows can be loaded into the device. 
     In this manner, routing services can be separated from other processing on call traffic. As a network needs to be scaled, the addition or subtraction of RASERs makes the scaling easier and more flexible. The use of RASERs allows service and policy based routing and data transmission available for wholesale networks. 
     Thus, although there has been described to this point a particular embodiment for a method and apparatus for resource and AAA services routing, it is not intended that such specific references be considered as limitations upon the scope of this invention except in-so-far as set forth in the following claims.