Integration of roaming and non-roaming message processing

1. A method performed by a network device for integrating processing of roaming messages and non-roaming messages, the method comprising:

receiving a roaming message at the network device from a partner device;

translating the roaming message to generate a translated message formed according to a non-roaming protocol;

processing the translated message to generate a response message;

translating the response message to generate a translated response message formed according to a roaming protocol; and

transmitting the translated response message by the network device to the partner device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the roaming protocol is an S9 Diameter protocol and the non-roaming protocol is at least one of a Gx Diameter protocol and a Gxx Diameter protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of translating the roaming message comprises:

extracting a value from a first attribute-value pair (AVP) included in the roaming message;

generating a second AVP including the extracted value, wherein the second AVP is of a different type from the first AVP; and

including the second AVP in the translated message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the roaming message includes a subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) and the step of translating the roaming message comprises:

extracting a first AVP included in the subsession AVP;

extracting a second AVP included in the roaming message outside of the subsession AVP; and

including the first AVP and the second AVP in the translated message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the roaming message includes a first subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) and a second subsession AVP, and the translated message is generated based on the first subsession AVP, the method further comprising:

translating the roaming message to generate a second translated message formed according to a non-roaming protocol and based on the second subsession AVP; and

processing the second translated message to generate a second response message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the translated message corresponds to a virtual IP-CAN session, and the step of processing the translated message comprises:

attempting to transmit the response message based on an IP-CAN session record associated with the virtual IP-CAN session, wherein the IP-CAN session record indicates that the network device should transmit the response to itself.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of translating the response message comprises:

generating a first subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) based on the response message;

generating a second subsession AVP based on a second response message; and

generating a translated response message including the first subsession AVP and the second subsession AVP.

8. A network device for integrating processing of roaming messages and non-roaming messages, the network device comprising:

an interface that receives a roaming message from a partner device;

a roaming message translator configured to translate the roaming message to generate a translated message formed according to a non-roaming protocol;

a non-roaming message processor configured to process the translated message to generate a response message;

a non-roaming message translator configured to translate the response message to generate a translated response message formed according to a roaming protocol; and

a roaming message processor configured to transmit the translated response message to the partner device.

9. The network device of claim 8 , wherein, in translating the roaming message, the roaming message translator is configured to:

extract a value from a first attribute-value pair (AVP) included in the roaming message;

generate a second AVP including the extracted value, wherein the second AVP is of a different type from the first AVP; and

include the second AVP in the translated message.

10. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the roaming message includes a subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) and, in translating the roaming message, the roaming message translator is configured to:

extract a first AVP included in the subsession AVP;

extract a second AVP included in the roaming message outside of the subsession AVP; and

include the first AVP and the second AVP in the translated message.

11. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the roaming message includes a first subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) and a second subsession AVP, and the translated message is generated based on the first subsession AVP, and the roaming message translator is further configured to:

translate the roaming message to generate a second translated message formed according to a non-roaming protocol and based on the second subsession AVP; and

process the second translated message to generate a second response message.

12. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the translated message corresponds to a virtual IP-CAN session, and, in processing the translated message, the non-roaming message processor is configured to:

attempt to transmit the response message based on an IP-CAN session record associated with the virtual IP-CAN session, wherein the IP-CAN session record indicates that the network device should transmit the response to itself.

13. The network device of claim 8 , wherein, in translating the response message, the non-roaming message translator is configured to:

generate a first subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) based on the response message;

generate a second subsession AVP based on a second response message; and

generate a translated response message including the first subsession AVP and the second subsession AVP.

14. A tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by a network device for integrating processing of roaming messages and non-roaming messages, the tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a roaming message at the network device from a partner device;

instructions for translating the roaming message to generate a translated message formed according to a non-roaming protocol;

instructions for processing the translated message to generate a response message;

instructions for translating the response message to generate a translated response message formed according to a roaming protocol; and

instructions for transmitting the translated response message by the network device to the partner device.

15. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the roaming protocol is an S9 Diameter protocol and the non-roaming protocol is at least one of a Gx Diameter protocol and a Gxx Diameter protocol.

16. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions for translating the roaming message comprise:

instructions for extracting a value from a first attribute-value pair (AVP) included in the roaming message;

instructions for generating a second AVP including the extracted value, wherein the second AVP is of a different type from the first AVP; and

instructions for including the second AVP in the translated message.

17. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the roaming message includes a subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) and the instructions for translating the roaming message comprise:

instructions for extracting a first AVP included in the subsession AVP;

instructions for extracting a second AVP included in the roaming message outside of the subsession AVP; and

instructions for including the first AVP and the second AVP in the translated message.

18. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the roaming message includes a first subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) and a second subsession AVP, and the translated message is generated based on the first subsession AVP, the tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium further comprising:

instructions for translating the roaming message to generate a second translated message formed according to a non-roaming protocol and based on the second subsession AVP; and

instructions for processing the second translated message to generate a second response message.

19. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the translated message corresponds to a virtual IP-CAN session, and the instructions for processing the translated message comprise:

instructions for attempting to transmit the response message based on an IP-CAN session record associated with the virtual IP-CAN session, wherein the IP-CAN session record indicates that the network device should transmit the response to itself.

20. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions for translating the response message comprise:

instructions for generating a first subsession attribute-value pair (AVP) based on the response message;

instructions for generating a second subsession AVP based on a second response message; and

instructions for generating a translated response message including the first subsession AVP and the second subsession AVP.