Multiple major version signaling on session initiation
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the invention provide an improved major release negotiation mechanism between an initiating node and a receiving node during Diameter session establishment in a 3GPP network.
1. A method of negotiating a release version, performed by a network node, the method comprising steps of:
receiving from an initiating node, a session request comprising identification of a plurality of releases supported by said initiating node;
determining which of said plurality of releases are also supported by said network node;
selecting a preferred release from said also supported releases; and
transmitting to said initiating node, identification of said selected release.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said preferred release comprises the most recent release.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said session request comprises a Diameter protocol message.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said identification of supported releases is contained in a Supported-Features Attribute Value Pair (AVP).
5. The method of claim 3 wherein said network node comprises a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) node.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said initiating node comprises a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) gateway node and said message is received on a Gx interface.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein said initiating node comprises a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBREF) gateway node and said message is received on a Gxx interface.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein said initiating node comprises an Application Function (AF) node and said message is received on an Rx interface.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein said initiating node comprises a PCRF node and said message is received on an S9 interface.
10. A method of negotiating a release version, performed by an initiating network node, the method comprising steps of:
sending a session request comprising identification of a plurality of releases supported by said initiating node, to a receiving node; and
receiving from said receiving node, identification of a release selected by said receiving node, also supported by said receiving node from said plurality of releases.
11. A tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by a network node, the tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising:
instructions for receiving at said network node, from an initiating node, a session request comprising identification of a plurality of releases supported by said initiating node;
instructions for determining which of said plurality of releases are also supported by said network node;
instructions for selecting a preferred release from said also supported releases; and
instructions for transmitting to said initiating node, said selected release.
12. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein said preferred release comprises the most recent release.
13. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein said session request comprises a Diameter protocol message.
14. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein said identification of supported releases is contained in a Supported-Features Attribute Value Pair (AVP).
15. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein said storage medium comprises a Diameter Protocol stack.
16. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein said network node comprises a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) node.
17. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein said initiating node comprises a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) gateway node and said message is received on a Gx interface.
18. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein said initiating node comprises a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBREF) gateway node and said message is received on a Gxx interface.
19. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein said initiating node comprises an Application Function (AF) node and said message is received on an Rx interface.
20. The tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein said initiating node comprises a PCRF node and said message is received on an S9 interface.