Methods, systems, and computer readable media for control plane traffic filtering in a control and user plane separation (CUPS) environment

1. A method for control plane traffic filtering in a control and user plane separation (CUPS) environment, the method comprising:

at a network node comprising a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) session controller of a control and user plane separation (CUPS) environment, wherein the network node is implemented using at least one processor and at least one memory:

receiving, from one or more sources, network location information associated with a first network location;

receiving control plane messages for different network locations;

filtering the control plane messages based on the network location information and an access list of network location information associated with a plurality of base stations supported by the GTP session controller, wherein filtering the control plane messages based on the network location information and the access list includes inspecting the control plane messages for network location information and discarding one or more of the control plane messages that have network location information not in the access list; and

sending traffic including data from filtered control plane messages to at least one network tool.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more sources include at least one network message, a data store, or a network operator.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one network message includes an attach request, a location update request, or a message from an evolved node B.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one network message is associated with an S1-MME interface and wherein at least one of the control plane messages is associated with a Diameter interface, or an EPC related interface, an S11 interface, an S4-C interface, an S5-C interface, an S8-C interface, or an Sxa interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the network location information includes a network identifier, a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a location area code (LAC), a network identifier, a cell global identifier (CGI), a base station identifier (BSID), an access node identifier, a cell identity (CI), a service area code (SAC), a routing area identity (RAI), a routing area code (RAC), a tracking area identity (TAI), a tracking area code (TAC), or an eUTRAN CGI (EGCI).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the access list includes the network location information associated with the first network location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the traffic sent to the at least one network tool includes data from one or more received user plane messages.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of the user plane messages is associated with an S1-U interface, an S4-U interface, an S5-U interface, an S8-U interface, or an S12 interface.

9. A system for control plane traffic filtering in a control and user plane separation (CUPS) environment, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory; and

a network node comprising a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) session controller of a control and user plane separation (CUPS) environment, wherein the network node is implemented using the at least one processor and the at least one memory, wherein the network node is configured for:

receiving, from one or more sources, network location information associated with a first network location;

receiving control plane messages for different network locations;

filtering the control plane messages based on the network location information and an access list of network location information associated with a plurality of base stations supported by the GTP session controller, wherein filtering the control plane messages based on the network location information and the access list includes inspecting the control plane messages for network location information and discarding one or more of the control plane messages that have network location information not in the access list; and

sending traffic including data from filtered control plane messages to at least one network tool.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the one or more sources include at least one network message, a data store, or a network operator.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one network message includes an attach request, a location update request, or a message from an evolved node B.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one network message is associated with an S1-MME interface and wherein at least one of the control plane messages is associated with a Diameter interface, or an EPC related interface, an S11 interface, an S4-C interface, an S5-C interface, an S8-C interface, or an Sxa interface.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the network location information includes a network identifier, a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a location area code (LAC), a network identifier, a cell global identifier (CGI), a base station identifier (BSID), an access node identifier, a cell identity (CI), a service area code (SAC), a routing area identity (RAI), a routing area code (RAC), a tracking area identity (TAI), a tracking area code (TAC), or an eUTRAN CGI (EGCI).

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the access list includes the network location information associated with the first network location.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the traffic sent to the at least one network tool includes data from one or more received user plane messages.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the user plane messages is associated with an S1-U interface, an S4-U interface, an S5-U interface, an S8-U interface, or an S12 interface.

17. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

at a network node comprising a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) session controller of a control and user plane separation (CUPS) environment, wherein the network node is implemented using at least one processor and at least one memory:

receiving, from one or more sources, network location information associated with a first network location;

receiving control plane messages for different network locations;

filtering the control plane messages based on the network location information and an access list of network location information associated with a plurality of base stations supported by the GTP session controller, wherein filtering the control plane messages based on the network location information and the access list includes inspecting the control plane messages for network location information and discarding one or more of the control plane messages that have network location information not in the access list; and

sending traffic including data from filtered control plane messages to at least one network tool.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the one or more sources include at least one network message, a data store, or a network operator.