US 11,700,253 B2
Authentication, authorization and accounting functionality within an access network of a telecommunications network and/or an improved access network architecture
Fabian Schneider, Darmstadt (DE); and Holger Metschulat, Ginsheim (DE)
Assigned to DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG, Bonn (DE)
Filed by Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn (DE)
Filed on May 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/306,996.
Claims priority of application No. 20173030 (EP), filed on May 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0352068 A1, Nov. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. H04L 9/40 (2022.01); H04L 67/133 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 63/0892 (2013.01) [H04L 63/0876 (2013.01); H04L 63/20 (2013.01); H04L 67/133 (2022.05)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for an access network of a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises an authentication server entity providing an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) functionality and a policy server functionality, wherein the telecommunications network further comprises a plurality of service edge entities, each service edge entity providing a service enabling functionality to subscriber devices connected to the telecommunications network,
wherein—in order to enable or to provide communication services to the subscriber devices requesting such communication services—AAA-related messages are sent and received by both the authentication server entity and a service edge entity via an access orchestrator entity as part of the access network, the AAA-related messages conforming to or using an access protocol used between the authentication server entity and the service edge entity,
wherein the method comprises:
in a first step, a first AAA-related message is sent by the authentication server entity and received by the access orchestrator entity, the first AAA-related message comprising:
at least one standardized message attribute according to the access protocol;
and
at least one vendor-specific message attribute;
in a second step, subsequent to the first step, the access orchestrator entity sends a second AAA-related message to the service edge entity, the second AAA-related message solely comprising the at least one standardized message attribute according to the access protocol; and
in a third step, subsequent to the first step and prior to, during or after the second step, the access orchestrator entity sends at least one third AAA-related message to the service edge entity, the at least one third AAA-related message corresponding to a message according to an application programming interface (API) or to a further access protocol.