The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for clearing Diameter session information. According to one method, the method occurs at a Diameter routing agent (DRA) node. The method includes identifying an inactive Diameter session associated with a Diameter node. The method also includes generating a trigger message for triggering the Diameter node to delete session information associated with the inactive Diameter session. The method further includes sending the trigger message to the Diameter node.

A method for location-dependent billing for a services that are available to a mobile terminal, a local communication connection is set up to a fixably installed external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface between the fixably installed tag and the mobile terminal, the method including the steps of accessing the external location tag and transmitting a billing rate code from the external location tag to the mobile terminal, forwarding the billing rate code from the mobile terminal to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged, determining a geographic location identification of the external location tag by evaluation of the billing rate code at the central unit, and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the billing rate code at the central unit.

A control plane entity can perform validation checks to confirm the validity of a device identifier, for example, an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), received from a user equipment (UE) during registration of the UE with a communication network. In one aspect, the control plane entity can verify that the IMEI conforms to a defined format; for example, the IMEI is fifteen digits long, does not comprise alphabets and/or symbols, and/or comprises a valid type allocation code (TAC) of eight decimal digits, etc. The validation of the IMEI can reduce errors in billing that can otherwise result in revenue loss for the service provider.

A method for location-dependent billing for a services that are available to a mobile terminal, a local communication connection is set up to a fixably installed external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface between the fixably installed tag and the mobile terminal, the method including the steps of accessing the external location tag and transmitting a billing rate code from the external location tag to the mobile terminal, forwarding the billing rate code from the mobile terminal to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged, determining a geographic location identification of the external location tag by evaluation of the billing rate code at the central unit, and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the billing rate code at the central unit.

A method is disclosed for downscaling a deep packet inspection service in a network apparatus. The method comprises receiving data flow in a gateway virtual machine via a software defined networking switch, and keeping track of data flow and control flow and their state per subscriber. If needed, a new deep packet inspection virtual machine is selected for the data flow. The software defined networking switch is informed on the selection of the new deep packet inspection virtual machine. The new deep packet inspection virtual machine is instructed to re-create a flow identification for the data flow to ensure deep packet inspection service continuity.

A device may determine a subscriber identifier associated with a subscriber device. The device may obtain a service indicator based on the subscriber identifier. The service indicator may identify a network service to which a subscriber, associated with the subscriber identifier, is subscribed. The device may obtain a charging data function (CDF) identifier based on the service indicator. The CDF identifier may identify a destination CDF for charging messages associated with the network service. The device may establish a communication session associated with the subscriber device and the network service. The device may transmit one or more charging messages, associated with the communication session, to the destination CDF identified by the CDF identifier.

Embodiments of this application provide a roaming charging method, applied to the field of local breakout roaming charging. The method includes: A charging trigger device of a visited network receives a creation request of a data connection session, determines that a user of the data connection session is a roaming user, and sends a first charging resource creation request to a roaming charging system of the visited network, receives a first charging resource creation response message, sends a second charging resource creation request to a charging function of a home network of the roaming user, and receives a second charging resource creation response message. Then, the charging trigger device of the visited network sends a first charging request to the roaming charging system of the visited network and sends a second charging request to a roaming charging system of the home network. This method can implement local breakout roaming charging.

A method for managing a roaming charging configuration parameter is provided, and includes: A charging trigger device receives roaming charging configuration parameter management information in a process of establishing a roaming data connection session, and activates a roaming charging configuration parameter group in the roaming charging configuration parameter management information; or receives roaming charging configuration parameter management information, activates a roaming charging configuration parameter group in the roaming charging configuration parameter management information, or activates a roaming charging configuration parameter in the roaming charging configuration parameter group, where the roaming charging configuration parameter is a configuration parameter related to a collection operation and/or a reporting operation of roaming charging information of the roaming data connection session.

A charging method and apparatus are provided, and are applied to a roaming scenario. The method includes: A charging trigger apparatus obtains roaming charging configuration information after determining that a user corresponding to a data connection is a roaming user, where the roaming charging configuration information includes a roaming charging information level indication, service information, a roaming multiple user plane function reporting indication, a roaming multiple access data connection session reporting indication, and/or a roaming charging information reporting condition. The charging trigger apparatus generates roaming charging information of the data connection session based on the roaming charging configuration information, and reports the roaming charging information to a roaming charging system.

A control plane entity can perform validation checks to confirm the validity of a device identifier, for example, an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), received from a user equipment (UE) during registration of the UE with a communication network. In one aspect, the control plane entity can verify that the IMEI conforms to a defined format; for example, the IMEI is fifteen digits long, does not comprise alphabets and/or symbols, and/or comprises a valid type allocation code (TAC) of eight decimal digits, etc. The validation of the IMEI can reduce errors in billing that can otherwise result in revenue loss for the service provider