Techniques and systems for recovering a communication session from a dedicated bearer failure are disclosed. For example, a P-CSCF node can determine that a dedicated bearer associated with a communication session has failed, and, in response, send a SIP message to a UE associated with the communication session, the SIP message causing the UE to refrain from sending SIP requests using a SIP INVITE method. The process may further include identifying a first network node associated with an identifier of the UE, the first network node comprising one of a PGW or a SMF, and sending an instruction to the first network node to dissociate the dedicated bearer from the communication session. This causes a new attach procedure to be performed by the UE to recover the session without session failure.

A method for cellular network outage detection including monitoring error rates associated with a network node of a cellular network for a first predetermined time period. The method includes determining a first baseline error rate for the network node based on the plurality of first error rates for the first predetermined time period, and determining a first threshold error rate for the network node based on the first baseline error rate for the network node. The method includes monitoring a plurality of second error rates associated with the network node for a time period subsequent the first predetermined time period, and detecting an excessive error rate of the plurality of second error rates associated with the network node, where the excessive error rate exceeding the first threshold error rate. The method includes, in response to detecting the excessive error rate, automatically executing a predetermined override rule.

A network element of an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem buffers network resource usage information in the cloud. After generating network resource usage information based on an observation of network resource usage, the network element transmits the network resource usage information to a cloud-based storage service for buffering. Once a network resource usage collection function is available, the network element retrieves the network resource usage information from the cloud-based storage service and transmits it to a charging collection function for generation of call detail records.

A charging method, a network device, and a system, where the method includes performing, by a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF), online charging for user equipment (UE), switching, by the PCEF, the UE from online charging to offline charging, and starting an offline timer when an online charging system (OCS) is unavailable, and restoring, by the PCEF, the UE from offline charging to online charging when the PCEF learns, before the offline timer expires, that the OCS becomes available. Hence, after a user is switched to offline charging, an online charging function can be recovered in a timely manner when the OCS becomes available. In this way, a user account overdraft risk possibly existing in an offline charging process is mitigated, and deactivation of the user can be avoided in the solutions, thereby improving user experience.

A method for cellular network outage detection including monitoring error rates associated with a network node of a cellular network for a first predetermined time period. The method includes determining a first baseline error rate for the network node based on the plurality of first error rates for the first predetermined time period, and determining a first threshold error rate for the network node based on the first baseline error rate for the network node. The method includes monitoring a plurality of second error rates associated with the network node for a time period subsequent the first predetermined time period, and detecting an excessive error rate of the plurality of second error rates associated with the network node, where the excessive error rate exceeding the first threshold error rate. The method includes, in response to detecting the excessive error rate, automatically executing a predetermined override rule.

There is provided mechanisms for granting network resources for maintaining a communication session for a subscriber in a network. A method is performed by a CTF node. The method includes obtaining, from a gateway in the network, a request for network resources for maintaining the communication session for the subscriber, and requesting, from an OCF node and in response thereto, credit units corresponding to the network resources. The method includes obtaining a grant of the credit units as well as an advance credit indication of additional credit units for the communication session from the OCF node. The method further includes storing the advance credit indication for the communication session and providing, to the gateway, a grant for the network resources for maintaining the communication session in accordance with the obtained grant.

A network element of an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem buffers network resource usage information in the cloud. After generating network resource usage information based on an observation of network resource usage, the network element transmits the network resource usage information to a cloud-based storage service for buffering. Once a network resource usage collection function is available, the network element retrieves the network resource usage information from the cloud-based storage service and transmits it to a charging collection function for generation of call detail records.

The present invention provides apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products and computer-readable media regarding enhanced congestion control by means of selective restart of credit control sessions. The present invention comprises storing an identifier of each of a plurality of credit control sessions handled by the charging entity when a failure has occurred at the charging entity and the plurality of credit control sessions has been terminated and a bearer associated with each of the plurality of the credit control session is to be maintained; and sending a message for requesting restart of at least one of the plurality of credit control sessions to a gateway entity handling the plurality of credit control sessions, the message including an identifier of the at least one of the plurality of credit control sessions to be restarted.

Apparatus comprising a plurality of servers and at least one router that are configured to receive from a communications network data records that the network generates, which are associated with IMSIs and comprise metadata characterizing communications that the network propagates, associate IMSIs with the data records, and store data records associated with a same IMSI in a memory correlated with their shared associated IMSI.

Methods and systems to achieve complete redundancy for a subscriber data point are disclosed. The subscriber data point (SDP) may be implemented on an account balance management function (AMBF) of a 5G charging system. According to an implementation, a first computing device of the AMBF may be scheduled to perform an operation on subscriber data stored in a first database, and a second computing device of the AMBF may be scheduled to perform the same operation on subscriber data stored in a second database after a preset time period from the first computing device performing the operation. The first computing device may set a flag in the first database and the second database when the operation starts. The second computing device may check the flag status when starting the operation. Upon detecting the flag is on in the second database, the second computing device may terminate the operation.