A data collection server includes a communicator, a use frequency estimator, and a data saver. The communicator receives device data from a device. The use frequency estimator estimates use frequency of the device data received by the communicator. The data saver stores the device data in, among a plurality of storage servers corresponding to different levels of use frequency, one of the plurality of storage servers that corresponds to the use frequency estimated by the use frequency estimator.

Techniques for allowing online charging in cases where the online charging system (OCS) is unreachable or partially unreachable are discussed herein. For example, when the OCS cannot be reached and is unable to authorize the requested services, the services can be provided (e.g., a voice communication session established between two devices) without having to wait for authorization from the OCS. Upon completion of the communication session, the OCS is contacted to report the actual number of units used during the session so that the account of the subscriber can be adjusted. In some examples, the IMS tags the CDR provided to the billing system to indicate that the OCS was not able to authorize the communication session. In this way, the billing system is notified that the OCS is to be contacted so that the subscriber's balance can be adjusted.

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a mobile service provider network (SPN) and a geographic location of an online social network user and accessing a service-provider table associated with the identified mobile SPN and with the geographic location. The service-provider table indexes a reliability score and a sampling amount for multiple messaging-service providers in the geographic location. The method further determines, based on the service-provider table, whether any of the messaging-service providers has a sampling amount below a threshold sampling amount and sends messaging traffic via the determined messaging-service provider until the sampling amount is greater than or equal to the threshold sampling amount. The messaging traffic is used to update the reliability score for the messaging-service provider. The method further includes selecting a messaging-service provider based on the updated reliability scores of the messaging-service providers and sending a message to the user via the selected messaging service-provider.

A dynamic rate adjustment system identifies a user device and receives data from the user device comprising data describing a location of the user device. The dynamic rate adjustment system identifies a current time and a current cost for networking services to be provided to the user device. The dynamic rate adjustment system determines a dynamic rate for the user device to use the networking services based on the current time, user device data, and the cost for networking services. The user device may be caused to pause transmitting or receiving certain types of data based on the dynamic rate.

A dynamic rate adjustment system receives an indication of a route and one or more network sectors that intersect with the route. The dynamic rate adjustment system determines a time period during which a user device will be located in each network sector and identifies a cost for networking services to be provided to user devices based on the time period. The dynamic rate adjustment system determines a dynamic rate for the user device to use the networking services based on the cost for networking services and causes the user device to transmit user device data based on the dynamic rate when the user device is located within a network sector associated with the dynamic rate.

A dynamic rate identification system receives an indication of a route for a user device and identifies one or more network sectors based on the route. The dynamic rate identification system determines a dynamic rate for each network sector based on the route, and identifies at least one hotspot that a user device is able to access while the user device travels along the route. The dynamic rate identification system causes the user device to transmit user device data when the user device is able to access the hotspot.

Techniques are described for managing communications between multiple intercommunicating computing nodes, such as multiple virtual machine nodes hosted on one or more physical computing machines or systems. In some situations, users may specify groups of computing nodes and optionally associated access policies for use in the managing of the communications for those groups, such as by specifying which source nodes are allowed to transmit data to particular destinations nodes. In addition, determinations of whether initiated data transmissions from source nodes to destination nodes are authorized may be dynamically negotiated for and recorded for later use in automatically authorizing future such data transmissions without negotiation. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

A charging method, including sending, by a control plane gateway, a first charging trigger event to a user plane gateway, where the first charging trigger event triggering the user plane gateway to generate service usage information, generating, by the user plane gateway, the service usage information when the user plane gateway detects that the first charging trigger event occurs, sending, by the user plane gateway, the service usage information to the control plane gateway, generating, by the control plane gateway, a charging request according to the service usage information, and sending, by the control plane gateway, the charging request to a charging system. Offline charging during packet data network gateway (PGW) control and user (CU) separation is implemented.

Techniques for allowing online charging in cases where the online charging system (OCS) is unreachable or partially unreachable are discussed herein. For example, when the OCS cannot be reached and is unable to authorize the requested services, the services can be provided (e.g., a voice communication session established between two devices) without having to wait for authorization from the OCS. Upon completion of the communication session, the OCS is contacted to report the actual number of units used during the session so that the account of the subscriber can be adjusted. In some examples, the IMS tags the CDR provided to the billing system to indicate that the OCS was not able to authorize the communication session. In this way, the billing system is notified that the OCS is to be contacted so that the subscriber's balance can be adjusted.

Techniques are described for managing communications between multiple intercommunicating computing nodes, such as multiple virtual machine nodes hosted on one or more physical computing machines or systems. In some situations, users may specify groups of computing nodes and optionally associated access policies for use in the managing of the communications for those groups, such as by specifying which source nodes are allowed to transmit data to particular destinations nodes. In addition, determinations of whether initiated data transmissions from source nodes to destination nodes are authorized may be dynamically negotiated for and recorded for later use in automatically authorizing future such data transmissions without negotiation. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.