System and method for managing foreign agent selections in a mobile internet protocol network

Abstract

A system and methods are shown for providing Internet Protocol communication services to a mobile client. One method includes sending a registration request from a radio node to a control node responsive to detecting a mobile client in a service area of the radio node. When the control node receives the request from the radio node, the control node determines a foreign agent to provide communication services to the mobile client. In one embodiment, the control node determines the foreign agent based on a mobile client information record, a radio node record, and a plurality of foreign agent records associated with the radio node. In one embodiment, the control node may select a last serving foreign agent associated with the mobile client. Alternatively, if the control node selects a different foreign agent than the last serving foreign agent, the control node sends a registration update message to the last serving foreign agent so that the last serving foreign agent may terminate any communication sessions associated with the mobile client.

1 - 27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A method comprising: 
 receiving a registration request from a radio network nodes the registration request corresponding to a communication session with a mobile node;    responsive to receiving the registration request, initially checking whether each packet data serving node (PDSN) of a first group of PDSNs is available and below at least one respective capacity threshold;    determining that each PDSN of the first group is at least one of unavailable and at or above at least one respective capacity threshold, and responsively checking whether at least one PDSN of at least one additional group of PDSNs is available and below at least one respective capacity threshold; and    if at least one PDSN of an additional group is available and below at least one respective capacity threshold, then responsively sending a registration reply to the radio network node, the registration reply comprising an IP address of a PDSN from the additional group.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the PDSN from the additional group is available and below at least one respective capacity threshold.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein each PDSN in the first group and each PDSN in each additional group is arranged to provide at least one of simple-IP services and mobile-IP services to mobile nodes.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising associating each of the first group and each additional group with at least one of a respective group number and a respective group identifier.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising associating at least one of the first group and each additional group with the radio network node.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein associating at least one of the first group and each additional group with the radio network node comprises associating at least one of the first group and each additional group with an IP address of the radio network node.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising assigning the radio network node to a default group of PDSNs.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the first group or one of the additional groups is the default group.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising dynamically updating at least one of the first group and at least one additional group as a given PDSN becomes active or inactive.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the respective capacity thresholds of the respective PDSNs reflect at least one of number of calls, usage of processing resources, and usage of memory resources.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising: 
 if each PDSN of each additional group is at least one of unavailable and at or above at least one respective capacity threshold, then responsively (i) using a load-balancing scheme to select a PDSN from the first group or from an additional group and (ii) sending a registration reply to the radio network node, the registration reply comprising an IP address of the selected PDSN.    
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising front-loading each PDSN in the first group and each PDSN in the each additional group up to at least one respective capacity threshold.  
   
   
       40 . A method comprising: 
 receiving a registration request from a radio network node the registration request corresponding to a communication session with a mobile node;    responsive to receiving the registration request selecting a packet data serving node (PDSN) based at least in part on geographic proximity between the radio network node and the PDSN; and    sending a registration reply to the radio network node, the registration reply comprising an IP address of the selected PDSN.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the selected PDSN is arranged to provide at least one of simple-IP services and mobile-IP services to mobile nodes.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein selecting the PDSN based at least in part on geographic proximity between the radio network node and the PDSN comprises selecting a group of PDSNs based at least in part on geographic proximity between the radio network node and the group of PDSNs, and then selecting the PDSN from the group.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein selecting the PDSN comprises selecting the PDSN based at least in part on a shortest network path between the radio network node and the PDSN.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein selecting the PDSN comprises determining that the PDSN is available and below at least one capacity threshold.  
   
   
       45 . A method comprising: 
 providing a first radio network node, the first radio network node comprising a configurable preferred-foreign-agent parameter; and    configuring the preferred-foreign-agent parameter to be equal to an identifier of a foreign agent control node (FACN), wherein the FACN is a network entity arranged to receive registration requests from radio network nodes, and responsively (i) select foreign agents for the radio network nodes and (ii) send registration replies to the radio network nodes the registration replies comprising identifiers of the selected foreign agents,    wherein, in connection with a communication session with a mobile node, the first radio network node: 
 accesses its preferred-foreign-agent parameter, and responsively uses the identifier of the FACN to send a registration request to the FACN on behalf of the mobile node; and  
 receives from the FACN a registration reply associated with the registration request, the registration reply comprising an identifier of a first foreign agent, and responsively redirects the registration request to the first foreign agent.  
   
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the identifier of the FACN comprises an IP address of the FACN.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the identifier of the first foreign agent comprises an IP address of the first foreign agent.