Method and packet core system for common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization

A user equipment (UE) enabling common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization of said UE, the UE comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to:
• send, to a packet core system, an attach request message;
• receive, from the packet core system, one or more service definitions of common network connectivity and cloud service classes, as a consequence to the sent attach request message;
• send to the packet core system, a request for a network connectivity and cloud resource service, wherein a requested service is class-based, and wherein said request comprises one of said common network connectivity and cloud service classes;
• and
• receive from the packet core system, a response being an acceptance of the requested common network connectivity and cloud resource service for enabling the packet core system to utilize common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization.

A method for common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization for a user equipment (UE), wherein the method being performed in a packet core system and the packet core system comprising a packet gateway, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the UE, an attach request message;
• and
• sending, to the UE, one or more service definitions of common network connectivity and cloud service classes, as a consequence to said receiving of the attach request message;
• wherein the method further comprises the packet gateway to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, from the UE, a request for a network connectivity and cloud resource service, wherein a requested service is class-based, and wherein said request comprises one of said common network connectivity and cloud service classes;
• translating the common network connectivity and cloud service class of the requested service into a first network connectivity class and a second cloud service class;
• sending, to a cloud node, a request for a cloud service, said request comprising the second cloud service class;
• receiving, from the cloud node, a charging event for cloud resources utilized according to the second cloud service class;
• merging the received charging event for cloud resources with a charging event of network connectivity according to the first network connectivity class, forming a merged charging event;
• and
• sending, to a charging node, the merged charging event for common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization, according to the requested common network connectivity and cloud service class.

A packet core system capable of common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization for a user equipment (UE), wherein the packet core system comprising a packet gateway and the packet core system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the packet core system to:
• receive, from the UE, an attach request message;
• send to the UE, one or more service definitions of common network connectivity and cloud service classes as a consequence to said receiving of the attach request message;
• wherein the packet gateway is to perform operations to:
• receive from the UE, a request for a network connectivity and cloud resource service, wherein a requested service is class-based, and wherein said request comprises one of said common network connectivity and cloud service classes;
• translate the common network connectivity and cloud service class of the requested service into a first network connectivity class and a second cloud service class;
• send to a cloud node, a request for a cloud service, the request comprising the second cloud service class;
• receive from the cloud node, a charging event for cloud resources utilized according to the second cloud service class;
• merge the received charging event for cloud resources with a charging event of network connectivity according to the first network connectivity class, to form a merged charging event;
• and
• send to a charging node, the merged charging event for common charging of network connectivity and cloud resource utilization, according to the requested common network connectivity and cloud service class.