Gateway device, system and method for providing a forwarding policy

A gateway device for use in a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a policy control system configured to provide a forwarding policy to the gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to forward traffic of at least one user device connected to the gateway device to the telecommunications network, and wherein the gateway device is further configured to:

• receive the forwarding policy from the policy control system over the telecommunications network in at least one of:
• a protocol data unit, PDU, session establishment procedure;
• a PDU session modification procedure;
• and
• a registration procedure to register the gateway device in the telecommunications network;
• and
• enforce the received forwarding policy when forwarding traffic of the at least one user device towards the telecommunications network;
• wherein the gateway device is configured to be connected to a user plane system in the telecommunications network by means of a protocol stack with a first communication layer for a first communication protocol, wherein the forwarding policy for the gateway device includes at least one forwarding rule that analyzes the header of a data packet according to the first communication protocol.

A gateway device for use in a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a policy control system configured to provide a forwarding policy to the gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to forward traffic of at least one user device connected to the gateway device to the telecommunications network, and wherein the gateway device is further configured to:

• receive the forwarding policy from the policy control system over the telecommunications network in at least one of:
• a protocol data unit, PDU, session establishment procedure;
• a PDU session modification procedure;
• and
• a registration procedure to register the gateway device in the telecommunications network;
• and
• enforce the received forwarding policy when forwarding traffic of the at least one user device towards the telecommunications network;
• wherein the gateway device is configured to modify a PDU based on the forwarding rules obtained from the telecommunications network, wherein modifying the PDU comprises adding a VLAN header to the PDU.

A method in a gateway device for use in a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a policy control system configured to provide a forwarding policy to the gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to forward traffic of at least one user device connected to the gateway device to the telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving the forwarding policy from the policy control system over the telecommunications network in at least one of:
• a protocol data unit, PDU, session establishment procedure;
• a PDU session modification procedure;
• and
• a registration procedure to register the gateway device in the telecommunications network;
• and
• enforcing the received forwarding policy when forwarding traffic of the at least one user device towards the telecommunications network;
• wherein the method further comprises at least one of:
• registering a source address of at least one user device connected to the gateway device and transmit a notification to the telecommunications network or a user device connected to the gateway device dependent on forwarding statistics associated with the registered source address;
• registering a source address of at least one user device connected to the gateway device and transmit an update request for updating the forwarding policy if the registered source address is unknown to the gateway device;
• determining a device type identifier of a connected user device and determine a forwarding policy or rule thereof stored in the gateway device in association with the device type identifier;
• and
• transmitting a device type identifier of the gateway device to the telecommunications network to facilitate obtaining the forwarding policy.

A method in a gateway device for use in a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a policy control system configured to provide a forwarding policy to the gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to forward traffic of at least one user device connected to the gateway device to the telecommunications network, wherein the gateway device is configured to be connected to a user plane system in the telecommunications network by means of a protocol stack with a first communication layer for a first communication protocol, wherein the forwarding policy for the gateway device includes at least one forwarding rule that analyzes the header of a data packet according to the first communication protocol, the method comprising:

• receiving the forwarding policy from the policy control system over the telecommunications network in at least one of:
• a protocol data unit, PDU, session establishment procedure;
• a PDU session modification procedure;
• and
• a registration procedure to register the gateway device in the telecommunications network;
• and
• enforcing the received forwarding policy when forwarding traffic of the at least one user device towards the telecommunications network.

A method in a gateway device for use in a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a policy control system configured to provide a forwarding policy to the gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to forward traffic of at least one user device connected to the gateway device to the telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving the forwarding policy from the policy control system over the telecommunications network in at least one of:
• a protocol data unit, PDU, session establishment procedure;
• a PDU session modification procedure;
• and
• a registration procedure to register the gateway device in the telecommunications network;
• and
• enforcing the received forwarding policy when forwarding traffic of the at least one user device towards the telecommunications network;
• and
• modifying a PDU based on the forwarding rules obtained from the telecommunications network, wherein modifying the PDU comprises adding a VLAN header to the PDU.