Mechanisms for policy based UMTS QoS and IP QoS management in mobile IP networks

An apparatus for providing mapping rules to manage the mapping between a UMTS layer QoS and an IP layer QoS in a mobile network, wherein the mobile network includes support nodes, wherein the support nodes include at least one SGSN and at least one GGSN, comprising:

• a processor and a computer-readable medium;
• an operating environment executing on the processor from the computer-readable medium;
• a network interface unit arranged to communicate with the support nodes on the network;
• and
• a policy server program executing under the control of the operating system and operative to perform actions, including:
• storing at least one mapping rule;
• utilizing a mapping mechanism to manage the at least one mapping rule between the UMTS layer QoS and the IP layer QoS;
• and
• providing the at least one mapping rule to at least one support node on the mobile network.

A system for managing QoS mapping rules between two layers on a mobile network, comprising:

• support nodes, wherein the support nodes include at least one SGSN and at least one GGSN;
• wherein each support node includes a network interface unit arranged to communicate across the mobile network;
• and
• a policy server that is configured to provide at least one mapping rule to manage the QoS between the two layers on the mobile network, wherein the policy server includes:
• a network interface unit arranged to communicate with the support nodes;
• and
• a policy server program executing under the control of an operating system and operative to perform actions, including:
• storing the at least one mapping rule relating to managing the QoS mapping between the two layers;
• receiving a request from at least one support node;
• determining the at least one mapping rule;
• and
• sending the at least one mapping rule to the at least one support node.