Usage monitoring after rollover

A session management node for performing a rollover, the session management node comprising:

• an interface that communicates with a usage monitoring node;
• a session storage that stores a plurality of session records;
• a rollover initiator that:
• determines that a rollover should be performed,
• in response to determining that a rollover should be performed, retrieves a session record, and
• determines whether usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for a session associated with the session record;
• and
• a message generator that, if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for a session associated with the session record, generates a message instructing the usage monitoring node to enable usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node for a session associated with the session record;
• determines at least one attribute to modify for the session;
• and determines a new value for the at least one attribute;
• wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,
• wherein the at least one attribute is a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for performing a rollover by a session management node, the machine readable storage medium comprising:

• instructions for determining a session to roll over;
• instructions for determining whether usage monitoring at a usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session;
• instructions for if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session, sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session;
• instructions for determining at least one attribute to modify for the session;
• and
• instructions for determining a new value for the at least one attribute;
• wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,
• wherein the at least one attribute is a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay.

A method of performing a rollover by a session management node, the method comprising:

• determining a session to roll over;
• sending a first request message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to disable usage monitoring for the session;
• waiting for a period of time to receive a second request message from the usage monitoring node;
• if the session management node receives the second request message from the usage monitoring node, sending an answer message to the usage monitoring node, wherein the answer message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session;
• determining at least one attribute to modify for the session;
• and
• determining a new value for the at least one attribute;
• wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,
• wherein the at least one attribute includes a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay;
• and
• if the session management node does not receive the second request message from the usage monitoring node, sending a third request message to the usage monitoring node, wherein the third request message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session.