High performance AAA architecture for massive IPv4 networks

Even though the total volume of paid data through networks has increased rapidly, most telecommunication and network service providers are still struggling with the continuously decreasing voice revenue and the overheating competition as regards broadband services. Moreover, new technologies, such as VolP, HomeNet and Bluetooth telephones, are still having trouble generating profit. Obviously these obstacles have dogged the transition to the next generation of business. To maintain the existing customer base and to survive under tight competition, network service providers are being forced to improve their service quality and to create new value added services without additional mass investment or replacing existing infrastructure. In the light of these factors, it is necessary to have a set of different prices for differentiated service levels, instead of the current flat pricing and network access-only service. The preliminary factors for transforming the current system to an upgraded and flexible one are identifying and personalizing subscribers. As a result, the current Authentication, Authorization, Accounting (AAA) infrastructure must be changed to meet those requirements. However there are two main technical limits. First, the limit of large volume user information processing capability. Second, the low rate of progress in the field of applications especially in countries such as the United States and Korea. To deal with these limits, we will first present neo-functional AAA architecture for massive and distributed network environments and describe successful cases of nationwide deployment in Korea.