Method and system for routing traffic through contextless load distributors

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for contextless traffic load balancing of load balancers of AMF module. The disclosure encompasses: dynamically receiving, at a load balancer within an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit [106], a service request from a radio access network (RAN) unit [104] for one or more user devices [102]; generating, by the load balancer, a unique identifier for the one or more user devices, wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits; identifying, by the AMF unit [106], a core-application set and a thread within the core-application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request; and executing, by the AMF unit [106], a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices [102] in response to the service request.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROUTING TRAFFIC THROUGH CONTEXTEESS LOAD DISTRIBUTORSFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to field of wireless communication system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to method and system for routing traffic through contextless load distributors.BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.

[0004] Existing telecommunications systems, particularly in the context of 5G networks, face challenges in efficiently handling user traffic while maintaining scalability and performance. In traditional architectures, load balancers within the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) are burdened with the task of storing context information for multiple user interfaces. This requirement leads to increased memory usage and processing time, making it difficult to scale thesystem as the number of users grows. Furthermore, the distribution of AMF core applications across multiple servers necessitates a mechanism to ensure that user traffic is consistently routed to the appropriate core-application set and thread. Without such a mechanism, the system is prone to race conditions and inefficiencies in handling user signalling. The prior art lacks an effective solution to address these challenges, particularly in the context of context-less load balancing. Traditional approaches often rely on storing extensive context information within load balancers, leading to increased resource consumption and potential bottlenecks as the system scales. Moreover, the absence of a protocol-independent routing mechanism results in complexities in routing traffic to the appropriate core-application entity, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the telecommunications system.

[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide a faster and efficient system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors.

[0008] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors that reduce physical memory occupation and processing time in load balancers by eliminating the need for storing user context.

[0009] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors that enable faster processing and routing of protocol messages to core -application entities without the need to consult user context for selection.

[0010] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors that ensure that the time required for core-applicationentity selection does not increase with the number of users in the system.

[0011] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors that facilitate the identification of the appropriate process set of a core -application and its particular thread by merely examining the protocol messages.

[0012] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors that employ unique identifiers with embedded routing parameters, making the load balancers protocol-independent and capable of routing traffic for a user to the same core-application entity.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0013] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0014] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system is disclosed. The method includes dynamically receiving, at a load balancer within an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit, a service request from a radio access network (RAN) unit for one or more user devices. The method further includes generating, by the load balancer, a unique identifier for the one or more user devices, wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits. The method includes identifying, by the AMF unit, a coreapplication set and a thread within the core -application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request. Thereafter, the method includes executing, by the AMF unit, a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices in response to the service request.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes receiving, at the AMF unit, an initial registration request from the one or more user devices; allocating, by the AMF unit, a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) to the one or more user devices in response to the initial registration request; and embedding, within the GUTI, a routing factor used for generating the unique identifier.

[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the step of generating the unique identifier for subsequent service requests received from the one or more user devices is based on GUTI.

[0017] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more routing parameters facilitate directing of the service request to a core-application entity within the AMF unit to avoid storing context for the one or more user devices at the load balancer.

[0018] In an aspect, the unique identifier is selected from a group consisting of at least one of next generation application protocol (NGAP) Protocol Fields, general packet radio service tunnelling protocol (GTP)v2 Protocol Fields, and non-access stratum (NAS) Protocol Fields.

[0019] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the load balancer supports a plurality of protocols comprising of NGAP, GTP, and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

[0020] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the unique identifier facilitates routing of the traffic via the plurality of protocols within the AMF unit.

[0021] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the load balancer comprises of at least NGAP Load Balancer, GTP Load Balancer, and HTTP Load Balancer to generate corresponding unique identifiers.

[0022] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the routing parameters embedded within the set of corresponding bits of the unique identifier comprise elements selected from the group consisting of: AMF-UE-NGAP-ID (access and mobility management function-user equipmentnext generation application protocol-identifier), TEID (tunnel end point identifier), S-TMSI (Serving Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity), and Globally Unique Temporary ID (GUTI).

[0023] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises extracting, via NGAPLB, a routing factor to decide the core -application set without accessing any context, upon reception of subsequent service requests for same AMF-UE-NGAP-ID from the RAN.

[0024] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for performing procedures through contextless load distributors in a communication system. The system comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit. The AMF unit further comprises a receiving unitconfigured to dynamically receive a service request, at a load balancer, from a radio access network (RAN) unit for one or more user devices. The AMF unit further comprises a generating unit configured to generate a unique identifier, by the load balancer, for the one or more user devices, wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits. The AMF unit further comprises an identifying unit configured to identify a core-application set and a thread within the core-application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request. The AMF unit further comprises a processing unit configured to execute a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices in response to the service request.

[0025] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a receiving unit of the system to dynamically receive a service request from a radio access network (RAN) unit for one or more user devices; a generating unit of the system to generate a unique identifier for the one or more user devices, wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits; an identifying unit of the system to identify a core-application set and a thread within the core-application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request; and an processing unit of the system to execute a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices in response to the service request.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for performing procedures through contextless load distributors, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an architecture for implementation of a system for performing procedures through contextless load distributors, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method flow diagram indicating the process for performing procedures through contextless load distributors, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0032] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0034] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may bemade in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0035] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0036] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.

[0037] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0038] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input / output processing, and / or any otherfunctionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.

[0039] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and / or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment / device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection unit and any other such unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0040] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0041] As portable electronic devices and wireless technologies continue to improve and grow in popularity, the advancing wireless technologies for data transfer are also expected to evolve and replace the older generations of technologies. In the field of wireless data communications, the dynamic advancement of various generations of cellular technology are also seen. The development, in this respect, has been incremental in the order of second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and now fifth generation (5G), and more such generations are expected to continue in the forthcoming time.

[0042] Radio Access Technology (RAT) refers to the technology used by mobile devices / user equipment (UE) to connect to a cellular network. It refers to the specific protocol and standards that govern the way devices communicate with base stations, which are responsible for providingthe wireless connection. Further, each RAT has its own set of protocols and standards for communication, which define the frequency bands, modulation techniques, and other parameters used for transmitting and receiving data. Examples of RATs include GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), UTE (Long-Term Evolution), and 5G. The choice of RAT depends on a variety of factors, including the network infrastructure, the available spectrum, and the mobile device's / device's capabilities. Mobile devices often support multiple RATs, allowing them to connect to different types of networks and provide optimal performance based on the available network resources. The invention herein relates to the situations when the user equipment (UE) operates in the fifth generation (5G) communication system.

[0043] As used herein, contextless load distribution refers to the load balancer not requiring to have any previous knowledge of any previous context or information for processing any incoming service request(s) and determining to which service application or network node / network function to forward the message.

[0044] As used herein, the core application set refers to a collection of core network functions and services within the access and mobility management function (AMF) that collectively manage user sessions, mobility, and authentication processes, ensuring seamless communication and service delivery in a 5G network environment. The core-application set consists of multiple processes, including active and standby processes, with each process running multiple threads. The embedded routing parameters within protocol fields, such as AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, TEID, S-TMSI, or GUTI, facilitate the system to route traffic without storing user context at the load balancer of the AMF. For example, a core application set may include functions such as session management, mobility management, and security management, each working together to handle user device registration, handover procedures, and secure access to network resources.

[0045] As used herein, a thread refers to a single sequence of execution within a core application set within the AMF for handling tasks or service requests from user devices, thereby enabling concurrent processing and efficient utilization of computational resources. For example, a thread may handle the authentication process for a user device within the core application set and manage session management, allowing multiple tasks to be processed simultaneously or sequentially without interference. The thread corresponds to a mini-process and manages single-user servicerequests or operations. There may be multiple threads in a core application set based on the configuration of the network service provider.

[0046] As used herein, next generation application protocol load balancer (NGAPLB) in the Access and Mobility management function (AMF) manages traffic requests load receiving over NGAP protocol.

[0047] As used herein, the GPRS tunnelling protocol load balancer (GTPLB) in the Access and Mobility management function (AMF) facilitates in managing traffic requests load receiving over GPRS protocol.

[0048] As used herein, hypertext transfer protocol load balancer (HTTPLB) in the Access and Mobility management function (AMF) facilitates in managing traffic requests load receiving over HTTP protocol.

[0049] As used herein, the appropriate core-application set, and thread refers to the specific combination of a core-application set and a thread within the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) unit that is dynamically selected to process a service request based on embedded routing parameters.

[0050] As used herein, the Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) refers to a signalling protocol used in 5G networks to facilitate communication between the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) and the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). By embedding routing parameters within NGAP protocol fields, such as AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, the NGAP protocol enables efficient, contextless load balancing and traffic routing within the 5G core network, thus enhancing the overall scalability and performance of the communication system.

[0051] As used herein, the Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) refers to a tunnel endpoint within a GTP-based network, enabling the association of user data packets with the correct bearer or session. It facilitates in routing of user plane traffic between network entities, such as the User Equipment (UE), the serving gateway (SGW), and the packet data network gateway (PGW) in 4G, or the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) and User Plane Function (UPF) in 5G.

[0052] As used herein, AMF-UE-NGAP-ID refers to the unique identifier allocated by the AMF to the UE for communication over the NG interface. The unique identifier is part of the Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) and facilitates in identifying the UE within the context of the AMF. It facilitates the management of signalling procedures related to UE registration, mobility, and session management. By embedding routing parameters within the bits of the AMF- UE-NGAP-ID, the protocol enables contextless load balancing and traffic routing to the appropriate core-application set and thread within the AMF.

[0053] As used herein, a set of procedures refers to the series of steps and protocols executed by the AMF to manage and facilitate network functions for the UE. The set of procedures includes but is not limited only to, initial registration, authentication, session establishment, mobility management, handovers, and service request processing. Each procedure of the set of procedures facilitates secure communication between the UE and the network, maintaining continuity of service as the UE moves across different network areas.

[0054] As discussed in the background section, existing telecommunications systems, particularly in the context of 5G networks, face challenges in efficiently handling user traffic while maintaining scalability and performance. In traditional architectures, load balancers within the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) are burdened with the task of storing context information for multiple user interfaces. This requirement leads to increased memory usage and processing time, making it difficult to scale the system as the number of users grows. Furthermore, the distribution of AMF core applications across multiple servers necessitates a mechanism to ensure that user traffic is consistently routed to the appropriate core-application set and thread. Without such a mechanism, the system is prone to race conditions and inefficiencies in handling user signalling. The prior art lacks an effective solution to address these challenges, particularly in the context of context-less load balancing. Traditional approaches often rely on storing extensive context information within load balancers, leading to increased resource consumption and potential bottlenecks as the system scales. Moreover, the absence of a protocol-independent routing mechanism results in complexities in routing traffic to the appropriate core-application entity, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the telecommunications system.

[0055] To overcome these and other inherent problems in the art, the present disclosure proposes a solution of dynamically routing traffic through contextless load distributors within a communication system. The method reduces the burden on the load balancers within the Accessand Mobility Management Function (AMF) by eliminating the need to store context information for multiple user interfaces. Instead, the system generates unique identifiers for user devices, embedding routing parameters within these identifiers. This approach allows the AMF unit to identify the appropriate core-application set and thread to process service requests based solely on the information contained within the unique identifiers. The present disclosure further enhances the efficiency of the system by allocating globally unique temporary identifiers (GUTIs) to user devices during initial registration, embedding a routing factor within these GUTIs. This routing factor is then used to generate unique identifiers for subsequent service requests, streamlining the process of routing traffic to the correct core -application entity. By utilizing unique identifiers selected from NGAP, GTPv2, and NAS protocol fields, the system supports a variety of protocols, including NGAP, GTP, and HTTP. This flexibility ensures that the traffic can be routed effectively through the AMF unit, regardless of the protocol used.

[0056] It would be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the proposed solution significantly reduces physical memory occupation and processing time in the load balancers, as it eliminates the need for storing and retrieving user context. Additionally, the system's ability to extract routing factors and decide the core -application set without accessing any context further streamlines the process, ensuring efficient and effective routing of traffic through the 5G communication system.

[0057] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture

[0100] , in accordance with exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the 5GC network architecture

[0100] includes a user equipment (UE)

[0102] (alternatively referred to as user device

[0102] or one or more user devices

[0102] herein), a radio access network (RAN)

[0104] , a plurality if network functions or network entities such as, an access and mobility management function (AMF)

[0106] , a Session Management Function (SMF) unit

[0108] , a Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[0110] , an Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] , a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)

[0114] , a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] , a Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] , a Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] , a Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] , a Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] , an application function (AF)

[0126] , a User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] , a data network (DN)

[0130] , wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.

[0059] The User Equipment (UE)

[0102] interfaces with the network via the Radio Access Network (RAN)

[0104] ; the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)

[0106] manages connectivity and mobility, while the Session Management Function (SMF) unit

[0108] administers session control; the service communication proxy (SCP)

[0110] routes and manages communication between network services, enhancing efficiency and security, and the Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] handles user authentication; the NSSAAF

[0114] for integrating the 5G core network with existing 4G LTE networks i.e., to enable Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G deployments, the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] , Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] , and Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] enable network customization, secure interfacing with external applications, and maintain network function registries respectively; the Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] develops operational policies, and the Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] manages subscriber data; the Application Function (AF)

[0126] enables application interaction, the User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] processes and forwards user data, and the Data Network (DN)

[0130] connects to external internet resources; collectively, these components are designed to enhance mobile broadband, ensure low -latency communication, and support massive machine-type communication, solidifying the 5GC as the infrastructure for next-generation mobile networks.

[0060] Radio Access Network (RAN)

[0104] is the part of a mobile telecommunications system that connects user equipment (UE)

[0102] to the core network (CN) and provides access to different types of networks (e.g., 5G network). It consists of radio base stations and the radio access technologies that enable wireless communication.

[0061] Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)

[0106] (alternatively referred to as AMF unit

[0106] ) is a 5G core network function responsible for managing access and mobility aspects, such as UE registration, connection, and reachability. It also handles mobility management procedures like handovers and paging.

[0062] Session Management Function (SMF)

[0108] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing session-related aspects, such as establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions. Itcoordinates with the User Plane Function (UPF) for data forwarding and handles IP address allocation and QoS enforcement.

[0063] Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[0110] is a network function in the 5G core network that facilitates communication between other network functions by providing a secure and efficient messaging service. It acts as a mediator for service-based interfaces.

[0064] Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] is a network function in the 5G core responsible for authenticating UEs during registration and providing security services. It generates and verifies authentication vectors and tokens.

[0065] Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)

[0114] is a network function that provides authentication and authorization services specific to network slices. It ensures that UEs can access only the slices for which they are authorized.

[0066] Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] is a network function responsible for selecting the appropriate network slice for a UE based on factors such as subscription, requested services, and network policies.

[0067] Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] is a network function that exposes capabilities and services of the 5G network to external applications, enabling integration with third-party services and applications.

[0068] Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] is a network function that acts as a central repository for information about available network functions and services. It facilitates the discovery and dynamic registration of network functions.

[0069] Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] is a network function responsible for policy control decisions, such as QoS, charging, and access control, based on subscriber information and network policies.

[0070] Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] is a network function that centralizes the management of subscriber data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.

[0071] Application Function (AF)

[0126] is a network function that represents external applications interfacing with the 5G core network to access network capabilities and services.

[0072] User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] is a network function responsible for handling user data traffic, including packet routing, forwarding, and QoS enforcement.

[0073] Data Network (DN)

[0130] refers to a network that provides data services to user equipment (UE) in a telecommunications system. The data services may include but are not limited to Internet services, private data network related services.

[0074] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system

[0200] or performing procedures through contextless load distributors, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the system

[0200] includes at least one access and mobility management function (AMF)

[0106] , The AMF

[0106] further comprises at least one receiving unit

[0202] , at least one generating unit

[0204] , at least one identifying unit

[0206] , at least one processing unit

[0208] , at least one allocating unit

[0210] and at least one storage unit

[0212] , wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure. Also, in FIG. 2 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0200] may comprise multiple such units or the system

[0200] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the system

[0200] may be incorporated in the AMF unit

[0106] ,

[0075] The system

[0200] for performing procedures through contextless load distributors in a 5G communication system comprises a receiving unit

[0202] . The receiving unit

[0202] is configured to dynamically receive a service request, at a load balancer

[0214] , from a radio access network (RAN) unit

[0104] for one or more user devices

[0102] , In an exemplary aspect, the service request may be for such as, but not limited to calling service or data service. The load balancer

[0214] supports a plurality of protocols that includes but not limited only to one of next generation application protocol (NGAP), GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP), and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The receiving unit

[0202] is capable of adapting to varying traffic conditions and can handle service requests as they come in, without the need for pre -configuration or manual intervention. The service request received by the receiving unit

[0202] is then processed by the load balancer

[0214] , The load balancer

[0214] is responsible for distributing the incoming traffic across various core-application sets and threads, ensuring efficient handling of the service requests and optimal utilization of the network resources. The load balancer

[0214] comprises of at least one of NGAP Load Balancer, GTP Load Balancer, and HTTP Load Balancer to generate corresponding unique identifiers. The load balancer is incorporated in the AMF unit

[0106] ,

[0076] The system

[0200] further comprises a generating unit

[0204] , which is communicatively coupled to the receiving unit

[0202] . The generating unit

[0204] is configured to generate a unique identifier, by the load balancer

[0214] , for the one or more user devices

[0102] , wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits. The unique identifier is selected from a group consisting of at least one of Next-Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) Protocol Fields, GPRS Tunnelling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2) Protocol Fields, and Non-access stratum (NAS) Protocol Fields. Upon receiving a service request from the radio access network (RAN) unit

[0104] , the generating unit

[0204] generates the unique identifier for each of the one or more user devices

[0102] associated with the request. The unique identifier may be such as, but not limited to, AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, TEID, S-TMSI and GUTI.

[0077] In an exemplary aspect, the unique identifier might be a 40-bit long integer, where specific bits are allocated to embed routing parameters such as the user's location or the type of service requested. For instance, bits 1-10 could represent the user's geographic region, bits 11-20 could indicate the priority level of the service, and bits 21-40 could be a unique number assigned to the user device. This unique identifier, containing embedded routing parameters, is then used by the AMF unit

[0106] to efficiently route the service request to the appropriate core-application set and thread for processing. The one or more routing parameters may facilitate directing of the service request to a core-application entity within the AMF unit

[0106] to avoid storing context for the one or more user devices at the load balancer

[0214] ,

[0078] The system

[0200] comprises a storage unit

[0212] , The storage unit

[0212] may store information for core-application set and available threads within the core application set and load balancer(s). In an exemplary aspect, the core-application set may be such as, but not limited to 18 and each core-application set may have such as, but not limited to 10 threads. The storage unit

[0212] may further store encryption / decryption, hashing, processing and protocol supported information for execution and implementation.

[0079] In an exemplary aspect, consider the unique identifier to be a 40-bit long integer value, which is the AMF-UE-NGAP-ID. This identifier is allocated to uniquely identify the user equipment (UE) over the NG interface within the AMF

[0106] , The first bit is a surrogate bit with a value of 0. The next 5 bits represent the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) stream identifier. The following bit is a dummy bit with a value of 0. The next bit indicates whether the NGAPLB

[0302] (NGAP Load Balancer) is active or on standby. The final 32 bits are reserved for the routing factor.

[0080] The routing factor may comprise the protocol-specific fields such as the GUTI or the S- TMSI or subscription permanent identifier (SUPI). For instance, during an initial registration request, the AMF allocates a GUTI to the user device. The GUTI or SUPI information may be used for embedding one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier by performing encryption / decryption on a predefined number of bits (for example 8 bits or 16 bits). When the load balancer generates the AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, it encrypts / decrypts the predefined number of bits of the GUTI or SUPI for embedding one or more routing parameters within the set of corresponding bits. In an exemplary aspect, the routing parameters may be subset of the routing factor. In an exemplary aspect, the routing parameters and the routing factor may be same.

[0081] For example, if a user device sends an initial registration request, the load balancer allocates an AMF-UE-NGAP-ID where:The first bit (surrogate bit) is 0.The next 5 bits represent an SCTP stream identifier, for example, 00011.The dummy bit is 0.The NGAPLB

[0302] active / standby identifier is 1, indicating the active state.The last 32 bits contain the routing factor, for instance, 11001100110011001100110011001100.

[0082] The system

[0200] comprises an identifying unit

[0206] , which is communicatively coupled to the generating unit

[0204] . The identifying unit

[0206] is configured to identify a core-application set and a thread within the core-application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request. Once the unique identifier has been generated for a user device's service request, the identifying unit

[0206] examines the one or more routing parameters embedded within this identifier to determine an appropriate destination for the request within the AMF unit

[0106] , For example, if the routing parameters indicate that theuser device is located in a specific geographic region and requires a high-priority service, the identifying unit

[0206] may use this information to select a core-application set that is optimized for handling such requests in that region. Furthermore, it will identify a specific thread within that set to ensure that the service request is processed efficiently and without delay.

[0083] In an exemplary aspect, upon receiving a subsequent service request with the same AMF- UE-NGAP-ID, the NGAPLB

[0302] extracts the routing parameters directly from the identifier. This allows the NGAPLB

[0302] to identify via the identifying unit

[0206] the appropriate coreapplication set and thread within the set without needing to access any stored context for the user device. The identifying unit

[0206] may select the appropriate core -application set and the thread within the core-application set based on matching by performing hashing on predefined number of bits of GUTI or SUPI from the routing factor. Based on the matching, the identifying unit

[0206] may select the appropriate core-application for further processing user service request.

[0084] The system

[0200] further comprises a processing unit

[0208] , which is communicatively coupled to the identifying unit

[0206] , The processing unit

[0208] is configured to execute a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices

[0102] in response to the service request. Once the identifying unit

[0206] has determined the appropriate core-application set and thread to handle the service request, based on the routing parameters embedded in the unique identifier, the processing unit

[0208] executes necessary actions to fulfil the service request. For example, if the service request is for data transmission, the processing unit

[0208] may initiate and execute the set of procedures or sequence of steps to establish a data connection, allocate network resources, and manage the flow of data to and from the user device

[0102] , If the request is for a voice call, the processing unit

[0208] might set up the call routing, allocate bandwidth, and ensure quality of service. The specific procedures executed by the processing unit

[0208] depend on the nature of the service request and the requirements of the one or more user devices

[0102] ,

[0085] In an exemplary aspect, the receiving unit

[0202] is further configured to receive an initial registration request from the one or more user devices. Further, the allocating unit

[0210] of the system

[0200] is configured to allocate a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) to the one or more user devices in response to the initial registration request. The GUTI serves as a temporary identity for the one or more user devices within the network, ensuring its privacy and security. Further, the generating unit

[0204] is configured to embed, within the GUTI, a routing factor used for generating the unique identifier. Further, the generating unit

[0204] is configured to embed arouting factor within the GUTI by performing encryption of pre-configured number of bits of the GUTI. The routing factor is used for generation of the unique identifiers for subsequent service requests from the same user device. In an exemplary aspect, the generating of the unique identifier for subsequent service requests received from the one or more user devices is based on the GUTI.

[0086] The processing unit

[0208] is further configured to extract, via the NGAP Load Balancer (NGAPLB)

[0302] , a routing factor to decide the core-application set without accessing any context, upon reception of subsequent service requests for the same AMF-UE-NGAP-ID from the Radio Access Network (RAN) unit

[0104] , This means that when a service request is received from the RAN unit for a user device

[0102] that has previously been assigned an AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, the processing unit

[0208] uses the NGAPLB

[0302] to extract a specific routing factor from the unique identifier associated with that user device. In an exemplary aspect, the one or more routing parameters embedded within the set of corresponding bits of the unique identifier comprise elements selected from the group consisting of AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, TEID, S-TMSI, and GUTI.

[0087] The routing factor facilitates in determining the appropriate core-application set to handle the request. By using the routing factor extracted by the NGAPLB

[0302] , the processing unit can efficiently route the service request to the correct core -application set and thread, ensuring that the request is processed in a timely and efficient manner.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of an architecture

[0300] for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system is shown, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments ofthe present disclosure. The architecture

[0300] includes UE

[0102] , RAN

[0104] , AMF unit

[0106] , and network function (NF)1

[0310] , NF2

[0312] , and NF3

[0314] , In an embodiment, the AMF unit

[0106] comprises one or more load balancers. The one or more load balancers include at least one of next generation application protocol loadbalancer (NGAPLB)

[0302] , GPRS tunnelling protocol loadbalancer (GTPLB)

[0304] and hypertext transfer protocol loadbalancer (HTTPLB)

[0306] , The AMF unit

[0106] may further include Core Application set

[0308] ,

[0089] When one or more devices

[0102] initiates communication, it transmits its Global Unique Temporary Identifier (GUTI), which is received by the RAN unit

[0104] , The GUTI facilitates in identifying the one or more devices

[0102] within the network without revealing its permanent identity, ensuring user privacy and security.

[0090] Upon receiving the initial message, the NGAPLB

[0302] within the AMF unit

[0106] generates a unique identifier (such as AMF-UE-NGAP-ID), which embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of bit structure. The unique identifier may be a 40-bit long integer, where specific bits are designated for different routing parameters, such as the surrogate bit, SCTP stream identifier, dummy bit, NGAPLB

[0302] active / standby identifier, and the routing factor. The inclusion of the routing factor is especially significant as it allows for the contextless routing of subsequent service requests.

[0091] The NGAPLB

[0302] route the initial and subsequent service requests for the same AMF- UE-NGAP-ID to the appropriate core-application set

[0308] without the need to reference the one or more user devices

[0102] context. The core-application set

[0308] consists of several function process sets, potentially 18 or more, each comprising an active process and a standby process to ensure uninterrupted service. The routing within the AMF unit

[0106] to these function process sets is informed by the unique identifier generated by the NGAPLB

[0302] ,

[0092] Other load balancers within the AMF unit

[0106] , such as the GTPLB

[0304] and the HTTPLB

[0306] , operate similarly, using their respective protocol fields to route traffic to the coreapplication set

[0308] , ensuring a unified approach to processing UE service requests. For example, the GTPLB

[0304] may handle communications for MME entities, while the HTTPLB

[0306] may manage communications for different Network Function (NF) entities (such as NF1

[0310] , NF2

[0312] , and NF3

[0314] ). The network functions (NF1-NF3 [310-314]) may comprises at least one of session management function (SMF)

[0108] , policy control function (PCF)

[0122] ,

[0093] A heartbeat framework within the architecture

[0300] maintains communication between all load balancers (such as NGAPLB

[0302] , GTPLB

[0304] , and HTTPLB

[0306] ) and the coreapplication set

[0308] , monitoring the activity status of each function process set. This framework is vital for the system's health check, confirming the active or standby status of processes and enabling rapid failover if necessary.

[0094] Furthermore, the heartbeat framework is employed to maintain communication between the NGAPLB

[0302] and other load balancers, along with the core-application set

[0308] , monitoring the activity status of the function process sets thereby ensuring that the entire system issynchronized and that the active and standby processes within the core -application sets are functioning correctly, providing reliable service to the one or more user devices

[0102] ,

[0095] In a preferred aspect of the present disclosure, AMF-UE-NGAP-ID is for example, 40-bit long integer value, may have contents as follows:

[0096] When Initial UE Message received with identity type GUTI / TMSI: GUTI / STMSI is allotted by core-application AMF during registration accept of that user device during previous registration. Routing factor is encrypted within this GUTI / STMSI.

[0097] In this current GUTI registration request, STMSI is first decoded to generate a new AMF- NGAP-ID

[0098] When subsequent request is received for same AMF-UE-NGAP-ID from network, NGAPLB

[0302] extracts routing factor and decides core-application-entity without accessing any context.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0400] for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system, in accordance with exemplary em4bodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method

[0400] is performed by the system

[0200] and / or the AMF unit

[0106] , As shown in FIG. 4, the method

[0400] starts at step

[0402] .

[0100] At step

[0404] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises dynamically receiving, at a load balancer

[0214] within an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit

[0106] , a service request from a radio access network (RAN) unit

[0104] for one or more user devices

[0102] , In an exemplary aspect, the service request may be for such as,but not limited to calling service or data service. The load balancer

[0214] supports a plurality of protocols that includes but not limited only to one of next generation application protocol (NGAP), GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP), and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The receiving unit

[0202] is capable of adapting to varying traffic conditions and can handle service requests as they come in, without the need for pre-configuration or manual intervention. The service request received by the receiving unit

[0202] is then processed by the load balancer

[0214] , The load balancer

[0214] is responsible for distributing the incoming traffic across various core-application sets and threads, ensuring efficient handling of the service requests and optimal utilization of the network resources. The load balancer

[0214] comprises of at least one of NGAP Load Balancer, GTP Load Balancer, and HTTP Load Balancer to generate corresponding unique identifiers. The load balancer is incorporated in the AMF unit

[0106] ,

[0101] Next, at step

[0406] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises generating, by the load balancer

[0214] , a unique identifier for the one or more user devices, wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits. The unique identifier is selected from a group consisting of at least one of Next-Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) Protocol Fields, GPRS Tunnelling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2) Protocol Fields, and Non-access stratum (NAS) Protocol Fields. Upon receiving a service request from the radio access network (RAN) unit

[0104] , the generating unit

[0204] generates the unique identifier for each of the one or more user devices

[0102] associated with the request. The unique identifier may be such as, but not limited to, AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, TEID, S-TMSI and GUTI.

[0102] In an exemplary aspect, the unique identifier might be a 40-bit long integer, where specific bits are allocated to embed routing parameters such as the user's location or the type of service requested. For instance, bits 1-10 could represent the user's geographic region, bits 11-20 could indicate the priority level of the service, and bits 21-40 could be a unique number assigned to the user device. This unique identifier, containing embedded routing parameters, is then used by the AMF unit

[0106] to efficiently route the service request to the appropriate core-application set and thread for processing. The one or more routing parameters are used for directing the service request to a core-application entity within the AMF unit

[0106] to eliminate necessity for storing context for the one or more user devices at the load balancer

[0214] ,

[0103] The system

[0200] comprises a storage unit

[0212] , The storage unit

[0212] may store information for core-application set and available threads within the core application set

[0308] andload balancer(s). In an exemplary aspect, the core-application set may be such as, but not limited to 18 and each core -application set may have such as, but not limited to 10 threads. The storage unit

[0212] may further store encryption / decryption, hashing, processing and protocol supported information for execution and implementation.

[0104] In an exemplary aspect, consider the unique identifier to be a 40-bit long integer value, which is the AMF-UE-NGAP-ID. This identifier is allocated to uniquely identify the user equipment (UE) over the NG interface within the AMF

[0106] , The first bit is a surrogate bit with a value of 0. The next 5 bits represent the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) stream identifier. The following bit is a dummy bit with a value of 0. The next bit indicates whether the NGAPLB

[0302] (NGAP Load Balancer) is active or on standby. The final 32 bits are reserved for the routing factor.

[0105] The routing factor may comprise the protocol-specific fields such as the GUTI or the S- TMSI or subscription permanent identifier (SUPI). For instance, during an initial registration request, the AMF allocates a GUTI to the user device. This GUTI or SUPI information may be used for embedding one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier by performing encryption / decryption on predefined number of bits. When the load balancer generates the AMF- UE-NGAP-ID, it encrypts / decrypts the predefined number of bits of the GUTI or SUPI for embedding one or more routing parameters within the set of corresponding bits. In an exemplary aspect, the routing parameters may be subset of the routing factor. In an exemplary aspect, the routing parameters and the routing factor may be same.

[0106] To illustrate, if a user device sends an initial registration request, the load balancer allocates an AMF-UE-NGAP-ID where:The first bit (surrogate bit) is 0.The next 5 bits represent an SCTP stream identifier, for example, 00011.The dummy bit is 0.The NGAPLB

[0302] active / standby identifier is 1, indicating the active state.The last 32 bits contain the routing factor, for instance, 11001100110011001100110011001100.

[0107] Next, at step

[0408] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises identifying, by the AMF unit

[0106] , a core-application set and a thread within the core-applicationset, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request. Once the unique identifier has been generated for a user device's service request, the identifying unit

[0206] examines the one or more routing parameters embedded within this identifier to determine an appropriate destination for the request within the AMF unit

[0106] , For example, if the routing parameters indicate that the user device is located in a specific geographic region and requires a high-priority service, the identifying unit

[0206] may use this information to select a core-application set that is optimized for handling such requests in that region. Furthermore, it will identify a specific thread within that set to ensure that the service request is processed efficiently and without delay.

[0108] In an exemplary aspect, upon receiving a subsequent service request with the same AMF- UE-NGAP-ID, the NGAPLB

[0302] extracts the routing parameters directly from the identifier. This allows the NGAPLB

[0302] to identify via the identifying unit

[0206] the appropriate coreapplication set and thread within the set without needing to access any stored context for the user device. The identifying unit

[0206] may select the appropriate core -application set and the thread within the core-application set based on matching by performing hashing on predefined number of bits of GUTI or SUPI from the routing factor. Based on the matching, the identifying unit

[0206] may select the appropriate core-application for further processing user service request.

[0109] Next, at step

[0410] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises executing, by the AMF unit

[0106] , a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices

[0102] in response to the service request. Once the identifying unit

[0206] has determined the appropriate core-application set and thread to handle the service request, based on the routing parameters embedded in the unique identifier, the processing unit

[0208] executes necessary actions to fulfil the service request. For example, if the service request is for data transmission, the processing unit

[0208] may initiate and execute the set of procedures or sequence of steps to establish a data connection, allocate network resources, and manage the flow of data to and from the user device

[0102] , If the request is for a voice call, the processing unit

[0208] might set up the call routing, allocate bandwidth, and ensure quality of service. The specific procedures executed by the processing unit

[0208] depend on the nature of the service request and the requirements of the user device

[0102] ,

[0110] In an exemplary aspect, the receiving unit

[0202] is further configured to receive an initial registration request from the one or more user devices. Further, the allocating unit

[0210] of thesystem

[0200] is configured to allocate a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) to the one or more user devices in response to the initial registration request. The GUTI serves as a temporary identity for the one or more user devices within the network, ensuring its privacy and security. Further, the generating unit

[0204] is configured to embed, within the GUTI, a routing factor used for generating the unique identifier. Further, the generating unit

[0204] is configured to embed a routing factor within the GUTI by performing encryption of pre-configured number of bits of the GUTI. The routing factor is used for generation of the unique identifiers for subsequent service requests from the same user device. In an exemplary aspect, the generating of the unique identifier for subsequent service requests received from the one or more user devices is based on the GUTI.

[0111] The processing unit

[0208] is further configured to extract, via the NGAP Uoad Balancer (NGAPUB)

[0302] , a routing factor to decide the core-application set without accessing any context, upon reception of subsequent service requests for the same AMF-UE-NGAP-ID from the Radio Access Network (RAN) unit

[0104] , This means that when a service request is received from the RAN unit for a user device

[0102] that has previously been assigned an AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, the processing unit

[0208] uses the NGAPLB

[0302] to extract a specific routing factor from the unique identifier associated with that user device. In an exemplary aspect, the one or more routing parameters embedded within the set of corresponding bits of the unique identifier comprise elements selected from the group consisting of AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, TEID, S-TMSI, and GUTI.

[0112] The routing factor facilitates in determining the appropriate core-application set to handle the request. By using the routing factor extracted by the NGAPLB

[0302] , the processing unit can efficiently route the service request to the correct core -application set and thread, ensuring that the request is processed in a timely and efficient manner.

[0113] Thereafter, the method

[0400] terminates at step

[0412] ,

[0114] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device

[0500] (also referred to herein as a computer system

[0500] ) upon which an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented. In an implementation, the computing device implements the method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors using the system

[0200] . In another implementation, the computing device itself implements the method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors by using one or more units configured within the computing device, wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0115] The computing device

[0500] may include a bus

[0502] or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor

[0504] coupled with the bus

[0502] for processing information. The processor

[0504] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The computing device

[0500] may also include a main memory

[0506] , such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus

[0502] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor

[0504] , The main memory

[0506] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor

[0504] , Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor

[0504] , render the computing device

[0500] into a special -purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device

[0500] further includes a read only memory (ROM)

[0508] or other static storage device coupled to the bus

[0502] for storing static information and instructions for the processor

[0504] ,

[0116] A storage device

[0510] , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus

[0502] for storing information and instructions. The computing device

[0500] may be coupled via the bus

[0502] to a display

[0512] , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user. An input device

[0514] , including alphanumeric and other keys, may be coupled to the bus

[0502] for communicating information and command selections to the processor

[0504] , Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller

[0516] , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor

[0504] , and for controlling cursor movement on the display

[0512] , This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0117] The computing device

[0500] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and / or program logic which in combination with the computing device

[0500] causes or programs the computing device

[0500] to be a special-purpose machine. According to one embodiment, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device

[0500] in response to the processor

[0504] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory

[0506] , Such instructions may be read into the main memory

[0506] from another storage medium, such as the storage device

[0510] , Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory

[0506] causes theprocessor

[0504] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.

[0118] The computing device

[0500] also may include a communication interface

[0518] coupled to the bus

[0502] , The communication interface

[0518] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link

[0520] that is connected to a local network

[0522] , For example, the communication interface

[0518] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line . As another example, the communication interface

[0518] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface

[0518] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0119] The computing device

[0500] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link

[0520] and the communication interface

[0518] , In the Internet example, a server

[0530] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet

[0528] , the Internet Service Provider (ISP)

[0526] , the Host

[0524] , the local network

[0522] and the communication interface

[0518] , The received code may be executed by the processor

[0504] as it is received, and / or stored in the storage device

[0510] , or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

[0120] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by a one or more units of a system, causes: a receiving unit

[0202] of the system to dynamically receive a service request from a radio access network (RAN) unit

[0104] for one or more user devices

[0102] ; a generating unit

[0204] of the system to generate a unique identifier for the one or more user devices

[0102] , wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits; an identifying unit

[0206] of the system to identify a core-application set and a thread within the core-application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request; and an processing unit

[0208] of the system to execute a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices

[0102] in response to the service request.

[0121] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system. The present solution provides routing of the traffic through contextless load distributors. The present disclosure provides a system and method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors that reduce physical memory occupation and processing time in load balancers by eliminating the need for storing user context. The present solution provides routing traffic through contextless load distributors that enable faster processing and routing of protocol messages to core-application entities without the need to consult user context for selection. Further, the present solution provides routing traffic through contextless load distributors that ensure that the time required for coreapplication-entity selection does not increase with the number of users in the system. Further, the present solution provides routing traffic through contextless load distributors that facilitate the identification of the appropriate process set of a core-application and its particular thread by merely examining the protocol messages. Furthermore, the present solution provides routing traffic through contextless load distributors that employ unique identifiers with embedded routing parameters, making the load balancers protocol-independent and capable of routing traffic for a user to the same core-application entity.

[0122] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various the components / units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0123] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method for routing traffic through contextless load distributors in a communication system, the method comprising: dynamically receiving, at a load balancer within an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit [106], a service request from a radio access network (RAN) unit [104] for one or more user devices; generating, by the load balancer, a unique identifier for the one or more user devices, wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits; identifying, by the AMF unit [ 106] , a core-application set and a thread within the coreapplication set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request; and executing, by the AMF unit [106], a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices in response to the service request.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the AMF unit [106], an initial registration request from the one or more user devices; allocating, by the AMF unit [106], a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) to the one or more user devices in response to the initial registration request; and embedding, within the GUTI, a routing factor used for generating the unique identifier.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of generating the unique identifier for subsequent service requests received from the one or more user devices is based on GUTI.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more routing parameters facilitate directing of the service request to a core-application entity within the AMF unit [106] to avoid storing context for the one or more user devices at the load balancer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is selected from a group consisting of at least one of next generation application protocol (NGAP) Protocol Fields, general packet radio service tunnelling protocol (GTP)v2 Protocol Fields, and non-access stratum (NAS) Protocol Fields.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the load balancer supports a plurality of protocols comprising ofNGAP, GTP, and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the unique identifier facilitates routing of traffic via the plurality of protocols within the AMF unit [106] .

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the load balancer comprises of at least NGAP Load Balancer, GTP Load Balancer, and HTTP Load Balancer to generate corresponding unique identifiers.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more routing parameters embedded within the set of corresponding bits of the unique identifier comprise elements selected from the group consisting of: AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID), servingtemporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI), and GUTI.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprises: extracting, via NGAPLB [302], a routing factor to decide the core -application set without accessing any context, upon reception of subsequent service requests for same AMF-UE- NGAP-ID from the RAN [104],11. A system for performing procedures through contextless load distributors in a 5G communication system, the system comprising: an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit [106] comprising: a receiving unit [202] configured to dynamically receive a service request, at a load balancer, from a radio access network (RAN) unit [104] for one or more user devices [102]; a generating unit [204] configured to generate a unique identifier, by the load balancer, for the one or more user devices [102], wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits; an identifying unit [206] configured to identify a core-application set and a thread within the core-application set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request; and a processing unit [208] configured to execute a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices [102] in response to the service request.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprises: the receiving unit [202] configured to receive an initial registration request from the one or more user devices; an allocating unit [210] configured to allocate a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) to the one or more user devices in response to the initial registration request; and the generating unit [204] configured to embed, within the GUTI, a routing factor used for generating the unique identifier.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the generating of the unique identifier for subsequent service requests received from the one or more user devices is based on the GUTI.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more routing parameters facilitate directing of the service request to a core-application entity within the AMF unit [106] to avoid storing context for the one or more user devices at the load balancer.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the unique identifier is selected from a group consisting of at least one of next generation application protocol (NGAP) Protocol Fields, general packet radio service tunnelling protocol (GTP)v2 Protocol Fields, and non-access stratum (NAS) Protocol Fields.

16. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the load balancer supports a plurality of protocols comprising of NGAP, GTP, and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the unique identifier facilitates routing of traffic via the plurality of protocols within the AMF unit [106] .

18. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the load balancer comprises of at least NGAP Uoad Balancer, GTP Uoad Balancer, and HTTP Uoad Balancer to generate corresponding unique identifiers.

19. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more routing parameters embedded within the set of corresponding bits of the unique identifier comprise elements selected fromthe group consisting of: AMF-UE-NGAP-ID, tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID), servingtemporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI), and GUTL20. The system as claimed in claim 19, further comprises: the processing unit [208] configured to extract, via NGAPLB [302], a routing factor to decide the core-application set without accessing any context, upon reception of subsequent service requests for the same AMF-UE-NGAP-ID from the RAN unit [104],21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for performing procedures through contextless load distributors in a 5G communication system, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a receiving unit [202] to dynamically receive a service request, at a load balancer, from a radio access network (RAN) unit [104] for one or more user devices [102]; a generating unit [204] to generate a unique identifier, by the load balancer, for the one or more user devices [102], wherein the unique identifier embeds one or more routing parameters within a set of corresponding bits; an identifying unit [206] to identify a core-application set and a thread within the coreapplication set, based on the embedded one or more routing parameters in the unique identifier, to process the service request; and a processing unit [208] to execute a set of procedures to provide services to the one or more user devices [102] in response to the service request.

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