SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING INGRESS / EGRESS ACTIVE-ACTIVE ROUTING IN A 5G NETWORK

Abstract

The present disclosure facilitates connecting network elements through an internetwork communication link that enables routing with active and standby instances. For both ingress / egress active-active routing, when a request to route traffic is obtained, it is determined whether any / at least one of the endpoints is active. If all endpoints are found to be active, the traffic may be divided equally among the nodes present in the active cluster. However, if some of the endpoints are found to be active and the remaining endpoints are found to be inactive, the traffic is divided equally among the active nodes present in the active cluster.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Reservation of Rights A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to intellectual property rights, such as copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred to as the Owner). The Owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or patent records, but otherwise reserves all rights. All rights to such intellectual property rights are fully reserved by the Owner.

[0002] The present invention relates to routing through network elements, such as routers, and more particularly to network elements connected through internetwork communication links that enable routing with active and standby instances. [Background technology]

[0003] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information regarding the field of the present disclosure. This section may include some aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that this section is not intended as an admission of prior art, but is intended only to enhance the reader's understanding of the present disclosure.

[0004] Availability of high speed and uninterrupted communication facilities has become a necessity in today's high tech world. There are many communication devices in the market such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc. to address the requirement of high speed and uninterrupted communication facilities. These communication devices can be connected through various wired and wireless network technologies.

[0005] However, the usage and number of communication devices is growing day by day at an exponential rate, which has increased the complexity of existing networks. This may result in insufficient quality of service, security, and efficiency in current communication networks. In such scenarios, the router may act as the main control point that helps to remove the growing complexity of the network, provides reliable quality of service and security, and facilitates monitoring and improvement of efficiency, and other attributes that allow the network to add value. Thus, by controlling the router, one can have a great deal of control over the corresponding network.

[0006] In general, routing may be defined as the mechanism of selecting a particular path between or across multiple networks to quickly transmit data between a first and a second communication device, which may be located in one network or remotely from each other. Routing may be performed on a variety of networks, including circuit-switched networks, e.g., the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), as well as computer networks, e.g., the Internet.

[0007] In the routing process, routing tables are frequently used to direct the forwarding of data packets. Routing tables keep track of the routes to different network destinations. Routing tables may be created through the use of routing protocols, learned from network traffic, or may be provided by an administrator.

[0008] In general, the 5G service-based architecture is designed such that all network functions are tightly interconnected. These network functions may have the ability to discover peer nodes and transmit network information between nodes. This approach may create spaghetti-like interconnections between several user devices, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc., that are connected through the network, which may disrupt the flow of data between the user devices or result in data loss. In some scenarios, it may also result in data mislocation, which is highly undesirable.

[0009] A conventional system and method is configured in a network with several nodes, each having a separate deployment scenario / architecture and functionality. The routing algorithm in the conventional system and method cannot manage the separate deployment scenario / architecture and functionality of each node. Therefore, the establishment of communication channels between the nodes may be affected, which may adversely affect the flow of data in the network.

[0010] Additionally, current systems and methods or routing techniques are unable to handle requests for transmission of data corresponding to down / unavailable nodes.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need to provide a routing solution that can optimize data paths for information exchanged between user devices and that can solve the various network-related problems mentioned above. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a 5G service-based architecture that optimizes signaling control.

[0013] It is an object of the present disclosure to enable service providers to gain better visibility into the core network.

[0014] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) that enables forwarding and routing of messages to a destination Network Function (NF) / NF service.

[0015] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an SCF that enables communication security, load balancing, monitoring, and overload control.

[0016] It is the object of this disclosure to route requests based on endpoint status so that requests are proportionally divided among active endpoints.

[0017] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method that can enable error-free data packet transfer.

[0018] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method that can enable communication in an optimized manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] This section is provided to introduce some objects and aspects of the invention in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0020] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for performing ingress / egress active-active routing in a network. The system may include a controller associated with a plurality of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) clusters and in communication with at least one PLMN cluster. Each PLMN cluster may have a plurality of endpoints associated with the network. The controller may further include one or more processors coupled to a memory storing instructions executed by the one or more processors. The controller may receive a plurality of requests to be transmitted to the at least one PLMN cluster from one or more source node devices in communication with the controller over the network. The controller may determine a status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster. The controller may route the plurality of requests to each endpoint through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission when the status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active. The plurality of requests may be equally routed to a plurality of endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique.

[0021] In an embodiment, the controller may be configured to route requests until the status of the endpoints is inactive.

[0022] In an embodiment, the controller may be configured to determine the number of active endpoints at a predefined time.

[0023] In an embodiment, if the status of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller may be configured to distribute data traffic regarding the plurality of requests in the network proportionally among the remaining number of active endpoints of the at least one PLMN cluster.

[0024] In an embodiment, if the status of all the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller may be configured to send a negative response to the at least one PLMN cluster.

[0025] In an embodiment, if the status of all the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller is further configured to stop routing requests to the inactive endpoints.

[0026] In an embodiment, the routing technique may include at least one of a round robin technique or a weighted scheduling technique.

[0027] In an embodiment, the controller may be configured to receive multiple responses from multiple endpoints, the multiple responses being responses to multiple requests received by the multiple endpoints.

[0028] In an embodiment, the controller may be configured to route multiple responses to one or more source node devices in communication with the controller.

[0029] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for performing ingress / egress active-active routing in a network. The method may include receiving, by a controller, a plurality of requests to be transmitted to at least one PLMN cluster associated with a plurality of PLMN clusters from one or more source node devices in communication with the controller over a network. The controller may be in communication with at least one Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) cluster, each PLMN cluster having a plurality of endpoints associated with the network. The controller may further include one or more processors coupled to a memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors. The method may further include determining, by the controller, a status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster. The method may include routing the plurality of requests to each endpoint through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission thereto when the controller determines a status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster to be active. The plurality of requests may be equally routed to a plurality of endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique.

[0030] In an embodiment, the method may include routing, by the controller, the requests until a status of the endpoints is inactive.

[0031] In an embodiment, the method may include determining, by the controller, a number of active endpoints at a predefined time.

[0032] In an embodiment, the method may include, if the status of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, distributing, by the controller, data traffic for the plurality of requests proportionally in the network among the remaining active endpoints of the at least one PLMN cluster.

[0033] In an embodiment, the routing technique may include at least one of a round robin technique or a weighted scheduling technique.

[0034] In an embodiment, the method may include sending, by the controller, a negative response to the at least one PLMN cluster if the status of all the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive.

[0035] In an embodiment, the method may include stopping, by the controller, routing requests to all of the inactive endpoints if the status of the endpoints is determined to be inactive.

[0036] In an embodiment, the method may include receiving, by the controller, a plurality of responses from a plurality of endpoints, the plurality of responses being responses to the plurality of requests received by the plurality of endpoints.

[0037] In an embodiment, the method may include routing, by the controller, the responses to one or more source node devices in communication with the controller.

[0038] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled to a controller. The UE may send a connection request to the controller. The UE may be operatively coupled to the controller via a network. The UE may receive an acknowledgement of the connection request from the controller. The UE may transmit a plurality of signals to the controller in response to the connection request. The controller may be in communication with at least one public land mobile network (PLMN) cluster associated with a plurality of PLMN clusters of a system. The controller may receive a plurality of requests to be transmitted to the at least one PLMN cluster from one or more source node devices in communication with the controller via a network. The controller may determine a status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster. When the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active, the controller may route the plurality of requests to each of the endpoints through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmitting the plurality of requests, and the plurality of requests are equally routed to the plurality of endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique.

[0039] In an aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) may include a processor with executable instructions executed by the processor. The processor may receive a plurality of requests to be transmitted to at least one PLMN cluster from one or more source node devices in communication with a controller over a network. The processor may determine a status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster. The processor may route the plurality of requests to each endpoint through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission when the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active. The plurality of requests may be equally routed to a plurality of endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique.

[0040] In the drawings, similar components and / or features may have the same reference label. Furthermore, various components of the same type may be distinguished with a second label following the reference label, which distinguishes the similar components. If only a first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label, regardless of the second reference label.

[0041] The figures are for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not limiting of the disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 illustrates an example network architecture in which or with which the proposed system may be implemented, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates an example network architecture in which or with which the proposed system may be implemented, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1C] 1 is an example diagram of a network device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1D] 1 is an exemplary method flow diagram according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] Referring to FIG. 1B, an exemplary diagram illustrating the function of an SCP according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 13 is an example diagram of a flow diagram illustrating indirect communication through an SCP with delegation discovery, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 13 is an example diagram of a flow diagram illustrating indirect communication through an SCP without delegation discovery, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example diagram of a service communication proxy (SCP) architecture, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example overview of an SCP deployment based on 5G functionality, in which the SCP is deployed in an independent deployment unit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a deployment architecture of an active-active routing technique in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] FIG. 2 illustrates the functioning of an active-active routing mechanism when all endpoints are up in an active cluster according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] FIG. 2 illustrates the functioning of an active-active routing mechanism when some endpoints are up and some are down in an active cluster according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates an example active-active routing mapping according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an exemplary diagram of a Plmn-Id and per-context table according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates an example multi-routing policy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computer system in or with which embodiments of the present invention may be employed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0043] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are so detailed in order to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail provided is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of the embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0044] The Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) solution places a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) application server (e.g., CTAS) in the center of the voice core network to manage the connectivity between the subscribers and implementation of supplementary services. Ro interface-based online charging can be implemented in the telecom network, and the CDRs generated by the application server, such as CTAS, can be used by the mediation system for arbitration. With respect to the CTAS deployment architecture, multiple CTAS clusters with various CTAS instances can be used to serve the traffic of a single circle, and each circle can have a personal single CDL module assigned. As multiple CTAS instances are represented in a cluster, the CDL modules can connect to the CTAS instance through the IP of their associated CTAS cluster, thus avoiding the need to determine the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of multiple CTAS instances for that circle, thereby resulting in efficient utilization of network resources.

[0045] 1A-1B illustrate example network architectures 100, 150 in or with which the proposed system may be implemented, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] In general, the 5G service-based network architecture may be designed such that multiple nodes may be densely interconnected, and therefore the corresponding network functions may be densely interconnected as well. In an embodiment, some of the network functions of the 5G network architecture are as follows: · Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF): The AMF may receive all connection and session related information from the communication device (also referred to herein as User Equipment or UE) and is responsible for handling connection and mobility management tasks. For example, the AMF may facilitate termination of NAS (Non-Access Stratum) signaling, NAS encryption and integrity protection, and management tasks such as, but not limited to, registration management, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, security context management, etc. Session Management Function (SMF): The SMF may perform functions related to session management, such as session establishment, modification, and publication. Additionally, the SMF may handle User Equipment (UE) IP address allocation and management, DHCP functions, termination of NAS signaling related to session management, DL data notification, traffic steering configuration for the User Plane Function (UPF) for proper traffic routing, etc. User Plane Function (UPF): The UPF may connect the actual data coming in through the corresponding Radio Area Network (RAN) to the Internet. In an example embodiment, the UPF may perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, and handle Quality of Service (QoS). Additionally, the UPF may act as an external PDU session point of interconnection to the Data Network (DN), and may also act as an anchor point for intra-RAT mobility as well as inter-RAT mobility. · Policy Control Function (PCF): The PCF can provide a unified policy framework, policy rules to the CP function, and access subscription information for policy decisions in the UDR. · Authentication Server Function (AUSF): The AUSF can act as an authentication server and function to check the authenticity of the information flowing through it. Unified Data Management (UDM): The UDM can generate Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) credentials, handle user identification, grant access permissions, and perform subscription management. · Application Function (AF): The AF is responsible for inspecting application impact on traffic routing, has access to the NEF, and can interact with the policy framework for policy control. · Network Publishing Function (NEF): The NEF may perform functions such as publishing capabilities and events, providing secure information from external applications to the network, and translating internal / external information. · NF Repository Function (NRF): The NRF performs service discovery functions, maintains NF profiles, and can inspect available NF instances. Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF): The NSSF can help select a network slice instance to serve the UE, determine the enabled NSSAI, and determine the AMF that will be used to serve the UE.

[0047] In an embodiment, the proposed architecture 100 can not only solve the challenges brought by the 5G service-based architecture, but also optimize the signaling control. The presented architecture 100 can enable service providers to gain better visibility into the core network, where the core network can be defined as the backbone of any network architecture, e.g., the 5G service-based architecture, and can be configured to interconnect the separate networks associated with that architecture. Thus, the core network can provide a path for the exchange of information between one or more networks and corresponding sub-networks. Furthermore, as a backbone, the core network can connect diverse networks, e.g., LANs, WANs, MANs, etc., that can be in the same building, in different buildings, in a campus environment, or can be located remotely over a wide area.

[0048] The proposed architecture 100 can also enhance network performance by continuously coordinating with other network functions. According to an embodiment, the 5G system architecture may leverage service-based interactions between NF service consumers and NF service producers directly or indirectly via a service communication proxy (SCP).

[0049] 1A, the presented architecture 100 may include a network device 102 that may be coupled to multiple nodes, including node 106-1, node 106-2, ..., node 106-N, and configured to facilitate secure communications between the multiple nodes (hereinafter collectively referred to as nodes 106 and individually as nodes 106). The network device 102 may be referred to herein as a controller 102, and more specifically, as an SCP controller.

[0050] In an embodiment, each of the nodes may be configured to be coupled to multiple user devices 108-1, 108-2, 108-3, 108-4, ..., 108-(N-1), 108-N (hereinafter collectively referred to as user devices 108 and individually as user devices 108). In one embodiment, the presented architecture 100 may facilitate establishing secure communications between user devices associated with separate nodes. In another embodiment, the presented architecture 100 may facilitate establishing secure communications between user devices associated with the same node.

[0051] The user device 108 may be at least one of a wired device or a wireless device. For example, a wired device may be a landline telephone, a terminal device, or any other fixed device through which communication may be established. A wireless device may be a mobile device, which may include, for example, a cellular telephone, such as a feature phone or a smartphone and other devices. The user device 108 may include any type of device capable of wired or wireless communication, such as, but not limited to the above-mentioned devices, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a media center, a workstation, and other such devices. In an embodiment, the user device 108 may be at least one of a wireless device or a wireline device that may be subscribed or registered for a network service provided by a service provider.

[0052] In an embodiment, the user device 108 may include a user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled to the controller 102. The coupling may include receiving a connection request from the controller 102, sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the controller, and further transmitting a number of signals in response to the connection request.

[0053] In one exemplary embodiment, architecture 100 may effectively establish secure communications between user device 108-1 and user device 108-2, where user device 108-1 and user device 108-2 may both be coupled to node 106-1. In another exemplary embodiment, architecture 100 may facilitate equally effectively establishing secure communications between user device 108-2 and user device 108-N, where user device 108-2 is coupled to node 106-1 and user device 108-N is coupled to node 106-N.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the network device 102 may be configured as an application server and may be communicatively operable with the server 104 or may be integrated with the user device 108 via a network 110 coupled to the server 104. In another exemplary embodiment, the user device 108 may be a wireless device. The wireless device may be a mobile device that may include, for example, a cellular telephone, such as a feature phone or a smartphone, and other devices. The user device 108 may include any type of device capable of providing wireless communications, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned devices, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a media center, a workstation, and other such devices.

[0055] In one embodiment, the network 110 may be a 5G network, which may include at least one of a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination thereof. The network 100 may operate as a core network and may have multiple nodes, endpoints, and / or proxies. The network 110 may be implemented as one of different types of networks, such as an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, etc. Furthermore, the network 110 may be either a dedicated network or a shared network. A shared network may represent an association of different types of networks that may use various protocols, for example, HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), etc. In an embodiment, the core network may include and implement a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) 112, a network function (NF), and a proxy for the NF.

[0056] In an embodiment, the network 110 may relate to a 5G network, which may be facilitated through a terrestrial wide area access network, such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a Universal Terrestrial Radio Network (UTRAN), an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN), an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a WIFI or other LAN access network, or a satellite, or a Wireless Microwave Access (WIMAX) network. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication network may enable the 5G network based on a subscription for a user device and / or through a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. Various other types of communication networks or communication services may be possible.

[0057] In an example, the network 110 may utilize different types of air interfaces, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), or frequency division multiple access (FDMA) air interfaces, and other implementations. In an exemplary embodiment, wireline user devices may use wired access networks exclusively or in combination with wireless access networks, including, for example, plain old telephone service (POTS), public switched telephone network (PSTN), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and other network technologies configured to transport Internet Protocol (IP) packets.

[0058] In an embodiment, a wireless device may be outside of the core network and may request a particular service. The request may be communicated to an (ingress) node or edge node of the core network and may be routed to multiple additional nodes until the request reaches its destination, which is the provider.

[0059] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the presented architecture 100 as shown in FIG. 1A may facilitate the interaction of the SCP 112 with various separate network components and corresponding network functions. The SCP 112 may operate as a distributed solution and may comprise a control plane and a data plane. Furthermore, the SCP 112 may be deployed with 5G NFs to provide routing control, resiliency, and observability to the core network 114.

[0060] In one embodiment, within the core network 114 (which is a component of the network 110), the SCP 112 may be communicatively coupled to the 5G-EIR 116. The 5G-EIR may be defined as an independent network component that may help telecom operators protect their networks. The 5G-EIR may help protect the network by providing a mechanism for restricting malicious user terminals in the network.

[0061] In other embodiments, the SCP 112 may be communicatively coupled to a network component supporting a network slice selection function (NSSF) 118. The NSSF 118 may select a network slice instance for serving the user device 108, determine the enabled NSSAIs, and determine the AMF set used to serve the user device 108.

[0062] In another embodiment, the SCP 112 may be communicatively coupled to a network component supporting an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 120, where the AUSF may act as an authentication server and function to check the authenticity of information flowing through it.

[0063] In yet another embodiment, the SCP 112 may be communicatively coupled to network components supporting a Unified Data Management (UDM) 122 and a Unified Data Repository (UDR) 124. The UDM 122 may facilitate providing a centralized technique for controlling network user data. For example, the UDM 122 may generate authentication and key agreement (AKA) credentials, perform user identification processing, access authorization, and perform subscription management.

[0064] Additionally, the UDR 124 may act as a converged repository for information about subscribers and facilitate providing services to several network functions. For example, the 5G UDM 122 may use the UDR 124 to store and retrieve data related to subscriptions. Alternatively, a Policy Control Function (PCF) may use the UDR to store and retrieve policy related data. Additionally, the Network Publishing Function (NEF) 126 may also use the UDR 124 to store subscriber related data that is permitted to be published to third party applications.

[0065] In one embodiment, the SCP 112 may be coupled to network components that support the NEF 126. The NEF 126 may perform functions such as publishing capabilities and events, securely providing information from external applications to the network, and internal / external information transformation.

[0066] In yet another embodiment, the SCP 112 may be coupled to network components supporting a 5G Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) 128. The NWDAF 128 may be configured to streamline and control how core network data is produced and consumed, provide insights, and suggest actions to be taken to enhance end-user experience. In an example embodiment, the NWDAF 128 may be configured to overcome market fragmentation and proprietary solutions in the area of ​​network analytics. Additionally, the NWDAF 128 may address three major standardization phases: -Interface for collecting data from network nodes Predefined analytical insights Data publishing interface for consumers

[0067] In an embodiment, the SCP 112 may be coupled to network components supporting a Session Management Function (SMF) 130, an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 132, a Policy Control Function (PCF) 134, and an Application Function (AF) 136. The SMF 130 may perform functions related to session management, e.g., session establishment, modification, and publication. Additionally, the SMF 130 may handle user equipment (UE), IP address allocation and management, DHCP functions, termination of NAS signaling related to session management, DL data notification, traffic steering configuration for the User Plane Function (UPF) for proper traffic routing, etc.

[0068] Additionally, the AMF 132 may receive all connection and session related information from the communication device (also referred to herein as User Equipment (UE) 108) and may be responsible for connection and mobility management tasks. Additionally, the PCF 134 may provide a unified policy framework, policy rules for the CP function, access subscription information for policy decisions in the UDR 124. The AF 136 may inspect application impact on traffic routing, access the NEF, and interact with the policy framework for policy control.

[0069] In an embodiment, the SCP 112 may be communicatively coupled to network components supporting, for example, a Short Message Service (SMSF) 138, a NF Repository Function (NRF) 140, a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) 142, and a User Plane Function (UPF) 144. The SMSF 138 may facilitate the transfer of SMS via the NAS in the 5G architecture. Additionally, the SMSF 138 may perform subscription checks, as well as the SMSF 138 may perform relay functions between the user device 108 and a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) through interactions with the AMF 132.

[0070] Additionally, the NRF 140 may be configured to perform service discovery functions, maintain NF profiles, and may also inspect available NF instances. A security edge protection proxy (SEPP) 142 may also facilitate secure communications between one or more 5G networks. The SEPP 142 may also provide end-to-end confidentiality and / or integrity between source and destination networks for all 5G interconnect roaming messages.

[0071] Additionally, UPF 144 may function to connect the actual data coming in through the corresponding Radio Area Network (RAN) to the Internet. In an exemplary embodiment, UPF 144 may perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, and handle Quality of Service (QoS). Additionally, UPF 144 may act as an external PDU session point of interconnection to the Data Network (DN), and may also act as an anchor point for intra-RAT mobility as well as inter-RAT mobility.

[0072] It should be noted that the functionality of the SCP 112 may be independent of the distance between NFs. Moreover, the SCP 112 may facilitate providing peer-to-peer communication between peer instances / nodes. Furthermore, the SCP 112 may provide end-to-end connectivity between different nodes having distinct deployment scenarios, architectures, and functionalities while efficiently managing the architecture.

[0073] In an embodiment, the SCP 112 may be a component of the core network 110 and may manage routing and various other aspects of received requests, including, for example, AR-DR mapping, configuring the DR to act as an AR, etc.

[0074] In an embodiment, the controller 102 may be in communication with at least one node 106, which may be a public land mobile network (PLMN) cluster. Each PLMN cluster may have multiple endpoints associated with the network 110. For example, the endpoints may include multiple user devices 108. The controller 102 may further include one or more processors coupled to a memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors. The controller 102 may be configured to receive multiple requests to be transmitted to the at least one PLMN cluster from one or more source node devices 106 in communication with the controller 102. Furthermore, the controller 102 may determine a status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster. The controller 102 may route the multiple requests to each endpoint through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission when the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active. The multiple requests may be equally routed to multiple endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique.

[0075] In an embodiment, the controller 102 may be configured to use a weighted scheduling technique to equally route multiple endpoints associated with at least one PLMN cluster based on multiple requests received from one or more source node devices 106.

[0076] In an embodiment, the controller 102 may be configured to use a round robin technique to equally route multiple endpoints associated with at least one PLMN cluster based on multiple requests received from one or more source node devices 106.

[0077] In an embodiment, the controller 102 may be further configured to route the requests until the status of the endpoints becomes inactive, and also determine the number of active endpoints at a predefined time.

[0078] In an embodiment, if the status of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller 102 may be configured to proportionally distribute data traffic for the requests among the remaining number of active endpoints of the at least one PLMN cluster in the network 110. If the status of all the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller 102 may send a negative response to the at least one PLMN cluster. On the other hand, if the status of all the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller may stop routing the requests to the inactive endpoints.

[0079] In an embodiment, the controller 102 may be further configured to receive multiple responses from multiple endpoints, the multiple responses being responses to the multiple requests received by the multiple endpoints. The controller may further route the multiple responses to one or more source node devices 106 in communication with the controller 102.

[0080] FIG. 1C illustrates an example diagram 170 of a network device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an aspect, the controller 102 may comprise one or more processors 172. The one or more processors 172 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuits, and / or any device that processes data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processors 172 may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 174 of the controller 102. The memory 174 may be configured to store in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium one or more computer-readable instructions or routines that may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets via a network service. The memory 174 may comprise any non-transitory storage device, including, for example, a volatile memory such as a RAM, or a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM, a flash memory, and the like.

[0081] In an embodiment, the controller 102 or the network device 102 may include an interface 176. The interface 176 may comprise various interfaces, e.g., interfaces for input devices and output devices, referred to as I / O devices, storage devices, etc. The interface 176 may facilitate communications for the controller 102. The interface 176 may also provide a communications path to one or more components of the system 100. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, a processing engine 178 and a database 180.

[0082] Processing engine 178 may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (e.g., programmable instructions) for implementing one or more functionalities of processing engine 178. In the examples described herein, such a combination of hardware and programming may be implemented in a number of different ways. For example, the programming for processing engine 178 may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware for processing engine 178 may comprise processing resources (e.g., one or more processors) for executing such instructions. In the present example, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resources, implement processing engine 178. In such an example, controller 102 may comprise a machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions and processing resources for executing the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to system 100 and the processing resources. In other examples, processing engine 178 may be implemented by electronic circuitry.

[0083] The processing engines 178 may include a data acquisition engine 182 and one or more engines selected from any of the other engines 184 .

[0084] 1D illustrates an example method flow diagram 190 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The method 190 may include receiving 192, by the controller 102, from one or more source node devices 106 in communication with the controller 102, requests to be transmitted to at least one PLMN cluster associated with the multiple PLMN clusters. The controller 102 may be in communication with multiple PLMN clusters.

[0085] The method 190 may also include determining 194, by the controller 102, a status of each endpoint associated with the at least one PLMN cluster. The controller may determine whether the status of each endpoint is active or inactive.

[0086] Furthermore, the method may include, at 196, routing the requests to each of the endpoints through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission when a status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active by the controller 102. The requests may be equally routed to the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique.

[0087] 2 shows an exemplary diagram 200 illustrating the function of the SCP 112 with reference to FIG. 1B. The SCP 112 can not only solve the problems related to the 5G service-based architecture, but also optimize the signaling control and therefore provide better visibility to the core network. The SCP 112 can also enhance the network performance by continuously coordinating with other network functions.

[0088] In an embodiment, the proposed SCP 112 may be configured to intelligently perform load balancing, routing, monitoring, and congestion control at the application layer of the Open System Interconnect (OSI) model, i.e., Layer 7. In one embodiment, the SCP 112 may perform interconnection functions in block 202 and facilitate communication in between peer nodes in block 204, creating a mesh based on discovery / information distributed by the peer nodes.

[0089] Further, the SCP 112 may facilitate scale-up and scale-down capabilities, block 206, which also increases flexibility. Moreover, the SCP 112 may enable the full potential of a service-based architecture to be exploited, block 208. Moreover, the SCP 112 may address the need for a module with some central functionality, block 210, thereby facilitating secure communication of the nodes 106 with the SCP 112. The SCP 112 may be configured to control the flow of data / information between nodes by facilitating load balancing, routing, traffic monitoring, congestion control, and service discovery within the layer 7 service mesh.

[0090] In another exemplary embodiment, the SCP 112 may determine the network function (NF) instance, and correspondingly, the SCP 112 may manage the function-specific service proxy instance. In another exemplary embodiment, the NRF 140 may provide registration, re-registration, and NF discovery functionality.

[0091] In another example embodiment, the SCP 112 may include NF instances that may communicate with the NRF 140 through an SCP controller. For example, "x" NF services and PCF proxies running in "y" instances may communicate with the NRF 140 through an SCP controller, and the NRF 140 may act as a central repository and contain information about all NFs.

[0092] In another exemplary embodiment, the SCP controller may be trained to configure the SCP proxies based on real-time conditions, and therefore no pre-configuration of the SCP proxies may be required.

[0093] 3A and 3B, the SCP 112 may support both scenarios of indirect communication for discovery of peer network capabilities, ie, with and without delegated discovery. Indirect communication without delegation discovery: This communication mode can take into account user input when the user performs discovery through his / her user device 108 by querying the NRF. Based on the discovery result, the consumer may select an NF instance of the NF service instance set. The consumer may send a request to the SCP containing the address of the selected service producer pointing to the NF service instance or a set of NF service instances. In the latter case, the SCP may select the NF service instance. If possible, the SCP may interact with the NRF to obtain the selection parameters such as location, capacity, etc. Furthermore, the SCP may route the request to the selected NF service producer instance. Indirect communication with delegated discovery: This communication mode works even when the user does not perform any discovery or selection. In one instance, the consumer adds some necessary discovery and selection parameters required to find a suitable producer for the service request. The SCP uses the request address and discovery selection parameters in the request message to route the request to a suitable producer instance. The SCP may perform discovery using the NRF and obtain the discovery results.

[0094] In an example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, 300, during indirect communication without delegation discovery mode, the system may discover a provider NF at 302, and then the NRF 140 may send a corresponding NF profile to the consumer NF 320 at 304. Further, a service request may be transmitted from the consumer NF 320 to the SCP 112 at 306, and the service request may be further provided to the provider NF 340 at 312. The provider NF 340 may then generate a service response at 314, and the service response may be further transmitted to the consumer NF 320 through the SCP 112 at 316. Similarly, a subsequent request may be transmitted at 310, and the subsequent request may be further processed in the same manner.

[0095] 3B, 350, during indirect communication with delegation discovery mode, a service request including parameters may be sent from the consumer NF 320 to the SCP 112 at 322, and the service request may be further provided to the provider NF 340 at 328. The provider NF 340 may then generate a service response at 330, and the service response may be further sent to the consumer NF 320 through the SCP 112 at 324. Similarly, a subsequent request may be sent at 326, and the subsequent request may be further processed in the same manner.

[0096] In an example embodiment, the proposed SCP may also be used for indirect communication between NFs and between NF services within any or a combination of Visiting (VPLMN) and Home PLMN (HPLMN), etc.

[0097] According to an embodiment, apart from acting as a proxy or routing agent between various network functions, the SCP 112 may also be configured to perform the following functionality: · Communications Security: The SCP platform may be configured to allow only authorized consumer NFs to communicate with provider NFs. Load balancing: The provider NF may configure various load balancing techniques such as round robin and weighted scheduling, in which client requests may be routed to available services on a circular basis. Round robin server load balancing may work best when servers have approximately identical computing and storage capabilities. · Security Support: The SCP also supports security mechanisms between consumers and providers of network services. Traffic monitoring: The SCP may monitor the performance of the provider NF in terms of the number of service requests being processed. · Traffic Prioritization: The SCP platform may be configured to give priority to a particular consumer NF request over any other consumer NF. · NF discovery: The SCP provides an interface to identify the most appropriate instance of other network functions (e.g. AUSF, PCF) for a particular UE's SUPI, SUCI or GPSI. Overload control: The SCP has the ability to put a cap on the number of admissions for a particular instance of a provider NF. This means that the SCP will not admit new consumer NFs if the number of consumer applications reaches a threshold limit.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 4, 400, the Point-Of-Delivery (POD) is outlined by a dashed line and aligned with the boundary indicated for SCP 112.

[0099] In one embodiment, the SCP architecture may include the following functionality: Indirect communication Delegated Discovery Message forwarding and routing to destination NFs / NF services ·Communication security (e.g., authorization of NF service consumers to access NF service producer APIs), load balancing, monitoring, overload control, etc. Optionally interact with UDR to resolve UDM Group ID / UDR Group ID / AUSF Group ID / PCF Group ID / CHF Group ID / HSS Group ID based on UE identity, e.g. SUPI or IMPI / IMPU.

[0100] In one embodiment, the proposed SCP architecture may include an SCP proxy 402 along with an SCP controller 404. In another embodiment, the SCP proxy 402 may include any of the following: · Ingress Proxy: This proxy instance ensures that incoming traffic to producer NFs based on configured policy defaults is round-robin. · Egress Proxy: This proxy instance ensures that the consumer’s outgoing traffic flows to the correct SCP ingress proxy, and is routed based on NF or SCP selection criteria. Note that hybrid deployments of SCPs are also possible, where a single SCP instance can act as an egress proxy as well as an ingress proxy.

[0101] In one embodiment, the SCP architecture may include multiple SCP proxies 402-1, 402-2, 402-3, ... 402-N that may be communicatively linked to an SCP controller 404 via an HTTP module along with an NRF, an EMS Plus, an SMP, an API, and various network functions.

[0102] Furthermore, the SCP controller 404 may be configured to manage all SCP proxy instances and select an appropriate proxy instance as an egress or ingress for a target NF during NF registration and discovery flows. Furthermore, to do so, the SCP controller 404 may need to be deployed in front of an NRF cluster serving multiple PLMNs or a single PLMN.

[0103] In an example embodiment, the SCP controller 404 may configure some instances of PLMNs to operate as disaster recovery (DR) clusters for a corresponding set of active PLMN clusters. In one embodiment, a DR cluster may also operate as an active cluster in response to a request.

[0104] In one exemplary embodiment, a single DR cluster may be assigned or mapped to two or more active clusters. In another exemplary embodiment, two or more DR clusters may be assigned or mapped to a single active cluster.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 5, an example overview 500 of an SCP deployment based on 5G functionality in which the SCP is deployed in an independent deployment unit is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] An SCP deployment can be designed to support: One SCP Proxy instance for a single NF type considered for one PLMN One SCP Proxy instance for multiple NF types considered for one PLMN One SCP proxy instance for multiple NF types considered for multiple PLMNs Multiple proxies in a single PLMN for multiple NF types · Single SCP controller for multiple NRF instances considered for multi-PLMN.

[0107] In an embodiment, the SCP may be configured to provide different types of routing techniques for the SCP proxy, which may be implemented according to the specific requirements of different NF teams and their GR / DR processing.

[0108] Example scenario In one embodiment, an egress-active-active routing mechanism is presented. The egress-active-active routing mechanism can be used in the egress SCP proxy. The egress-active-active routing mechanism is a simple round robin between active endpoints without any requirement of GR / DR clusters. The SCP can route requests until or unless all configured endpoints are down. As an example, assume there is one cluster "Cluster A" with four endpoints in the cluster, namely, endpoint 1, endpoint 2, endpoint 3, and endpoint 4. Now, routing requests can be routed equally on the endpoints, namely, endpoint 1, endpoint 2, endpoint 3, and endpoint 4, i.e., 25% each.

[0109] In one embodiment, an ingress-active-active routing mechanism is presented. The ingress-active-active routing mechanism can be used in the ingress SCP proxy. The ingress-active-active routing mechanism is similar to the egress-active-active routing policy, which is a simple round robin between active points without any requirement of GR / DR clusters. The SCP can route requests until and unless all configured endpoints are down. As an example, assume there is one cluster "Cluster A" with four endpoints in the cluster, namely, endpoint 1, endpoint 2, endpoint 3, and endpoint 4. Now, routing requests can be routed equally on the endpoints, namely, endpoint 1, endpoint 2, endpoint 3, and endpoint 4, namely, 25% ratio each.

[0110] In FIG. 6, an example diagram 600 is shown depicting a deployment architecture of an active-active routing technique according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, requests for routing based on endpoint status may be obtained. These requests may be split proportionally among the active endpoints. If any endpoint is down, its share of traffic may be split among the active endpoints. When all endpoints are down, a negative response may be given. The response generated may be the same for both egress-active-active and ingress-active-active routing mechanisms.

[0111] 7A illustrates a function 700 of an active-active routing mechanism when all endpoints are up in an active cluster, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A request to route traffic may be obtained, which may then be evaluated to determine whether any / at least one endpoint is active. If all endpoints are found to be active, the traffic may be split equally among the nodes present in the active cluster.

[0112] 7B illustrates the functioning 720 of the active-active routing mechanism when some endpoints are up and some are down in an active cluster, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. When a request to route traffic is obtained, the request may be evaluated to determine whether any / at least one endpoint is active. If some of the endpoints are found to be active and the remaining endpoints are found to be inactive, the traffic may be split equally among the active nodes present in the active cluster.

[0113] As will be appreciated, the routing mechanisms discussed in Figures 7A and 7B may be applied to both egress-active-active and ingress-active-active routing mechanisms.

[0114] 8 illustrates an example 800 active-active routing mapping according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8, an NF consumer may have an SCP active-active routing table. In addition, an NF instance for the routing table may be maintained.

[0115] 9 illustrates an example 900 Plmn-Id and per-context table according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG 9A, Plmn-Id is represented along with the corresponding context and target endpoint.

[0116] 10 illustrates an example 1000 multi-routing policy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 10, NF consumers may be connected to a router, which may maintain multiple SCP routing tables. The routing tables may maintain information about each of the connected clusters.

[0117] 11 illustrates an exemplary computer system 1100 in or with which embodiments of the present invention may be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 11, computer system 1100 may include an external storage device 1110, a bus 1120, a main memory 1130, a read-only memory 1140, a mass storage device 1170, a communication port 1160, and a processor 1170. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a computer system may include more than one processor and communication port. Processor 1170 may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure. The communications port (1180) can be any of a modem-based dial-up connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a gigabit or 10 gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or an RS-232 port for use with other existing or future ports. The communications port (1180) can be chosen depending on the network or any network to which the computer system connects. The memory 1130 can be a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The mass storage 1150 can be any current or future mass storage solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions.

[0118] The bus 1120 communicatively couples the processor 1170 to other memory, storage, and communication blocks. Optionally, operator and management interfaces, such as a display, keyboard, joystick, and cursor control devices, may also be coupled to the bus 1120 to support direct operator interaction with the computer system. Other operator and management interfaces may be provided through a network connection connected through the communication port 1160. The components described above are merely meant to illustrate various possibilities. The aforementioned exemplary computer system should in no way limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0119] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the present invention, further embodiments of the present invention may be derived without departing from its basic scope. The scope of the present invention is determined by the claims that follow. The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions, or examples, which, when combined with the information and knowledge available to those skilled in the art, are included to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention.

[0120] Advantages of the present disclosure The present disclosure provides a 5G service-based architecture that optimizes signaling control.

[0121] The present disclosure leverages service providers to gain better visibility into the core network.

[0122] The present disclosure provides a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) that enables forwarding and routing of messages to a destination Network Function (NF) / NF service.

[0123] The present disclosure provides an SCF that enables communication security, load balancing, monitoring, and overload control.

[0124] The present disclosure provides a system that allows for routing of requests based on endpoint status where requests are divided proportionally among active endpoints.

[0125] The present disclosure provides systems and methods that may enable error-free data packet transfer.

[0126] The present disclosure provides systems and methods that can enable communication in an optimized manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 100 Network Architecture, Architecture, Network 102 Network devices, controllers 104 Server 106 nodes, source node device 106-1, 106-2, … 106-N nodes 108 User Devices 108-1, 108-2, 108-3, 108-4, … 108-(N-1), 108-N User Devices 110 Network 112 Service Communication Proxy (SCP) 114 Core Network 116 5G-EIR 118 Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 120 Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 122 Unified Data Management (UDM) 124 Unified Data Repository (UDR) 126 Network Publishing Facility (NEF) 128 5G Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) 130 Session Management Facility (SMF) 132 Access and Management Function (AMF) 134 Policy Control Function (PCF) 136 Application Functions (AF) 138 Short Message Service Facility (SMSF) 140 NF Repository Facility (NRF) 142 Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) 144 User Plane Function (UPF) 150 Network Architecture 172 processors 174 Memory 176 Interface 178 Processing Engine 180 Databases 182 Data Acquisition Engine 184 other engines 190 Method Flow Diagram 320 Consumer NF 340 Provider NF 400 Figures 402 SCP Proxy 402-1, 402-2, 402-3, … 402-N SCP Proxy 404 SCP Controller 600 Figures 700 Features 720 Features 800 Illustrative 900 Illustrative 1000 Illustrative 1100 Computer Systems 1110 External Storage Device 1120 Bus 1130 Main memory, memory 1140 Read-only memory 1150 Mass Storage 1160 communication port 1170 Mass Storage Devices, Processors 1180 communication port

Claims

1. A system (100) for performing ingress / egress active-active routing in a network (110), comprising: A controller (102) associated with a plurality of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) clusters and in communication with at least one PLMN cluster. the at least one PLMN cluster having a plurality of endpoints associated with the network (110), the controller (102) comprising one or more processors (172) coupled to a memory (174) storing instructions executable by the one or more processors (172), the controller (102) comprising: receiving a plurality of requests to be transmitted to at least one PLMN cluster from one or more source node devices (106) in communication with the controller (102) via the network (110); determining a status of each endpoint associated with said at least one PLMN cluster; when the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active, routing the requests through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmitting the requests to each of the endpoints, wherein the requests are equally routed to the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique; The system (100) is configured to:

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to route the requests until the status of the endpoints is inactive.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a number of active endpoints at a predefined time.

4. 4. The system (100) of claim 3, wherein if the status of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, the controller (102) is configured to proportionally distribute data traffic for the plurality of requests among a remaining number of active endpoints of the at least one PLMN cluster in the network (110).

5. 4. The system (100) of claim 3, wherein the controller (102) is configured to send a negative response to the at least one PLMN cluster if the status of all of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive.

6. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the routing technique comprises at least one of a round robin technique or a weighted scheduling technique.

7. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to stop routing the requests to inactive endpoints if the status of all of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive.

8. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a plurality of responses from the plurality of endpoints, the plurality of responses being responses to the plurality of requests received by the plurality of endpoints.

9. 9. The system (100) of claim 8, wherein the controller (102) is further configured to route the plurality of responses to the one or more source node devices (106) in communication with the controller (102).

10. A method (190) for performing ingress / egress active-active routing in a network (110), comprising: receiving, by a controller (102), a plurality of requests to be transmitted to at least one Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) cluster from one or more source node devices (106) in communication with the controller (102) over the network (110), the controller (102) being in communication with the at least one PLMN cluster associated with a plurality of PLMN clusters, the at least one PLMN cluster having a plurality of endpoints associated with the network (110); determining, by said controller (102), a status of each endpoint associated with said at least one PLMN cluster; when the controller (102) determines that the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is active, routing the requests to each of the endpoints through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission thereto, the requests being routed equally to the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique; A method (100).

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of routing, by the controller, the requests until the status of the endpoints is inactive.

12. 11. The method (190) of claim 10, further comprising determining, by the controller (102), a number of active endpoints at a predefined time.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, if the status of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, distributing, by the controller, data traffic relating to the plurality of requests proportionally among a remaining number of active endpoints of the at least one PLMN cluster in the network.

14. 11. The method (190) of claim 10, wherein the routing technique comprises at least one of a round robin technique or a weighted scheduling technique.

15. 13. The method (190) of claim 12, further comprising the step of sending, by the controller (102), a negative response to the at least one PLMN cluster if the status of all of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive.

16. 16. The method (190) of claim 15, further comprising: if the status of all of the number of active endpoints is determined to be inactive, stopping routing of the plurality of requests to inactive endpoints, by the controller (102).

17. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, by the controller, a plurality of responses from the plurality of endpoints, the plurality of responses being responses to the plurality of requests received by the plurality of endpoints.

18. 20. The method (190) of claim 17, further comprising the step of routing, by the controller (102), the plurality of responses to the one or more source node devices (106) in communication with the controller (102).

19. A user equipment (UE) (108) communicatively coupled to the controller (102), sending a connection request to the controller (102), the UE (108) being operably coupled to the controller (102) via a network (110); receiving an acknowledgment of the connection request from the controller (102); transmitting a plurality of signals to the controller (102) in response to the connection request; the controller (102) is in communication with at least one public land mobile network (PLMN) cluster associated with a plurality of PLMN clusters of the system (100), the controller (102) being configured to: receiving a plurality of requests to be transmitted to the at least one PLMN cluster from one or more source node devices (106) in communication with the controller (102) via the network (110); determining a status of each endpoint associated with said at least one PLMN cluster; when the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active, routing the requests through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmitting the requests to each of the endpoints, wherein the requests are equally routed to the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique; A user equipment (UE) (108) configured to perform the following:

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) having a processor with executable instructions, the instructions causing the processor to: receiving a plurality of requests to be transmitted to at least one Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) cluster from one or more source node devices in communication with the controller (102) over a network (110); determining a status of each endpoint associated with said at least one PLMN cluster; when the status of each of the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster is determined to be active, routing the requests to each of the endpoints through the at least one PLMN cluster for transmission thereto, wherein the requests are equally routed to the endpoints associated with the at least one PLMN cluster based on a routing technique; A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) that causes the

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