Cellular Backhaul Oversubscription Ratio Calculation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for provisioning virtual circuits for cell clusters often result in underutilized network resources due to uncorrelated traffic patterns across cell sites, leading to higher costs as each cell site is provisioned with separate committed information rates (CIRs) that exceed the actual aggregate peak throughput.

Innovation Solution

A method to determine an oversubscription factor for a single virtual circuit serving multiple cell sites, allowing for an oversubscribed CIR that meets service quality thresholds while reducing costs by aggregating traffic patterns and calculating an oversubscription ratio based on observed peak throughputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate virtual circuits with individual CIRs are provisioned for each cell site, then service quality for each cell site is guaranteed, but network resource utilization deteriorates due to uncorrelated traffic patterns causing over-provisioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice quality guaranteeVSAvoidnetwork resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate virtual circuits into a single shared virtual circuit for a cluster of cell sites. Instead of provisioning individual VCs with separate CIRs for each cell site, the invention aggregates traffic from multiple cell sites over a shared VC with a collective CIR that accounts for traffic correlation and oversubscription, thereby improving network resource utilization while maintaining service quality guarantees.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If separate virtual circuits are provisioned for each cell site, then service quality is maintained, but cost increases due to over-provisioning of committed information rates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice qualityVSAvoidcost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple cell sites into a single virtual circuit cluster, allowing the carrier to provision one VC with a collective CIR rather than multiple separate VCs. This consolidation leverages the fact that traffic patterns across cell sites are not perfectly correlated, enabling oversubscription that reduces the total CIR required while maintaining service quality, thereby lowering cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the CIR parameter from individual cell-site-level allocations to a cluster-level allocation. By modifying how CIR is distributed and aggregated across multiple cell sites sharing a single VC, the system achieves cost reduction through oversubscription while maintaining adequate service quality through statistical multiplexing benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If a single virtual circuit is provisioned with an oversubscribed CIR for multiple cell sites, then cost is reduced and network resource utilization is optimized, but service quality may deteriorate if traffic peaks occur simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidservice quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements monitoring and measurement of actual traffic patterns across cell sites to determine appropriate oversubscription ratios. By observing traffic correlation and peak patterns, the system can adjust CIR allocation and oversubscription levels to maintain service quality while optimizing cost, using feedback from actual network performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial oversubscription by provisioning a CIR that is less than the sum of individual cell site requirements but sufficient to meet aggregate demand. The oversubscription ratio is carefully calibrated to provide cost savings while maintaining adequate service quality, using a partial reduction rather than complete elimination of headroom.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3167644B1Cellular network backhaul oversubscription
Publication Date: 2020.09.02 T MOBILE US INC
  • EP3167644B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3167644B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3167644B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and computing systems for determining a committed information rate for a plurality of cell sites are described. Data associated with throughput of combined voice and data traffic communicated between a core network and the plurality of cellular sites is received. An oversubscription ratio for the committed information rate is determined based on a predetermined service outage threshold and a plurality of peak throughput values of the combined voice and data traffic over a plurality of time periods. An oversubscribed committed information rate for the plurality of cellular sites is determined based on the oversubscription ratio.