Dynamic Cloud User Plane Scaling for Local Network Traffic
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems face challenges in flexibly adjusting the number of user planes to accommodate varying terminal loads, particularly in local cellular networks, which require a low-cost and efficient mechanism to manage user plane functions.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus and method that dynamically determines the addition or deletion of user plane functions based on traffic and processing usage rates, considering the maximum traffic capacity of a local area network, using cloud-based user plane functions to facilitate flexible scaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of user planes is increased to ensure throughput according to the number of terminals, then the network capacity and throughput are improved, but the device complexity and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic scaling of user plane functions by allowing the system to automatically increase or decrease the number of user planes based on real-time terminal count and traffic conditions. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling throughput to scale with demand while avoiding the complexity of permanently provisioning for peak loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of user plane quantity based on terminal count thresholds and traffic conditions. By adjusting this parameter dynamically rather than maintaining a fixed number of user planes, the system achieves high throughput when needed while keeping the mechanism simple through automated threshold-based decisions.
2Productivity
If the number of user planes is flexibly increased or decreased to match terminal load, then the network efficiency is improved, but the control mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors terminal count and traffic conditions, then automatically adjusts the number of user planes accordingly. This feedback loop enables flexible scaling to match terminal load while maintaining relatively simple control through automated threshold-based decisions rather than complex manual provisioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically determining when to increase or decrease user plane functions based on pre-defined thresholds and current network conditions. This self-service capability achieves flexible network efficiency improvement without requiring complex external control mechanisms or manual intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cloud-based user plane functions are deployed to enable flexible scaling, then the adaptability is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deploys user plane functions as cloud-based virtualized entities that can serve multiple purposes and be dynamically allocated. These universal user plane functions can be instantiated, scaled, and terminated based on demand, providing adaptability while the underlying cloud infrastructure handles the complexity of resource management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a control apparatus as an intermediary that manages the deployment and scaling of cloud-based user plane functions. This intermediary handles the complexity of cloud resource orchestration, allowing the network to achieve flexible scaling without directly managing the underlying cloud infrastructure complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
To flexibly control the number of user planes in a communication system.In the communication system, a base station located on a local area network is connected to at least one user plane function located on a cloud. Whether or not to add a new user plane function is determined in consideration of an amount of traffic of user data and an assumed amount of traffic of the new user plane function out of a maximum amount of traffic on the local area network, the user data being transferred by the at least one user plane function by use of the local area network.