Distributed Micro Agents for LTE Packet Traffic Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current test and measurement solutions for LTE networks face challenges in providing real-time and scalable analysis due to increasing traffic volumes, leading to exponential cost increases and inefficient processing power requirements, with existing hardware probes struggling to handle growing traffic and sampling methods offering inaccurate insights.
Innovation Solution
Implementing micro network access agents at various access points within the LTE network for distributed packet traffic analysis, which reduces processing power needs and allows for accurate real-time analysis, scaling linearly with network growth, and communicating analysis results to a network management system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If centralized hardware probes are deployed at aggregate network nodes to process all packets in real time, then network traffic analysis capability is improved, but processing power requirements and costs increase exponentially with network expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized probe architecture into distributed network access agents deployed at individual network elements. Each agent independently performs packet analysis on local traffic, segmenting the processing load across multiple nodes rather than concentrating it at aggregate points. This segmentation reduces the processing power requirements at each individual node while maintaining comprehensive network-wide analysis capability.
2Loss of information
If centralized hardware probes process all packets from all access nodes, then complete network visibility is achieved, but device complexity and costs increase exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic centralized probe into multiple simple network access agents distributed across network elements. Each agent has simplified functionality for analyzing local traffic, eliminating the need for a single complex device that must handle all packets from all nodes. This segmentation maintains complete network visibility through aggregated data while dramatically reducing individual device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimension centralized processing model to a multi-dimensional distributed architecture. Instead of all traffic flowing through one probe at aggregate nodes, analysis occurs across multiple dimensions at different network elements simultaneously. This dimensional change distributes complexity across the network topology rather than concentrating it in one device.
3Use of energy by moving object
If random packet sampling is used to reduce processing load, then some network insights are obtained, but measurement precision and accuracy of performance detection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having each network access agent analyze only the packet traffic relevant to its local network element rather than all network packets. This partial analysis at each node provides sufficient data to detect performance issues specific to that element without requiring exhaustive analysis of entire network traffic, thus maintaining accuracy while reducing processing load.
Data Source
AI summary
Network packet traffic in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network is analyzed by associating a micro network access agent with a single network element in the LTE network and performing packet traffic analysis for packet traffic processed by the single network element using the micro network access agent.