Edge Computing Service Continuity via Mobility Event Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3GPP specifications lack a mechanism for traffic redirection when application servers in Edge data networks are relocated due to UE mobility, leading to inefficiencies in traffic routing, as application clients continue to connect to old servers instead of switching to topologically closer mirrors in the target Edge data network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism where the Application Function (AF) notifies the UE about mobility events and provides identification information for preferred Application Servers, allowing application clients to modify their connections to new servers, and deploying a handler on UEs to manage this process through APIs for registering and acting on mobility-related information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If application clients continue to connect to old application servers after UE mobility, then service continuity is maintained through existing connections, but traffic routing efficiency deteriorates due to suboptimal path selection
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the AF receives mobility event notifications from the network, determines optimal target application servers based on updated UE location, and triggers redirection to inform application clients of the server change. This closed-loop feedback ensures service continuity while optimizing traffic routing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the mechanism for mobility event detection and server selection before actual mobility occurs. The AF is pre-configured to receive notifications and has the capability to determine optimal target servers, enabling rapid response when mobility events happen without disrupting service continuity.
2Productivity
If a mechanism for traffic redirection is implemented, then traffic routing efficiency is improved by redirecting to topologically closer servers, but device complexity increases due to additional handlers and APIs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an Application Function (AF) as an intermediary between the network and application clients. The AF handles mobility event notifications, determines optimal target servers, and manages redirection triggering. This intermediary absorbs the complexity of server selection and redirection logic, preventing it from propagating to the application client layer and thus limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the traffic redirection mechanism into distinct functional components: network-side mobility event notification, AF-based server selection and redirection triggering, and application client-side connection modification. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture by distributing complexity across different layers.
3Productivity
If application clients are notified of server changes, then service delivery is improved by connecting to optimal servers, but information processing overhead increases due to notification and redirection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of mobility management and server selection from the application client and concentrates it in the Application Function (AF). The AF receives mobility event notifications, determines optimal target servers, and manages the redirection process. This extraction minimizes information processing overhead at the application client level while maintaining improved service delivery through optimal server selection.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and methods for transitioning a UE to a new application server in response to a mobility event comprising, at a source application server handler: receiving an application ID (AC-ID) associated with an application client for a user equipment (UE); receiving a mobility event notification including a UE ID of the UE and a target data network access identifier (DNAI) to indicate a target edge data network to which a transition of a data connection for the application client is to be performed; encoding an outgoing transition request for transmission to a source application server to indicate the transition of the data connection from the source application server; and encoding an incoming transition request for transmission to a target application server handler (ASH) of the target edge data network to indicate the transition of the data connection to the target edge data network.