Co-Located User Plane Gateway Session ID Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traffic handling in the core network domain with co-located user plane gateways is inefficient due to duplicated procedures for each data packet, particularly in modern wireless communication networks with Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS).
Innovation Solution
The solution involves network nodes configured as co-located gateways that forward data packets without creating tunnels between them, using session identifiers to optimize packet forwarding and selecting appropriate gateways based on capability indications, thereby enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tunnel creation under GTP protocol is used between co-located user plane gateways, then packet forwarding can be established, but processing efficiency deteriorates due to duplicated procedures for each data packet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the tunnel creation procedure from the data packet forwarding path between co-located user plane gateways. By recognizing that gateways in the same network node share common resources and identifiers, the invention removes the unnecessary GTP tunnel establishment step, allowing direct packet forwarding using existing session identifiers and F-TEIDs, thereby improving processing efficiency without compromising connectivity.
2Productivity
If session identifiers are transmitted between co-located gateways, then packet forwarding optimization is achieved, but information management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the first user plane gateway autonomously selects an appropriate session identifier from its own stored session information and uses it to forward packets to the second gateway. This eliminates the need for complex inter-gateway signaling or centralized session identifier management, as each gateway independently manages and utilizes its own session identifiers for optimized packet forwarding.
Data Source
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AI summary
A technique for transmitting and using a session identifier of a session between a user plane gateway and a control plane gateway is disclosed. In a method implementation, a third gateway, GW, in a Control Plane, CP, of an Evolved Packet Core, EPC, transmits, to a fourth GW in the CP, a session identifier of a first session established between a second GW in a User Plane, UP, of the EPC and the third GW, wherein the second GW is co-located with a first GW in the UP and wherein the first GW has a communication interface to the fourth GW. The fourth GW may receive the session identifier from the third GW and provide the session identifier to the first GW. The first GW may receive a data packet, forward the data packet to the second GW and provide, to the second GW, the session identifier. The second GW may receive the data packet from the first GW and obtain the session identifier from the first GW.