User-Plane Gateway Path Selection for Edge Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reselection of user-plane paths between user equipment (UE) and service hosting entities in wireless networks is challenging due to high signaling overhead, path switching latency, and burden on third-party service providers, particularly when the previous path becomes inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves reducing signaling overhead and latency by performing user-plane path reselection with policy updates only upon changes in edge service deployment, using a distributed user-plane gateway (GW-U) that acts as a transparent domain name system (DNS) proxy, and offloading traffic without needing interaction between evolved Node-B and evolved packet core entities, thereby reducing the burden on third-party service providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user-plane path reselection is performed frequently to maintain efficient paths, then path efficiency is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network side performs autonomous path selection and reselection without requiring UE initiation or extensive signaling. The network entity independently monitors path efficiency and executes reselection when needed, eliminating the need for frequent signaling between UE and network to trigger path changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The path reselection function is extracted from the UE and moved to the network side. This separates the path management responsibility from the mobile device, allowing the network to handle reselection independently without involving UE signaling procedures.
2Speed
If user-plane path reselection is performed quickly to adapt to changing conditions, then path switching speed is improved, but path switching latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network pre-establishes multiple user-plane paths in advance before they are needed. When path reselection is required, the network can immediately switch to a pre-prepared path without requiring time-consuming establishment procedures, thus reducing switching latency while maintaining fast adaptation capability.
3Reliability
If traditional path reselection procedures are used to maintain path efficiency, then path optimization is achieved, but burden on third party service provider increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the network side acts as a mediator between the UE and edge services. This intermediary handles path management, policy enforcement, and coordination, thereby reducing the direct burden on third-party service providers while maintaining efficient path selection.
4Ease of operation
If LIPA or SIPTO implementations are used for local breakout, then local service access is improved, but signaling overhead increases by 30%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control plane and user plane functions in a integrated gateway entity that handles both LIPA and SIPTO scenarios. By combining these functions and implementing unified path management, the system achieves local service access while reducing redundant signaling messages compared to separate LIPA and SIPTO implementations.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for a selection or reselection a user-plane path in a mobile network are disclosed herein. A user-plane gateway (GW-U) can be configured to decode a packet received from a control plane gateway (GW-C) in a packet data network gateway (PGW) to determine a forwarding policy. Additionally, the GW-U can decode, from an evolved node B (eNB), an internet protocol (IP) packet having a header field. Furthermore, the GW-U can determine a user-plane path for the IP packet based on a comparison of the header field and the forwarding policy. Based on the determined user-plane path, the GW-U can forward the IP packet to a local application server (AS), encapsulate and forward the IP packet to the PGW, or discard the IP packet. Moreover, the GW-U can encode the IP packet for transmission based on the determined user-plane selection.