Home Network Control of Visited Gateway for Roaming Slices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network slicing technologies face challenges in providing consistent quality of service and control over network functions for roaming subscribers, particularly in local breakout scenarios where the home network has limited control over the visited network's configuration, leading to latency issues and difficulties in implementing features like packet filtering and traffic steering.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that obtain and provide IP addresses for services in a visited network using a gateway configuration from the home network, enabling the home network to control and configure network functions such as packet gateways, even in local breakout scenarios, by deploying a network function with URI or URL resolution capabilities and configuring gateways with specific rules for traffic processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If local breakout mechanism is used for roaming subscribers, then the visited network has control of signaling and reduced latency, but the home network loses control over network function configuration and packet filtering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway configuration mechanism as an intermediary that enables the home network to maintain control over network functions even in local breakout scenarios. The gateway configuration includes gateway rules that specify packet filtering, traffic steering, and service access control, allowing the home network to influence data processing decisions at the visited network gateway without requiring full home routed control.
2Reliability
If home routed mechanism is used for roaming subscribers, then the home network maintains control over user plane routing, but latency increases due to traffic routing back to home PLMN
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control plane and user plane functions. The control plane remains with the home network through gateway configuration, while the user plane data traffic can be routed locally in the visited network. This segmentation allows the benefits of both home routed control and local breakout speed by separating signaling control from data transmission paths.
3Adaptability or versatility
If network slice is deployed in visited network, then service specific control is enabled, but consistent quality of service across different regions becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses gateway configuration parameters that can be dynamically adjusted based on the visited network and service requirements. The gateway rules include parameters for packet filtering, traffic steering, and service access control that can be customized for different regions while maintaining consistent quality of service through standardized configuration mechanisms and policies.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are provided for network slice configuration. In one example aspect, a method in a network function in a network is disclosed. The network is a visited network for at least one User Equipment, UE. The network provides a network slice for the at least one UE, and the network function is a gateway for data communications for the at least one UE. The method includes obtaining an IP address for at least one service for the at least one UE, and providing the at least one service to the at least one UE according to a gateway configuration from a home network of the at least one UE.