IPsec Tunnel Header Access Technology Index for Traffic Scheduling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In heterogeneous mobile telecommunication networks, IPsec tunnels treat all radio traffic equally without considering traffic characteristics or radio access technologies, leading to unfair data packet distribution and congestion due to differing Round Trip Times across technologies like LTE, 3G, and WiFi.
Innovation Solution
An Access Technology index is inserted into IPsec tunnel headers, allowing differentiation of data flows based on radio or fixed access technologies, even if they belong to the same Quality of Service class, enabling load balancing and hierarchical QoS scheduling by using a hash algorithm with additional parameters such as source and destination IP addresses and port numbers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all radio traffic is treated equally in IPsec tunnels without considering access technology, then device complexity is reduced and implementation is simplified, but data packet distribution becomes unfair and congestion occurs due to different RTT characteristics of different technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an Access Technology Index parameter in the IPsec header to differentiate traffic based on its originating technology (3G, LTE, WiFi). This parameter enables the scheduling entity to identify and apply technology-specific scheduling policies, transforming the uniform treatment approach into a differentiated one that maintains fairness while preserving implementation simplicity through standardized header modification.
2Quantity of substance
If a common IP infrastructure is used for all radio access technologies, then investment costs are reduced and technology adaptability is improved, but congestion occurs when large numbers of RBSs and user equipments are aggregated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aggregated traffic flow by inserting Access Technology Index identifiers in IPsec headers, allowing the scheduling entity to separate and independently manage traffic from different technologies (3G, LTE, WiFi) even though they share the same physical IP infrastructure. This segmentation enables technology-aware scheduling that prevents congestion by distributing load appropriately across available resources.
3Device complexity
If best effort QoS class is used for all data packet traffic, then device complexity is minimized, but uneven distribution of data packets occurs between radio technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The Access Technology Index acts as an intermediary parameter that bridges the gap between simple Best Effort QoS classification and complex technology-specific scheduling. By adding this intermediate identifier to the IPsec header, the system enables the scheduling entity to apply differentiated scheduling policies based on access technology without requiring complete reclassification of all traffic parameters, thus maintaining relatively low complexity while achieving fair distribution.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to embodiments of nodes and methods in a node in a data telecommunication network. The method and embodiments thereof enables control of data packet traffic belonging to different access technologies to be sent with the same Quality of Service class over an aggregated encrypted Internet Security tunnel, IPsec tunnel. The received data packets are encrypting and encapsulating as payload in an IPdata packet to be sent over an aggregated encrypted IPsec tunnel, which header is marked with an access technology index comprising a code for the identified access technology of the one or more received data packets encrypted and encapsulated as payload in the IPsec tunnel and a hash identifier code enabling enhanced scheduling and routing.