MME Reassignment for Dynamic Load Balancing in Overlay Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Deploying specialized Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) with dedicated Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) for specific types of user equipment leads to inefficient use of network resources due to separate networks for different types of users, causing potential overload and resource imbalance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a control node that monitors and reassigned MMEs to service different types of user equipment or traffic based on load balancing, using weight factors to optimize processing power distribution across MMEs in overlay networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If completely separate networks are provided for different types of user equipment, then service isolation and scaling for specific users are improved, but network resource utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into multiple overlay networks, each dedicated to specific types of user equipment (e.g., MTC overlay network for machine-type communication, voice overlay network for voice services). This segmentation provides service isolation and reliability while allowing each segment to be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
MMEs are designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple types of user equipment across different overlay networks. An MME can be dynamically assigned to service different UE types based on load conditions, making the network infrastructure universal rather than dedicated to single functions.
2Reliability
If specialized MMEs are deployed for specific types of user equipment, then service quality for specific traffic types is improved, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network employs dynamic configuration where MMEs can be reassigned to different overlay networks based on real-time load conditions. The control node monitors loading within overlay networks and dynamically reassigns MMEs to service different types of UE or UE traffic, allowing the network to adapt without permanent structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A control node acts as an intermediary between the MMEs and the overlay networks. This control node monitors loading conditions and manages the reassignment of MMEs, simplifying the overall network architecture by centralizing the complexity of dynamic resource allocation rather than distributing it across all network elements.
3Reliability
If separate overlay networks are used for different UE types, then overload isolation between user types is improved, but load balancing between network nodes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic load balancing through real-time monitoring of overlay network loading by the control node. When imbalance is detected, the control node reassigns MMEs from overloaded networks to underloaded networks, maintaining both overload isolation and effective load balancing through continuous adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of MMEs by reassigning them to different overlay networks based on load conditions. This parameter change (reassignment) allows the network to maintain isolation benefits while dynamically optimizing load distribution across all network nodes.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A communication system is disclosed in which a control node 18 generates configuration data for each of a plurality of MMEs operating in overlay networks. The configuration data defines a type of user equipment (UE) or a type of UE traffic to be serviced by each MME (for example conventional UE traffic, MTC UE traffic, SDT traffic or roaming traffic etc.). The MME configuration data is provided to a base station and used to control selection of an MME to service a request from a UE. The control node monitors network traffic within and across the overlay networks and can reconfigure one or more MMEs to service different UE traffic types. This allows for improved flexibility in load balancing with overlay networks.