Mobile Network Traffic Path Establishment Using Topology and Load Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile network architectures, particularly in 5G systems, face challenges in quickly responding to bandwidth and low latency requirements due to their design without consideration for the transport layer, limiting the optimization and operation of network paths for various application services.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for establishing and forwarding a traffic path in a mobile communication system using User Equipment (UE) route selection policy (URSP) and network functions (NFs) that calculate and determine optimal traffic paths based on topology and load information, generating routing identification (RID) for each application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the current mobile network architecture is used without transport layer consideration, then the network structure is simple, but the bandwidth and latency requirements of application services cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The network architecture is segmented into control plane and user plane functions, with the user plane further divided into multiple UPF nodes. This segmentation allows independent optimization of user data paths while maintaining a simplified control plane, enabling improved bandwidth and latency performance without proportionally increasing overall network complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The SMF (Session Management Function) acts as an intermediary between the control plane and user plane, dynamically managing UPF selections and traffic path configurations. This intermediary enables flexible adaptation to application service requirements while abstracting the complexity from end users and applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If GTP-U based tunneling is used to connect radio access network and core network, then the user plane layer is established, but optimization and operation of network paths according to individual application service requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The network path configuration is made dynamic through the URSP mechanism, which allows traffic paths to be adjusted in real-time based on application service requirements. The SMF dynamically selects appropriate UPF nodes and configures traffic routing policies, enabling each application to have optimized paths without requiring static pre-configuration for every possible service.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key networking parameters (traffic path, UPF selection, routing policies) based on application service characteristics. By modifying these parameters dynamically rather than maintaining fixed network configurations, the system achieves application-specific optimization while managing complexity through parameterized control.
3Productivity
If traffic paths are established for each application based on topology and load information, then bandwidth and latency performance is improved, but the computational overhead for path calculation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The computationally intensive path calculation and topology analysis functions are extracted from distributed network elements and centralized in the SMF. This extraction allows heavy computational tasks to be performed in a dedicated control function with access to global network state information, reducing the cumulative computational energy consumption across the entire network while improving traffic transmission efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for establishing a traffic path and forwarding an established traffic path in a mobile communication system is provided, which includes: a memory storing at least one program; a transceiver transmitting and receiving at least one signal; and a processor executing at least one program stored in the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain at least one of topology information and load information, compute a traffic path for each application based on at least one of the topology information and the load information, and generate a routing identification (RID) for each application based on the computed traffic path.