MPLS Traffic Engineering for IMS VoIP Network Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network designs for VoIP in industrial facilities, such as hydrocarbon extraction and processing, face disruptions and quality degradation due to dropped IP traffic, which can lead to failed emergency calls, especially when caused by suboptimal network paths or faulty links.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Traffic Engineering (TE) design for IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based VoIP networks, which configures specific Label Switching Paths (LSPs) to prioritize and secure real-time IP traffic, avoiding suboptimal network nodes and links, and establishing full meshes between Session Border Controllers (SBCs) and IMS Core sites to ensure quick failover and enhanced quality of service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If MPLS Traffic Engineering with full mesh LSP configuration is implemented, then network reliability and call continuity are improved, but network complexity and configuration overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into hierarchical levels with LSPs configured at different tiers: core network LSPs between IMS Core sites, access network LSPs between SBCs and IMS Core, and edge LSPs between UEs and SBCs. This segmentation reduces overall complexity while maintaining reliability through structured path management.
Solution Approach 2:
MPLS TE LSPs are pre-configured and established before VoIP traffic flows begin. This preliminary action ensures that dedicated paths are already in place and optimized, enabling immediate failover and maintaining call continuity without requiring complex real-time routing decisions.
2Reliability
If dedicated TE LSP paths are configured for each UE-SBC connection, then quality of service for voice traffic is improved, but network resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple UE connections sharing the same SBC are merged into common LSP segments. The patent configures LSPs at the SBC level rather than individual UE level, allowing resource consolidation while maintaining dedicated QoS guarantees for each user through label switching within the shared paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The MPLS TE infrastructure is designed to serve multiple functions: voice traffic prioritization, emergency call guarantee, general QoS management, and rapid failover. The same LSP infrastructure supports various service types and priority levels, maximizing resource utilization across different traffic demands.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Traffic Engineering (TE) design for IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) include determining that a network is a hierarchical MPLS-enabled network including a single IMS Core site and multiple Session Border Controllers (SBCs). Responsive to determining that the network is a hierarchical MPLS-enabled network, the computer system configures a first set of TE Label Switching Paths (LSPs) between each SBC of the multiple SBCs and the single IMS Core site. The computer system configures a second set of TE LSPs between each SBC of the multiple SBCs and each other SBC of the multiple SBCs to form a full mesh. The network further includes multiple user endpoints (UEs). The computer system configures a third set of TE LSPs between each UE of the multiple UEs and an SBC of the multiple SBCs. The UE is configured to use the SBC.