Network Slicing for Time-Sensitive 5G Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G cellular systems face challenges in providing high reliability and low latency for industrial verticals and mission-critical applications due to transient outages and disruptions caused by network failures, which existing redundant transmission methods fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of reliability network slices, which are independent and non-sharing network paths across multiple domains (RAN, backhaul, 5G core, and data networks) to ensure redundant user plane and control plane connections, configured by management and orchestration functions to minimize shared resources and provide statistical independence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant transmission methods are used to improve reliability, then network failure resilience improves, but network complexity and resource overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into multiple independent reliability slices, each with dedicated resources and failure modes. This segmentation allows redundancy without requiring a completely redundant parallel network, as each slice operates independently with its own resource pool, reducing overall network complexity while maintaining reliability through diversification of failure paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of reliability through network slicing, moving from traditional single-path redundancy to multi-dimensional path diversity across different network domains (RAN, backhaul, core network). This dimensional approach to redundancy provides failure independence without linearly increasing complexity, as the slices share underlying infrastructure while maintaining logical separation.
2Reliability
If network slicing with path diversity is implemented to reduce disruption risk, then service availability improves, but network configuration and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network slicing framework implements universal resource management that can serve multiple reliability requirements across different service types and domains. The same slicing mechanism and resource allocation principles apply across RAN, backhaul, and core network domains, reducing configuration complexity through standardized multi-domain management rather than domain-specific redundant configurations.
3Reliability
If independent non-sharing network paths are established across domains, then failure independence improves, but network resource overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple reliability slices are merged onto shared physical infrastructure across network domains, allowing failure independence through logical separation while improving resource utilization. The slices share underlying transport, switching, and processing resources, reducing the total quantity of physical resources required compared to fully dedicated independent paths, while maintaining statistical independence of failure modes.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for reliability network slicing. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes accessing, by at least one user equipment, a first network reliability slice served by a first base station; accessing, by at least one user equipment, a second network reliability slice served by a second base station, wherein the first network reliability slice and the second network reliability slice are established across domains such that one or more first resources providing the first network reliability slice are not shared with one or more second resources providing the second network reliability slice; establishing, by the at least one user equipment, a first packet data protocol session over the first network reliability slice and a second packet data protocol session over the second network reliability slice; and transmitting, by the at least one user equipment, user plane traffic over the first packet data protocol session on the first network reliability slice and duplicated user plane traffic over the second packet data protocol session on the second network reliability slice. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.