PFCP Session Identifier Handling for Co-Located User Plane Gateways
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Solution Overview
Problem
The handling of traffic in a core network domain with co-located user plane gateways is inefficient due to duplicated procedures for each data packet, particularly in Evolved Packet Core (EPC) systems with Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS).
Innovation Solution
A network node is configured to receive and forward data packets between co-located user plane gateways while providing session identifiers of established sessions between control plane gateways, avoiding tunnel creation and using Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) for communication, and managing packet detection and forwarding rules without Outer Header Creation Information Elements (OHC-IEs).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional tunnel creation procedures are used between co-located user plane gateways, then session identification is maintained, but processing overhead and procedure duplication increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the session identifier from the tunnel header structure and transmits it as a standalone parameter in the PFCP protocol. This separation allows the session to be identified without requiring complex tunnel creation and maintenance procedures, directly reducing processing overhead while maintaining session identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The PFCP protocol is enhanced to serve multiple functions: it simultaneously establishes the session, transmits the session identifier, and enables direct gateway communication. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate tunnel creation procedures, reducing procedure duplication while maintaining session management capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If session identifiers are transmitted with each data packet, then co-located gateway communication is enabled, but message overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The session identifier acts as an intermediary parameter that enables gateway communication without requiring full tunnel headers. By using this compact identifier in PFCP messages, the patent achieves gateway communication capability while significantly reducing message overhead compared to traditional tunnel-based approaches.
3Productivity
If GTP tunnel creation is avoided between user plane gateways, then processing overhead is reduced, but session identification mechanisms must be simplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential session identification function from the complex GTP tunnel mechanism. By transmitting the session identifier as a separate parameter in PFCP messages, the patent achieves simplified session identification that works effectively without GTP tunnel creation, thereby improving processing efficiency while maintaining adequate session identification capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for transmitting and using a session identifier of a session between a user plane gateway and a control plane gateway is disclosed. In a method implementation, a third gateway, GW, in a Control Plane, CP, of an Evolved Packet Core, EPC, transmits, to a fourth GW in the CP, a session identifier of a first session established between a second GW in a User Plane, UP, of the EPC and the third GW, wherein the second GW is co-located with a first GW in the UP and wherein the first GW has a communication interface to the fourth GW. The fourth GW may receive the session identifier from the third GW and provide the session identifier to the first GW. The first GW may receive a data packet, forward the data packet to the second GW and provide, to the second GW, the session identifier. The second GW may receive the data packet from the first GW and obtain the session identifier from the first GW.