Core Network Device External Service Orchestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless telecommunication networks face challenges in efficiently and dynamically providing external network services to core network data traffic without incurring the costs and risks of developing and deploying proprietary services and devices.
Innovation Solution
The system allows a core network device to determine subscriber profiles and direct traffic to external traffic processing components for additional processing, modifying packets to indicate which services should be applied, thereby enabling the addition or removal of network services with minimal internal process modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network operators develop and deploy proprietary services and devices within the core network, then service functionality and control are improved, but development costs and operational risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts traffic processing services from the core network infrastructure and relocates them to external network elements. The core network device forwards traffic to external processing components that operate independently, allowing service functionality to be provided without developing proprietary core network devices. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining service adaptability while eliminating development costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where core network devices modify packet headers to include service processing information, which then directs traffic to external processing components. This intermediary approach allows the core network to orchestrate services without directly providing them, resolving the contradiction by maintaining control while avoiding proprietary device development.
2Adaptability or versatility
If network operators develop and deploy proprietary services and devices within the core network, then service control and customization are improved, but operational risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting service processing from the core network to external elements, the patent isolates operational risks from the core infrastructure. The core network maintains control through header modifications and traffic forwarding decisions, while external elements handle service execution. This separation reduces operational risks while preserving service control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediary mechanism of modified packet headers acts as a safe interface between the core network and external services. The core network can control service routing through header information without direct exposure to external service implementations, thereby maintaining service control while minimizing operational risks through architectural isolation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If external traffic processing components are used, then service deployment flexibility is improved, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal header modification mechanism that can direct traffic to multiple different external processing components using the same core network device logic. The standardized approach to adding service processing information to packet headers allows flexible service deployment without increasing core network complexity, as the same intermediary mechanism handles all external service interactions.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device, such as a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW), may receive network traffic, determine traffic processing services associated with a subscriber corresponding to the traffic, and identify a sequence of external traffic processing components to provide traffic processing services as though the external traffic processing components where part of the core network. The network device may modify the traffic in accordance with the sequence of external traffic processing components and forward the traffic to the first external traffic processing component of the sequence. The network device may later receive the traffic from the last external traffic processing component of the sequence, process the traffic in accordance with instructions provided by the external traffic processing components, and forward the traffic in accordance with a destination address of the traffic.