Private MEC Data Center Virtualizing EPC Gateways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Private enterprises face challenges in operating and maintaining their own telecommunication networks, particularly in implementing and managing specialized network functions like base station functionalities, which can be cumbersome and resource-intensive, without leveraging the resources and expertise of public PLMN service providers.
Innovation Solution
A private mobile edge computing (MEC) data center is implemented, which decouples user plane and control plane operations, allowing virtual network functions (VNFs) to be hosted within the private MEC data center for functionalities such as Evolved Packet Core (EPC) gateways, interacting with base stations and Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) of PLMN service providers, providing low latency and high bandwidth while enabling resource sharing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If private enterprises implement and manage their own telecommunication network functions using proprietary hardware and software, then they can maintain control and customization of network operations, but the operational burden and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts specialized network functions (base station functionalities, EPC gateways) from the private enterprise's core operations and hosts them as virtual network functions in a public PLMN service provider's network infrastructure. This allows private enterprises to maintain network control and customization without directly managing the underlying complex hardware and software infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal network function virtualization platform that can host multiple different network functions (base station functionalities, EPC gateways, mobility management entities) on a shared infrastructure. This multi-functional approach allows private enterprises to access various network capabilities through a single standardized interface, reducing management complexity.
2Reliability
If specialized network functions are implemented using proprietary hardware and software tightly coupled with hardware, then system reliability and performance can be optimized, but flexibility and ease of deployment are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments network functions from their underlying hardware platforms by implementing them as virtual network functions. This segmentation allows the network functions to be deployed flexibly across different infrastructure environments while maintaining their operational reliability through standardized virtualization interfaces and orchestration mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer as an intermediary between the network functions and the underlying hardware infrastructure. This intermediary layer abstracts the hardware-specific details, allowing network functions to maintain their reliability and performance characteristics while gaining deployment flexibility through standardized virtual machine or container interfaces.
3Speed
If virtual network functions are hosted in a private MEC data center with decoupled user plane and control plane operations, then low latency and high bandwidth are achieved, but infrastructure investment and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network plane into separate user plane and control plane functions, allowing each to be optimized independently. The user plane functions are hosted in the private MEC data center to achieve low latency and high bandwidth for data transmission, while control plane functions can be managed through the public PLMN service provider's infrastructure, reducing overall operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the public PLMN service provider's network infrastructure as an intermediary to manage control plane functions and provide core network services. This intermediary approach allows the private enterprise to maintain a simplified MEC data center focused on high-performance user plane operations without bearing the full burden of managing a complete core network infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method for processing a data packet in a communication network includes receiving, at a private Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) data center, the data packet. The private MEC data center hosts one or more virtual Evolved Packet Core (EPC) gateways, and each of the one or more virtual Evolved Packet Core (EPC) gateways corresponds to one or more respective Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) service providers. The private MEC data center identifies a traffic routing type for the data packet. The private MEC data center transmits the data packet based on the identified traffic routing type.