Mapping 5G Policies to SD-WAN Data Plane for Deterministic QoS
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current SD-WAN fabrics are not suitable for deterministic end-to-end quality of service (QoS) service level agreements (SLAs) required for 5G deployments, which necessitates a method to map 5G policies to an SD-WAN data plane effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that involve receiving 5G SD-WAN policies, identifying identity-based policies, communicating these policies and 5G bindings to WAN routers, and applying the policies to flows between the routers, thereby updating the routers with the necessary 5G context and user group bindings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If SD-WAN fabric is used for connectivity, then network flexibility and ease of operation are improved, but deterministic end-to-end QoS SLAs required for 5G deployments cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping mechanism that translates 5G QoS policies into SD-WAN compatible formats. This intermediary layer enables the SD-WAN fabric to enforce deterministic QoS SLAs by converting abstract 5G policy requirements into concrete routing and traffic management actions that the SD-WAN infrastructure can execute, thus maintaining both ease of operation and reliability.
2Reliability
If 5G policies are mapped to SD-WAN data plane, then deterministic QoS and SLAs are achieved, but device complexity and policy management overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates simplified copies or representations of 5G policies that are tailored for SD-WAN execution. Instead of implementing the full complexity of 5G policy frameworks directly in the SD-WAN data plane, the system generates streamlined policy copies that capture the essential QoS requirements in a format native to SD-WAN, reducing the complexity burden on SD-WAN devices while maintaining deterministic QoS guarantees.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the policy mapping process into distinct functional components: policy reception, policy translation, policy distribution, and policy enforcement. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific aspects of the mapping task independently, reducing overall system complexity and enabling modular implementation where each segment can be optimized and managed separately.
3Reliability
If identity-based policies are applied to WAN routers, then network security and policy enforcement are improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and pre-classifying traffic flows according to identity-based policies before they reach the WAN routers. The system establishes identity-based policy rules in advance and pre-computes routing decisions for identified traffic patterns, allowing routers to apply policies with minimal processing delay during actual data transmission, thus improving both security enforcement and reducing processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more 5G software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) policies, identifying one or more identity-based policies from the one or more 5G SD-WAN policies, communicating the identified one or more identity-based policies to one or more WAN routers, communicating one or more 5G bindings to the one or more WAN routers, and applying the identified one or more identity-based policies to one or more flows between the one or more WAN routers.