Service Function Chain Translation for Local Breakout Roaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the context of 3GPP mobile network architecture, there is a challenge in extending service function chaining policies from a home network to a visiting network for seamless local breakout roaming scenarios, as service functions in the home network may not be identical to those in the visiting network, leading to inconsistent treatment of user plane traffic.
Innovation Solution
A method is provided to configure and map service function chaining policies from the home network to the visiting network, involving the translation of service function chain identifiers to traffic steering identifiers, enabling the visiting network to replicate the same service function chain treatment as the home network, thus ensuring consistent user experience during roaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If service function chaining policies are extended from home network to visiting network, then seamless local breakout roaming is enabled, but service function inconsistency between networks causes treatment divergence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a policy control function as an intermediary that receives service function chaining policies from the home network and translates them into equivalent policies for the visiting network. This mediator ensures that the visiting network can replicate the home network's service treatment by converting home network-specific service functions into visiting network equivalents, thus maintaining consistency while enabling roaming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by translating service function chain identifiers and parameters from the home network context to the visiting network context. The policy control function modifies policy parameters (such as service function chain identifiers, network slices, and data network names) to match the visiting network's topology and capabilities, enabling consistent service delivery across different networks.
2Ease of manufacture
If home network service function chains are directly applied in visiting network, then policy enforcement is simplified, but service functions differ between networks leading to inconsistent user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements copying by creating equivalent service function chains in the visiting network that mirror the home network's service architecture. The policy control function copies the service function chaining logic and translates it into the visiting network's terminology and topology, ensuring that the same service treatment (e.g., QoS, security, optimization) is replicated without directly copying the home network's specific service function instances.
3Reliability
If service function chains are translated and mapped between networks, then consistent user experience is maintained, but policy translation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a policy control function that handles multiple translation tasks within a single component. This multi-functional entity performs service function chain translation, policy mapping, and network context adaptation simultaneously, reducing the need for separate complex translation systems. The universal approach consolidates complexity into a centralized function that manages all translation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism is provided for traffic classification based on service function chain (SPC) rules in a visiting public land mobile network (V-PLMN) in case of local breakout roaming scenarios. The SPC rules provisioned in the H-PLMN are provided to functions in the V-PLMN which would use the local configuration and traffic conditions to map the rules to a service function path (SFP).