Serving Gateway Triggered Bearer Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems lack a mechanism for efficiently relocating user equipment bearer resources from a source serving gateway to a target serving gateway, leading to issues such as overload and inability to smoothly move subscribers, which can result in service disruptions and capacity management challenges.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where the source serving gateway detects the need for relocation and sends a trigger message to a mobility management node, which selects and requests the relocation of user equipment bearer resources to a target serving gateway, enabling controlled load management and overload protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment bearer resources are relocated from source serving gateway to target serving gateway, then load balance and system reliability are improved, but device complexity and control signaling overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The Mobility Management Entity (MME) acts as an intermediary between the source serving gateway and target serving gateway during bearer resource relocation. The source serving gateway sends relocation trigger information to the MME, which then coordinates the selection and setup of the target serving gateway, managing the complexity of direct gateway-to-gateway communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The source serving gateway monitors its own load status and sends trigger information to the MME when relocation is needed. The MME provides feedback by selecting an appropriate target serving gateway and coordinating the relocation process, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains load balance.
2Ease of manufacture
If serving gateway is emptied of subscribers during upgrade/update, then maintenance capability is improved, but service continuity may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
Before upgrading or maintaining the source serving gateway, the system performs preliminary actions by triggering bearer resource relocation to a target serving gateway. This ensures that subscriber services are already migrated before the source gateway is taken offline for maintenance, preventing service disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The MME serves as an intermediary that coordinates the relocation process, ensuring that bearer resources are properly transferred to the target serving gateway before the source gateway is decommissioned for maintenance, thereby maintaining service continuity throughout the upgrade process.
3Productivity
If bearer resources are relocated to target serving gateway, then capacity management is improved, but signaling message overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential relocation trigger information from complex bearer resource management procedures. The source serving gateway sends condensed trigger information to the MME, which contains only the necessary data to initiate relocation, rather than transmitting complete bearer resource descriptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The MME performs preliminary selection of the target serving gateway based on received trigger information before actual bearer resource relocation occurs. This preliminary action reduces the amount of signaling needed during the actual relocation, as the target gateway is pre-selected and prepared.
Data Source
AI summary
The present solution relates to a method in a source serving gateway (207a) for triggering relocation of at least one user equipment bearer resource from the source serving gateway (207a) to at least one target serving gateway (207b) in a communication network (200). The source serving gateway (207a) serves the user equipment (203) by providing bearer resources to the user equipment (203). The source serving gateway (207a) detects (501) an event indicating relocation of the at least one user equipment bearer resource from the source serving gateway (207a) to the at least one target serving gateway (207b). Furthermore, the source serving gateway (207a) sends (502) a message to a mobility management node (205, 209). The message comprises a trigger to relocate the at least one user equipment bearer resource from the source serving gateway (207a) to the at least one target serving gateway (207b).