Serving Gateway NAT for MEC Traffic Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In broadband cellular networks, the removal of NAT functionality from user plane gateways with Local Breakout (LBO) leads to improper routing of MEC traffic and exposure of private IP addresses, compromising network security and functionality.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a S1U GTP TEID-based NAT function in the Serving Gateway (SGW) with LBO to route MEC downlink and uplink traffic and prevent leakage of private IP addresses by assigning unique TEIDs for each user device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If NAT functionality is removed from user plane gateways with Local Breakout, then network latency is reduced and MEC traffic routing is simplified, but private IP addresses are exposed and traffic routing becomes improper

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork latencyVSAvoidtraffic routing correctness

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a NAT function within the SGW that acts as an intermediary between MEC networks and external networks. This NAT function translates private IP addresses to public IP addresses, allowing MEC traffic to be routed properly through the SGW without exposing private IP addresses, thus resolving the contradiction between reduced latency and proper routing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If NAT functionality is removed from user plane gateways with Local Breakout, then device complexity is reduced, but network security is compromised due to private IP address exposure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegateway functionalityVSAvoidnetwork security

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The NAT function within the SGW serves as a security intermediary that protects private IP addresses from external networks. By translating private IP addresses to public IP addresses, the NAT function prevents direct exposure of internal network structures while maintaining the simplified LBO architecture, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and network security

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11576231B2Systems and methods for network address translation

Publication Date: 2023.02.07 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

A packet destined for a Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) network is received at a wireless station from a user device. A serving gateway (SGW) receives the packet from the wireless station via an S1U GTP tunnel and assigns an uplink S1U General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) to the packet. The SGW performs a network address translation (NAT) function on the packet based on the uplink S1U GTP TEID assigned to the packet to form a translated packet. The SGW transmits the translated packet to the MEC network.