Small Cell Gateway Caching for RIM Traffic Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing RAN Information Management (RIM) procedures in wireless communication networks lead to significant network traffic and inefficiency when small cells request operational configuration information from remote access nodes, as each small cell independently requests the same information, resulting in multiple redundant messages and increased network load.
Innovation Solution
A small cell gateway acts as a signalling concentrator, caching and managing operational configuration information from remote access nodes, allowing it to serve multiple small cells by determining if the information is already stored and only requesting updates when necessary, thereby reducing redundant requests and network traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each small cell independently requests operational configuration information from remote access nodes using standard RIM procedures, then each small cell can obtain the required configuration information, but significant network traffic and inefficiency occur due to multiple redundant requests
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple identical RIM requests from different small cells into a single request by the gateway. When the gateway receives a first RIM request from a first small cell and a second RIM request from a second small cell for the same configuration information, it terminates the first request, generates a single consolidated RIM request, and sends it to the remote access node. This combining approach maintains reliable information delivery while dramatically reducing network traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary between small cells and remote access nodes. It intercepts RIM requests from small cells, determines whether the requested configuration information is already cached, and either serves it from cache or consolidates requests before forwarding to remote access nodes. This intermediary role eliminates redundant traffic while ensuring all small cells receive necessary configuration information.
2Ease of operation
If multiple small cells send identical RIM requests to the same remote access node, then each small cell receives the configuration information, but the processing load on RAN nodes and core network increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway combines multiple identical RIM requests into a single request before forwarding to the remote access node. By terminating duplicate requests and generating one consolidated request, the system maintains ease of operation for individual small cells while significantly reducing the processing load on RAN nodes and core network elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway performs preliminary actions by caching configuration information from remote access nodes before small cells need it. When configuration information changes, the gateway proactively updates its cache and can immediately serve subsequent requests from multiple small cells without forwarding redundant requests to remote nodes, thereby reducing their processing load.
3Loss of energy
If the gateway caches configuration information and serves multiple small cells from cache, then network traffic is reduced, but the gateway must manage and update the cached information
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring when configuration information changes at remote access nodes. When changes are detected, the gateway proactively updates its cache and notifies or serves affected small cells with updated information. This feedback-driven approach reduces network traffic by serving from cache while managing updates efficiently through event-triggered refreshes.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway performs preliminary caching of configuration information before small cells need it. By maintaining an up-to-date cache proactively, the gateway can immediately serve multiple small cells without repeated requests to remote nodes, reducing network traffic while the caching management overhead is centralized at the gateway.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of communicating operational configuration information between a remote access network node in a wireless communication network operating according to a first radio access technology protocol and a small cell access node in a wireless communication network operating according to a second radio access technology protocol, a small cell gateway and computer program product operable to perform that method. The method comprises: obtaining operational configuration information from a target remote access network node in said wireless communication network operating according to said first radio access technology protocol; storing said target access network node operational configuration information; and transmitting said stored target access network node operational configuration information to a requesting small cell access network node in a wireless communication network operating according to a second radio access technology protocol. It will be understood that aspects of this invention allow implementation of a method which may operate to reduce network traffic when small cells such as femto cells request RIM information from other RAN nodes. As a result, the processing load on the RAN node and core network is typically reduced.