Subscriber Session Director for Intelligent APN DNS Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional APN DNS systems lack intelligence and application-level awareness, leading to inefficient steering of subscriber sessions, as they are unaware of network congestion, service availability, and capacity, resulting in potential overloading of smaller environments and impaired network connections.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a Subscriber Session Director (SSD) component that probes EPC devices to assess network conditions and capacity, enabling intelligent steering of subscribers to optimal resources, managing load distribution, and maintaining network performance during maintenance activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional APN DNS systems are used for steering subscriber sessions, then the system structure remains simple and easy to operate, but the system lacks intelligence and application-level awareness, resulting in inefficient steering and potential overloading of smaller environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an APN DNS server as an intermediary component between subscribers and EPC devices. This server receives DNS queries from subscribers, emulates queries to multiple EPC devices, evaluates their responses based on predefined criteria (load, capacity, performance), and returns optimized DNS responses. This intermediary structure adds intelligence without requiring fundamental changes to the core DNS system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the APN DNS server receives responses from EPC devices and uses this information to make intelligent steering decisions. The server evaluates response times, load conditions, and capacity information returned by EPC devices, then uses this feedback to determine the optimal EPC device for each subscriber session, improving steering efficiency based on real-time network conditions.
2Ease of operation
If conventional round-robin load distribution is used, then all designated target environments are treated equally, but smaller environments may be overrun or exhaust subscriber-licensed capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by evaluating each EPC device's specific characteristics (load, capacity, performance metrics) individually rather than treating all devices uniformly. The APN DNS server customizes DNS responses based on the local conditions of each target EPC device, directing subscribers to devices that best match their specific capacity and load characteristics, thereby preventing smaller environments from being overrun.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes routing parameters based on real-time evaluation of EPC device responses. Instead of static round-robin distribution, the APN DNS server adjusts which EPC device is selected by changing the DNS response based on measured parameters such as response time, load level, and available capacity, enabling adaptive load distribution that respects environment-specific capacity constraints.
3Ease of repair
If APN DNS entries are manually loaded and edited for maintenance activities, then network maintenance can be performed, but the process is cumbersome and can take hours, reducing maintenance windows
Solution Approach 1:
The APN DNS server implements self-service capabilities by automatically managing its own DNS response configurations based on real-time evaluation of EPC device responses. During maintenance activities, the server can dynamically adjust which EPC devices are promoted or demoted in the DNS response order without requiring manual intervention, automatically recovering when devices become available, thereby enabling rapid maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces dynamic behavior to the previously static APN DNS configuration. The APN DNS server continuously evaluates EPC device responses and dynamically adjusts DNS response priorities based on current network conditions, device availability, and maintenance status. This dynamic adaptation eliminates the need for time-consuming manual reconfiguration during maintenance activities.
4Device complexity
If conventional DNS treats all environments as having the same capacity, then the DNS system remains simple, but subscriber capacity in virtualized packet core cannot be managed dynamically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the APN DNS server pre-evaluate and rank multiple EPC devices based on their capacity and performance characteristics before actual subscriber connections are established. The server maintains an updated understanding of each device's capacity through preliminary probing and evaluation, enabling it to make informed routing decisions that adapt to dynamic virtualized packet core environments without requiring complex real-time calculations during connection establishment.
Data Source
AI summary
Determining a resolved DNS response based on one or more resolutions for a received APN DNS query is disclosed. A resolved DNS response can be based on real-time analysis of a first query and/or on historical resolution of a second query that is sufficiently similar to the first query. In an aspect, training queries can be employed to populate a data store with preferred DNS responses correlated to the training queries and associated network conditions. The data store can then be employed to evaluate a received query, and where sufficiently similar to a training query, corresponding resolution from the training query can be provided as a resolution for the received query. Moreover, as stored query information is determined to become stale, refreshment techniques are disclosed. Additionally, training queries can comprise anticipated queries and historical queries.