Transport Device Queue Mapping for Network Slice SLA Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack the ability to achieve fine-grained control over transport resources to enforce network slice-based Service Level Agreements (SLAs) due to the absence of GTP-U tunnel contexts at the transport domain level, making it difficult to manage traffic per network slice, per QoS, per flow, and per UE.
Innovation Solution
A transport system comprising a transport controller that receives GTP tunnel contexts from the radio access network and generates a map for each transport device, assigning contexts to queues within the device to achieve fine-grained control over traffic shaping and packet scheduling, thereby meeting SLAs for each service flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If GTP-U tunnel contexts are not exposed at the transport domain level, then the system maintains simplicity in transport domain architecture, but the ability to achieve fine-grained control over transport resources for network slice SLAs is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transport domain context exposure mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the radio access network and transport devices. This mechanism enables the transport domain to access and utilize GTP-U tunnel contexts without fundamentally altering the core transport domain architecture, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining architectural simplicity and achieving SLA enforcement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the context information into specific transport domain relevant parameters (such as TEID, QoS parameters, flow identifiers) that can be selectively exposed and utilized. This segmentation allows the system to access only the necessary context information for SLA enforcement without exposing the entire context structure, maintaining architectural simplicity while enabling fine-grained control.
2Reliability
If fine-grained control over transport resources is implemented, then network slice-based SLAs can be enforced effectively, but the complexity of traffic management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal traffic management framework that handles multiple network slice requirements through a common set of mechanisms and parameters. The transport devices use standardized QoS parameters and flow classification mechanisms that work across different network slices, reducing the complexity that would otherwise arise from implementing separate management systems for each slice type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes QoS parameter changes and updates in the GTP-U context to dynamically adjust traffic management behavior. By leveraging existing parameter structures (such as QoS Class Identifier, guaranteed bit rate, maximum bit rate) and updating them based on network slice requirements, the system achieves fine-grained control without introducing complex new parameter sets or management mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If GTP-U tunnel contexts are accessed at the transport level, then traffic per network slice, per QoS, per flow, and per UE can be managed, but the information availability requirements at transport domain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the specific transport domain relevant information from the complete GTP-U tunnel context. Instead of requiring full context availability at the transport level, the system extracts and utilizes only the necessary parameters (such as TEID, QoS parameters, flow identifiers, UE identifiers) that are needed for traffic management, reducing the information availability burden while maintaining versatile traffic management capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises one or more devices. The devices are configured to: receive a context associated with a flow of packets between a User Equipment device (UE) and a network slice in a wireless network; obtain one or more policy rules; apply the policy rules to the context and a model of a transport device to generate or update a map that assigns one or more contexts to queues within the transport device; and send the map to the transport device. The transport device is configured to: adjust parameters of the queues based on the map; shape traffic from each of the queues; schedule packets from the queues; and forward the scheduled packets.