UE Context Storage Separation for Service Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In existing SAE network architectures, when a network element fails, the context information of user equipment (UE) is deleted, leading to service interruptions and the UE does not perceive the fault, resulting in unavailable services until it re-registers with the network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a separated architecture where context information of UE is independently stored in a storage apparatus, allowing it to be retrieved even if the processing network element becomes faulty, enabling uninterrupted service resumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If context information is stored in the processing network element, then the system structure is simple, but the service is interrupted when the network element fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network element into two independent parts: a processing network element (PNE) for computation and a storage network element (SNE) for data persistence. This segmentation allows the context information to be stored separately from the processing function, ensuring that PNE failure does not result in data loss or service interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data management network element (DMNE) as an intermediary that coordinates between the PNE and SNE. The DMNE manages the data distribution policy and facilitates data access, enabling the PNE to retrieve context information from the SNE after failure without direct PNE-SNE coupling.
2Reliability
If context information is stored locally in the network element, then data access is fast, but data is lost when the network element resets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-storing context information in the SNE before the PNE fails. The data distribution policy is established in advance, ensuring that when the PNE recovers from failure, the context information is already available in the SNE, eliminating the need for time-consuming data recovery or re-registration procedures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If computation and storage are integrated in the same network element, then the system is simple to manage, but resource allocation is inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the integrated computation-storage system into separate PNE and SNE components. This allows independent provisioning, scaling, and management of computation and storage resources, enabling flexible resource allocation based on varying network demands without increasing operational complexity through standardized interfaces and policies.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication data processing method, an apparatus, and a system. A communication data processing method includes: acquiring, by a processing apparatus, a data distribution policy, where the data distribution policy includes storage information of a storage apparatus, where the storage apparatus is configured to store context information of a user equipment UE; and saving, by the processing apparatus, context information of a UE into the storage apparatus according to the data distribution policy, or acquiring context information of a UE from the storage apparatus according to the data distribution policy. In the embodiments of the present invention, context information of a UE is independently stored in a storage apparatus, which is separated from a processing apparatus that performs UE-related signaling processing and data plane forwarding processing, so that after a processing network element or a processing node becomes faulty, the context information of the UE can be acquired from a storage network element or a storage node. In this case, a service of the UE may be resumed according to the acquired context information, and uninterrupted service processing is achieved even if the processing network element is faulty or the processing node is faulty, thereby improving security and reliability of processing.