UPF Handover Capability Signaling for PDU Session Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication networks face challenges in optimizing user plane traffic during handover situations, particularly in wireless environments, due to outdated TCP protocols and lack of real-time information about handover events, leading to suboptimal QoS and QoE for high-demand services like video streaming.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves enhancing the UPF node's capability to modify session traffic in response to handover events by integrating real-time handover information, allowing for optimized traffic management through the SMF, PCF, and AMF nodes, enabling dynamic adjustments based on subscriber, application, and network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the UPF node modifies session traffic in response to handover events, then bandwidth efficiency and network resource utilization improve, but device complexity and protocol overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing capability indications during the association phase between UPF and SMF nodes, and during PDU session creation. The UPF node declares its handover modification capability in advance, allowing the network to proactively configure optimal traffic modification parameters before handover events occur, thereby improving bandwidth efficiency while managing complexity through advance planning
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms through policy control create response messages that convey whether session traffic should be modified in response to handover. The SMF node receives capability indications from UPF and provides feedback through policy decisions, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes bandwidth efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity through structured information exchange
2Reliability
If real-time handover information is integrated into traffic management, then QoS and QoE improve, but system complexity and information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex task of real-time handover management into distinct functional components: capability indication at association level, policy decision at SMF level, and execution at UPF level. This segmentation allows each node to handle specific aspects of handover information, improving QoS through coordinated action while reducing overall system complexity through functional decomposition
Solution Approach 2:
The SMF node acts as an intermediary between UPF and other network functions, managing the flow of handover information and coordinating traffic modification decisions. This intermediary role simplifies the system architecture by centralizing the processing logic at the SMF, which already has contextual awareness of PDU sessions, thereby improving QoS without proportionally increasing system complexity
3Productivity
If the UPF node selects based on handover modification capability, then traffic management optimization improves, but selection criteria complexity and decision-making overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the selection parameter from evaluating multiple complex traffic management capabilities to a simple binary capability indication. The UPF node declares whether it supports handover-based traffic modification, and the SMF uses this single parameter for selection. This parameter simplification maintains traffic management optimization while significantly reducing selection criteria complexity and decision-making overhead
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a user plane function UPF node of a core network CN for a communication network is provided. An association message is transmitted to a session management function SMF node of the CN. The association message includes an indication that the UPF node supports a capability to modify session traffic in response to a handover. A session establishment request message is received from the SMF node. The session establishment request message includes an indication to modify session traffic of a protocol data unit PDU session for the communication device in response to handover. Methods relating to session management function SMF nodes and policy control function PCF nodes are also provided.