URSP Rule Migration for Seamless NSA to SA Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in maintaining session continuity and providing desired network slicing features when user equipment (UE) roams from a non-standalone (NSA) network to a standalone (SA) network, as NSA networks do not support network slicing, leading to degraded user experience and the need for cumbersome workarounds like rebooting or airplane mode.
Innovation Solution
The UE is provided with updated User Equipment Route Selection (URSP) rules during registration in the SA network, including flags for seamless session migration, allowing ongoing sessions to continue without interruption by mapping them to appropriate access points and network slices, ensuring per-application treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If UE roams from NSA network to SA network, then network slicing features become available, but session continuity is lost requiring reboot or airplane mode
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing session information and URSP rules in the UE before network transition. When roaming from NSA to SA network, the UE retrieves pre-stored session information and applies pre-configured URSP rules to maintain session continuity without requiring reboot. This preliminary preparation enables seamless migration while gaining network slicing capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If UE maintains session during NSA to SA handover, then user experience improves, but complex signaling and coordination are required
Solution Approach 1:
The AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) acts as an intermediary that coordinates the handover process between NSA and SA networks. It manages the signaling interaction, retrieves session information, and orchestrates the transition while the UE simply follows instructions. This intermediary approach simplifies the UE's role and manages the complexity centrally in the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE autonomously applies URSP (User Equipment Route Selection Policy) rules to its own session management during handover. The system enables self-service by allowing the UE to independently retrieve stored session information and apply appropriate routing policies without requiring complex external coordination for each session, thereby improving ease of operation while managing complexity.
3Reliability
If UE applies URSP rules with migration flags, then session migration becomes seamless, but additional signaling overhead is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by introducing migration flags specifically in the URSP rules that are directly related to session migration, rather than overhauling the entire signaling protocol. These targeted flags are embedded only where needed in the URSP rule structure, enabling seamless session migration while minimizing additional signaling overhead by affecting only specific portions of the existing signaling framework.
Data Source
AI summary
In some implementations, a network device may transmit user equipment (UE) route selection (URSP) rules during a registration of a UE with a non-standalone (NSA) network, wherein the URSP rules exclude network slicing related rules based on a lack of network slicing support in the NSA network. The network device may transmit, in response to a handover of the UE from the NSA network to a standalone (SA) network that supports network slicing, updated URSP rules during a registration of the UE with the SA network, wherein the updated URSP rules include a flag in each rule that controls the mode of migration of ongoing session(s) at the UE from the NSA network to the SA network during mobility procedures.