User Plane Function Instance Coordination for 5G Traffic Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data networks face challenges in efficiently processing user plane traffic in a highly parallel fashion while ensuring consistent access to shared resources, particularly in high-bandwidth environments like 5G mobile communication networks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method that includes a subscriber and session collector circuit and a load balancing circuit to coordinate multiple instances of user plane traffic processing. These circuits collect subscriber and user plane session data and select appropriate user plane function instances to process user plane data, ensuring optimal and consistent use of shared resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple instances of user plane traffic processing are implemented in parallel, then processing efficiency and productivity are improved, but data consistency and reliability of shared resources deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user plane processing by assigning dedicated shared resources to specific user plane function instances. Each instance has its own dedicated shared resources (memory, processing units) that are isolated from other instances, allowing parallel processing without data consistency conflicts. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling multiple instances to operate simultaneously while maintaining data consistency through resource isolation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If shared resources are used by multiple subscribers, then resource utilization and adaptability are improved, but load balancing and data consistency become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmentation by creating dedicated shared resources for each user plane functioninstance. Instead of multiple subscribers sharing a common resource pool which requires complex load balancing, each instance has its own isolated shared resources. This maintains resource sharing capability while eliminating the complexity of coordinating access across multiple subscribers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces user plane function instances as intermediaries between subscribers and shared resources. Each instance acts as a mediator that has dedicated shared resources assigned to it, simplifying the resource allocation mechanism. The intermediary structure eliminates the need for complex load balancing algorithms while maintaining the ability to serve multiple subscribers through parallel instances.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of coordinating multiple instances of user plane traffic processing in a data network is described. The method includes the following steps: receiving control plane data from at least one basis station by a control plane of the data network, wherein the control plane data is associated with at least two subscribers connected to the at least one basis station; generating subscriber and user plane session data based on the received control plane data by a subscriber and session collector module, wherein the subscriber and user plane session data is associated with the at least two subscribers; selecting a user plane function instance out of a plurality of user plane function instances based on the subscriber and user plane session data by a load balancing module, wherein the selected user plane function instance is associated with exactly one subscriber; receiving user plane data from the at least one basis station, wherein the user plane data is associated with the at least two subscribers; and processing at least a portion of the user plane data by the selected user plane function instance. Further, a data network is described.