vBNG Static User Traffic Steering Across UP Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a network architecture with virtual broadband network gateways (vBNG), there is a challenge in dynamically routing traffic of static user terminals to appropriate user plane (UP) devices for accurate migration and maintaining service quality without changing their IP addresses, especially when sub-interfaces on different physical ports or devices need to be switched.
Innovation Solution
A communication method involving a control plane (CP) device that determines the location identifier of a static user terminal based on source information, sends this identifier to a UP steering function (USF) device to select the appropriate UP device, and configures the steering function to switch traffic between sub-interfaces on the same or different SF devices, ensuring precise user binding and source tracing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vBNG architecture with multiple UP devices is used to improve network utilization and reliability, then service quality and reliability are improved, but the complexity of dynamically routing traffic for static user terminals increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control plane (CP) device as an intermediary between user terminals and multiple UP devices. The CP device maintains a location identifier database that maps static user terminal source information to their current UP device locations, enabling automatic traffic routing without requiring changes to the static IP addresses of user terminals. This mediator handles the complexity of dynamic routing centrally, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high reliability through multiple UP devices.
2Productivity
If static user terminals are migrated to different UP devices for load balancing, then network utilization is improved, but maintaining accurate source tracing and service quality becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the CP device continuously updates the location identifier database with the current UP device assignments of static user terminals. When a user terminal migrates to a different UP device, the CP device detects this change and updates the corresponding location identifier record. This feedback loop ensures that the mapping between static IP addresses and current UP device locations remains accurate, enabling both load balancing across multiple UP devices and precise source tracing for service quality maintenance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic migration of static users is implemented across different physical ports and devices, then adaptability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring user location increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control plane (CP) device as an intermediary that maintains a centralized location identifier database. This database stores the mapping between static user terminal source information (IP addresses, MAC addresses) and their current physical location identifiers (SF device identifiers, physical port identifiers). The CP device receives traffic from any UP device and automatically queries the database to determine the current location of the static user terminal, thereby simplifying location detection regardless of how flexible the migration across different physical ports and devices may be.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application discloses a communication method, apparatus, device, and system, and a computer-readable storage medium, and relates to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: A CP device receives a first packet that is sent by a first UP device and that carries source information of a first user terminal; searches, based on the source information of the first user terminal, a correspondence between source information of a user terminal and a location identifier of the user terminal accessing a network, to determine a first location identifier of the first user terminal accessing a network; and sends the first location identifier to a USF device, so that the USF device can determine that the first user terminal accesses the network from a first physical port on a first SF device, and configure a second SF device by using a controller, to switch traffic from the first user terminal from a first sub-interface that is on the first SF device and that corresponds to the first UP device to a second sub-interface that is on the second SF device and that corresponds to a second UP device, thereby sending traffic of a static user to an appropriate UP device.