Virtualized Session Management Entity Database Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing a large number of communication sessions in wireless access networks poses challenges, including inefficient use of processor, memory, and network bandwidth resources due to the need for multiple message exchanges when a Session Management Entity (SME) fails.

Innovation Solution

Implementing virtualized session management that allows a set of SMEs to share a session database, enabling any active SME to process messages for any communication session, without requiring NFs to be aware of the specific SME handling the session, thus eliminating the need for session re-establishment upon SME failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple message exchanges are used for session management in wireless access networks, then session management functionality is maintained, but processor, memory, and network bandwidth resources are inefficiently utilized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession management functionalityVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple Session Management Entities (SMEs) are merged into a single virtualized session management function that shares a common session database. This consolidation allows any active SME to process messages for any communication session without requiring multiple separate message exchanges between different management entities, thereby reducing processor, memory, and network bandwidth resource consumption while maintaining session management functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The virtualized session management function provides universal service by allowing any active SME to handle any communication session regardless of which SME originally established the session. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specialized session re-establishment procedures and reduces the overhead of message exchanges across the core network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If session re-establishment is performed when an SME fails, then session continuity is maintained, but message exchange overhead in the core network increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession continuityVSAvoidmessage exchange overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing a shared session database that all SMEs can access. When an SME fails, the session continuity is maintained through a simplified process where the failure is detected and the session is transferred to another active SME without requiring complex re-establishment message exchanges, as all necessary session information is already available in the shared database.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The shared session database acts as an intermediary that stores session information centrally, allowing any active SME to access and process session messages without needing to re-establish the session. This intermediary structure eliminates the need for extensive message exchanges during failover events while maintaining session continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If traditional session management is used with dedicated hardware, then session processing is reliable, but deployment is time-consuming and scaling is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession processing reliabilityVSAvoiddeployment speed and scalability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using dedicated physical hardware for session management, the system uses virtualized SMEs that can be deployed as software instances. Multiple virtual SMEs can be quickly instantiated and scaled as needed, with each virtual instance being a copy of the standardized session management function, enabling rapid deployment and flexible scaling without the constraints of physical hardware provisioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the fundamental parameter of session management implementation from dedicated hardware to virtualized software functions. This parameter change enables faster deployment and easier scaling, as virtual SMEs can be provisioned, modified, and scaled dynamically without the time-consuming processes associated with hardware deployment, while maintaining session processing reliability through virtualization best practices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12267905B2Systems and methods for virtualized session management

Publication Date: 2025.04.01 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

A device may include a processor configured to maintain a plurality of session management entities (SMEs) for a core network associated with a radio access network (RAN). The processor may be further configured to establish a communication session using a first SME, of the plurality of SMEs; store session data for the communication session in a communication session database accessible by each of the plurality of SMEs; receive, using a second SME of the plurality of SMEs, a message associated with the communication session; retrieve, using the second SME, session data for the communication session from the communication session database, based on receiving the message; and process, using the second SME, the message using the retrieved session data.