Single-Layer VNF Routing for Mobile Network Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud-based mobile networking faces challenges in scalability and mobility management, as existing architectures often require multiple cloud hops, which increase delays and costs, while maintaining minimal hops is essential for optimal performance.
Innovation Solution
A scalable all-in-1 architecture is proposed, where core network and radio access network functions are implemented in a single layer of virtualized network function components, with a routing arrangement that minimizes cloud hops by directly routing traffic to the correct virtualized network function component and updating routes as user equipment moves, maintaining only one cloud hop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traffic is routed through multiple cloud hops to reach virtualized network function components, then routing flexibility and network architecture flexibility are improved, but delays and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The routing arrangement pre-establishes routing information mapping logical addresses to physical addresses of virtualized network function components before traffic needs to be routed. This preliminary mapping allows direct routing without multiple cloud hops, reducing delays while maintaining routing flexibility through the ability to update mappings as components move or are created.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the network architecture uses multiple cloud hops to support mobility of user equipment, then mobility support capability is improved, but the number of hops and associated costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The routing arrangement dynamically updates routing information as virtualized network function components move or are created. The system maintains a mapping between logical addresses (which remain stable) and physical addresses (which change with component movement). This dynamic updating enables mobility support without requiring multiple cloud hops, as the routing information is refreshed to reflect new component locations.
3Productivity
If legacy software based networking is converted to virtualized network functions using cloud based computing, then scalability and resource utilization are improved, but the complexity of managing virtual resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The routing arrangement acts as an intermediary layer between the logical addressing system and the physical virtualized network function components. It maintains and manages the mapping between logical addresses (which applications and users interact with) and physical addresses (which change as components are created, moved, or scaled). This intermediary simplifies virtual resource management by abstracting the complexity of component mobility and scaling from the rest of the system.
4Device complexity
If a single layer of virtualized network function components is used to implement core and radio access network functions, then device complexity is reduced, but routing precision and ability to reach correct components during mobility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The routing arrangement implements a feedback mechanism where it continuously monitors the state of virtualized network function components and updates routing information accordingly. When components are created, moved, or scaled, the routing arrangement receives feedback about these changes and updates its mapping between logical and physical addresses. This feedback loop ensures routing precision is maintained despite the simplified single-layer architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an arrangement in a mobile communication network infrastructure are provided. The solution comprises implementing (300) core network and radio access network parts of the mobile communication network utilising a single layer of virtualized network function (VNF) components, where a given VNF component is designated to serve a given user equipment. At least part of traffic directed to given user equipment is routed (302) through a routing arrangement comprising a set of routers to the VNF component serving the user equipment. When the VNF component serving the user equipment is changed, the routing arrangement is updated (304) with the change.