Session continuity between software-defined network-controlled and non-software-defined network-controlled wireless networks

A system comprising:

• a packet gateway that operates in a non-software-defined network (“SDN”)-controlled network;
• a plurality of SDN components that operate in an SDN-controlled network;
• an SDN controller that operates in the SDN-controlled network and that controls the plurality of SDN components, wherein the SDN controller is in communication, via a direct interface, with the packet gateway operating in the non-SDN-controlled network, and wherein the SDN controller comprises
• an SDN controller processor;
• and
• SDN controller memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the SDN controller processor, cause the SDN controller processor to perform operations comprising
• determining that a handover of a user equipment has occurred from a base station that operates under control of the SDN-controlled network to a further base station that operates under control of the non-SDN-controlled network,
• in response to determining that the handover of the user equipment has occurred, establishing over the direct interface between the SDN controller operating in the SDN-controlled network and the packet gateway operating in the non-SDN-controlled network, a tunnel through which to exchange handover data associated with the handover and a session IP address for a session in which the user equipment is involved, and
• providing, over the direct interface and through the tunnel, the handover data and the session IP address to the packet gateway;
• wherein the packet gateway comprises
• a packet gateway processor;
• and
• packet gateway memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the packet gateway processor to perform operations comprising
• receiving a request from the user equipment to establish a new session IP address, and
• determining, based upon a specification provided by an operator, whether to implement session continuity for the user equipment.

A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored herein that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

• determining that a handover of a user equipment has occurred from a base station that operates under control of a software-defined network (“SDN”)-controlled network to a further base station that operates under control of a non-SDN-controlled network;
• in response to determining that the handover of the user equipment has occurred, establishing over a direct interface between an SDN controller operating in the SDN-controlled network and a packet gateway operating in the non-SDN-controlled network, a tunnel through which to exchange handover data associated with the handover and a session IP address for a session in which the user equipment is involved;
• providing, over the direct interface and through the tunnel, the handover data and the session IP address to the packet gateway;
• receiving a request from the user equipment to establish a new session IP address;
• and
• determining, based upon a specification provided by an operator, whether to implement session continuity for the user equipment.