Techniques for routing packets within an evolved packet core

A computer-implemented method for controlling wireless communications comprising:

• analyzing, at a virtual switch, a header of a packet to determine whether the packet is of a packet type to convey a control message in a payload of the packet, the control message corresponding to a request received from an endpoint device and comprising an indication of a request for a data session, an indication of a request to update an aspect of the data session or a request to terminate the data session;
• routing, responsive to a determination that the packet is not the packet type to convey a control message in the payload, the packet based on an indication of a destination in the header;
• retrieving, at the virtual switch of an evolved packet core (EPC) device responsive to a determination that the packet is the packet type to convey a control message in the payload, a device identifier of the endpoint device from the payload of the packet, the EPC device and the endpoint device coupled to a wireless network;
• selecting, at the virtual switch, a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) component of the EPC device to which to route the packet based at least on the device identifier;
• and
• granting, at the selected PCRF component, a data session to the endpoint device based on the indication of the request by the endpoint device for the data session conveyed in the payload, the data session comprising an exchange of data between the endpoint device and the EPC device through the wireless network.

An apparatus to control wireless communications comprising:

• a processor component;
• an interface to couple the processor component to a wireless network;
• and
• a virtual switch to:
• analyze a header of a packet to determine whether the packet is a packet type to convey a control message in a payload of the packet, the control message corresponding to a request received from an endpoint device and comprising at least one of an indication of the request for a data session, an indication of a request to update an aspect of the data session or a request to terminate the data session,
• responsive to a determination that the packet is not the packet type to convey a control message in the payload, route the packet based on an indication of a destination in the header,
• responsive to a determination that the packet is the packet type to convey a control message in the payload, retrieve a device identifier of the endpoint device from the payload of the packet and select a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) component to which to route the packet based at least on the device identifier matching another device identifier retrieved from another payload of another packet, the endpoint device coupled to the wireless network;
• and
• the selected PCRF component to update an aspect of the data session based on an indication of a request to update the aspect of the data session conveyed in the payload, the data session comprising an exchange of data between the endpoint device and the interface through the wireless network.

At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor component, cause the processor component to:

• analyze, at a virtual switch, a header of a packet to determine whether the packet is of a packet type to convey a control message in a payload of the packet, the control message corresponding to a request received from an endpoint device and comprising an indication of a request for a data session, an indication of a request to update an aspect of the data session or a request to terminate the data session;
• route, responsive to a determination that the packet is not the packet type to convey a control message in the payload, the packet based on an indication of a destination in the header;
• retrieve, at the virtual switch of an evolved packet core (EPC) device responsive to a determination that the packet is the packet type to convey a control message in the payload, a device identifier of the endpoint device from the payload of the packet, the EPC device and the endpoint device coupled to a wireless network;
• select, at the virtual switch, a policy charging and rules function (PCRF) component of the EPC device to which to route the packet based at least on the device identifier;
• and
• grant, at the selected PCRF component, a data session to the endpoint device based on the indication of the request by the endpoint device for the data session conveyed in the payload, the data session comprising an exchange of data between the endpoint device and the EPC device through the wireless network.