US 11,381,491 B2 · System and method for load balancing of network packets received from a MME with smart clustering

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring one or more Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) with a plurality of scalable Virtual Machines (VM)/probes arranged in a cluster format. A ciphered packet is received from a MME at a smart cluster device/probe whereby data is aggregated from the individual clustered VMs/probes for distribution to a monitoring device. The smart cluster device/probe is preferably configured to decipher the ciphered packet received from the MME and extract metadata from the deciphered packet to identify subscriber information for the received packet. The deciphered packet is then distributed to one of the plurality of clustered probes to balance the load amongst the plurality of clustered probes. The balancing of loads is based upon prescribed load balancing criteria such that each packet received for an identified subscriber is sent to a same probe such that load balancing is performed on a per subscriber basis and/or with other state-based criteria. KPI session related data associated with a subscriber is generated in a clustered probe that receives the distributed packet from the smart cluster device/probe. Subscriber related data from each clustered probe is then aggregated with at least one monitoring device operably coupled to the clustered probes such that a user of the monitoring device is provided with the perception that the monitoring device is coupled to a single probe.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method for monitoring one or more Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) with a plurality of Virtual Machines (VM) arranged in a cluster format to aggregate data from the clustered VMs for distribution to one or more monitoring devices, comprising:

receiving a ciphered packet from a MME at a VM smart cluster device;
deciphering the ciphered packet in the VM smart cluster device for extracting metadata from the deciphered packet to identify subscriber information for the received packet;
distributing the deciphered packet to one of the plurality of VMs to balance the load amongst the plurality of VMs based upon prescribed load balancing criteria such that each packet received for an identified subscriber is sent to a same VM for performing load balancing on a per subscriber basis;
generating KPI session related data associated with a subscriber in one of the plurality of VMs that receives the distributed packet from the VM smart cluster device;
and
aggregating subscriber related data from each VM in at least one monitoring device operably coupled to the plurality of VMs wherein the at least one monitoring device is configured to perform on-demand analysis of subscriber packet information that includes aggregated subscriber information received from the plurality of VMs such that subscriber data is aggregated from each of the plurality of VMs and wherein the prescribed criteria for load balancing is prescribed by the at least one monitoring device, wherein the data generated in each VM includes Adaptive Service Intelligence (ASI) data and wherein the VM smart cluster device is configured to extract the metadata using state machine processing and wherein the metadata consists of IMSI and IMEI-SV information utilized to generate the ASI data.

3 more elements

A computer system for monitoring one or more Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), comprising:

a VM smart cluster device coupled to one or more of the MMEs for receiving a ciphered packet from each of the coupled MMEs and deciphering the ciphered packet for extracting metadata from the deciphered packet to identify subscriber information for the received packet;
a plurality of VMs operatively coupled the VM smart cluster device for distributing the deciphered packet to one of the plurality of VMs to balance the load amongst the plurality of VMs based upon prescribed load balancing criteria such that each packet received for an identified subscriber is sent to a same VM for performing load balancing on a per subscriber basis wherein each of the plurality of VMs is configured to generate KPI session related data associated with a subscriber;
and
at least one monitoring device operably coupled to the plurality of VMs configured to aggregate subscriber related data from each coupled VM wherein the at least one monitoring device is configured to perform on-demand analysis of subscriber packet information that includes aggregated subscriber information received from the plurality of VMs such that subscriber data is aggregated from each of the plurality of VMs and wherein the prescribed criteria for load balancing is prescribed by the at least one monitoring device wherein the VM smart cluster device is configured to extract the metadata using state machine processing which metadata consists of IMSI and IMEI-SV information and wherein each VM is configured to generate Adaptive Service Intelligence (ASI) data regarding received subscriber packets utilizing the IMSI and IMEI-SV information.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for load balancing of network packets received from a MME with smart clustering

Life of this patent

System and method for load balancing of network packets received from a MME with smart clustering

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14