User plane function (UPF) load balancing supporting multiple slices

A method, comprising:

• maintaining a plurality of load thresholds for each network slice of a plurality of network slices, wherein:
• each network slice of each respective set of network slices comprises of a set of virtual network resources and network traffic flows associated with the network slice and represents an independent virtualized instance of a network defined by allocation of a subset of available network resources in the cellular telecommunication network;
• each network slice of the plurality of network slices is supported by a respective user plane function (UPF) of a plurality of UPFs in a cellular telecommunication network;
• the plurality of UPFs serve as anchor points between user equipment (UE) in the cellular telecommunication network and a data network (DN);
• each UPF of the plurality of UPFs is a virtual network function responsible for interconnecting packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the user equipment (UE) and the DN by anchoring the PDU sessions on individual UPFs;
• the plurality of load thresholds for each network slice depend on a respective capacity of each network slice and total capacity of each UPF supporting each network slice to have PDU sessions anchored thereon;
• and
• an amount of load put on a network slice by a UE appearing in the cellular telecommunication network is assumed to be identical for all UEs appearing in the cellular telecommunication network;
• receiving a request to anchor on a UPF a PDU session of a new UE newly appearing on the cellular telecommunication network;
• selecting a network slice of the plurality of network slices on which to anchor the PDU session based on a location of the new UE and determined load-regions for each network slice of the plurality of network slices defined by the plurality of load thresholds;
• and
• anchoring the PDU session of the new UE to the selected network slice and the respective UPF supporting the selected network slice,
• wherein the selecting a network slice of the plurality of network slices includes:
• generating weights for selecting the network slice based on the determined load-regions;
• selecting the network slice based on the generated weights;
• generating multiple load-regions, wherein each load-region corresponds to a different range of current load of a network slice defined by one or more of lower and upper threshold percentages of network slice load capacity;
• in response to receiving the request to anchor the PDU session, for each network slice of the plurality of network slices, determining a load region from the multiple load-regions that a current load of the network slice falls within;
• and
• selecting a network slice of the plurality of network slices based on the determined load-regions for the plurality of network slices and the weights generated based on the determined load regions.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computer processor, cause actions to be performed including:

• maintaining a plurality of load thresholds for each network slice of a plurality of network slices, wherein:
• each network slice of each respective set of network slices comprises of a set of virtual network resources and network traffic flows associated with the network slice and represents an independent virtualized instance of a network defined by allocation of a subset of available network resources in the cellular telecommunication network;
• each network slice of the plurality of network slices is supported by a respective user plane function (UPF) of a plurality of UPFs in a cellular telecommunication network;
• the plurality of UPFs serve as anchor points between user equipment (UE) in the cellular telecommunication network and a data network (DN);
• each UPF of the plurality of UPFs is a virtual network function responsible for interconnecting packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the user equipment (UE) and the DN by anchoring the PDU sessions on individual UPFs;
• the plurality of load thresholds for each network slice depend on a respective capacity of each network slice and total capacity of each UPF supporting each network slice to have PDU sessions anchored thereon;
• and
• an amount of load put on a network slice by a UE appearing in the cellular telecommunication network is assumed to be identical for all UEs appearing in the cellular telecommunication network;
• receiving a request to anchor on a UPF a PDU session of a new UE newly appearing on the cellular telecommunication network;
• selecting a network slice of the plurality of network slices on which to anchor the PDU session based on a location of the new UE and determined load-regions for each network slice of the plurality of network slices defined by the plurality of load thresholds;
• and
• anchoring the PDU session of the new UE to the selected network slice and the respective UPF supporting the selected network slice,
• wherein the selecting a network slice of the plurality of network slices includes:
• generating weights for selecting the network slice based on the determined load-regions;
• selecting the network slice based on the generated weights;
• generating multiple load-regions, wherein each load-region corresponds to a different range of current load of a network slice defined by one or more of lower and upper threshold percentages of network slice load capacity;
• in response to receiving the request to anchor the PDU session, for each network slice of the plurality of network slices, determining a load region from the multiple load-regions that a current load of the network slice falls within;
• and
• selecting a network slice of the plurality of network slices based on the determined load-regions for the plurality of network slices and the weights generated based on the determined load regions.