User plane function (UPF) load balancing based on special considerations for low latency traffic
AssigneeDISH Wireless L.L.C.
InventorsMehdi Alasti, Kazi Bashir, Ash Khamas, Ashish Bansal, Siddhartha Chenumolu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention flexibly controls the number of user planes in a communication system. In a communication system, a base station is in a local area network and at least one user plane function arranged in a cloud are connected. A determination is made as to whether or not a new user plane function should be added, taking into consideration: the traffic amount, from the maximum traffic amount using the local area network, of user data transferred by the at least one user plane function using the local area network; and an anticipated traffic amount of a new user plane function.
Claims14
A system, comprising:
- a memory that stores computer instructions;
- and
- a processor that executes the computer instructions to perform actions, the actions including:
- maintaining a plurality of load thresholds for each user plane function (UPF) of a plurality of UPFs in a cellular telecommunication network, wherein:
- 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 UPF depend on a respective capacity of each UPF to have PDU sessions anchored thereon;
- and
- an amount of load put on a UPF 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 UPF of the plurality of UPFs on which to anchor the PDU session based on whether traffic of the PDU session is identified as low latency and a location of the new UE;
- and
- anchoring the PDU session of the new UE to the selected UPF.
A method, comprising:
- electronically maintaining a plurality of load thresholds for each user plane function (UPF) of a plurality of UPFs in a cellular telecommunication network, wherein:
- 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 UPF depend on a respective capacity of each UPF to have PDU sessions anchored thereon;
- and
- an amount of load put on a UPF by a UE appearing in the cellular telecommunication network is assumed to be identical for all UEs appearing in the cellular telecommunication network;
- electronically receiving a request to anchor on a UPF a PDU session of a new UE newly appearing on the cellular telecommunication network;
- electronically selecting a UPF of the plurality of UPFs on which to anchor the PDU session based on whether traffic of the PDU session is identified as low latency and a location of the new UE;
- and
- electronically anchoring the PDU session of the new UE to the selected UPF.
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 user plane function (UPF) of a plurality of UPFs in a cellular telecommunication network, wherein:
- 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 UPF depend on a respective capacity of each UPF to have PDU sessions anchored thereon;
- and
- an amount of load put on a UPF 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 UPF of the plurality of UPFs on which to anchor the PDU session based on whether traffic of the PDU session is identified as low latency and a location of the new UE;
- and
- anchoring the PDU session of the new UE to the selected UPF.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.