Framework for Traffic Engineering in Software Defined Networking

A traffic engineering (TE) component in a software defined network (SDN), comprising:

• a first interface configured to receive a first TE information from a core network component in a core network and a second TE information from a radio access network (RAN) component in a RAN;
• and
• a second interface configured to transmit a TE decision to at least one node in the SDN,
• wherein the TE decision determined according to the first TE information and the second TE information, and the TE decision comprising at least one end-to-end path solutions according to a flow-path format or a flow-link format.

A method for traffic engineering (TE) in a software defined network (SDN), the method comprising:

• transmitting, by a radio access network (RAN) component in a RAN, a second TE information to a TE component;
• and
• receiving, by the RAN component, a data packet from a source node;
• wherein the data packet carrying a data header generated based on a TE decision,
• wherein the TE decision determined according to a first TE information generating from a core network component in a core network and the second TE information, and the TE decision comprising at least one end-to-end path solutions based on a flow-path format or flow-link format.

A radio access network (RAN) component in a RAN, comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit a second TE information to a traffic engineering (TE) TE component in a software defined network (SDN);
• and
• a receiver configured to receive a data packet from a source node;
• wherein the data packet carrying a data header generated based on a TE decision,
• wherein the TE decision determined according to a first TE information generating from a core network component in a core network and the second TE information, and the TE decision comprising at least one end-to-end path solutions based on a flow-path format or a flow-link format.