US 8,762,501 B2Granted

Implementing a 3G packet core in a cloud computer with openflow data and control planes

AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)

InventorsJames Kempf, Neda Beheshti-Zavareh, Ying Zhang, Tord K. Nilsson, Bengt E. Johansson, Sten Rune Pettersson, Harald Luning

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method for implementing a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) in a packet core (PC) of a third generation (3G) network having a split architecture where a control plane of the PC of the 3G network is in a cloud computing system, the cloud computing system including a controller, the controller to execute a plurality of control plane modules, the control plane to communicate with the data plane of the PC through a control plane protocol, the data plane implemented in a plurality of network elements of the 3G network by configuring switches implementing a data plane of the SGSN and GGSN and intermediate switches to establish a first and second GTP tunnel endpoint.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for implementing a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) in a packet core (PC) of a third generation (3G) network having a split architecture where a control plane of the PC of the 3G network is in a cloud computing system, the cloud computing system including a controller, the control plane to communicate with the data plane of the PC through a control plane protocol, the data plane implemented in a plurality of network elements of the 3G network separate from the cloud computing system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request by the controller to create a GTP tunnel in the PC of the 3G network between a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) for a subscriber session, the controller to execute a plurality of control plane modules that manage the data plane of the plurality of network elements via the control plane protocol;
configuring a switch implementing a data plane of the SGSN, via the control protocol, to encapsulate and decapsulate packets of the subscriber session and to establish a first GTP tunnel endpoint;
configuring at least one switch in a route of the GTP tunnel, via the control plane protocol, to forward packets of the subscriber session according to the GTP tunnel;
and
configuring a switch implementing a data plane of the GGSN, via the control plane protocol, to encapsulate and decapsulate the packets of the subscriber session and to establish a second GTP tunnel endpoint.

2 more elements

A cloud computing system for managing implementation of a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) in a packet core (PC) of a third generation (3G) network having a split architecture where a control plane of the PC of the 3G network is in the cloud computing system, the control plane to communicate with a data plane of the PC through a control plane protocol, the data plane implemented in a plurality of network elements of the 3G network separate from the cloud computing system, the cloud computing system comprising:

a plurality of servers in communication with one another and in communication with the plurality of network elements implementing the data plane of the PC, the plurality of servers executing,
a controller configured to execute a plurality of control plane modules implementing the control plane of the PC, each control plane module to provide a set of control plane functions for managing the data plane, the controller configured to receive a request to create a GTP tunnel in the PC of the 3G network between a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) for a subscriber session, the controller configured to configure a switch implementing a data plane of the SGSN, via the control plane protocol, to encapsulate and decapsulate packets of the subscriber session and to establish a first GTP tunnel endpoint, the controller configured to configure at least one switch in a route of the GTP tunnel, via the control plane protocol, to forward packets of the subscriber session according to the GTP tunnel, and the controller configured to configure a switch implementing a data plane of the GGSN, via the control plane protocol, to encapsulate and decapsulate the packets of the subscriber session and to establish a second GTP tunnel endpoint;
and
a cloud manager communicatively coupled to the controller, the cloud manager configured to manage execution of the plurality of control plane modules of the PC.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/220,471Filed 29 Aug 2011
Published: US 2013/0054761 A128 Feb 2013
Granted: 24 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04L 47/781
Architectures of resource allocation: centralised allocation of resources
H04L 12/4633
Interconnection of networks: interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
H04L 47/825
Miscellaneous aspects: involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
H04W 76/12
Connection setup: setup of transport tunnels