Offloading running a needed edge application to a neighboring basestation in a mobile data network

A mobile data network comprising:

• a plurality of basestations, each basestation communicating with a corresponding antenna that transmits and receives radio signals to and from user equipment, wherein the plurality of basestations are part of a radio access network that communicates with a core network in the mobile data network, each basestation comprising:
• a breakout component connected to a NodeB in the basestation and connected to an upstream computer system, the breakout component comprising:
• a system controller that controls function of the breakout component;
• a service processor that monitors the breakout component and provides control functions for the breakout component;
• a security subsystem that provides secure access to keys stored in a non-volatile memory;
• and
• a telco breakout system that defines an existing first data path in the radio access network for non-broken out data, defines a second data path for broken out data, identifies first data corresponding to first user equipment received from a corresponding basestation as data to be broken out, sends the first data on the second data path, and forwards other data that is not broken out on the first data path, wherein the breakout component provides a first service with respect to internet protocol (IP) data sent to the first user equipment in response to an IP data request in the first data from the first user equipment by performing the steps of:
• registering all edge applications running on the breakout component with an edge application registry in the core network;
• determining edge applications running on neighboring breakout components from the edge application registry in the core network that do not have radio communication with the first user equipment;
• determining when the breakout component is not hosting an edge application requested by the first user equipment, and in response, identifying a neighboring breakout component that is running the requested edge application, and offloading work to the requested edge application in the neighboring breakout component via an overlay network that interconnects the breakout component to the neighboring breakout component while the breakout component maintains a session for the user equipment;
• when no neighboring breakout component is running the requested edge application, determining when the neighboring breakout component can run the requested edge application, starting the requested edge application on the neighboring breakout component, and offloading the work to the requested edge application in the neighboring breakout component via the overlay network while the breakout component maintains the session for the user equipment;
• and
• when no neighboring breakout component is running the requested edge application, and no neighboring breakout component can run the requested edge application, requesting a service provided by the requested edge application from a component upstream in the mobile data network.

A method for processing data packets in a mobile data network that includes a radio access network coupled to a core network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a plurality of antennas sending and receiving network messages between user equipment and a plurality of basestations in the radio access network, each basestation communicating with a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas;
• a breakout component in the one of the plurality of basestations connected to first user equipment that performs the steps of:
• defining an existing first data path in the radio access network for non-broken out data;
• defining a second data path for broken out data;
• identifying first data received from a corresponding basestation as data to be broken out;
• sending the first data on the second data path;
• forwarding other data that is not broken out on the first data path;
• and
• providing a first service with respect to internet protocol (IP) data sent to the first user equipment in response to an IP data request in the first data from the first user equipment by determining when the breakout component is not hosting an edge application requested by the first user equipment, and in response, identifying a neighboring breakout component that is running the requested edge application, and offloading work to the requested edge application in the neighboring breakout component via an overlay network that interconnects the breakout component to the neighboring breakout component while the breakout component maintains a session for the user equipment;
• registering all edge applications running on the breakout component with an edge application registry in the core network;
• determining edge applications running on the neighboring breakout components from the edge application registry in the core network;
• and
• identifying the neighboring breakout component that is running the requested edge application.

A method for processing data packets in a mobile data network that includes a radio access network coupled to a core network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a plurality of antennas sending and receiving network messages between user equipment and a plurality of basestations in the radio access network, each basestation communicating with a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas;
• providing a breakout component in one of the plurality of basestations, the breakout component comprising:
• a system controller that controls function of the breakout component;
• a service processor that monitors the breakout component and provides control functions for the breakout component;
• a security subsystem that provides secure access to keys stored in a non-volatile memory;
• and
• a telco breakout system that performs the steps of:
• defining an existing first data path in the radio access network for non-broken out data;
• defining a second data path for broken out data;
• identifying first data received from first user equipment as data to be broken out;
• sending the first data on the second data path;
• forwarding other data that is not broken out on the first data path;
• providing a first service with respect to internet protocol (IP) data sent to the first user equipment in response to an IP data request in the first data from the first user equipment by performing the steps of:
• registering all edge applications running on the breakout component with an edge application registry in the core network;
• determining edge applications running on neighboring breakout components from the edge application registry in the core network;
• determining when the breakout component is not hosting an edge application requested by the first user equipment, and in response, identifying a neighboring breakout component that is running the requested edge application, and offloading work to the requested edge application in the neighboring breakout component via an overlay network that interconnects the breakout component to the neighboring breakout component while the breakout component maintains a session for the user equipment;
• when no neighboring breakout component is running the requested edge application, determining when the neighboring breakout component can run the requested edge application, starting the requested edge application on the neighboring breakout component, and offloading work to the requested edge application in the neighboring breakout component via the overlay network while the breakout component maintains a session for the user equipment;
• and
• when no neighboring breakout component is running the requested edge application, and no neighboring breakout component can run the requested edge application, requesting a service provided by the requested edge application from a component upstream in the mobile data network.