Initiating signaling in mobile management entity pools using workflows

• US 10,070,301 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seenappa, Vikram, Mhatre, Vivek, Kodaypak, Rajendra Prasad
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Cong
• Application Number:
  US15/642,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 455 9, 4554041- 2, 455418-420, 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for initiating signaling in mobile management entity pools using workflows. A processor can execute an orchestrator application. The processor can receive location data that indicates a geographic location at which a virtual mobility management entity has been instantiated and registered. The processor can obtain a mobility management entity topology that defines boundaries of two or more mobile management entity pools and identify, based on the location data, one of the mobility management entity pools in which the virtual mobility management entity is located. The processor can identify pool elements included in the mobility management entity pool, obtain a workflow for establishing and configuring the pool elements, and request establishment of signaling between the virtual mobile management entity and the pool elements.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving location data that indicates a geographic location associated with a virtual mobile management entity,

obtaining a mobile management entity topology that defines boundaries of a plurality of mobile management entity pools,

identifying, by the processor and based on the location data, a one of the plurality of mobile management entity pools in which the virtual mobile management entity is located,

identifying pool elements included in the one of the plurality of mobile management entity pools,

obtaining a workflow for establishing the pool elements, and

requesting establishment of signaling between the virtual mobile management entity and the pool elements.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the pool elements comprise peer nodes associated with the virtual mobile management entity.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

detecting a first geographic location associated with an eNodeB, the eNodeB being associated with the virtual mobile management entity;

determining if the first geographic location associated with the eNodeB has changed relative to a second geographic location associated with the eNodeB, the second geographic location being determined using a location database; and

in response to determining that the first geographic location has changed,

identifying a new mobile management entity pool associated with the first geographic location, and

adding the eNodeB to the new mobile management entity pool associated with the first geographic location.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein identifying the new mobile management entity pool comprises mapping the first geographic location to a table stored in the location database, and wherein the table identifies mobile management entity pools and geographic locations associated with the mobile management entity pools.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the workflow is obtained from an element management system via an application programming interface exposed by the element management system.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein establishing the signaling comprises sending, to the pool elements, configuration information used to establish the signaling.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor that executes an orchestrator application, location data that indicates a geographic location associated with a virtual mobile management entity;

obtaining, by the processor, a mobile management entity topology that defines boundaries of a plurality of mobile management entity pools;

identifying, by the processor and based on the location data, one of the plurality of mobile management entity pools in which the virtual mobile management entity is located;

identifying, by the processor, pool elements included in the one of the plurality of mobile management entity pools;

obtaining, by the processor, a workflow for establishing the pool elements; and

requesting, by the processor, establishment of signaling between the virtual mobile management entity and the pool elements.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a first geographic location associated with an eNodeB, the eNodeB being associated with the virtual mobile management entity;

determining if the first geographic location associated with the eNodeB has changed relative to a second geographic location associated with the eNodeB, the second geographic location being determined using a location database; and

in response to determining that the first geographic location has changed,

identifying a new mobile management entity pool associated with the first geographic location, and

adding the eNodeB to the new mobile management entity pool associated with the first geographic location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the new mobile management entity pool comprises mapping the first geographic location to a table stored in the location database, and wherein the table identifies mobile management entity pools and geographic locations associated with the mobile management entity pools.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the workflow is obtained from an element management system via an application programming interface exposed by the element management system.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the workflow comprises a directed graph that is executed by an element management system to establish the signaling.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein establishment of the signaling comprises sending, to the pool elements, configuration information that is used to establish the signaling.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the location data is received with a common language location identifier that identifies the virtual mobile management entity.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the pool elements comprise peer nodes associated with the virtual mobile management entity.

15. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving location data that indicates a geographic location associated with a virtual mobile management entity;

obtaining a mobile management entity topology that defines boundaries of a plurality of mobile management entity pools;

identifying, by the processor and based on the location data, a one of the plurality of mobile management entity pools in which the virtual mobile management entity is located;

identifying pool elements included in the one of the plurality of mobile management entity pools;

obtaining a workflow for establishing the pool elements; and

requesting establishment of signaling between the virtual mobile management entity and the pool elements.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

detecting a first geographic location associated with an eNodeB, the eNodeB being associated with the virtual mobile management entity;

determining if the first geographic location associated with the eNodeB has changed relative to a second geographic location associated with the eNodeB, the second geographic location being determined using a location database; and

in response to determining that the first geographic location has changed,

identifying a new mobile management entity pool associated with the first geographic location, and

adding the eNodeB to the new mobile management entity pool associated with the first geographic location.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein identifying the new mobile management entity pool comprises mapping the first geographic location to a table stored in the location database, and wherein the table identifies mobile management entity pools and geographic locations associated with the mobile management entity pools.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the workflow is obtained from an element management system via an application programming interface exposed by the element management system.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein establishing the signaling comprises sending, to the pool elements, configuration information used to establish the signaling.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the pool elements comprise peer nodes associated with the virtual mobile management entity.