Method of operating a network entity

• US 10,601,734 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Heinonen, Johanna, Flinck, Hannu, Partti, Tapio Sakari, Hillo, Jarmo Tapio
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Agureyev, Vladislav Y
• Application Number:
  US15/323,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

Method of operating a network entity A method of operating a network entity of a network comprising a gateway (200) is provided, wherein the method comprises dynamically changing a packet processing resource (204, 227) in the gateway (200).

Claims

1. A method of operating a network entity of a network comprising a gateway, the method comprising:

dynamically changing a packet processing resource, wherein

the packet processing resource comprises a General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) termination point in the gateway, wherein

the gateway comprises a cloud comprising a virtual switch connected to a fast path switch, wherein

the changing the General Packet Radio Services Tunneling Protocol termination point is initiated by a trigger, and the trigger is generated based on a detection of a transmitted packet matching a user equipment specific rule defined in policy and charging control rules or application detection and control rules.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet processing resources is at least one of packet processing resources selected out of the group consisting of GTP termination point and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) termination point.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gateway is a virtualized gateway.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the gateway further comprises a fast path node including the fast path switch, and

wherein the user data packets arrive at the gateway via the fast path switch.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual switch of the cloud and the fast path switch operate on the same communication protocol.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the fast path switch acts as a router or a forwarder.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating flow entries to a fast path connecting the cloud and the fast path node, wherein the generating is performed at a high priority.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising moving a session from one processing point to another one.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selected packet flow forwarding to the cloud.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising exchanging a message including at least one field, wherein a value of the field is indicative of at least one value selected out of the group consisting of value indicative of an ability of a GTP termination point to be changed, and a value identifying the GTP termination point to be changed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one field is implemented in policy and charging control rules or application detection and control rules.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving the policy and charging control rules or the application detection and control rules at a software defined networking controller.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the policy and charging control rules or application detection and control rules are transmitted to a gateway via policy and charging rules function.

14. A network entity comprising at least one controller and at least one processing unit

adapted to perform a method according to claim 1.

15. A network comprising the network entity according to claim 14 and a second network entity comprising at least one controller and at least one processing unit, wherein the network entity and second network entity are connected to each other by a communication link.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which a computer program is stored, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method according to claim 1.