Communication management in networks having split control planes and user planes

• US 20020006114A1
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ibanez, Juan-Antonio, Bjelland, Frode
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections

Abstract

Methods of re-establishing a connection between a radio network node and a core network having a control plane entity and a user plane entity in a communication network and of detecting faulty communication paths or re-started entities in such networks are provided. A control-plane entity sends an event in accordance with a media gateway control protocol to the user-plane entity that orders the user-plane entity to notify the control-plane entity when user-plane traffic is received from another network node or when a faulty path or re-started peer is discovered. In response to an order by the control-plane entity, a connection between the radio network node and the user-plane entity can be re-established. Heartbeat messages and heartbeat acknowledgment messages are sent through a communication path, and if a heartbeat acknowledgment message has not been received, the control-plane entity is notified of the faulty path. The heartbeat acknowledgment messages may include re-start counter values that are used to discover re-started peers.

Claims

1. A method of re-establishing a connection between a radio network node and a core network having a control plane entity and a user plane entity in a communication network, comprising the steps of:

sending, by the control-plane entity to a user-plane entity, an event in accordance with a media gateway control protocol, wherein the event orders the user-plane entity to notify the control-plane entity when user-plane traffic is received from another network node;

releasing the connection between the radio network node and the user-plane entity;

receiving user-plane traffic at the user-plane entity and in response notifying the control-plane entity of this receipt; and

re-establishing the connection between the radio network node and the user-plane entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding the received user-plane traffic from the user-plane entity towards the radio network node after the connection has been re-established.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection is re-established in response to an order by the control-plane entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network provides general packet radio service.

5. A method of detecting a faulty path in a communication network having a control-plane entity and a user-plane entity, comprising the steps of:

sending, from the control-plane entity to the user-plane entity, an event in accordance with a media gateway control protocol, wherein the event orders the user-plane entity to notify the control-plane entity when the user-plane entity discovers a faulty path;

sending at least one heartbeat message through the path;

determining whether a heartbeat acknowledgment message has been received through the path; and

if a heartbeat acknowledgment message has not been received, notifying the control-plane entity of the faulty path.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of sending, from the control-plane entity to the user-plane entity, a signal in accordance with the media gateway control protocol, wherein the signal orders the user-plane entity to send heartbeat messages through the path.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication network provides general packet radio service.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication network is a circuit-switched network using packet bearers.

9. A method of detecting a re-started user-plane peer in a communication network having a control-plane entity and a user-plane entity, comprising the steps of:

sending, from the control-plane entity to the user-plane entity, an event in accordance with a media gateway control protocol, wherein the event orders the user-plane entity to notify the control-plane entity when the user-plane entity discovers a re-started user-plane peer;

sending successive heartbeat messages to a user-plane peer;

receiving successive heartbeat acknowledgment messages from the user-plane peer, wherein the heartbeat acknowledgment messages include re-start counter values;

comparing re-start counter values of successive pairs of received heartbeat acknowledgment messages from a user-plane peer; and

if the comparison indicates that the user-plane peer has been re-started, notifying the control-plane entity of the re-started user-plane peer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of sending, from the control-plane entity to the user-plane entity, a signal in accordance with the media gateway control protocol, wherein the signal orders the user-plane entity to send heartbeat messages to the user-plane peer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication network provides general packet radio service.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication network is a circuit-switched network using packet bearers.