Method and system for applying a multi-protocol label switching network in general packet radio service

• US 20030142643A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Yang, Jen-Shun, Wang, Chien-Hsin, Tseng, Chien-Chao, Liu, Jen-Chi
• Granted Patent: US 7,170,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for applying a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network in general packet radio service (GPRS). The MPLS network is established by multiple differentiated service (DS) domains. Each DS domain is constructed by multiple label switching routers (LSRs) and label edge routers (LERs). The LER provides at least a service GPRS supporting node (SGSN) connected to a wireless network base station, and a gate GPRS supporting node (GGSN) connected to a packet switching network. At a signalling plane, IP addresses of all SGSNs and GGSNs are utilized to establish all one-to-one pre-created label switching paths (LSPs) in the MPLS network of the GPRS backbone network. At a transmission plane, the pre-created LSP and LSP tunneling transmit packets between SGSN and GGSN.

Claims

1. A system for applying a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network in general packet radio service (GPRS), the MPLS network being established by multiple differentiated service (DS) domains, each DS domain constructed by multiple label switching routers (LSRs) and label edge routers (LERs), the system comprising:

at least a LER for use as a service GPRS supporting node (SGSN) connected to a wireless network base station, the SGSN interfacing to the LSR of its DS domain via a Gn interface; and

at least a LER for use as a gateway GPRS supporting node (GGSN) connected to a packet switching network, the GGSN interfacing to the LSR of its DS domain via the Gn interface,

wherein the Gn interface at a signalling plane between two SGSNs, between two GGSNs, or between a SGSN and a GGSN has a protocol stack including a physical layer, a MPLS layer and a RSVP/GTP layer from bottom to top, so as to utilize IP addresses of all SGSNs and GGSNs to establish all one-to-one pre-created label switching paths (LSPs) in the MPLS network of a GPRS backbone network in an initial state;

the Gn interface at a transmission plane for GGSN has a protocol stack including a physical layer, a MPLS layer, a GTP layer and an IP layer from bottom to top;

the Gn interface at a transmission plane for SGSN has a protocol stack including a physical layer, a MPLS layer, a GTP layer and a relay layer from bottom to top, so as to transmit packets between SGSN and GGSN by pre-created LSP and LSP tunneling.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packet to be transmitted is formed by packaging a GTP header in front of an IP packet, and packaging a MPLS header in front of the GTP header.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the MPLS header has a label corresponding to the LSP.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the GTP header carries an international mobile subscriber identifier and a network layer service access point identifier for enabling SGSN to identify a mobile station in the wireless network and transmitting packets to a designated mobile station via the wireless network

5. A method for applying a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network in general packet radio service (GPRS), the MPLS network being established by multiple differentiated service (DS) domains, each DS domain being constructed by multiple label switching routers (LSRs) and label edge routers (LERs), the LER at least providing a service GPRS supporting node (SGSN) connected to a wireless network base station, and a gateway GPRS supporting node (GGSN) connected to a packet switching network, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) at a signalling plane, utilizing IP addresses of all SGSNs and GGSNs to establish all one-to-one pre-created label switching paths (LSPs) in the MPLS network of the GPRS backbone network; and

(B) at a transmission plane, transmitting packets between SGSN and GGSN by the pre-created LSP and LSP tunneling.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein in step (A), the pre-created LSP is established by the steps of:

(A1) a LER used as an ingress node issuing a path message including LABEL_REQUEST with Explicit Route (ER) path;

(A2) forwarding the path message to all LSRs on the ER path, so as to establish a label mapping table in each LSR, the label mapping table having an input link number and a corresponding label;

(A3) a LER used as an egress node determining traffic/QoS parameters of the LSP, and then placing the parameters together with labels mapping to an input link in a response message for delivery to the ingress node along an original path;

(A4) sending the response message to all LSRs on the ER path, so as to fill in an output link number and a corresponding label in the label mapping table; and

(A5) establishing a LSP label mapping table when the ingress node receives the response message.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein in step (A1), the path message further includes a DIFFSERV object for the LSP to reserve bandwidth on the LSR of the path.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein in step (A2), the LSR reserves appropriate bandwidth based on the DIFFSERV object and its capability.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein in step (A3), the egress node determines traffic/QoS parameters of the LSP by referencing the DIFFSERV object and its capability.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein in step (A4), the LSR updates the reserved bandwidth based on the traffic/QoS parameters of the response message.

11. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a PDP context activation procedure, which comprises the steps of:

(C1) when the SGSN receives an activate PDP context request from a mobile station, selecting a pre-created LSP going to GGSN, and using the pre-created LSP to transmit a create PDP context request;

(C2) when the GGSN receives the create PDP context request transmitted from the SGSN, selecting a pre-created LSP going to the SGSN, and using the pre-created LSP to transmit a create PDP context response;

(C3) the GGSN determining whether QoS is required for the data stream;

(C4) if QoS is required, the GGSN establishing a Label only inferred per hob behavior scheduling class LSP (L-LSP) going to the SGSN, storing the ID of the L-LSP in a SGSN address field of the PDP context, and then transmitting data to the SGSN; and

(C5) if QoS is not required, the SGSN storing ID of the pre-created LSP in the SGSN address field of the PDP context, and then transmitting data to the SGSN. The SGSN then receives the create PDP context response transmitted from the GGSN.

12. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an inter-SGSN handoff procedure, which comprises the steps of:

(D1) when a mobile station moves from a first SGSN routing area to a second SGSN routing area, issuing a RA update request to the second SGSN;

(D2) when the second SGSN receives the RA update request, selecting a pre-created LSP going to the first SGSN to send a SGSN context request;

(D3) when the first SGSN receives the SGSN context request transmitted from the second SGSN, selecting a pre-created LSP going to the second SGSN to send a SGSN context response;

(D4) the first SGSN storing the ID of the pre-created LSP in a new SGSN address field of the PDP context, and then forwarding data to the second SGSN;

(D5) when the second SGSN receives the SGSN context response, selecting a pre-created LSP going to the GGSN to send an update PDP context request;

(D6) when the GGSN receives the update PDP context request, selecting a pre-created LSP going to the second SGSN to send an update PDP context response; and

(D7) the GGSN storing ID of the pre-created LSP in a SGSN address field of the PDP context, and then transmitting data to the second SGSN.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein each pre-created LSP reserves a predetermined bandwidth.