System and Method for Identifying a Wireless Serving Node for a Mobile Unit

• US 20070105555A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miernik, Jerzy, Garbuz, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit include the ability to receive a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster and determine a control node associated with the registration request by using an algorithm on a mobile unit identifier in the registration request. The system and method also include the ability to generate a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request.

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49. A method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

detecting a mobile unit in the vicinity of a base station;

determining that the mobile unit desires to establish a wireless data session;

determining a cluster to manage the wireless session; and

generating a wireless registration request for the mobile unit.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein determining a cluster to manage the wireless session comprises determining an identifier for a control node of the cluster.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the identifier of the control node is an Internet protocol address.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the registration request comprises an A11-Registration Request.

53. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

receiving a message regarding a control node; and

updating a database containing information regarding control nodes, the database containing identifiers for control nodes.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein determining a cluster to manage the wireless session comprises performing a hash method on the mobile unit identifier.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein determining a cluster to manage the wireless session further comprises performing a modulo operation on the mobile unit identifier, using a number associated with the loading between clusters as the basis for the operation and the remainder of operation as an index into a database containing identifiers for control nodes.

56. A set of logic for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, the logic encoded in media and operable to:

detect a mobile unit in the vicinity of a base station;

determine that the mobile unit desires to establish a wireless data session;

determine a cluster to manage the wireless session; and

generate a wireless registration request for the mobile unit.

57. The logic of claim 56, wherein determining a cluster to manage the wireless session comprises determining an identifier for a control node of the cluster.

58. The logic of claim 57, wherein the identifier of the control node is an Internet protocol address.

59. The logic of claim 56, wherein the registration request comprises an A11-Registration Request.

60. The logic of claim 56, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a message regarding a control node; and

update a database containing information regarding control nodes, the database containing identifiers for control nodes.

61. The logic of claim 56, wherein determining a cluster to manage the wireless session comprises performing a hash method on the mobile unit identifier.

62. The logic of claim 61, wherein determining a cluster to manage the wireless session further comprises performing a modulo operation on the mobile unit identifier, using a number associated with the loading between clusters as the basis for the operation and the remainder of operation as an index into a database containing identifiers for control nodes.

63. A system for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

means for detecting a mobile unit in the vicinity of a base station;

means for determining that the mobile unit desires to establish a wireless data session;

means for determining a cluster to manage the wireless session; and

means for generating a wireless registration request for the mobile unit.

64. A method for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

receiving a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster;

analyzing a mobile unit identifier to determine a control node associated with the registration request, wherein analyzing the mobile unit identifier comprises performing an algorithm on the mobile unit identifier; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

receiving a message regarding wireless sessions being managed by a serving node in the cluster; and

updating a database containing information regarding wireless sessions being managed by serving nodes in the cluster.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising receiving messages regarding load and wireless sessions for every serving node in the cluster.

67. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

determining whether a serving node in the cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the serving node managing the wireless session if a serving node in the cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein determining whether a serving node in the cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request comprises accessing a database containing wireless session information for serving nodes in the cluster.

69. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

selecting a serving node in the cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the selected serving node.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein selecting a serving node in the cluster to manage the wireless session comprises maintaining load balancing between the serving nodes.

71. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

determining whether a serving node in the cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is not for a new wireless session;

generating, if a serving node in the cluster is managing a wireless session associated with the registration request, a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the serving node managing the wireless session;

selecting a serving node in the cluster to manage the wireless session if the control node is the control node associated with the registration request and the registration request is for a new wireless session; and

generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the selected serving node.

72. The method of claim 64, wherein the registration request comprises an A11-Registration Request.

73. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

receiving a message regarding a control node of another cluster; and

updating a database containing information regarding control nodes, the database containing identifiers for control nodes.

74. The method of claim 64, wherein determining a control node associated with the registration request by using an algorithm on a mobile unit identifier in the registration request comprises performing a hash method on the mobile unit identifier.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein determining a control node associated with the registration request by using an algorithm on a mobile unit identifier in the registration request further comprises performing a modulo operation on the mobile unit identifier, using a number associated with the loading between clusters as the basis for the operation and the remainder of operation as an index into a database containing identifiers for control nodes.

76. The method of claim 64, wherein the identifier of the associated control node is an Internet protocol address.

77. A set of logic for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, the logic encoded in media and operable to:

receive a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster;

analyze a mobile unit identifier to determine a control node associated with the registration request, wherein analyzing the mobile unit identifier comprises performing an algorithm on the mobile unit identifier; and

generate a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request.

78. A system for identifying a wireless serving node for a mobile unit, comprising:

means for receiving a wireless registration request at a control node for a wireless serving node cluster;

means for analyzing a mobile unit identifier to determine a control node associated with the registration request, wherein analyzing the mobile unit identifier comprises performing an algorithm on the mobile unit identifier; and

means for generating a wireless registration response containing an identifier for the control node associated with the registration request if the control node is not the control node associated with the registration request.