Automatic Distribution of Server and Gateway Information for Pool Configuration

• US 20100061301A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Westberg, Lars, Takács, Attila, Antal, Csaba
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/03 by updating link state protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A mobile communications network (20) has separation between a user plane (UP) and a control plane (CP). The network comprises plural entities, including plural user plane entities (UPE 23) (comprising the user plane) and plural mobility management entities (MME 25) (comprising the control plane). At least one of the entities is configured to transmit advertisement information. The advertisement information comprises status information and configuration information of the at least one entity. The network further comprises a node or unit (44) configured to use both the advertisement information and the transport information to select a user plane entity for attachment to a wireless station serviced by the network.

Claims

1. A system in a mobile communications network having separation between a user plane and a control plane, the system comprising:

plural entities, the plural entities comprising;

plural user plane entities comprising the user plane; and

plural mobility management entities comprising the control plane;

wherein at least one of said plural entities is configured to transmit advertisement information, the advertisement information comprising status information and configuration information of the at least one entity; and

a mobility management entity-node of the system for utilizing both the transmitted advertisement information and transport information transported on the user plane to select a user plane entity for attachment to a wireless station serviced by the network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the status information comprises load information and availability information, wherein the configuration information comprises supported services information and pool membership information, and wherein the transport information comprises information distributed by traffic engineering extensions of Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing protocols.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plural mobility management entities are organized into pools.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the advertisement information is included in at least one of a Routing Information Protocol (RIP) message;

an Open Shortest Path (OSPF) protocol message; and

an Intermediate System to Intermediate System (ISIS) message.

5. A mobility management entity-node of a mobile communications network comprising:

means for receiving advertisement information from stratified plane entities and for receiving transport information; and

means for utilizing both the advertisement information as received from the stratified plane entities and the transport information to select a user plane entity for attachment to a wireless station serviced by the network,

wherein the advertisement information comprises status information and configuration information of the stratified plane entities, the stratified plane entities comprising plural user plane entities of a user plane and plural mobility management entities of a control plane.

6. The node of claim 5, wherein the transport information comprises information distributed by traffic engineering extensions of Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing protocols.

7. The node of claim 5, wherein the status information comprises load information and availability information.

8. The node of claim 5, wherein the plural user plane entities are organized into pools and wherein the configuration information comprises supported services information and pool membership information.

9. The node of claim 5, wherein the advertisement information is included in at least one of:

a Routing Information Protocol (RIP) message;

an Open Shortest Path (OSPF) protocol message; and

an Intermediate System to Intermediate System (ISIS) message.

10. The node of claim 5, wherein the node is configured to use one or more of the following factors to select the user plane entity:

location of a radio access network base station node which serves the wireless terminal;

topology information concerning a transport network interconnecting the base station node which serves the wireless terminal and the user plane entities;

user plane entity information from the IGP an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing protocol;

subscriber information; and

administratively configured rules.

11. A method in a mobility management entity of operating a mobile communications network having separation between a user plane and a control plane, the network including plural entities, the plural entities in turn including plural user plane entities comprising the user plane and plural mobility management entities comprising the control plane, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving advertisement information from at least one of the plural entities, the advertisement information comprising status information and configuration information of at least one of the plural entities;

using both said received advertisement information and transport information transported on the user plane to select a user plane entity for attachment to a wireless station serviced by the network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the received advertisement information in the mobility management entity.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising including in the status information at least one of information on load on a node in the network, information on load on a link in the network, and availability information.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising organizing the plural user plane entities into pools and including in the configuration information at least one of supported services information and pool membership information.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising organizing the plural mobility management entities into pools.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising including the advertisement information in at least one of:

a Routing Information Protocol (RIP) message;

an Open Shortest Path (OSPF) protocol message; and

an Intermediate System to Intermediate System (ISIS) message.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising including the advertisement information in a routing message.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising using one or more of the following factors to select the user plane entity:

location of a radio access network base station node which serves the wireless terminal;

topology information concerning a transport network interconnecting the base station node which serves the wireless terminal and the user plane entities;

user plane entity information from an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing protocol;

subscriber information; and

administratively configured rules.