Implementing EPC in a Cloud Computer with OpenFlow Data Plane
First Claim
1. A method for implementing a control plane (1321) of an evolved packet core (EPC) of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) network in a cloud computing system (1301), the cloud computing system including a cloud manager (1303) and a controller (1305), the controller to execute a plurality of control plane modules (1307), the control plane to communicate with the data plane of the EPC implemented in a plurality of network elements (1313) of the 3GPP LTE network through a control protocol, the EPC with the control plane implemented in the cloud computing system utilizing resources more efficiently than an architecture with the control plane implemented in the plurality of network elements of the 3GPP LTE network, the method comprising the steps of:
- initializing (1401) the plurality of control plane modules of the EPC within the controller, each control plane module in the plurality of control plane modules initialized as a separate virtual machine by the cloud manager, each control plane module to provide a set of control plane functions for managing the data plane;
monitoring (1403), by the cloud manager, resource utilization of each control plane module and the control plane traffic handled by each control plane module;
detecting (1405), by the cloud manager, a threshold level of resource utilization or traffic load for one of the plurality of control plane modules of the EPC;
initializing (1407) a new control plane module as a separate virtual machine by the cloud manager in response to detecting the threshold level, the new control plane module to share the load of the one of the plurality of control plane modules; and
signaling the plurality of network elements in the data plane to establish flow rules and actions to establish differential routing of flows in the data plane using the control protocol, wherein the control protocol is an OpenFlow protocol, and wherein flow matches are encoded using an extensible match structure in which the flow match is encoded as a type-length-value (TLV).
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Abstract
A method implements a control plane of an evolved packet core (EPC) of a long term evolution (LTE) network in a cloud computing system. A cloud manager monitors resource utilization of each control plane module and the control plane traffic handled by each control plane module. The cloud manager detects a threshold level of resource utilization or traffic load for one of the plurality of control plane modules of the EPC. A new control plane module is initialized as a separate virtual machine by the cloud manager in response to detecting the threshold level. The new control plane module signals the plurality of network elements in the data plane to establish flow rules and actions to establish differential routing of flows in the data plane using the control protocol, wherein flow matches are encoded using an extensible match structure in which the flow match is encoded as a type-length-value (TLV).
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for implementing a control plane (1321) of an evolved packet core (EPC) of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) network in a cloud computing system (1301), the cloud computing system including a cloud manager (1303) and a controller (1305), the controller to execute a plurality of control plane modules (1307), the control plane to communicate with the data plane of the EPC implemented in a plurality of network elements (1313) of the 3GPP LTE network through a control protocol, the EPC with the control plane implemented in the cloud computing system utilizing resources more efficiently than an architecture with the control plane implemented in the plurality of network elements of the 3GPP LTE network, the method comprising the steps of:
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initializing (1401) the plurality of control plane modules of the EPC within the controller, each control plane module in the plurality of control plane modules initialized as a separate virtual machine by the cloud manager, each control plane module to provide a set of control plane functions for managing the data plane; monitoring (1403), by the cloud manager, resource utilization of each control plane module and the control plane traffic handled by each control plane module; detecting (1405), by the cloud manager, a threshold level of resource utilization or traffic load for one of the plurality of control plane modules of the EPC;
initializing (1407) a new control plane module as a separate virtual machine by the cloud manager in response to detecting the threshold level, the new control plane module to share the load of the one of the plurality of control plane modules; andsignaling the plurality of network elements in the data plane to establish flow rules and actions to establish differential routing of flows in the data plane using the control protocol, wherein the control protocol is an OpenFlow protocol, and wherein flow matches are encoded using an extensible match structure in which the flow match is encoded as a type-length-value (TLV). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A cloud computer system (1301) for implementing a control plane (1321) of an evolved packet core (EPC) of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) network, the control plane to communicate with the data plane of the EPC implemented in a plurality of network elements (1313) of the 3GPP LTE network through a control protocol, the EPC with the control plane implemented in the cloud computing system utilizes resources more efficiently than an architecture with the control plane implemented in the plurality of network elements of the 3GPP LTE network, the cloud computing system, comprising:
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a controller (1305) configured to execute a plurality of control plane modules (1307) of the EPC, each control plane module configured to provide a set of control plane functions for managing the data plane and to signal the plurality of network elements in the data plane to establish flow rules and actions to establish differential routing of flows in the data plane using the control protocol, wherein the control protocol is an OpenFlow protocol, and wherein flow matches are encoded using an extensible match structure in which the flow match is encoded as a type-length-value (TLV); and a cloud manager (1305) communicatively coupled to the controller, the cloud manager configured to; initialize (1401) each of the plurality of control plane modules within the controller as a separate virtual machine, monitor (1403) resource utilization of each control plane module and the control plane traffic handled by each control plane module, detect (1405) whether a threshold level of resource utilization or traffic load has been reached by any of the plurality of control plane modules of the EPC, and initialize (1407) a new control plane module as a separate virtual machine in response to detecting the threshold level, the new control plane module to share the load of the one of the plurality of control plane modules that exceeded the threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification