Node with an Improved Back up Protocol

• US 20130010609A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lund, Hans-Ake, Sundell, Hans-Olof
• Granted Patent: US 9,379,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• 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 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A node (115, 210) for a mobile network (100), arranged to forward control plane signaling to and from an end user (140, 216) in the system (100) to other nodes in the system (100) and also being arranged to keep track of a state of the end user (140, 216). The node (115, 210) is arranged to use a so called VRRP protocol, Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol to monitor the function of a second node (120, 212) in the system, a so called “peer node” to the node (115, 210) itself and to have its own function be monitored by a VRRP of the peer node (120, 212). The node (115, 210) is also arranged to use a second protocol for transferring information on a state of the end user (140, 216) to the peer node. A node (120, 212) for receiving such information is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A first node for a mobile network, the first node being arranged to forward control plane signaling to and from an end user in the system to other nodes in the system and also being arranged to keep track of a state of the end user, the first node being arranged to use a Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol to monitor the function of a peer node itself and to have its own function be monitored by a VRRP of the peer node, the first node being also arranged to use a second protocol for transferring information on a state of the end user to the peer node.

2. The first node of claim 1, further being arranged to inform the peer node that information transferred on the state of the end user is transferred to the peer node as back up information for use in the case that the peer node'"'"'s VRRP indicates that the first node exhibits a malfunction.

3. The first node of claim 1, in which the second protocol uses the GTP protocol, the GPRS Tunneling Protocol.

7. The first node of claim 1, in which the information on a state of the end user comprises one or more of the following:

The QoS, Quality of Service of the end user,

The IP address of one or more node in the system which is adjacent to the end user,

The EPS Bearer Contexts of the user,

Tunnel IDs for tunnels used to carry signaling and user payload for the UE,

Information related to handling of charging for the UE,

Maximum Bit Rates for the UE and its bearers,

Serving Network and User Location Information for the UE,

IMSI and MSISDN of the UE, International Mobile Subscriber Identity and Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number.

8. The first node of claim 1, being one of the following:

An eNodeB in an LTE system, Long Term Evolution,

An MME, Mobility Management Entity in a 3GPP system, third generation partnership project,

A Serving Gateway, a GW in a 3GPP system,

A Packet Data Network Gateway, a PDN GW, in a 3GPP system.

4. A first node for a mobile network, the first node being arranged to forward control plane signaling to and from an end user in the system to other nodes in the system, the first node being arranged to use a Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol to monitor the function of a peer node to the first node and to have its own function be checked by a VRRP of the peer node, the first node being also equipped with a second protocol for receiving information on a state of the end user from the peer node.

5. The first node of claim 4, further being arranged to receive information from the peer node that information transferred on the state of the end user is transferred to the first node as back up information for use in the case that the first node'"'"'s VRRP indicates that the peer node malfunctions.

6. The first node of claim 4, in which the second protocol uses the GTP protocol, the GPRS Tunneling Protocol.

9. A method for use in a first node for a mobile network, the method comprising arranging the first node to:

forward control plane signaling to and from an end user in the system to other nodes in the system,

keep track of a state of the end user,

use a Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) to monitor the function of a peer node to the first node itself,

have its own function be monitored by a VRRP of the peer node, and

use a second protocol for transferring information on a state of the end user to the peer node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information on the state of the end user is transferred to the peer node as back up information for use in the case that the peer node'"'"'s VRRP indicates that the first node exhibits a malfunction.

13. The method of claim 9, according to which the second protocol uses the GTP protocol, the GPRS Tunneling Protocol.

14. The method of claim 9, according to which the state of the end user on which information is transferred comprises one or more of the following:

The QoS, Quality of Service of the end user,

The IP address of one or more node in the system which is adjacent to the end user,

The EPS Bearer Contexts of the user,

Tunnel IDs for tunnels used to carry signaling and user payload for the UE,

Information related to handling of charging for the UE,

Maximum Bit Rates for the UE and its bearers,

Serving Network and User Location Information for the UE,

IMSI and MSISDN of the UE, International Mobile Subscriber Identity and Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number.

15. The method of claim 9, applied to a first node which is one of the following:

An eNodeB in an LTE system, Long Term Evolution,

An MME, Mobility Management Entity in a 3GPP system, third generation partnership project,

A Serving Gateway, a GW in a 3GPP system,

A Packet Data Network Gateway, a PDN GW, in a 3GPP system.

11. A method for use in a first node for a mobile network, the method comprising arranging the first node to:

forward control plane signaling to and from an end user in the system to other nodes in the system,

use a Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) to monitor the function of a peer node to the first node,

have its own function be monitored by a VRRP of the peer node, and

use a second protocol for receiving information on a state of the end user transmitted by the peer node.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving from the peer node an indication that the information on the state of the end user transmitted by the peer node is back up information for use by the first node in the case that the first node'"'"'s VRRP indicates that the peer node has malfunctioned.