Multi-Interface, Multi-Layer State-full Load Balancer For RAN-Analytics Deployments In Multi-Chassis, Cloud And Virtual Server Environments

• US 20150124622A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Movik Networks, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Movik Networks, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kovvali, Surya Kumar, Hutchins, John, Boyle, Charles W., Puriyal, Nizar
• Application Number:
  US14/530,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20150124622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51

Abstract

An apparatus and method for steering and load-balancing mobile network traffic with user session awareness from multiple control and user plane protocols while understanding the load on the corresponding physical or virtual servers in cloud and virtual deployments is disclosed. This traffic could be monitored traffic, such as from optical taps, or network probes of mobile network interfaces, or port mirrors from network devices, or inline traffic when the load-balancer is logically placed inline in the network before the Virtual Network Functions, such as Virtual SGW (vSGW), Virtual SGSN (vSGSN), Virtual PGW (vPGW), Virtual MME (vMME), or Virtual Performance Enhancing proxy(vPEP). The apparatus and methods identified herein allow additional capabilities, such as ensuring that both directions of a protocol flow target the same physical or virtual server, or both control plane and user plane protocols of a flow are forwarded to the same server.

Claims

1. A method of distributing load among a plurality of servers performing network functions in a wireless mobile network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of packets at a node;

determining a characteristic of a user or a user device associated with each of said plurality of packets; and

forwarding said packets at one of said plurality of servers based on said characteristic, such that packets associated with users or user devices having the same characteristic are forwarded to the same server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises an identity of said user, such that all packets associated with said user are forwarded to said same server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises a sector identifier, such that all packets associated with users belonging to the same sector are forwarded to said same server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises a plurality of sectors associated with a venue, such that all packets associated with user in said venue are forwarded to said same server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises control plane sessions of a user, such that all packets associated with control plane sessions of said user are forwarded to said same server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises user plane sessions of a user, such that all packets associated with user plane sessions of said user are forwarded to said same server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises an eNB identifier, such that all packets associated with users belonging to the same eNB are forwarded to said same server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic comprises an RNC identifier, such that all packets associated with users belonging to the same RNC are forwarded to said same server.

9. A method of distributing load among a plurality of servers performing real-time generation of key performance indicators (KPIs) for a mobile wireless network, comprising:

receiving monitored traffic from a tap or mirror port that contains multiple control plane and user plane protocols on an aggregate interface;

determining which packets of said monitored traffic belong to a particular user;

determining a characteristic of said user or a user device based on said multiple control plane and user plane protocol;

distributing all packets having the same determined characteristic to a subset of said plurality of servers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said characteristic comprises an identity of said user, such that all packets associated with said user are forwarded to said subset.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said characteristic comprises a sector identifier, such that all packets associated with users belonging to the same sector are forwarded to said subset.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said characteristic comprises an eNB identifier, such that all packets associated with users belonging to the same eNB are forwarded to said subset.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising modifying said packets before forwarding to a server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said modifying comprising reassembling fragmented packets into a single packet to identify all user plane packets associated with a user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said modifying comprising truncating packets so as to only include information needed by said server.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising deleting unneeded packets based on control plane protocol analysis and cross correlation of control planes, user planes and user application context.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said subset comprises a group of servers in close physical proximity to one another to minimize inter-site and inter-process cross-correlation traffic and minimize latency.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein said subset comprises a single server.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a topology of said mobile wireless network based on analysis of said packets.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending information to a SDN controller, wherein said SDN controller controls a switch which routes packets to a server performing a network function.