Methods and Apparatus for Providing End Marker Functionality in Mobile Networks Having SRv6-Configured Mobile User Planes

• US 20190327648A1
• Filed: 07/01/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gundavelli, Srinath, Lakkaraju, Sangram Kishore, Stammers, Timothy Peter
• Granted Patent: US 11,006,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/023 Buffering or recovering information during reselection

Abstract

End marker functionality may be provided in mobile networks having mobile user planes configured with segment routing for IPv6 (SRv6), especially suitable for 5G network migration. For example, a base station may receive an SRv6 control message from a user plane function (UPF) which carries data traffic of a data session for the UE. The base station may perform a function associated with a segment identifier (SID) identified in a segment routing header (SRH) of the SRv6 control message. The function may be an end marker handling function associated with an end marker SID. Performing the end marker handling function may cause the base station to generate a tunneling protocol message (e.g. according to GPRS tunneling protocol or GTP) comprising an end marker message and send the tunneling protocol message comprising the end marker message for receipt by the target base station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, at a source base station of a mobile network, an Internet Protocol (IP) message from a user plane (UP) entity which carries data traffic of a data session for a user equipment (UE); and

performing a function associated with a segment identifier identified in a segment routing header (SRH) of the IP message, the function comprising an end marker handling function associated with the segment identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP message comprises a segment routing (SR) for IP version 6 (IPv6) (SRv6) message, the segment identifier comprises an end marker segment identifier (SID), and the end marker handling function comprises an SRv6 function which is provisioned at the source base station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the source base station communicates with a target base station for a handover of the UE in accordance with a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP), and wherein performing the end marker handling function comprises:

generating a tunneling protocol message comprising an end marker message; and

providing the tunneling protocol message comprising the end marker message for receipt by the target base station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating and providing the tunneling protocol message further comprises generating and sending a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) message comprising the end marker message over a tunnel comprising a GTP tunnel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the end marker message includes using a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) identified in the SRv6 message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the tunneling protocol message comprising the end marker message causes the target base station to release buffered data packets from the UP entity for transmission to the UE.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the source base station communicates with a target base station for a handover of the UE in accordance with SRv6, and performing the end marker handling function comprises:

generating a new IP message having a segment routing header which includes a segment identifier associated with a function comprising an end marker message function; and

providing the new IP message for receipt by the target base station.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the end marker handling function associated with the end marker SID is provisioned at each one of a plurality of base stations which includes the base station.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the end marker SID comprises a non-routable SID.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the SRH includes a routable SID which precedes a non-routable SID which comprises the end marker SID.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

when an interface or communications between the source base station and a target base station associated with a handover of the UE comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP), performing the end marker handling function comprising generating a tunneling protocol message comprising an end marker message and providing the tunneling protocol message comprising the end marker message for receipt by the target base station;

or when the interface or communications between the source base station and a target base station associated with a handover of the UE comprises an SRv6 protocol, performing the end marker handling function comprising generating a new IP message having a segment routing header which includes a segment identifier associated with a function comprising an end marker message function, and providing the new IP message for receipt by the target base station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the IP message from the UP entity comprises obtaining the IP message from a user plane function (UPF) configured for segment routing (SR) for IP version 6 (IPv6) (SRv6).

13. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

obtaining, at a source base station of a mobile network, an Internet Protocol (IP) message from a user plane (UP) entity which carries data traffic of a data session for a user equipment (UE); and

performing a function associated with a segment identifier identified in a segment routing header (SRH) of the IP message, the function comprising an end marker handling function associated with the segment identifier.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the IP message comprises a segment routing (SR) for IP version 6 (IPv6) (SRv6) message, the segment identifier comprises an end marker segment identifier (SID), and the end marker handling function comprises an SRv6 function which is provisioned at the source base station.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the end marker SID comprises a non-routable SID.

16. The media of claim 14, wherein the SRH includes a routable SID which precedes a non-routable SID which comprises the end marker SID.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one memory for storing data; and

at least one processor for executing instructions associated with the data, wherein executing the instructions causes the apparatus to perform operations, comprising;

obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) message from a user plane (UP) entity which carries data traffic of a data session for a user equipment (UE); and

performing a function associated with a segment identifier identified in a segment routing header (SRH) of the IP message, the function comprising an end marker handling function associated with the segment identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the IP message comprises a segment routing (SR) for IP version 6 (IPv6) (SRv6) message, the segment identifier comprises an end marker segment identifier (SID), and the end marker handling function comprises an SRv6 function which is provisioned at the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the end marker SID comprises a non-routable SID.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the SRH includes a routable SID which precedes a non-routable SID which comprises the end marker SID.