Dynamic selection of packet data network gateways

• US 8,554,933 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Delos Reyes, Emerando M., Shaikh, Imtiyaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US12/898,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/375 Access point names [APN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A device receives a PDN connection request from a UE, and exchanges, with a HSS, authentication and authorization information associated with the UE. The device also constructs an APN FQDN based on the authentication and authorization information, and sends a query, that includes the APN FQDN, to a DNS server. The device further receives, from the DNS server, PGW FQDNs that contain the APN FQDN, and compares the PGW FQDNs with a FQDN associated with a SGW. The device determines, based on the comparison, a PGW, associated with a PGW FQDN that is a closest match to the FQDN associated with the SGW, to be a primary PGW for the PDN connection request. The device also determines, based on the comparison, one or more PGWs, residing within a predetermined distance of the SGW, to be one or more backup PGWs for the PDN connection request.

Claims

1. A computing device-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a packet data network (PDN) connection request from a user equipment (UE);

exchanging, by the computing device and with a home subscriber server (HSS), authentication and authorization information associated with the UE;

constructing, by the computing device, an access point name (APN) fully qualified domain name (FQDN) based on the authentication and authorization information;

sending, by the computing device, a query to a domain name system (DNS) server, wherein the query includes the APN FQDN;

receiving, by the computing device and from the DNS server, PDN gateway (PGW) FQDNs that contain the APN FQDN;

comparing, by the computing device, the PGW FQDNs with a FQDN associated with a serving gateway (SGW);

determining, by the computing device and based on the comparison, a PGW, associated with a PGW FQDN that is a closest match to the FQDN associated with the SGW, to be a primary PGW for the PDN connection request;

determining, by the computing device and based on the comparison, one or more PGWs, residing within a particular distance of the SGW, to be one or more backup PGWs for the PDN connection request, wherein the computing device comprises a mobility management entity (MME) for which no direct signaling exists with respect to the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs;

sending, to the DNS server, queries based on FQDNs associated with the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs;

receiving, from the DNS server and based on the queries, Internet protocol (IP) addresses that match the FQDNs associated with the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs;

storing, in a memory of the computing device, the IP addresses corresponding to the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs that the UE is allowed to access;

receiving, at the computing device, an indication that the primary PGW is unavailable; and

selecting, responsive to the indication, one of the one or more backup PGWs.

2. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the IP address of the selected backup PGW to the UE for accessing the selected backup PGW.

3. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the FQDN associated with the SGW is retrieved from a memory associated with the computing device.

4. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a SGW selection procedure; and

receiving the FQDN associated with the SGW based on the SGW selection procedure.

5. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device does not determine an availability of the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs.

6. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the query includes a name authority pointer (NAPTR) query.

7. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where each of the PGW FQDNs includes information identifying a physical location of a particular PGW.

8. The computing device-implemented method of claim 7, where the physical location includes an area, a sub-area, and a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) location of the particular PGW.

9. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

receive a packet data network (PDN) connection request from a user equipment (UE),

receive, from a home subscriber server (HSS), profile data associated with the UE,

create an access point name (APN) fully qualified domain name (FQDN) based on the profile data associated with the UE,

send a query, that includes the APN FQDN, to a domain name system (DNS) server,

receive, from the DNS server, PDN gateway (PGW) FQDNs that contain the APN FQDN,

determine a PGW, associated with a PGW FQDN that is a closest match to a FQDN associated with a serving gateway (SGW), to be a primary PGW for the PDN connection request,

determine one or more PGWs, residing within a particular distance of the SGW, to be one or more backup PGWs for the PDN connection request, wherein the device comprises a mobility management entity (MME) for which no direct signaling exists with respect to the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs,

send, to the DNS server, queries based on FQDNs associated with the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs,

receive, from the DNS server and based on the queries, Internet protocol (IP) addresses that match the FQDNs associated with the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs, wherein at least one of the primary PGW or the one or more backup PGWs are unavailable, and

store, in the memory, the IP addresses irrespective of an availability of the primary PGW and the one or more backup PGWs.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide, when the primary PGW is available, an IP address of the primary PGW to the UE, where the UE connects to the primary PGW based on the IP address of the primary PGW.

11. The device of claim 10, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

receive an indication that the primary PGW is unavailable,

select one of the one or more backup PGWs to replace the primary PGW, and

provide an IP address of the selected backup PGW to the UE, where the UE connects to the selected backup PGW based on the IP address of the selected backup PGW.

12. The device of claim 10, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide, when the primary PGW is unavailable, an IP address of a backup PGW to the UE, where the UE connects to the backup PGW based on the IP address of the backup PGW.

13. The device of claim 9, where the FQDN associated with the SGW is retrieved from a memory associated with the device.

14. The device of claim 9, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

perform a SGW selection procedure, and

receive the FQDN associated with the SGW based on the SGW selection procedure.

15. The device of claim 9, where the query includes a name authority pointer (NAPTR) query.

16. The device of claim 9, where each of the PGW FQDNs includes information identifying a physical location of a particular PGW.

17. The device of claim 16, where the physical location includes an area, a sub-area, and a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) location of the particular PGW.