System and method for managing flows in a mobile network environment

• US 8,699,457 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Venkataswami, Balaji Venkat, Andhavaram, Rajesh Kumar, Sivasubramanian, Girish, Subramanian, Jegan Kumar Somi Ramasamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US12/939,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 Modification of an existing route

Abstract

An example method is provided and includes establishing a session for a mobile node, and evaluating a plurality of label switched paths (LSPs) in response to the mobile node experiencing a handoff between a source packet data serving node (SPDSN) and a target PDSN (TPDSN). The method can also include provisioning a sub-tunnel with a first tunnel, which is associated with a selected label switched path. The selected label switched path is associated with a high priority type of data having a low latency characteristic.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a session for a mobile node;

evaluating a plurality of label switched paths (LSPs) in response to the mobile node experiencing a handoff between a source packet data serving node (SPDSN) and a target PDSN (TPDSN); and

provisioning a sub-tunnel atop a first tunnel, which is associated with a selected label switched path, wherein the selected label switched path is associated with a high priority type of data having a low latency characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the LSPs are provided using generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) objects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the GMPLS objects are provided in resource reservation protocol-traffic engineering (RSVP-TE) extensions that use an explicit route as input to provide the LSPs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein multiprotocol label switching-traffic engineering (MPLS-TE) is used with a constrained shortest path first (CSPF) operation on a path computation element (PCE) for flow provisioning associated with the TPDSN.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a traffic flow template (TFT) and a packet filter are provisioned in response to the mobile node roaming into a network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a call admission control (CAC) mechanism is used to provision the sub-tunnel with the first tunnel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an inner label is installed in a header of a packet associated with the session in order to identify the sub-tunnel.

8. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

establishing a session for a mobile node;

evaluating a plurality of label switched paths (LSPs) in response to the mobile node experiencing a handoff between a source packet data serving node (SPDSN) and a target PDSN (TPDSN); and

provisioning a sub-tunnel atop a first tunnel, which is associated with a selected label switched path, wherein the selected label switched path is associated with a high priority type of data having a low latency characteristic.

9. The logic of claim 8, wherein the LSPs are provided using generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) objects.

10. The logic of claim 9, wherein the GMPLS objects are provided in resource reservation protocol-traffic engineering (RSVP-TE) extensions that use an explicit route as input to provide the LSPs.

11. The logic of claim 8, wherein multiprotocol label switching-traffic engineering (MPLS-TE) is used with a constrained shortest path first (CSPF) operation on a path computation element (PCE) for flow provisioning associated with the TPDSN.

12. The logic of claim 8, wherein a traffic flow template (TFT) and a packet filter are provisioned in response to the mobile node roaming into a network.

13. The logic of claim 8, wherein an inner label is installed in a header of a packet associated with the session in order to identify the sub-tunnel.

14. The logic of claim 8, wherein a call admission control (CAC) mechanism is used to provision the sub-tunnel with the first tunnel.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store electronic code;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the electronic code; and

a module configured to interface with the processor and the memory element such that the apparatus can;

establish a session for a mobile node;

evaluate a plurality of label switched paths (LSPs) in response to the mobile node experiencing a handoff between a source packet data serving node (SPDSN) and a target PDSN (TPDSN); and

provision a sub-tunnel atop a first tunnel, which is associated with a selected label switched path, wherein the selected label switched path is associated with a high priority type of data having a low latency characteristic.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the LSPs are provided using generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) objects.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the GMPLS objects are provided in resource reservation protocol-traffic engineering (RSVP-TE) extensions that use an explicit route as input to provide the LSPs.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein multiprotocol label switching-traffic engineering (MPLS-TE) is used with a constrained shortest path first (CSPF) operation on a path computation element (PCE) for flow provisioning associated with the TPDSN.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a traffic flow template (TFT) and a packet filter are provisioned in response to the mobile node roaming into a network.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a call admission control (CAC) mechanism is used to provision the sub-tunnel with the first tunnel.