Mobile network services in a mobile data network

• US 8,837,318 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anthony, Bruce O. Jr., Billau, Ronald L., Cillis, Canio, Nicholson, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELETE, BERHANU D
• Application Number:
  US13/705,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 370250-256, 370/329, 370/341, 370/431, 455/507, 455/509, 455/450, 455/464
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services based on the broken out data. A second service mechanism in the core network performs one or more mobile network services based on the network traffic remaining after the first service mechanism performs its breakout. An optional third service mechanism coupled to the core network provides one or more mobile network services in the mobile data network. An overlay network allows the first, second and third service mechanisms to communicate with each other. The overlay network is preferably a private virtual network.

Claims

1. A method for processing data packets in a mobile data network that includes a radio access network coupled to a core network, the method comprising the steps of:

a plurality of antennas sending and receiving network messages between user equipment and a plurality of basestations in the radio access network, each basestation communicating with a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas;

a first service mechanism in the radio access network that performs the steps of;

defining an existing first data path in the radio access network for non-broken out data;

defining a second data path for broken out data;

identifying based on Internet Protocol (IP) address first data received from a corresponding basestation as data to be broken out;

sending the broken out first data on the second data path; and

forwarding other data that is not broken out on the first data path; and

performing a first service for network messages in the radio access network based on the broken out first data;

a second service mechanism in the core network that performs the steps of;

monitoring network messages in the core network; and

providing a second service for the network messages in the mobile data network based on the monitored network messages in the core network;

communicating between the first service mechanism and the second service mechanism on an overlay network to perform the first service; and

the second service mechanism sending a message to the first service mechanism on the overlay network to authorize the first service mechanism to break out the first data received from the corresponding basestation when at least one breakout criteria is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the overlay network comprises a virtual private network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first service comprises caching of data in the radio access network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second service comprises caching of data in the core network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a third service mechanism coupled to the core network providing a third service for network messages in the mobile data network, the third service comprising real-time or near real-time performance monitoring of the mobile data network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of the second service mechanism breaking out second data in the core network to provide the second service by performing the steps of:

defining an existing third data path in the radio access network for non-broken out data;

defining a fourth data path in the core network for broken out data;

identifying third data received as data to be broken out;

sending the third broken out data on the fourth data path; and

forwarding second other data that is not broken out on the third data path.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of the second service mechanism breaking out the second data in the core network is performed when at least one breakout criteria is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second services are performed without requiring any change to hardware in other components in the mobile data network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first service mechanism receives a plurality of keys from the second service mechanism over the overlay network that allows the first service mechanism to encrypt data sent to the user equipment and decrypt data received from the user equipment.

10. A method for providing services in an existing mobile data network that includes a radio access network coupled to a core network, the existing mobile data network comprising:

a plurality of basestations in the radio access network that include a plurality of corresponding NodeBs, each NodeB in each basestation communicating with a corresponding antenna that transmits and receives radio signals to and from user equipment, wherein each NodeB in the radio access network in the existing mobile data network is coupled to a radio network controller;

a serving node coupled to the radio network controller;

a gateway node coupled to the serving node;

wherein the serving node and gateway node are part of the core network in the existing mobile data network;

the method comprising the steps of;

installing a first service mechanism in the radio access network that defines an existing first data path in the radio access network for non-broken out data, defines a second data path for broken out data, identifies first data received from a corresponding NodeB as data to be broken out, sends the first data on the second data path, and forwards other data that is not broken out on the first data path, wherein the first service mechanism performs a first service for network messages in the radio access network based on the first data;

installing a second service mechanism in the core network that monitors network messages between the radio network controller and the serving node in the core network and performs a second service for the network messages in the mobile data network;

configuring an overlay network that allows the first service mechanism to communicate with the second service mechanism to perform the first services; and

wherein the first service mechanism performs the first service and the second service mechanism performs the second service without requiring any change to hardware in the plurality of NodeBs, in the radio network controller, in the serving node, and in the gateway node.