Method and system for data flow management of user equipment in a tunneling packet data network

• US 9,693,263 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yaana Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Yaana Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Grootwassink, David, Puri, Rajesh, Hammer, Michael P., Magadum, Ashok P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTT, WALLI Z
• Application Number:
  US14/488,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 370241, 370252, 370254, 370312, 370328, 370390, 370392, 370393, 455519, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A data replication system of a communication network is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the data replication system includes a replication gateway node and a replication control system. The replication gateway node is configured to create a first replication tunnel between a first gateway node and the replication gateway node and a second replication tunnel between the replication gateway node and a second gateway node. The replication gateway node replicates data streams between the first gateway node and the second gateway and delivers the replicated data stream to a management node for further analysis.

Claims

1. A data replication system comprising:

a replication control system;

a replication gateway node configured to create a first replication tunnel between a first gateway node and the replication gateway node and a second replication tunnel between the replication gateway node and a second gateway node,

a normal data path between the first gateway node and the second gateway node;

a secondary data path between the first gateway node and the second gateway node, the secondary data path including the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel;

wherein the replication gateway node redirects a data stream from the normal data path to the secondary data path;

a stream normalizer node connected to the replication gateway node, wherein the replication gateway node forwards the data stream to the stream normalizer node; and

wherein the stream normalizer node performs isolation, diversion, separation and reassembly of the data streams, and forwards the data stream to a downstream service.

2. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the first gateway is a serving data gateway providing user access to the network and the second gateway is a packet data network gateway providing connectivity to an application service network.

3. The data replication system of claim 2, wherein the replication control system changes a name and an address of the packet data network gateway node contained in the data stream to a name and an address of the replication gateway node.

4. The data replication system of claim 1 further comprising a serving control system, wherein the serving control system creates the first replication tunnel in response to a request from user equipment (UE) and the replication gateway node sets up the second replication tunnel.

5. The data replication system of claim 4, wherein the serving control system creates the second replication tunnel in response to a request from an application on the communication network and the replication gateway node sets up the first replication tunnel.

6. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the replication gateway node bonds the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel.

7. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the replication gateway node deletes both the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel in response to a request to delete either the first replication tunnel or the second replication tunnel.

8. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the downstream service is selected from a group comprising a compliance service, fraud detection analysis, security analysis and profile, and service usage analytics.

9. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the data replication system is implemented in a service provider selected from a group a long term evolution (LTE) network, a 3G general packet radio service (GPRS) network, a mobile IP (MIP) network, and a proxy mobile IP network (PMIP) network.

10. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the replication control system comprises an interface module for interfacing with an operations support system for provisioning a target access point name (APN).

11. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein the replication control system directly configures an APN.

12. The data replication system of claim 1, wherein information gathered from a control plane is used to manage a user plane.

13. A method, comprising:

creating a first replication tunnel between a serving data gateway node and a replication gateway node;

creating a second replication tunnel between the replication gateway node and a packet data network gateway node;

redirecting a data stream from a normal data path between the serving data gateway node and the packet data network gateway node to a secondary data path, the secondary data path including the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel;

forwarding the replicated data streams to a stream normalizer node; and

performing isolation, diversion, separation and reassembly of the data stream, and forwarding the data stream to a downstream service.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising changing a name and an address of the packet data network gateway node contained in the data stream to a name and an address of the replication gateway node.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising creating the first replication tunnel in response to a request from user equipment (UE) and causing the replication gateway node to setup the second replication tunnel.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising creating the second replication tunnel in response to a request from an application on the communication network and causing the replication gateway node to setup the first replication tunnel.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising bonding the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising deleting both the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel in response to a request to delete either the first replication tunnel or the second replication tunnel.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the downstream service is selected from a group comprising a compliance service, fraud detection analysis, security analysis and profile, and service usage analytics.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication network is selected from a group comprising a LTE network a 3G GPRS network, an MIP network, and a PMIP network.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing an interface module for interfacing with an operations support system for provisioning a target access point name (APN).

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising directly configuring an APN by a replication control system.

23. A method, comprising:

replacing an IP address of a packet data network gateway node with an IP address of a passive replication gateway;

receiving a target traffic from a serving data gateway at the passive replication gateway node, the target traffic destined for the packet data network gateway node via a normal data path;

replicating a data stream for the target traffic at the passive replication gateway node; and

redirecting the target traffic to the packet data network gateway via a secondary data path,

wherein the packet data network gateway targets only the target traffic;

forwarding the replicated data streams to a stream normalizer node; and

performing isolation, diversion, separation and reassembly of the data stream, and forwarding the data stream to a downstream service.