Methods and apparatus for use in local breakout or offload scenarios

• US 10,305,784 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Musiol, Torsten, Suni, Mikko Tapani, Reinartz, Ole, Gruenloh, Stephan, Arunachalam, Swaminathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shukri
• Application Number:
  US14/914,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/30 Network data restoration; Network data reliability; Network data fault tolerance

Abstract

A method comprises determining if a failure has occurred in a first path, an offload application server functionality being provided in said first path and if so, causing routing of said data via a second different path which bypasses said offload server functionality.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining when a failure has occurred in a first path, wherein an offload application server functionality is provided in said first path, wherein the offload application server functionality is configured to offload at least one traffic flow to a local application,

wherein said first path comprises a first part between an internet protocol router of a base station and an offload router of the offload application server functionality and a second part between said offload router of the offload application server functionality and a first hop router; and

when it is determined that a failure has occurred in the first path, causing routing of data via a second different path which bypasses said offload server functionality,

wherein said second path comprises a path between the internet protocol router of the base station and the first hop router.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first path is used in preference to said second path.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second path provides access to an application via a core network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining comprises using a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a control path is provided for said determining if a failure has occurred.

6. The method a claimed in claim 5, wherein said control path is parallel with or part of the first path.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second path comprises a part between said router of said base station and said first hop router.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a failure is determined in said first path, said method comprises updating a routing table with at least one address associated with said second path.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising causing information to be sent to at least one other entity on said first path if a failure is determined.

19. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said product comprising computer executable instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the method of claim 1 to be performed.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to;

determine when a failure has occurred in a first path, wherein an offload application server functionality is provided in said first path, and wherein the offload application server functionality is configured to offload at least one traffic flow to a local application,

wherein said first path comprises a first part between an internet protocol router of a base station and an offload router of the offload application server functionality and a second part between said offload router of the offload application server functionality and a first hop router; and

cause routing of data via a second different path which bypasses said offload server functionality when a failure is determined in said first path,

wherein said second path comprises a path between the internet protocol router of the base station and the first hop router.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to use the first path may be used in preference to said second path.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second path provides access to an application via a core network.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to use a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol to determine if a failure has occurred in said first path.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured, with the at least one processor, to use a control path for determining if a failure has occurred.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second path comprises a part between said router of said base station and said first hop router.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to update a routing table with at least one address associated with said second path, when a failure is determined in said first path.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause information to be sent to at least one other entity on said first path if a failure is determined.

15. The apparatus as claimed in 14, wherein the control path is parallel with or part of the first path.