Method and System for Data Flow Management of User Equipment in a Tunneling Packet Data Network

• US 20150245249A1
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yaana Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Yaana Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Puri, Rajesh, Hammer, Michael P., Grootwassink, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 of a communication network comprising:

a replication control system; and

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,

wherein the replication gateway node replicates a data stream between the first gateway node and the second gateway.

2. The data replication system of claim 1 further comprising a stream normalizer node connected to the replication gateway node, wherein the replication gateway node forwards the replicated data stream to the stream normalizer node.

3. 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.

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

5. 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.

6. The data replication system of claim 5, 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.

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

8. 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.

9. The data replication system of claim 2, wherein the stream normalizer node performs isolation, diversion, separation and reassembly of the data streams, and forwards the replicated data streams to a downstream service.

10. The data replication system of claim 9, wherein the downstream service is selected from a group comprising a compliance service, fraud detection analysis, security analysis and profile, and service usage analytics.

11. 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.

12. 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).

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

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

15. A method for replicating data streams in a communication network 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;

replicating data streams between the serving data gateway node and the packet data network gateway; and

forwarding the replicated data streams to a stream normalizer node.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising changing a name and an address of the packet data network gateway node contained in the data streams to a name and an address of the replication gateway node.

17. The method of claim 15 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.

18. The method of claim 17 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.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising bonding the first replication tunnel and the second replication tunnel.

20. The method of claim 15 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.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising performing isolation, diversion, separation and reassembly of the data streams, and forwarding the replicated data streams to a downstream service.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the downstream service is selected from a group comprising a compliance service, fraud detection analysis, security analysis and profile, and service usage analytics.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication network is selected from a group comprising a LTE network a 3G GPRS network, an MIP network, and a PMIP network.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing an interface module for interfacing with an operations support system for provisioning a target access point name (APN).

25. The method of claim 15 further comprising directly configuring an APN by a replication control system.

26. A method for replicating data streams in a communication network 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; and

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,

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

27. A method for replicating data streams in a communication network comprising:

replacing an IP address of a packet data network gateway node with an IP address of a passive replication gateway for target traffic only;

receiving a target traffic from a serving data gateway at the passive replication gateway node;

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.