Identifying and forecasting network conditions using real-time radio access network (RAN) modeling

• US 9,203,722 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh N
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JOSE L
• Application Number:
  US13/076,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20120250570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/232, 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/468, 370/437, 370/455, 370/422.1, 370/450, 370/451, 370/452.1, 370/452.2, 370/453, 370/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity

Abstract

A system, associated with a service provider network, is configured to monitor traffic being transported via one or more cells, within a radio access network (RAN), that serve a group user devices; obtain traffic information, associated with a cell, based on the traffic monitoring, where the traffic information includes information associated with each of the user devices, a quantity of bandwidth that corresponds to traffic flows within the cell, or one or more traffic types being served by the cell; determine that a condition exists within the cell when the quantity of bandwidth is greater than a bandwidth threshold associated with the cell; and transmit a notification that indicates that the condition exists, where the notification enables an operation to be performed on all or a portion of the traffic flows, based on a particular traffic type, to remedy the condition.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a first server device associated with a radio access network (RAN) via which traffic is transported, between a service provider network and a plurality of user devices, via a plurality of cells respectively associated with a plurality of base stations in the RAN, the method comprising:

monitoring, by the first server device, a plurality of packets associated with the traffic;

identifying, by the first server device and as a result of the monitoring, multiple flows of packets associated with a number of the plurality of user devices being served by respective cells of the plurality of cells associated with one of the base stations;

obtaining, by the first server device and from one or more flows of the multiple flows of packets, information associated with the respective cells;

storing the information, associated with the respective cells, in a data structure containing a plurality of fields including;

a field containing information associated with the number of user devices being served by the respective cells, including a status field for each of the user devices, wherein the status fields include;

a first indication that a first user device is present on the RAN and actively communicating via the respective cell,

a second indication that a second user device is present on the RAN and not actively communicating via the respective cell, and

a third indication that a third user device is not present on the RAN,

a field containing information associated with the respective cells, and

a field containing information associated with a respective bandwidth that corresponds to each of the one or more flows; and

transmitting, by the first server device, the data structure for presenting the information associated with the respective cells, via a user interface (UI), using a base station object and corresponding cell objects that indicate current conditions related to congestion in the respective cells, wherein;

one or more of the corresponding cell objects indicate a traffic load, associated with the respective cells, which is greater than a first threshold that identifies a maximum amount of traffic before the respective cells become congested, wherein the traffic load is based on the respective bandwidth that corresponds to each of the one or more flows, and

each of the corresponding cell objects indicates a quantity of user devices, of the number of user devices present in the respective cells, which are actively communicating with the service provider network via the respective cells, with respect to a second threshold that identifies a maximum number of user devices that can be served by each of the respective cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the plurality of packets includes:

monitoring two or more interfaces between the one base station and the service provider network, wherein the two or more interfaces include;

a first interface associated with one or more signal bearers that enable the one or more flows to be transported via the service provider network, and

a second interface associated with control-plane signaling that controls the one or more signal bearers to establish or execute communication sessions associated with the plurality of user devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the two or more interfaces includes:

monitoring the second interface to identify at least one user device, of the number of user devices, that is being handed over from one cell, of the respective cells, to another cell; and

monitoring the second interface to identify at least one user device, of the number of user devices, that is being handed over from another cell to a further cell, of the respective cells.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the multiple flows of packets further includes:

inspecting a respective portion of each of the plurality of packets exclusive of a payload portion of each of the plurality of packets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the information associated with the respective cells further includes:

obtaining, from a particular flow of packets of the one or more flows of packets, information associated with a user device, of the number of user devices, and

storing the information associated with the respective cells includes storing;

a device identifier associated with the user device, and

a source address associated with the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the information associated with the respective cells further includes:

obtaining, from a particular flow of packets, of the one or more flows of packets, information associated with the respective cells, and storing the information associated with the respective cells includes storing at least one of;

an identifier associated with the respective cells,

an identifier associated with the one base station,

information that identifies a first set, of the number of user devices, that have been handed over to the respective cells, or

other information that identifies a second set, of the number of user devices, that are to be handed over to the respective cells.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the data structure enables a second server device, associated with the service provider network, to determine whether the quantity of active user devices is increasing, decreasing, or is neither increasing nor decreasing based on fields containing

a first quantity of user devices corresponding to the first set of the number of user devices, and

a second quantity of user devices corresponding to the second set of the number of user devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the data structure enables the second server device to forecast whether the traffic load is expected to increase, decrease, or remain approximately the same based on fields containing:

a first quantity of bandwidth relating to flows of packets associated with the first quantity of user devices, and

a second quantity of bandwidth relating to other flows of packets associated with the second quantity of user devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the information associated with the respective cells further includes:

obtaining information associated with one or more types of flows, wherein the information associated with the one or more types of flows includes a respective quantity of bandwidth associated with each of the one or more types of flows, and storing the information further includes storing information related to at least one of;

a first type of flow that corresponds to streaming video,

a second type of flow that corresponds to progressively downloaded video,

a third type of flow that corresponds to calls,

a fourth type of flow that corresponds to an instant messaging protocol,

a fifth type of flow that corresponds to an email-based messaging protocol, or

a sixth type of flow that corresponds to Internet website browsing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the data structure further includes:

transmitting, to a second server device associated with the service provider network, the information associated with the one or more types of flows to enable the second server device to identify which of the types of flows is causing the congestion in the respective cells.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data structure enables a second server device, associated with the service provider network, to:

display, via the user interface (UI), at least one of the data structure, the information associated with the one or more flows of packets, or the information associated with the respective cells, and wherein the UI includes information associated with a geographical area within which the RAN is located and information associated with a network topology associated with the RAN.

12. A computing device associated with a service provider network, the computing device comprising:

a memory to store policy information associated with a radio access network (RAN) via which a plurality of user devices communicate with the service provider network; and

one or more processors configured to;

monitor traffic being transported via respective cells, associated with a base station in the RAN, in which the plurality of user devices are present,

obtain traffic information associated with each cell, of the respective cells, as a result of monitoring the traffic,

store the traffic information in a data structure containing a plurality of fields that includes information associated with each cell and indicating a number of the plurality of user devices being served via each cell, including;

a status field for each of the user devices, wherein the status fields include;

a first indication that a first user device is present on the RAN and actively communicating via the respective cell,

a second indication that a second user device is present on the RAN and not actively communicating via the respective cell, and

a third indication that a third user device is not present on the RAN,

and at least one of;

a quantity of bandwidth, that corresponds to one or more traffic flows, associated with the number of user devices, or

one or more traffic types being served by each cell,

identify a condition, associated with one or more of the cells, when the quantity of bandwidth is greater than a bandwidth threshold that identifies a maximum amount of traffic before the one or more of the respective cells become congested, obtained from the policy information,

determine that another condition, associated with the one or more cells, exists when a quantity of the number of user devices is greater than another threshold that identifies a maximum number of user devices that can be served by each of the one or more of the respective cells, and

generate a user interface (UI) configured to;

present a plurality of cell objects corresponding to the respective cells, each of the cell objects including an indication of the number of user devices, and

selectively present in one or more of the cell objects;

an indication that the identified condition exists corresponding to a particular traffic type, of the one or more traffic types, to mitigate or remedy the identified condition,

the data structure, responsive to the determination that the identified condition exists, or to user input, and

an indication that the other condition exists.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

change an appearance of the corresponding presented cell object to indicate that the other condition exists.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

retrieve historical information associated with the RAN,

obtain, from the historical information, information identifying a first quantity of user devices present in each cell at a prior point in time,

determine that a quantity of user devices, in each cell, is increasing, when the first quantity of user devices is less than a second quantity of user devices, associated with the number of user devices,

forecast that the other condition, associated with each cell, will exist at a future point in time based on the determination that the quantity of user devices is increasing, and

change an appearance of the corresponding presented cell object to indicate that the other condition will exist.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein, when monitoring the traffic being transported via the respective cells, the one or more processors are configured to:

monitor two or more interfaces between base stations, with which the respective cells are associated, and the service provider network, wherein the two or more interfaces include;

a first interface associated with one or more signal bearers that transport the one or more traffic flows via the service provider network, and

a second interface associated with control signals that controls the one or more signal bearers to establish or execute communication sessions that enable the number of user devices to communicate with the service provider network.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein, when obtaining the traffic information associated with each cell, the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine that a quantity of user devices, of the number of user devices, is increasing,

forecast that the other condition, associated with each cell, will exist at a future point in time based on the determination that the quantity of user devices is increasing, and

change an appearance of the one or more cell objects to indicate that the other condition will exist.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform an operation that includes:

reducing a data rate, associated with at least a portion of the one or more traffic flows, to a level that remedies the identified condition, and

where reducing the data rate to the level that remedies the identified condition causes the quantity of bandwidth to be reduced to another level that is less than the bandwidth threshold.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform an operation that includes:

compressing packets associated with at least a portion of the one or more traffic flows, or

resizing the packets, associated with the at least a portion of the one or more traffic flows, relative to a maximum transmission unit associated with the service provider network or the RAN, and

wherein compressing the packets or resizing the packets causes the quantity of bandwidth to be reduced to another level that is less than the bandwidth threshold.

19. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

display, via the user interface (UI), at least one of the traffic information, information associated with the identified condition, or information associated with the cell, wherein the UI includes;

information associated with a geographical area within which the RAN is located, and

information associated with a network topology associated with the RAN.

20. A content distribution system, associated with a service provider network, the content distribution system comprising:

a first server device configured to;

monitor traffic, associated with a plurality of user devices, being transported between the plurality of user devices and the service provider network via respective cells associated with a base station in a radio access network (RAN),

identify, from the traffic, a flow of packets associated with each of the plurality of user devices, as a result of monitoring the traffic,

obtain, from the flow of packets, information associated with the respective cells,

store, in a data structure containing a plurality of fields, the information associated with the respective cells, wherein the plurality of fields includes;

a field containing information associated with each user device, including a status field for each of the user devices, wherein the status fields include;

a first indication that a first user device is present on the RAN and actively communicating via the respective cell,

a second indication that a second user device is present on the RAN and not actively communicating via the respective cell, and

a third indication that a third user device is not present on the RAN,

a field containing information associated with the respective cells, and

a field containing information relating to a traffic load associated with the respective cells, and

output the data structure; and

a second server device configured to;

receive the data structure from the first server device,

identify, when a total traffic load, associated with the respective cells is greater than a threshold that identifies a maximum amount of traffic before the respective cells become congested, a condition with respect to the respective cells,

determine that another condition, associated with the respective cells, exists when a quantity of the plurality of user devices is greater than another threshold that identifies a maximum number of the plurality of user devices that can be served by each of the respective cells, and

output, via a user interface;

a notification that indicates that the identified condition exists and that enables the identification condition to be remedied based on the information associated with the respective cells, and

the data structure responsive to the identified condition, or to user input received with respect to cell objects representative of the respective cells.

21. The content distribution system of claim 20, wherein, when outputting the notification, the second server device is further configured to:

display, via the user interface (UI), information associated with a geographical area within which the RAN is located, information associated with a network topology that corresponds to the RAN, and information associated with the flow,

wherein the information associated with the network topology is displayed, via the cell objects of the UI, and

wherein the information associated with the respective cells distinguishes the cell objects.

22. The content distribution system of claim 20, further comprising:

a third server device configured to;

receive the notification of the identified condition, and

perform an operation to mitigate or remedy the identified condition by reducing the total traffic load associated with the respective cells.

23. The content distribution system of claim 22, wherein, when performing the operation, the third server device is further configured to:

reduce a quantity of bandwidth associated with the flow of packets or one or more other flows of packets, wherein the one or more other flows of packets correspond to one or more other user devices.

24. The content distribution system of claim 22, wherein, when performing the operation, the third server device is further configured to:

compress packets associated with a portion of the total traffic load,

resize the packets, associated with the portion of the total traffic load, relative to a maximum transmission unit (MTU) associated with the service provider network or the RAN, or

reduce a data rate associated with the portion of the total traffic load, and

wherein the portion of the traffic load corresponds to a particular type of flow, the particular type of flow including at least one of;

streaming video content,

progressively downloaded video content,

streaming audio content, or

data content associated with a bandwidth that is greater than the other threshold.