System, apparatus and method to support data server selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11218438-B2
Application number	US-202016845019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A communication system includes a user plane function (UPF) configured to receive a domain name system (DNS) query from a user equipment (UE). The DNS query includes a first destination address of a first DNS server. The DNS query is for determining an address of a data server in proximity to the UE. According to the first destination address of the first DNS server, the UPF obtains, from a session management function (SMF), a second destination address of a second DNS server for providing the address of the data server. The SMF is configured to provide, to the UPF, the second destination address of a second DNS server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system comprising:
a user plane function (UPF) configured to:
receive a domain name system (DNS) query from a user equipment (UE), the DNS query comprising a first destination address of a first DNS server, the DNS query for determining an address of a data server in proximity to the UE;
according to the first destination address of the first DNS server, obtain, from a session management function (SMF), a second destination address of a second DNS server for providing the address of the data server; and

the SMF configured to:
provide, to the UPF, the second destination address of a second DNS server.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the SMF is further configured to:
receive, from the UPF, a request comprising the first destination address of the first DNS server; and
in response to the request, transmit to the UPF, a response comprising the second destination address of the second DNS server.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the SMF is further configured to:
select the second DNS server according to the received request.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the UPF is further configured to:
transmit towards the second DNS server, a second DNS query for determining the address of the data server in proximity to the UE; and
in response to the second DNS query, receive from the second DNS server, the address of the data server in proximity to the UE.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the UPF is further configured to:
generate the second DNS query according to the received DNS query by replacing the first destination address of the first DNS server with the second destination address of the second DNS server.

6. The communication system of claim 4 further comprising the second DNS server configured to:
receive the second DNS query; and
in response to the second DNS query, provide to the UE, the address of the data server.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the SMF is further configured to:
transmit to the UE, a session modification request instructing the UE to perform one of the following:
establish a new QoS flow for a protocol data unit (PDU) session with the data server;
establish a new PDU session with the data server; and
transmit a DNS query to discover a new data server.

8. The communication system of claim 7 wherein the SMF is further configured to:
detect a condition of a communication between the UE and the data server, wherein the session modification request is transmitted according to the detected condition.

9. The communication system of claim 8 wherein the condition includes that the UE has moved to a new location.

10. The communication system of claim 8 wherein the condition includes that a quality of service (QoS) is degraded.

11. The communication system of claim 8 wherein the data server is a MEC server configured to serve the UE.

12. An apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transient memory for storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to:
receive a domain name system (DNS) query from a user equipment (UE), the DNS query comprising a first destination address of a first DNS server, the DNS query for determining an address of a data server in proximity to the UE; and
according to the first destination address of the first DNS server, obtain, from a session management function (SMF), a second destination address of a second DNS server for providing the address of the data server.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
transmit towards the second DNS server, a second DNS query for determining the address of the data server to trigger the second DNS server to provide the address of the data server to the U E.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
generate the second DNS query according to the received DNS query by replacing the first destination address of the first DNS server with the second destination address of the second DNS server.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
in response to the DNS query, transmit to the UE, a response message comprising the address of the data server.

16. An apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transient memory for storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a user plane function (UPF), a request comprising a first destination address of a first DNS server, wherein the first destination address of the first DNS server is included in a DNS query from a user equipment (UE) for an address of a data server; and
select a second DNS server to provide the address of the data server according to the received request; and
in response to the request, transmit to the UPF, a response comprising the second destination address of the second DNS server.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
transmit to the UE, a session modification request instructing the UE to perform one of the following:
establish a new QoS flow for a protocol data unit (PDU) session with the data server;
establish a new PDU session with the data server; and
transmit a DNS query to discover a new data server.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
detect a condition of a communication between the UE and the data server, wherein the session modification request is transmitted according to the detected condition.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the condition includes that the UE has moved to a new location.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the condition includes that a quality of service (QoS) is degraded.

Assignees

• Dao Ngoc Dung
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dao Ngoc Dung

Classifications

• H04L61/4511 Primary

  using domain name system [DNS] · CPC title

• H04L61/5007

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• G06F16/953

  Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines · CPC title

• H04L61/2521

  Translation architectures other than single NAT servers · CPC title

• H04L61/1511 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic