Edge computing local breakout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12255972-B2
Application number	US-202117407456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 21, 2020
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure describes local breakout for edge computing systems, wherein the local breakout selectively routes the traffic from/to a user equipment between an edge compute node or some other service such as a core network, cloud computing service, or the like. Packets related to microservices that are offered by the edge compute node are routed to the edge compute node instead of routing those packets to the core network, and packets that are not related to the microservices provided by the edge compute node are routed to the core network or to another network such as a data network or cloud computing service. In these ways, the local breakout mechanisms provide low latency and reduced network resource consumption for the microservices and decreased data traffic load on the core network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
interface circuitry to receive data packets from user equipment (UE) different than an edge compute node; and
at least one processor circuit to be programed by instructions to:
cause a first data packet to be routed to the edge compute node based on the first data packet including edge-service data related to a microservice provided by the edge compute node; and
cause a second data packet to be routed over a user plane (UP) interface to a serving gateway (SGW) in an evolved packet core (EPC) based on the second data packet not including edge-service data related to the microservice, the UP interface to provide data communication between the edge compute node and the SGW, an Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer to provide data communication between the UE and the EPC, the EPS bearer to extend through the edge compute node; and
establish an edge bearer to provide data communication between the UE and the edge compute node, the edge bearer distinct from the EPS bearer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to cause the first data packet to be diverted to a corresponding edge application in the edge compute node based on the first data packet including the edge-service data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to operate a UP protocol stack including a conditional relay layer, the conditional relay layer to route the first data packet to the edge compute node or the second data packet to the SGW in the EPC.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is in a first network deployment and the SGW in the EPC is in a second network deployment different than the first network deployment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is the edge compute node, the first network deployment includes (i) the edge compute node co-located with one or more network access nodes (NANs), and (ii) the edge compute node deployed on, at, or near respective interfaces between the one or more NANs and the EPC, and the second network deployment includes the EPC.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the UP interface is a first UP interface, the first network deployment includes the edge compute node coupled with the EPC via the first UP interface, and the one or more NANs coupled with the EPC via respective one or more second UP interfaces between the one or more NANs and the EPC, the one or more second UP interfaces distinct from the first UP interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the UP interface is a first UP interface, the first network deployment includes the edge compute node coupled with the EPC via the first UP interface, and the one or more NANs coupled with the EPC via respective one or more second UP interfaces between the one or more NANs and the edge compute node and the first UP interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the conditional relay layer is between an internet protocol (IP) layer of the UP protocol stack and an application layer of the UP protocol stack.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to cause the conditional relay layer to route the first data packet to a designated edge application in the application layer of the UP protocol stack based on the first data packet including the edge-service data.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to cause the conditional relay layer to relay the second data packet over the UP interface to the SGW in the EPC based on the second data packet not including the edge-service data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the UP interface between the edge compute node and the SGW is an S1-U interface.

12. An apparatus comprising:
interface circuitry to receive data packets from user equipment (UE) different than an edge compute node; and
at least one processor circuit to be programed by instructions to:
cause a first data packet to be routed over an SGi interface to the edge compute node based on the first data packet including edge-service data related to a microservice provided by the edge compute node; and
cause a second data packet to be routed over an S1-U interface to a serving gateway (SGW) in an evolved packet core (EPC) based on the second data packet not including edge-service data related to the microservice, an Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer to provide data communication between the UE and the EPC, the EPS bearer not to extend through the edge compute node; and
establish an edge bearer to provide data communication between the UE and the edge compute node, the edge bearer distinct from the EPS bearer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the edge-service data is data for consumption by the microservice.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , including the instructions.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , including the EPC is a fourth generation (4G) EPC.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , including the instructions.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , including the EPC is a fourth generation (4G) EPC.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Merwaday Arvind
• Sivanesan Kathiravetpillai
• Gomes Baltar Leonardo
• Sehra Suman A

Classifications

• H04L45/64

  using an overlay routing layer · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W40/20

  based on geographic position or location · CPC title

• H04W4/00

  Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor · CPC title

• H04L45/127

  based on intermediate node capabilities · CPC title