Allocating virtual machines in a gateway coupled to a software-defined switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016330136-A1
Application number	US-201415110326-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 9, 2014
Priority date	Jan 9, 2014
Publication date	Nov 10, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided allocating cloud computing resources to process a user session by a gateway in a mobile communications network, and allocating the cloud computing resources in pairs to user sessions. Rules for the pair of allocated resources are determined such that incoming control plane traffic associated with the session is forwarded to the both cloud computing resources forming the pair.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
allocating cloud computing resources to process a user session by a gateway in a mobile communications network; and allocating the cloud computing resources in pairs to user sessions.

2 . A method comprising:
obtaining information on a pair of cloud computing resources allocated to a user session by a gateway in a mobile communications network; determining rules for the pair such that incoming control plane traffic associated with the session is forwarded to the both cloud computing resources forming the pair.

3 . A method comprising:
maintaining information on user sessions processed by a gateway in a mobile communications network, wherein the gateway is implemented by cloud computing resources; maintaining an allocation of cloud computing resources for processing a user plane traffic of the user session and for processing control plane traffic of the user session.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
obtaining information on a new allocation of at least one cloud computing resource allocated to the user session for processing user plane traffic of the user session; updating a current allocation between a user session and a cloud computing resource allocated to the user session, on the basis of the obtained new allocation.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
determining a failure of one cloud computing resource from a pair of cloud computing resources allocated to the user session; allocating a new cloud computing resource to the pair.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
determining a failure of one cloud computing resource from a pair of cloud computing resources comprising an active cloud computing resource and a standby cloud computing resource allocated to the user session.

7 . A method according to claim 6 comprising:
replacing the failed cloud computing resource by a new cloud computing resource, when the failed cloud computing resources comprise the standby cloud computing resource.

8 . A method according to claim 6 , comprising:
setting the standby cloud computing resource as active, when the, when the failed cloud computing resources comprise the active cloud computing resource; and allocating the new cloud computing resources as active to the pair.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein a cloud computing resource comprises an instance of allocatable computing resources in a software defined switch under control of a centralized controller.

10 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
allocating a first pair of cloud computing resource to the user session, wherein a first cloud computing resources in the pair is active and processing user plane traffic of the user session, and a second cloud commuting resources in the pair is a standby for the active cloud computing resource.

11 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
receiving control plane traffic of a user session; and forwarding the control plane traffic to both cloud computing resources from a pair of cloud computing resources allocated to the user session.

12 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
receiving user plane traffic of a user session; and processing the received user plane traffic by an active cloud computing resource from a pair of cloud computing resources allocated to the user session.

13 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
receiving tunnelled traffic originating from a network addressable host; deriving a tunnel end point identifier, TEID, and a network address of the originator from the received traffic; determining a session associated with the received traffic on the basis of the derived information and forwarding the received traffic for processing by a pair of cloud computing resources allocated to the session.

14 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein received in the user session is forwarded for processing by the allocated cloud computing resources on the basis of information derived from the received traffic, said information defining a portion of tunnel end point identifier, TEID, value range and a sub-network originating the received traffic.

15 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the cloud computing resources are allocated to groups for user sessions.

16 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein information indicating allocated cloud computing resources are communicated from a controller of cloud computing resources to a controller of software defined switches by a control protocol, for example OpenFlow.

17 . An apparatus including means to perform a method according to claim 1 .

18 . An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is a controller of cloud computing resources, a controller of software defined switches for a communications network, a gateway of a mobile communications network or a software defined switch for a communications network.

19 . A gateway for a mobile communications network, said gateway comprising user plane traffic processors implemented by cloud computing resources allocated in pairs to user sessions, and user plane traffic is processed by an active cloud computing resource for a session and control plane traffic is forwarded to both cloud computing resources of the pair of cloud computing resources associated with the session.

20 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said product comprising executable code that when executed, cause execution of functions of a method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Saha Sumanta
• Lindgren Tommy Johannes
• Soderlund Jani Olavi
• Savolainen Niko Markus

Classifications

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L41/0663

  Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements · CPC title

• G06F11/1484

  involving virtual machines · CPC title

• H04L69/40

  for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection (management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06) · CPC title

• H04L41/0668

  by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure · CPC title