Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Affirmed Networks Communications Technologies, Inc.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Apple Inc.

Affirmed Networks, Inc.

Haibo Qian

Michael Anthony Brown

Fred Walter Rink

Ronald Mark Parker

Mark Libby

Rahul Bose

Jeremy Brown

Paul Boudreaux

Curtis M Provost

Piotr Galecki

Akash Baid

Carlos A Molina

Channarong Tontinuttananon

Kenton Perry Nickell

Liang Tian

Srinivasan Muralidharan

Bret Bieghler

Michael Brown

Channarong Tontiruttananon

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer readable media for managing and maintaining deployments of configurations on network functions in a telecommunications network. In particular, examples herein relate to implementations of a configuration management system and reconciliation agents that cooperatively perform multi-tiered reconciliation of configuration states for deployments of network functions. The systems described herein can perform multiple levels of reconciliation checks on a plurality of network functions to ensure that configurations of the network functions are effectively maintained and consistent with a desired state (e.g., a goal state) of the deployment(s) of network functions.

Multi-tiered reconciliation of network functions

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer readable media for receiving and processing a request to deploy network functions across one or more deployment areas of a telecommunications network. Systems described herein process a request by applying a hierarchical configuration model including a hierarchy of configuration management instructions that can be applied to a request that complies with a format of the hierarchical configuration model. Features described herein facilitate deployment of unique configuration instructions across multiple network functions and across multiple deployment areas based on a single request and without further user interaction with respect to each of multiple network functions.

Deploying and configuring network functions based on a hierarchical configuration model

A network function is implemented using cloud native architecture. The network function utilizes one or more loosely coupled and independently deployable microservice instances to perform services. To retain state between independent transactions, a microservice instance takes a soft lock on state data in an external database. The soft lock makes the state data unavailable except to the microservice instance. After the microservice instance completes the transaction, the microservice instance clears the lock so that the state data is available for use by other microservices.

Systems and methods for implementing soft locking in a stateless microservice environment

Systems and methods for efficient database management of non-transitory readable media, including a memory configured to store information associated with service instance requests across a plurality of distributed network resources and a processor configured to receive a service instance request, determine the first native domain object associated with the service instance request, allocate the plurality of network resources to a plurality of distributed worker instances dependent upon a first native domain object, assign the first service instance request to a first worker instance that includes a microservice instance that define service instance blocks to execute the request, and a service instance block manager configured to manage the first service instance request in conjunction with subsequent service instance requests associated with the plurality of worker instances, track running and completed requests, and allocate resources for similar requests across the distributed network nodes.

Distributed database-driven resource management and locking in a cloud native mobile core network node architecture

A transition region can be defined for a first network segment that can provide wireless communication services using a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT and that supports Internet protocol (IP) packet-based voice calls. The transition region can be defined based at least in part on a first coverage area of the first network segment and a second coverage area of a second network segment that does not support IP packet-based voice calls and does not support a first handoff mechanism based on the first RAT. A network node can be notified about an IP packet-based voice call involving a user equipment (UE) that is receiving service from the first network segment using a first RAT. Upon determining that the UE is located within the transition region, the network node can cause the UE to be switched to a second RAT for the IP packet-based voice call.

Minimizing disruption to a voice call in a mobile network that includes different network segments having different capabilities for supporting voice calls

A core network can send first data transmissions to a radio access network (RAN) at a first data rate that is based at least in part on a first RAT policy associated with a first RAT used by the RAN for downlink transmissions to user equipment. The core network can obtain information indicating that the RAN is using a second RAT for the downlink transmissions to the user equipment. The core network can cause a RAT policy that is applied to the data transmissions from the core network to the RAN to be changed from the first RAT policy to a second RAT policy that is associated with the second RAT. The core network can send second data transmissions from the core network to the RAN at a second data rate that is based at least in part on the second RAT policy.

Dynamically adjusting the bandwidth of downlink transmissions based on a radio access technology used by a radio access network

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for network slicers. Network slicers can receive creation request messages and select network slices based on policies. A network slicer can indicate to next hop routers that it has lower routing costs in order to receive messages, and inspect the received messages to identify creation request messages. A network slicer can indicate to a DNS server that it has a higher priority than other network elements, and receive creation request messages based on the higher priority. New creation request messages can be sent to the selected network slices based on received creation request messages. The network can also create and send appropriate response messages to the creation request to establish future communications with the selected network slice.

Systems and methods for network slicing

Example implementations described herein are directed to providing one or more service tags in a Domain name service (DNS) response to indicate the availability of user defined services for a particular peer node in an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). DNS clients can process the DNS response for the service tags and facilitate the selection of peer nodes for a User Equipment (UE) based on the processed service tag(s).

EPC node selection using custom service types

Example implementations are directed to a method and an apparatus for managing one of a plurality of core networks (CNs) sharing a radio access network (RAN), which may receive a RAN resource allocation control type indicator associated with at least one CN of the plurality of CNs. The RAN resource allocation control type indicator be at least one of: a guaranteed minimum allocation of RAN resources, an absolute allocation of RAN resources, and a percentage-based allocation of RAN resources. The method and apparatus may further include determining a RAN resource allotment parameter for the at least one CN of the plurality of CNs. The RAN resource allotment parameter and an identification of the associated at least one CN may be transmitted to a traffic controller such that the at least one CN is allocated an amount of RAN resources based on the resource allotment value may.

Resource control in a shared RAN

Systems and methods are disclosed for a method of assigning resources to eNodeBs in a mobility management entity (MME) pool, including determining a first relative capacity for a first eNodeB based on at least one of latency between the first eNodeB and a first MME and the location of the first eNodeB. A second relative capacity may be determined for a second eNodeB based on at least one of latency between the second eNodeB and the first MME and the location of the second eNodeB. The first and second relative capacities may be indicative of relative capacity values greater than zero. The relative capacities may be provided to the first and second eNodeBs, and a portion of traffic sent from the first and second eNodeBs to the first MME may be based on the first and second relative capacities, respectively.

Flexible load distribution and management in an MME pool

Example implementations described herein are directed to a support node apparatus configured to support a wireless network system. The support node apparatus can be in the form of a mobility management entity and/or a serving general packet radio service. The example implementations directed herein can provide a network resource identifier and/or a globally unique temporary identifier to an associated user equipment to facilitate the transfer of the user equipment from a source support node apparatus to a target support node apparatus. In example implementations, the target support node apparatus can thereby be directly specified by use of the identifier.

Method of directed UE relocation within an MME/SGSN flex pool

Example implementations are directed to systems and methods involving a mobility management entity (MME) pool. In example implementations, the MME of the pool can be configured as a backup for a fraction of subscribers associated with other MME in the pool. Upon detection of the failure of an MME in the pool, the surviving MME messages eNodeBs and other peer network nodes that it will take over the impacted subscribers such that the subscribers do not need to conduct a reattachment process. Multiple MME codes per MME can be used to partition the subscribers for backup, which can thereby lead to geo-redundancy for the MME.

Synchronized MME pool

A method to provide an optimized intra-HeNB GW handover operation that reduces signaling to and from an LTE MME (Mobility Management Entity) function of the 3GPP E-UTRAN Evolved Packet core (EPC). In operation, an HeNB Gateway (GW) intercepts handover requests from a source HeNB to a target HeNB and processes these requests locally, with minimal interaction from the MME. Where possible, messaging to and from the MME is minimized and/or reduced, irrespective of the 3GPP requirement that the GW relay all handover-related messages to the MME.

Optimized home evolved NodeB (eNB) handover in an LTE network

An MME keeps track of network tracking mobility characteristics by periodically updating a TA transition probability matrix derived from a global table that maintains UE movement data in the network by noting current TA and most recently known previous TA of each EU for every TAU event and paging event. The MME also maintains data of the number of paging events and TAUs performed by each UE and stores a paging ratio versus TAU for each UE. The UE characteristics, UE paging ratio, and network mobility characteristic are utilized in an algorithm that constructs a TA list for each UE designed to minimize the overall traffic cost function for paging events and TAU events for that UE and the overall network. Optionally, the TA list for each EU is constrained to meet certain minimum performance characteristics such as a predetermined paging success rate target and/or a predetermined delay bound target.

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Frisco, TX, United States of America

Haibo Qian