Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Nokia Solutions and Networks Gmbh & Co. Kg

Nokia Technologies Oy

Nokia Siemens Networks Oy

Xieon Networks S.a.r.l.

Hans-Jochen Morper

Christian Markwart

Maximilian Riegel

Alfred Josef Lupper

Ernst-Dieter Schmidt

Devaki Chandramouli

Klaus Hoffmann

Rainer Liebhart

Hannu Flinck

Wolfgang Hahn

Marco Hoffmann

Michael Jarschel

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided in accordance with example embodiments for providing a combined service discovery and connection setup for a fifth-generation (5G) service-based architecture (SBA), and particularly for streamlined provisioning of services associated with a network repository function (NRF) from network function (NF) service providers to NF service consumers. In some embodiments, the NRF can register NF service providers by, at least, identifying supported transport layer network protocols (TLNPs) and then identifying for the NF service consumer only services associated with NF service providers supporting the same TNLP so that a further suitability handshake between the NF service consumer and the NF service provider is not required. In some embodiments, initial authentication of the NF service consumer by the NRF under a cryptographic protocol can be used as preauthorization for direct communication and service provisioning between the NF service provider and the NF service consumer, without requiring secondary authentication.

Combined service discovery and connection setup for service-based architectures

Method, apparatus and computer program product for an application function in a communications network detecting a request from a user equipment for direct peer-to-peer communication with at least one other user equipment, where the direct communication is performed without an application in a data center identified by a data network access identifier, instructing the network to set up said direct communication with the at least one other user equipment gathering information, during establishment/deestablishment of a packet data unit session with user equipment, of the at least one other user equipment participating in the direct communication, and coordinating connectivity between the user equipment and the other participating user equipment based on the received information.

Direct user equipment to user equipment without data network access identifier

The present subject matter relates to a method comprising receiving at a first gateway a data packet from a first host in destination to a second host. A first portion of a header information of the data packet may be replaced by the first gateway by information comprising an identity information of at least one of the first host and the second host. The data packet may be transmitted by the first gateway in accordance with a second portion of the header information to a second gateway serving the second host.

Swapping header information for data transmission

The invention addresses method, apparatus, system and computer program product for controlling virtualized resources, comprising receiving a request to implement a network service at a network element, looking up key parameters of the network service, selecting at least one compute resource according to the network service, deploying at least one application as required to fulfill the network service, selecting at least one transport resource to interconnect the network element with the at least one application, instructing an access control conductor that a transport access manager has exclusive access to at least part of the network element's resources, and instructing the transport access manager to establish a transport path at the network element.

Steering of virtualized resources

A method and apparatus may include providing a multi-dimensional descriptor to a network function. The method may also include accessing a network slice. The network slice is selected based on the multi-dimensional descriptor. The method may also include accessing a component of the network slice. One or more network functions of the network slice are selected based on the multi-dimensional descriptor.

Method and apparatus for selecting network slices and services

The present invention provides apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products and computer-readable media regarding Ultra High-Speed Mobile Network based on Layer-2 Switching. Certain aspects of the present invention include receiving, at a first gateway, a data packet from a first host served by the first gateway destined to a second host served by a second gateway, the data packet having a header comprising a layer 3 destination address of the second host and a broadcast layer 2 destination address, searching, by the first gateway, a flow table stored in the first gateway for an identity of the second gateway associated with the broadcast layer 2 destination address, if the identity is found in the flow table, replacing the broadcast layer 2 destination address with the identity of the second gateway serving the second host, and transmitting the data packet to the second gateway.

Ultra high-speed mobile network based on layer-2 switching

A network element for a cloud computing system is provided, wherein the cloud computing system is adapted for running applications, in particular different kinds of applications, wherein the network element comprises a receiving unit adapted to receive a resource request for running of an application, a determination unit adapted to determine whether the application is a non-SDN-aware application, and a mediator unit adapted to provide SDN context to the network element in case it is determined that the application is a non-SDN-aware application.

Network element and method of running applications in a cloud computing system

A method includes decomposing functionalities of an node, such as an edge node, of a mobile core domain of a wireless communications system into a plurality of partitions comprised of at least one application part for executing at least signaling plane functions and that interfaces logically to other signaling entities, at least one control part for executing at least transport functions and at least one network element part for executing at least data forwarding functions. The method further includes virtualizing the at least one application part and configuring at least one network element to perform at least one data forwarding function under the direction of the at least one control part. The control part is instantiated as at least one software-defined networking (SDN) controller, and the at least one network element includes a plurality of SDN controller configurable ports to receive data and to send data, and to also perform operations on received data such as tunnel termination/origination, encryption/decryption, traffic shaping and other needed user plane transport functions. The use of the invention enables a complete virtualization of the mobile core domain to be accomplished.

Software defined networking for edge nodes

Ultra High-Speed Mobile Network based on Layer-2 Switching The present invention provides apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products and computer-readable media regarding Ultra High-Speed Mobile Network based on Layer-2 Switching. Certain aspects of the present invention include receiving, at a first gateway, a data packet from a first host served by the first gateway destined to a second host served by a second gateway, the data packet having a header comprising a layer 3 destination address of the second host and a broadcast layer 2 destination address, searching, by the first gateway, a flow table stored in the first gateway for an identity of the second gateway associated with the layer 3 destination address of the second host, if the identity is found in the flow table, replacing the broadcast layer 2 destination address with the identity of the second gateway serving the second host, and transmitting the data packet to the second gateway.

Ultra high-speed mobile network based on layer-2-switching

Traffic is conveyed in a communications network by a homogeneous transport network from edge nodes located at edges of the homogeneous transport network to at least one processing center (D-center, C-center) located at an edge of the homogeneous transport network. The at least one processing center processes the traffic and controls and forwards traffic to be further conveyed to the edge nodes.

Conveying traffic in a communications network system

A method and a device for processing data in a communication network, wherein a first node is served by a second node and communicates with a third node. The first node informs a fourth node to process data destined for the third node. The second node, the first node and the fourth node are connected via a transport network that is capable of a point-to-multipoint connection.

Method and device for processing data in a communication network

A resource controller for managing resources in a network and arranged at a site of a first network entity is provided, wherein the resource controller comprises: a database, adapted to store resource managing related information; an interface adapted to receive a resource managing message from a second network entity at the first network entity; and a resource managing unit, wherein the resource managing unit is adapted to grant access to the stored resource managing related information on the database based on the received resource managing message.

Method of managing resources

An apparatus, comprising an enhanced function block and a stateless function block; main routing means for routing, based on a header of a data packet and an incoming port, the data packet to one of the enhanced function block and the stateless function block; wherein the enhanced function blocks comprises providing means for providing an information comprised in the data packet to a control device; an enhanced function means for executing an enhanced function on the data packet to obtain a first processed data packet addressed to a destination address, wherein the enhanced function is based on an instruction for the data packet received in response to the provided information; and a first routing means for routing the first processed data packet to the destination address; and the stateless function blocks comprises a stateless function means for executing a stateless function on the data packet, wherein the stateless function is not based on an instruction for the data packet received in response to providing information comprised in the data packet to a control device, in order to, thus, obtain a second processed data packet; and returning means for returning the second processed data packet to the main routing means.

Network consolidation by means of virtualization

A method of determining system performance parameters, such as delay, present in a network where the network is one of a plurality of heterogeneous networks in a communication system. The communication comprises a first network and a first node, both controlled by a first network operator, and a second network controlled by a second network operator. The first node is located in the second network. The method comprises the steps of: the first node communicating with at least one other node; the first node obtaining system-related information as a result of this communication; the system-related information being used to derive the system performance parameters of the second network.

Determination of system performance parameters in heterogeneous network environments

An apparatus, includes core interface means adapted to provide an eastbound interface to a first core network element and to a second core network element different from the first core network element; radio interface means adapted to provide a westbound interface to a first radio access network element and to a second radio access network element different from the first radio access network element; multiplex detecting means adapted to detect if a first request received at one of the eastbound and westbound interfaces is directed to the first and/or the second of the network elements of the respective other interface; adapting means adapted to adapt the first request according to the network element to which it is directed; multiplexing means adapted to multiplex the adapted first request to the first and/or the second of the network elements of the respective other interface according to detection by the multiplex detecting means.

Growing community of inventors

Erdweg, Germany

Hans-Jochen Morper