Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Alcatel Lucent

Steve Baillargeon

Christofer Flinta

Andreas Johnsson

Gregory Mirsky

Svante Ekelin

Ingemar Johansson

Prabaharan Kanesalingam

Peter Nilsson

A method is executed by a network device implementing a control-client to configure a session- sender to perform a test to determine whether differentiated services code point (DSCP) and explicit congestion notification (ECN) are modified in a single test session in a forward direction and a reverse direction between the session-sender and a session-reflector. Multiple DSCP and ECN are tested using the single test session. The method includes receiving a server greeting message from a server including characteristics of the session-reflector, determining whether the session-reflector supports use of multiple DSCP in the single test session, setting a set-up- response message to indicate DSCP and ECN testing, and determining whether the session- reflector supports DSCP and ECN monitoring. The method further includes adding an indicator of DSCP and ECN monitoring in the set-up-response message, in response to a determination that the session-reflector supports DSCP and ECN monitoring, and sending the setup-response message to the server.

Method and apparatus for control plane to configure monitoring of differentiated service code point (DSCP) and explicit congestion notification (ECN)

A method is executed by a network device implementing a session-sender to perform a test to determine whether differentiated services code point (DSCP) and explicit congestion notification (ECN) are modified in a single test session in a forward direction and a reverse direction between the session-sender and a session-reflector, where multiple DSCP and ECN are tested using the single test session. The method includes determining a first initial forward DSCP and ECN, generating a first test packet including the first initial forward DSCP and ECN, and sending the first test packet to the session-reflector in the single test session. The method further includes determining a second initial forward DSCP and ECN, generating a second test packet including the second initial forward DSCP and ECN, and sending the second test packet to the session-reflector in the single test session.

Method and apparatus for data plane to monitor differentiated services code point (DSCP) and explicit congestion notification (ECN)

Methods and systems for probing General Packet Radio System (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) links in a communication network are disclosed. According to principles described herein, originator and responder nodes (endpoints) are configured to use a probing interval that can be changed dynamically to adapt the probing frequency to the prevailing conditions measured and/or capabilities available at the originator and/or the responder. According to a broad aspect, a method for a network node includes receiving a probing request message originating from a first peer node via a GTP link, the probing request message containing a request indication for a probing interval recommendation for probing the GTP link, in response to the probing request message received, determining a probing interval recommendation for probing the GTP link and sending a probing response message to the first peer node via the GTP link, the probing response message containing the probing interval recommendation determined.

Method and system for general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) probing

A method, node, and VNF for maintaining a connection-oriented transport protocol association for carrying control plane traffic between a VNF including a first VM having a first external CP, and a remote node. The method includes upon configuration of a second VM, the second VM including a second external CP different from the first external CP of the first VM, notifying the first VM of a presence of the second VM, the notification including the second external CP of the second VM, instructing the remote node to add the second external CP of the second VM to the connection-oriented transport protocol association, and instructing the remote node to send control plane traffic to the second external CP of the second VM.

Dynamic reconfiguration of virtualized network function network connectivity

There is provided a method performed by a first network node for enabling network congestion management in a wireless network. The method comprises the step of encapsulating and sending user packets in a tunnel to a second network node, wherein each packet comprises information related to a byte loss volume for the tunnel. The method further comprises the step of receiving congestion volume information for the tunnel from the second network node. The method also comprises either the step of applying network congestion policing for the tunnel based on the received congestion volume information, or alternatively the step of forwarding the received congestion volume information to a third network node, to enable network congestion policing for the tunnel based on the received congestion volume information.

Tunnel congestion volume policing

A method for handling transmission of error indication messages in a communication network is provided. A destination computer associated with a destination address receives a user data packet from a source computer associated with a source address. A determination is made as to whether a destination identifier included in the user data packet is known. If it is determined that the destination identifier is known, then the user data packet is transmitted to a destination associated with the destination identifier. Else, the transmission of the first error indication message is delayed and the transmission of subsequent error indication messages is paced if subsequent user data packets received from the source computer include the unknown destination identifier.

Method and system for handling error indications

Presented are methods and apparatus for processing test traffic encapsulated within bidirectional subscriber connections on intermediate nodes. Test packet requests are generated by a test traffic controller and received at a node by an enhanced decapsulator, a decapsulator or at an ingress port. A tunnel header is extracted from the test packet requests and a determination is made as to whether the test packet request destination is for the receiving node or for another node. If the test packet request is for another node the test packet request is forwarded toward the destination node. If the test packet request is for the receiving node then a test packet reply is generated and the test packet reply is sent toward the test traffic controller.

Test traffic interceptor

According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for determining the forward and reverse available capacity or tight link capacity of an IP path from a single endpoint includes the steps of: transmitting, from a source IP endpoint node toward a destination IP endpoint node, a forward packet train including a first plurality of IP test packets over the forward IP path; and receiving, at the source IP endpoint node, a corresponding reverse packet train from the destination IP endpoint node, the reverse packet train including a second plurality of IP test packets over the reverse IP path each of which correspond to a respective one of the first plurality of IP test packets. For those IP path capacity measurements embodiments which are TWAMP-based, no changes are needed to the TWAMP control protocol, e.g., since exemplary embodiments make use of padding octets to transfer additional information which can be used for available IP path capacity and tight IP link capacity calculations.

Systems and methods for measuring available capacity and tight link capacity of IP paths from a single endpoint

A method and system for measuring the performance of the end-to-end mobile subscriber connection is disclosed. Test traffic originating from the network is sent to the mobile device and the mobile device acting as a test traffic reflector includes current radio bearer conditions that may be impacting the end-to-end performance of the subscriber connection within the test traffic that is returned back to the source. The radio access node acting as a test traffic interceptor includes current radio cell conditions that may be impacting the end-to-end performance of all subscriber connections in the cell within the test traffic that is returned back to the source. The test equipment or controller collects, calculates and reports the IP test performance towards the mobile device and radio node with correlation to the radio bearer and radio cell performance.

Method and system for piggybacking radio data in IP measurements

Systems and methods are provided for managing faults at the tail end of the user plane associated with an MBMS bearer. A fault detection time interval associated with the MBMS bearer can be defined and monitored. A fault can be detected in response to determining that the defined time interval has elapsed without receipt of a synchronization packet. Mechanisms for detecting, indicating, localizing and repairing MBMS bearer faults are described.

Tail end MBMS bearer fault management

Arrangements include methods and systems for enabling collection of end to end performance information of individual tunnels in a GPRS. According to one aspect, a GTP-U sender node is configured to provide to a GTP-U receiver node a sequence number for a G-PDU to enable determination of a first set of one-way performance data of a GTP-U tunnel to be monitored. The GTP-U sender node may further be configured to provide an exit timestamp for a G-PDU to enable determination of a second set of one-way performance data of the GTP-U tunnel to be monitored. Either one or both of the sender node and the receiver node may send G-PDU performance monitor records to a GTP-U performance monitor collector.

General packet radio service tunnel performance monitoring

A wireless communications network comprises a wireless network controller coupled to a packet gateway. An indication of congestion of network resources is communicated between the wireless network controller and the packet gateway. In response to the indication of congestion of network resources, one of the wireless network controller and packet gateways adjusts packet data flow between the wireless network controller and the packet gateway.

Packet flow control in a wireless communications network based on an indication contained in a packet

A method and system for enabling collection of end to end performance information for a control and provisioning of wireless access points, CAPWAP, bi-directional control channel established between first and second CAPWAP nodes are disclosed. According to one aspect, the system provides a first CAPWAP channel endpoint in the first CAPWAP node configured to provide a first plurality of sequence numbers in request messages on the CAPWAP bi-directional control channel. A second CAPWAP channel endpoint in the second CAPWAP node is configured to send a second plurality of sequence numbers in CAPWAP response messages on the CAPWAP bi-directional control channel, in response to the request messages. The first and second plurality of sequence numbers enable determination of a first set of one-way performance data for each direction of the CAPWAP bi-directional control channel.

Performance monitoring of control and provisioning of wireless access points (CAPWAP) control channels

A method and system for determining quality and capacity of a transport monitoring connection between radio service nodes to facilitate local management of subscriber connections are disclosed. One method includes sending first test packets from a first radio service node to a second radio service node via the transport monitoring connection. Second test packets are received from the second radio service node. The second test packets have information added to the first test packets by the second radio service node. The second test packets are analyzed to determine a quality and a bandwidth of the transport monitoring connection. Control and user plane functions are informed when transport monitoring performance is one of degraded and improved based on the quality and bandwidth. The method includes making radio service provisioning decisions based on the quality and bandwidth of the transport monitoring connection.

Method and system for radio service optimization using active probing over transport networks

A method and system for reporting performance and controlling mobility between multiple different radio access technologies are disclosed. According to one aspect, a controller in a network collects performance data concerning at least a first network operating according to a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second network operating according to a second RAT, the first RAT being different from the second RAT. The controller includes a performance monitoring collector, PMC, configured to collect performance data from at least a node of the first RAT and from at least a node of the second RAT. The collected performance monitoring data is analyzed to trigger selection of at least one serving radio cell for a user equipment, UE, connection based on the analysis.

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Gatineau, Canada

Steve Baillargeon