Methods and apparatus for managing resource usage across domains in a communication network

Abstract

A method () for managing resource usage across domains in a communication network is disclosed. The communication network comprises a radio access domain, a core domain and a transport domain providing connectivity between the radio access domain and the core domain. The method comprises receiving from the core domain an indication of load status of gateway nodes in the core domain (), receiving from the transport domain an indication of load status of transport resources in the transport domain (), normalising across the core and transport domain a cost of using resources in each domain (), calculating, on the basis of the normalised costs, optimal chains of resources in the core and transport domains for providing a service from different radio access nodes to different possible Access Point Names (APNs) (), and sending to the core and transport domains information about the calculated optimal resource chains (). Also disclosed are methods for managing resource usage in a core domain, a transport domain and a radio access domain of a communication network, together with cross domain, core domain, transport domain and radio access domain control elements.