Abstract: A new control function is defined for the control plane of a 5G mobile network to enable the operator's mobile user, who is using a premium network slice, to access application services on the public Internet, by operator sign-on only when accessing the application on said slice. This unique single sign-on capability allows the user to bypass the service authentication after operator authenticates the mobile device by the user session establishment procedure. The new function registers a plurality of service applications, which sign-up for single sign-on capability. It also coordinates the mapping and storage of credentials of the user across the mobile operator's service and the service provider's application for each of said plurality of service applications, and transfers user credentials to the application so that the user's sign-in step is bypassed.

Abstract: A system and method for reliable and secure record keeping for Radio Access Network (RAN) capacity sharing amongst a plurality of operators using slicing methods according to 3GPP 5G specifications, wherein slicing is controlled by a RAN controller is disclosed. The record keeping system is a distributed Blockchain ledger in which a block specifies information pertaining to available, leased or purchased base station slice(s). The ledger is immutable and available to all operators through a distributed database hosted by each participant wherein each base station owner advertises its leased as well as unused base station capacity at a specific time using blocks in the Blockchain. In an embodiment, the RAN controller directly feeds the information needed to form a new block into the ledger whenever the slicing profile of a RAN changes, thereby making the ledger in complete synchronicity with the network.

Abstract: A method as implemented in a controller in a SDN: (a) receiving service function chain orders of packet flows comprising a service function chain; (b) receiving, in real-time, delay measurements from either one of the virtual network functions and/or one of the network switches; (c) determining a plurality of realizations of the service function chain orders of (a) in order to minimize a total delay; (d) choosing an optimal realization corresponding to a least delay; and (e) determining one or more flow rules for the one or more network switches, the determining based on the optimal realization in (d). A controller and an article of manufacture implementing such a method are also described.

Abstract: Software Defined Networking concepts apply to access, fronthaul, backhaul and core networks of 5G mobile networks and beyond. Such network components currently have individual/segmented control planes and associated controllers to provide configurability, provisioning, and network slicing. This is because of technology disparity between these network components: access is wireless/cellular, backhaul and fronthaul are optical/fiber, and core is electrical/wire-line.

Abstract: Disclosed within are a system and method for efficient slicing of an SDN-based 5G core network by using service-specific aggregate tunnels along key tunnel interfaces between network functions.

Abstract: 3GPP's 5th generation mobile network (5G) standards provide a service-based architecture by widely distributing control functions as virtualized network functions (VNFs). However, the equipment and software vendors control these control plane functions in a closed-box manner. This invention provides a new control plane function called Open Control Plane Function (OCPF), which allows various control applications of operators or third parties to register to certain control functions so that they can receive and process signaling/control messages outside those control functions. With this invention, new applications can be developed to view and modify control plane behavior utilizing both traditional methods as well as upcoming Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to provide new and innovative services that are not part of standard operator offerings.

Abstract: Disclosed within are a system and method for efficient slicing of an SDN-based 5G core network by using service-specific aggregate tunnels along key tunnel interfaces between network functions.

Abstract: A special controller and a special node design for wireless communications are disclosed for generating a control messaging exchange on a wireless control channel between a controller and each mesh node: (a) to alter the wireless network topology, comprised of interconnected nodes, for load distribution, (b) to select better quality wireless links for control and data channel communications, and (c) to take away the burden of frequent route calculations from each node, making packet forwarding more efficient and optimal.

Abstract: A method as implemented in a controller in a SDN: (a) receiving service function chain orders of packet flows comprising a service function chain; (b) receiving, in real-time, delay measurements from either one of the virtual network functions and/or one of the network switches; (c) determining a plurality of realizations of the service function chain orders of (a) in order to minimize a total delay; (d) choosing an optimal realization corresponding to a least delay; and (e) determining one or more flow rules for the one or more network switches, the determining based on the optimal realization in (d). A controller and an article of manufacture implementing such a method are also described.

Abstract: A new component is provided within a switch that ‘learns’ from the messages between the switch and the controller regarding how to behave like a controller under different network conditions and how to optimize the switch flow tables by implementing techniques like aggregation to save memory space, wherein the new component can act as a ‘proxy controller’ that resides within the switch. This new component can be activated when a specific trigger happens, wherein the trigger is programmable into the switch. After the trigger is active, the proxy/local controller starts undertaking some or all of the roles of the controller until the trigger is deactivated. Because different types of triggers can be programmed, the new component can have one or more of the control functions. The teaching of the new component (which can be a hardware chip or software) is performed outside the switch using machine-learning techniques (e.g. deep learning).

Abstract: When network function virtualization (NFV) is overlaid on top of a SDN, a convergence gateway mediates between the orchestrator and the SDN controller. The convergence gateway collects from the orchestrator the information on the location, capacity, status, and usage information of all virtualized functions that run on SDN's physical platforms, and passes that information to the controller. The controller decides to optimally route a data flow for service chaining by obeying traffic engineering and quality of service policies of that data flow, choosing from available virtualized functions along that route. An information model based approach is also presented for information sharing across the orchestrator, convergence gateway and controller.

Abstract: A system and method for reliable and secure record keeping for Radio Access Network (RAN) capacity sharing amongst a plurality of operators using slicing methods according to 3GPP 5G specifications, wherein slicing is controlled by a RAN controller is disclosed. The record keeping system is a distributed Blockchain ledger in which a block specifies information pertaining to available, leased or purchased base station slice(s). The ledger is immutable and available to all operators through a distributed database hosted by each participant wherein each base station owner advertises its leased as well as unused base station capacity at a specific time using blocks in the Blockchain. In an embodiment, the RAN controller directly feeds the information needed to form a new block into the ledger whenever the slicing profile of a RAN changes, thereby making the ledger in complete synchronicity with the network.

Abstract: A programmable switch for use in a Software Defined Network (SDN) is disclosed that supports multiple open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) between the switch and various types of controllers, where each such API supports a different function set and possibly uses different IP protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

Abstract: A novel technique is shown for throttling control traffic in a Software Defined Network (SDN) between a controller and network switches when the controller and/or one or more control channels are congested. In this technique, the controller's processing power and the limited control channel bandwidth are more efficiently managed by drastically cutting down the control traffic during times of congestion.

Abstract: A novel system and a new data communication method are invented in a software-defined (SDN) network to provide delivery of certain types of critical data flows with certain QoS and/or extra security requirements in a congested network. The method of invention allows such critical data not to traverse the data plane, as it normally would, but instead to go from the ingress switch directly to the egress switch, thereby always in two hops using the control channels. By shortcutting all other switches along the traditional data path computed by normal routing, it potentially provides guaranteed throughput, lower latency/jitter or higher level of security.

Abstract: A special controller and a special node design for wireless communications are disclosed for generating a control messaging exchange on a wireless control channel between a controller and each mesh node: (a) to alter the wireless network topology, comprised of interconnected nodes, for load distribution, (b) to select better quality wireless links for control and data channel communications, and (c) to take away the burden of frequent route calculations from each node, making packet forwarding more efficient and optimal.

Abstract: Self-Organizing Network (SON) technology has been developed to make the planning, configuration, management, and self-healing of mobile networks easier and faster, where such planning, configuration and management of the mobile networks are targeted to optimize the value offered to a group of subscribers using criteria such as (a) subscriber type (consumer, corporate, IOT, etc.), (b) service type (mission critical, public safety, VoIP, etc.), (b) subscriber usage volume (high, medium, low), (c) subscriber's requested/subscribed QoS, and (d) subscriber's paying value (i.e., revenue). The same teachings can be extended to also optimize a single subscriber's service or a service type.

Abstract: An ingress forwarder receives the IP packet and strips off the entire packet header and replaces it with the simple flow header assigned by the controller, and looks up its flow-table to determine from which port to forward the packet. All other forwarders along the path up to the egress forwarder perform the forwarding action simply by inspecting the flow header. The egress forwarder, before forwarding to the egress port, replaces the flow header with the original layer-2/3/4 header. Doing so, the host behavior remains unchanged while the routing/forwarding within the cloud of SDN is performed based on only the flow header.

Abstract: An adaptive network-based approach for reducing congestion on certain select-group of flows within a programmable network wherein switches dynamically adjust the receive window size (rwnd) and/or the ACK pace of other TCP flows by interfering their ACK packets, those flows sharing network resources causing congestion on the select-group of flows. The TCP flow rate is reduced to make more network resources available to the group of select-flows. The system of invention further comprises a centralized controller detecting so called a ‘bad queue’ causing persistent traffic slow-down due to TCP behavior. The bad queue detection is performed by (i) monitoring switch ports' transmit and receive queues, (ii) calculating minimum packet sojourn times on queues, (iii) determining which flows to slow down to clear detected bad queues, and (iv) sending messages to certain switches to execute changes to a group of ACK packets.

Abstract: Using a Radio Access Network (RAN) capacity exchange (or RANxChange), mobile operators can advertise slices/partitions of available unused base station capacity, and auction and lease it. A member-operator can advertise their unused base station capacity availability or lease capacity from another member-operator for a specific time period. The bidding operators can bid for the full auctioned capacity or portion of the auctioned capacity. The users start attaching the leased slice transparently without any configuration changes on their mobile devices.