Abstract: Methods for selecting network slice, session management, and user plane functions for for user equipment (UE) are described. In one example, a control plane (CP) entity for mobility management may select a CP entity for session management for a session of a UE based on a first set of data items. The CP entity for mobility management may further select a user plane (UP) entity for the session of the UE based on a second set of data items, where second set of data items include at least some of the same data items of the first set. The CP entity for mobility management may send, to the selected CP entity, a message including an identity or indication of the selected UP entity for the session of the UE. The selected CP entity may select the identified or indicated UP entity for use in the session of the UE.

Abstract: In accordance with various implementations, a method is performed at a data plane node with one or more processors, non-transitory memory, and a control interface between a network function module associated with the data plane node and a switch associated with the data plane node. The method includes determining whether an offload capability is available for a data flow received at an ingress network interface of the data plane node. The method also includes determining whether the data flow satisfies offload criteria in response to determining that the offload capability is available. The method includes bypassing the network function module associated with the data plane node and providing the data flow to at least one of the switch associated with the data plane node or an egress network interface associated with the data plane node in response to determining the offload capability is available and the offload criteria is satisfied.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises communicating with a plurality of network elements via a first communication protocol to obtain state information of the plurality of network elements; receiving a request via a second communication protocol for a communication session to be established for a client computing device; selecting one or more network elements, wherein the selection is based on at least a portion of the state information of the network elements; and communicating identification information of the one or more network elements selected for use in the communication session.

Abstract: A network slice manager receives a workload mobility request to add network resources to a domain in the communication network, and authenticates a virtual network function (VNF) with a blockchain authentication function (BAF) over a blockchain network interface based on the workload mobility request. The network slice manager further receives an indication of a successful authentication from the BAF, and instantiates the VNF in the domain of the communication network based on the indication of the successful authentication. Notably, these authentication processes may be readily adapted to instantiate new network resources or migrate existing network resources between domains.

Abstract: A control plane (CP) entity is to adaptively reroute user plane traffic of a mobile node (MN) with use of a segment routing (SR) for IPv6. A message indicating an attachment of the MN to the mobile network is received selecting a first user plane (UP) anchor node. A first set of home network prefixes (HNPs) are allocated to the MN. An IP traffic flow using a first HNP prefix is established between the MN and a correspondent node (CN) along a first network path—defined at least in part by the first UP anchor node and an anchor node of the CN. In response to a handover of the MN, a message indicating a subsequent attachment of the MN is received selecting a second UP anchor node. The second UP anchor node is instructed to host the first HNP prefix previously allocated by the first UP anchor node.

Abstract: A network function (NF) entity in a communication network receives authentication data associated with a User Equipment (UE), determines the UE supports a blockchain registration procedure based on the authentication data, exchanges authentication messages with a Blockchain Roaming Broker (BRB) entity over a blockchain network interface, receives a blockchain authentication confirmation from the BRB entity, and registers the UE with the core network based on the blockchain authentication confirmation.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosed technology provide ways to report User Equipment (UE) device locations in a 5G network for the purpose of redirecting application traffic from proximately located Data Networks (DNs). In one aspect, the disclosed technology encompasses a process for conveying User Equipment (UE) information to an Application Function (AF), the process includes steps for receiving, at an intermediate-User Plane Function (I-UPF) entity, User Equipment (UE) uplink data from a Radio Access Network (RAN), determining if sharing of location information or application information associated with the UE is restricted, and encapsulating first location metadata or application metadata in an SRv6 packet if the sharing of location information or application information is not restricted. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: In accordance with various implementations, a method is performed at a data plane node with one or more processors, non-transitory memory, and a control interface between a network function module associated with the data plane node and a switch associated with the data plane node. The method includes determining whether an offload capability is available for a data flow received at an ingress network interface of the data plane node. The method also includes determining whether the data flow satisfies offload criteria in response to determining that the offload capability is available. The method includes bypassing the network function module associated with the data plane node and providing the data flow to at least one of the switch associated with the data plane node or an egress network interface associated with the data plane node in response to determining the offload capability is available and the offload criteria is satisfied.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method that includes periodically observing packets in a user plane according to at least one key performance indicator in a configuration file to yield an observation, wherein the observation represents a closed-loop demand of resources within the user plane. The method includes adjusting, via a scheduler in the user plane and based on the observation, a binding of cores to work items. The binding between cores and work items is dynamic and changeable to improve performance. The at least one key performance indicator can include one or more of a CPU utilization, latency and packet drops. The workload allocations can include work items that are individually scheduleable functions that operate on a queue of packets within the user plane.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving, by a mobility management frontend, an attach request for a user equipment (UE) to attach the UE to a core network slice type for a mobile core Software Defined Network (SDN) infrastructure, wherein a plurality of core network slice types are available for the mobile core SDN infrastructure to receive traffic from a plurality of UEs; determining a particular core network slice type within the mobile core SDN infrastructure to serve the UE based on subscriber information associated with the UE; selecting a particular slice instance of the particular core network slice type to receive traffic for the UE; and forwarding traffic for the UE between a Radio Access Network (RAN) and the particular slice instance by the mobility management frontend.

Abstract: An example method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving, by a user equipment device, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting. The method further includes receiving a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element, and determining whether the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting. The method further includes sending a location reporting message by the user equipment device to a first network node when it is determined that the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting. The location reporting message is indicative of the user equipment device either entering or exiting the area for location reporting.

Abstract: Method for assisting load-balancing of subscriber sessions in a distributed mobile gateway (e.g. PGW, SGW, ePDG, or TWAG) comprising a plurality of distributed gateway instances (DGIs) is disclosed. Method includes receiving an advertisement of GTP fully qualified tunnel endpoints identifications (F-TEIDs) allocated to a first plurality of subscriber sessions, the sessions assigned to a first DGI of the DGIs. The advertisement indicates the first DGI as a recipient for data provided to the gateway and related to any of the first plurality of sessions. Method further includes storing an association between the GTP F-TEIDs of the advertisement and the first DGI, receiving a packet comprising data related to a subscriber session of the first plurality of sessions, identifying a F-TEID for the data of the received packet, identifying from stored association, that the F-TEID is associated with the first DGI, and forwarding data of the packet to the first DGI.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving, by a mobility management frontend, an attach request for a user equipment (UE) to attach the UE to a core network slice type for a mobile core Software Defined Network (SDN) infrastructure, wherein a plurality of core network slice types are available for the mobile core SDN infrastructure to receive traffic from a plurality of UEs; determining a particular core network slice type within the mobile core SDN infrastructure to serve the UE based on subscriber information associated with the UE; selecting a particular slice instance of the particular core network slice type to receive traffic for the UE; and forwarding traffic for the UE between a Radio Access Network (RAN) and the particular slice instance by the mobility management frontend.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving at a network element a packet associated with a flow and determining whether a flow cache of the network element includes an entry for the flow indicating a classification for the flow. The method further includes, if the network element flow cache does not include an entry for the flow, punting the packet over a default path to a classifying service function, in which the classifying service function classifies the flow and determines a control plane service function for handling the flow, and receiving from the classifying service function a service path identifier (“SPI”) of a service path leading to the determined control plane service function. The flow is subsequently offloaded from the classifying service function to the network element.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying, by an orchestrator executed by a physical machine, a plurality of virtualized network functions required for implementation of a virtualized network service for a customer, each virtualized network function having a corresponding and distinct virtualized container specifying attributes for defining execution of the corresponding virtualized network function within one or more physical machines; and setting by the orchestrator an interdependency indicator within each virtualized container based on association with the virtualized network service, enabling identification of each of the virtualized network functions as interdependent for coordinated execution of the virtualized network service.

Abstract: An example method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving, by a user equipment device, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting. The method further includes receiving a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element, and determining whether the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting. The method further includes sending a location reporting message by the user equipment device to a first network node when it is determined that the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting. The location reporting message is indicative of the user equipment device either entering or exiting the area for location reporting.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for network association to virtualize network devices using device passthrough. In some examples, a system can determine one or more respective configuration parameters associated with one or more network interfaces on the system. Based on the networking information, the system can map the one or more respective configuration parameters to each corresponding network interface from the one or more network interfaces, to yield mapped interfaces-parameters. Next, the system can record the mapped interfaces-parameters to a data object accessible by a virtual machine on the system. The system can then configure the virtual machine to process the mapped interfaces-parameters as boot time parameters while spawning and launch the virtual machine based on the mapped interfaces-parameters.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving at a network element a packet associated with a flow and determining whether a flow cache of the network element includes an entry for the flow indicating a classification for the flow. The method further includes, if the network element flow cache does not include an entry for the flow, punting the packet over a default path to a classifying service function, in which the classifying service function classifies the flow and determines a control plane service function for handling the flow, and receiving from the classifying service function a service path identifier (“SPI”) of a service path leading to the determined control plane service function. The flow is subsequently offloaded from the classifying service function to the network element.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises communicating with a plurality of network elements via a first communication protocol to obtain state information of the plurality of network elements; receiving a request via a second communication protocol for a communication session to be established for a client computing device; selecting one or more network elements, wherein the selection is based on at least a portion of the state information of the network elements; and communicating identification information of the one or more network elements selected for use in the communication session.

Abstract: An example method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving traffic associated with at least one of a mobile network and a Gi-Local Area Network (Gi-LAN), wherein the traffic comprises one or more packets; determining a classification of the traffic to a service chain, wherein the service chain comprises one or more service functions associated at least one of one or more mobile network services and one or more Gi-LAN services; routing the traffic through the service chain; and routing the traffic to a network using one of a plurality of egress interfaces, wherein each egress interface of the plurality of egress interfaces is associated with at least one of the one or more mobile network services and the one or more Gi-LAN services.