Abstract: A control device can be used to control a base station, a switch, and a gateway leading to an external network. The device may communicate with a connection server connecting to a cloud computer system and with virtual functions of a control plane of the core network as instantiated in the computer system. The device may manage a database identifying for at least one terminal at least one of the virtual functions allocated to that terminal and a database associating at least one of the virtual functions with an identifier and a state of that function, and update the databases on the basis of information received from the connection server and/or from the virtual functions. The device may use one and/or the other of the databases in order to set up and/or maintain a user plane for a terminal between the base station, the switch, and the interconnection gateway.

Abstract: A control device can be used to control a base station, a switch, and a gateway leading to an external network. The device may communicate with a connection server connecting to a cloud computer system and with virtual functions of a control plane of the core network as instantiated in the computer system. The device may manage a database identifying for at least one terminal at least one of the virtual functions allocated to that terminal and a database associating at least one of the virtual functions with an identifier and a state of that function, and update the databases on the basis of information received from the connection server and/or from the virtual functions. The device may use one and/or the other of the databases in order to set up and/or maintain a user plane for a terminal between the base station, the switch, and the interconnection gateway.