Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the adaptive and dynamic enforcement of quality of service or quality of experience. The apparatus may be caused to monitor user plane traffic for the start of an application session, instantiate a buffer for an application session, configure at least one service parameter in the buffer with a quality of service or quality of experience parameter, and correlate uplink and downlink user plane traffic to enforce scheduling in accordance with the quality of service or quality of experience parameter. A corresponding method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium are also provided.

Abstract: Communication systems may benefit from more accurate information regarding the passage of data through a network. For example, certain wireless communication systems may benefit from throughput guidance based on user plane insight and optional radio channel information. A method can include monitoring the bandwidth available on at least one of a per data bearer, per application or per transmission control protocol flow basis. The method can also include providing throughput guidance to an entity configured to attempt at least one of transmission control protocol or content level optimization. The throughput guidance can be configured to assist the entity in attempting the at least one of the transmission control protocol or content level optimization.

Abstract: A method for coordinated multipoint transmission includes collecting, in a serving CoMP-MA, channel state information, CSIs, reported by terminals served by eNBs within a cooperating set. The serving CoMP-MA selects dominant interferers as candidate transmitting eNBs for a terminal. CoMP joint transmission is initiated by forwarding, to the candidate transmitting eNBs, PDCP PDUs received from SGW and targeted to the selected terminal, and by setting the status of the terminal to joint transmission. High and low thresholds of PDCP buffers of the serving CoMP-MA are adjusted. As information required for air interface scheduling becomes available, the method includes extracting, in the serving CoMP-MA, radio resource allocations, RLC and MAC headers, references to user plane data, and precoding matrices from protocol entities, and forwarding them to the transmitting eNBs that have acknowledged PDCP PDUs, in order the transmitting CoMP-MA to prepare air interface for the terminal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for QoE/QoS management. In some example embodiments, there is provided a method. The method may include detecting, by an enforcement point, an initiation of a session for an application; requesting, by the enforcement point, a first level quality of experience policy for the detected session; receiving, from a policy server, the first level quality of experience policy for the detected session; deriving, based on the first level quality of experience policy, a second level quality of experience target and/or a quality of service target for the detected session; enforcing, by the enforcement point, the second level quality of experience target and/or the quality of service target on the detected session. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: A method comprises detecting (402) QUIC packets transmitted (401, 406) between network elements (UE, content server) of a communication system. Based on a detected QUIC packet, the method comprises obtaining (403), at a first measurement point and at a second measurement point, user plane customer experience measurement information and optionally context information. The method comprises providing (404), to the first measurement point, user plane customer experience measurement information and optionally context information, obtained at the second measurement point. The method comprises correlating (405) user plane customer experience measurement information obtained at the first measurement point, with user plane customer experience measurement information received from the second measurement point, by using context information obtained at the first measurement point and context information received at the first measurement point.

Abstract: Various methods are provided for providing dynamic and adaptive QoS and QoE management of U-Plane traffic while implementing user and application specific differentiation and maximizing system resource utilization by, for example, providing utilizing a system comprised of a policy server and one or more enforcement points. In one example system, the policy server may be a logical entity configured for storing a plurality of QoS/QoE policies, each of the plurality of policies identifying at least one of a user, service vertical, application, or context, and associated QoE targets. The policy server may be further configured to provide one or more of the plurality of QoS/QoE policies to the one or more enforcement points. In some embodiments, the QoS/QoE policies may be configured to provide QoE targets, for example, at a high abstraction level and/or at an application session level.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for sub-service flow based mapping in a cellular communication system. A sub-service flow User-plane interface between an Enforcement Point and a network control system (NCS) is defined. Relation and coordination of the sub-service flow User-plane interface associated with sub-service flow management actions on a Control-plane interface is defined. In-band packet marking is created to dynamically assist the identification of sub-service flow identities and receive corresponding quality of service (QoS)/quality of experience (QoE) treatments.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus and a computer program product for improving TCP performance in mobile networks. The present invention discloses obtaining, at an intermediate network node, a quality measure of a connection between a content server and a user equipment, detecting, at the intermediate network node, whether the quality measure fulfils a predetermined condition, and, if the quality measure does not fulfill the predetermined condition, sending, by the intermediate network node, an acknowledgement message triggering a freeze mode of the connection between the content server and the user equipment.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from buffer management. For example, systems employing a packet data convergence protocol may be enhanced with network-side buffer management that is configured to manipulate transmission control protocol packet senders. A method can include receiving a plurality of packets at a buffer of a buffer manager. The method can also include manipulating, by the buffer manager, pacing of transmission control protocol senders of the packets. The method can further optionally include fair queuing the packets and/or performing flow incubation on the packets.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided an application scheduler. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: A method is provided comprising monitoring, in a network node, a user plane traffic flow transmitted in a network, to perform measurements on selected data packets. Based on the monitoring, the network node collects in a correlated way, one or more of user measurement data, application measurement data, quality of experience measurement data, network side quality of service measurement data and a set of key performance indicators. Based on the collecting, the network node generates real-time correlated insight to customer experience.

Abstract: A method comprises analysing (110), in a network node, data flows related to a terminal device of a communication system, in order to detect data flows having at least one predefined characteristic. The network node selects (111) the data flows having the at least one predefined characteristic, as significant data flows on which customer experience CE measurements are to be performed.

Abstract: A network node, such as a quality of experience QoE orchestrator, start monitors (400) data traffic related to a terminal device, in order to detect (402) a data flow related to an application session. The network node derives (403) resource requirement information defining a required QoE level to be provided to the terminal device regarding the application session. The network node performs (404) QoE measurements to obtain information on QoE experienced by the terminal device regarding the application session. Based on the QoE measurements, the network node executes one or more actions in order to enforce (405) the quality of experience QoE of the application session to meet the resource requirement.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are described, by which at least one bearer containing data for a user equipment is received and a connection to the user equipment is provided via a radio access network. Furthermore, transmission of the data for the user equipment is scheduled based on a scheduling parameter associated to the bearer. Moreover, parameter change information associated to the bearer is detected, the parameter change information indicating how the scheduling parameter is to be changed, and the parameter change information for the bearer is stored in the memory.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for sub-service flow based mapping in a cellular communication system. A sub-service flow User-plane interface between an Enforcement Point and a network control system (NCS) is defined. Relation and coordination of the sub-service flow User-plane interface associated with sub-service flow management actions on a Control-plane interface is defined. In-band packet marking is created to dynamically assist the identification of sub-service flow identities and receive corresponding quality of service (QoS)/quality of experience (QoE) treatments.

Abstract: Various methods are provided for providing dynamic and adaptive QoS and QoE management of U-Plane traffic while implementing user and application specific differentiation and maximizing system resource utilization by, for example, providing utilizing a system comprised of a policy server and one or more enforcement points. In one example system, the policy server may be a logical entity configured for storing a plurality of QoS/QoE policies, each of the plurality of policies identifying at least one of a user, service vertical, application, or context, and associated QoE targets. The policy server may be further configured to provide one or more of the plurality of QoS/QoE policies to the one or more enforcement points. In some embodiments, the QoS/QoE policies may be configured to provide QoE targets, for example, at a high abstraction level and/or at an application session level.

Abstract: Communication systems may benefit from more accurate information regarding the passage of data through a network. For example, certain wireless communication systems may benefit from throughput guidance based on user plane insight and optional radio channel information. A method can include monitoring the bandwidth available on at least one of a per data bearer, per application or per transmission control protocol flow basis. The method can also include providing throughput guidance to an entity configured to attempt at least one of transmission control protocol or content level optimization. The throughput guidance can be configured to assist the entity in attempting the at least one of the transmission control protocol or content level optimization.

Abstract: A method of managing neighbour relations between cells in a cellular communication system comprising the steps of: receiving requests (350) for admission of a neighbour relation by an admission policy block (310) having a leaky bucket maintained in respect of that neighbour relation; adding tokens in respect of each request to the leaky bucket; removing tokens from the leaky bucket as time passes; and admitting the neighbour relation (320) if the number of tokens passes a threshold.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for a connection identification scheme are provided. One method includes determining, for example by an information receiver, a unique connection identity for an off-band connection with an information provider. The unique connection identity may be based on information related to a user plane connection with the information provider. The method may further include storing the unique connection identity, receiving radio access network information and synchronization information from the information provider, and synchronizing at least part of the radio access information with at least part of information sent in the user plane connection, using the synchronization information.

Abstract: Various networks may benefit from suitable management techniques and systems. For example long term evolution networks and other wireless communication networks may benefit from a quality of experience aware transport self-organizing network framework. A method can include monitoring transport connectivity with respect to at least one base station (e.g. eNB) over a mobile backhaul. The method can also include detecting at least one degradation or anomaly in the transport connectivity of the at least one base station. The method can further include taking an appropriate network management action in response to the detected degradation or anomaly.