Proposal and evaluation of SDN‐based mobile packet core networks

Abstract

Recently, several researchers have proposed adopting software-defined networking (SDN) concepts for mobile network architectures, particularly for LTE-evolved packet core (LTE/EPC). Although several new designs have been introduced for architectures based on SDN or its concrete realization, Openflow, few studies have presented in-depth discussions of real procedures that are relevant to such architectures. To this end, this paper first surveys the current approaches and solutions for adopting SDN/Openflow in LTE/EPC architectures and then introduces a new Openflow-enabled EPC (OEPC) architecture. This work provides detailed analyses of five procedures that commonly occur in LTE/EPC architectures, and the analyses are further elaborated with the separation of the control and data planes and the support of extended Openflow protocol. The analysis shows that the data management of these procedures is simpler relative to traditional LTE/EPC. In addition, in order to prove that efficient data management takes place for these procedures relative to a traditional LTE/EPC architecture, the numbers of signalling messages that are processed by control entities (i.e., the MME and the controller) are taken into account as a metric to evaluate the OEPC architecture. Moreover, the results of a numerical evaluation also show the benefits of this proposal relative to another Openflow-based LTE/EPC architecture.

A C-RAN Architecture for LTE Control Signalling

“…However the new design has been considered as a partial solution as the PDN gateway (PGW) as the functional entity is following the existing 3GPP architecture. The authors in [5] have proposed a complementary vision which is fully realized in OpenFlow where the PGW-C has been decoupled and virtualized as an application running on top of the OF controller. This methodology is based on a complete separation between the control and data planes.…”

“…This methodology is based on a complete separation between the control and data planes. For convenience, the proposed architectures in [5] are called OF DRAN and partial OF DRAN in [3] [4]. Five main signalling procedures are evaluated in previous studies, Handover and tracking Area Update.…”

“…The emerge of Software Define Network (SDN) [2] as a networking archetype in wired networks through its OpenFlow (OF) protocol and attractive features in separating the data and control planes has inspired researchers in both academia and industry to develop and deploy this architecture for wireless networks. In this context there have been many recent studies on the advantages of SDN in LTE [3][4] [5]. However the previous studies have only considered the D-RAN (Distributed Radio Access Network) architecture.…”

Simulation and Performance Analysis of Software-Based Mobile Core Network Architecture (SBMCNA) Using OMNeT++

“…Basically, these procedures include service request, resiliency and load balancing although the same concept is applicable to the other scenarios proposed in [10] [11].…”

Enabling 5G mobile wireless technologies

“…An SDN architecture for the heterogeneous wireless dense network is proposed in [160], and another proposal of an SDN architecture for LTE-evolved packet core with design and analysis of five different procedures is discussed in [161] of our special issue. Development of efficient resource allocation solutions for future SDN-based wireless networks is the topic considered in two other papers of the special issue [162,163].…”