Modeling radio access networks

1. A method for evaluating a state of a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising:

parsing, by a parser of an edge bandwidth manager, control plane messages that are exchanged between the RAN and a core network that is coupled to the RAN;

determining, by an edge bandwidth management module of the edge bandwidth manager, a current state of the RAN based on the control plane messages; wherein the edge bandwidth manager does not belong to the RAN and does not belong to the core network; wherein the determining comprises detecting by the edge bandwidth manager a potential congestion situation at a target cell of the RAN in response to a detection of users transitioning from an idle mode to active mode and an estimation that the transitioning will cause congestion; and

detecting by the edge bandwidth manager a potential congestion situation at a target cell of the RAN in response to a number of users being handed over from one cell to the target cell, wherein the detecting occurs before the users move to the target cell wherein the number of users exceeds two; and

wherein the edge bandwidth management module is a computer that is configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the core network comprises a Serving Gateway (SGW) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME), wherein the RAN comprises an enhanced node B (eNodeB); and wherein the method comprises intercepting control plane messages that are exchanged between the eNodeB and the MME and the control plane messages that are exchanged between user equipment (UE) and the MME.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving the control plane messages from a backhaul aggregator router or switch.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining of the current state of the RAN comprises determining, about at least one cell of the RAN, the following parameters: cell identifier (ID); routing Area Code; Radio Network Controller (RNC) ID; NodeB ID; total number of active users; total number of idle users; total number of packet data protocol (PDP) contexts; maximum downlink bandwidth; maximum uplink bandwidth; aggregate downlink bandwidth in use; and aggregate uplink bandwidth in use.

5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising determining, about at least one session of at least one user of the RAN, the following parameters: International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); Pseudo Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (P-TMSI); International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI); User Equipment (UE) Internet Protocol (IP) address; Access Point Name (APN); Network layer Service Access Point Identifier (NSAPI) location information; negotiated quality of service (QoS); Mobile Station international Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) number; General Packet Radio Services Tunneling Protocol (GPRS) tunnel information; aggregate downlink bandwidth in use and aggregate uplink bandwidth in use.

6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising requesting, by the edge bandwidth manager from a RAN entity to re-allocate a user between cells in response to a detection of the potential congestion situation.

7. A computer program product that comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for: parsing control plane messages that are exchanged between a Radio Access Network (RAN) and a core network that is coupled to the RAN; and determining, by an edge bandwidth manager that does not belong to the RAN and does not belong to the core network, a current state of the RAN based on the control plane messages; wherein the determining comprises detecting by the edge bandwidth manager a potential congestion situation at a target cell of the RAN in response to a detection of users transitioning from an idle mode to active mode and an estimation that the transitioning will cause congestion; and detecting by the edge bandwidth manager a potential congestion situation at a target cell of the RAN in response to a number of users being handed over from one cell to the target cell, wherein the detecting occurs before the users move to the target cell wherein the number of users exceeds two.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the core network comprises a Serving Gateway (SGW) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME), wherein the RAN comprises an enhanced node B (eNodeB); and wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for intercepting control plane messages that are exchanged between the eNodeB and either one of the SGW and the MME.

9. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for receiving the control plane messages from a backhaul aggregator server or switch.

10. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for determining, about at least one cell of the RAN, the following parameters: cell identifier (ID); routing Area Code; Radio Network Controller (RNC) ID; NodeB ID; total number of active users; total number of idle users; total number of packet data protocol (PDP) contexts; maximum downlink bandwidth; maximum uplink bandwidth; aggregate downlink bandwidth in use; and aggregate uplink bandwidth in use.

11. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for determining, about at least one session of at least one user of the RAN, the following parameters: International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); Pseudo Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (P-TMSI); International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI); User Equipment (UE) Internet Protocol (IP) address; Access Point Name (APN); Network layer Service Access Point Identifier (NSAPI) location information; negotiated quality of service (QoS); Mobile Station international Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) number; General Packet Radio Services Tunneling Protocol (GPRS) tunnel information; aggregate downlink bandwidth in use and aggregate uplink bandwidth in use.

12. The computer program product according to claim 7 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for requesting, by the edge bandwidth manager from a RAN entity to re-allocate a user between cells in response to a detection of the potential congestion situation.