Application-based multiple radio access technology and platform control using SDN
Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to application-based multiple radio access technologies (“RAT”) and platform control using software-defined networking (“SDN”). According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, an SDN controller can configure a radio access network (“RAN”) for connectionless services and for connection-oriented services. The RAN can support multiple RATs each capable of providing radio access to a device, such as a UE or an IoT device. The SDN controller can determine a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of the RAN. The SDN controller can provide the user plane configuration to an SDN agent that is stored on and is executable by the device.
1. A method comprising:
configuring, by an SDN controller, a first portion of a plurality of resources of a radio access network into a first network slice to support connectionless services;
configuring, by the SDN controller, at least a second portion of the plurality of resources of the radio access network into a second network slice to support connection-oriented services;
determining, by the SDN controller, a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of the radio access network, wherein determining the user plane path configuration for the application flow comprises negotiating the user plane path configuration between the SDN controller and an SDN agent stored locally in a memory of an end device, and wherein the SDN agent establishes, as part of the negotiating, a local table that is useable by the SDN agent, at least in part, to determine how to route packets for an application instance that utilizes the application flow;
providing, by the SDN controller, the user plane path configuration to the SDN agent; and
providing, by the SDN controller, the user plane path configuration to an SDN component to configure the SDN component to support the application flow based upon the user plane path configuration.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, by the SDN controller, the user plane path configuration comprises determining, by the SDN controller, the user plane path configuration further based, at least in part, upon an overall network view and a rule.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the SDN controller, based upon the user plane path configuration, a service edge configuration; and providing, by the SDN controller, the service edge configuration to a further SDN component to configure the further SDN component as a service edge component.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the SDN agent, how to route the packets for the application instance that utilizes the application flow based, at least in part, upon a network condition, a device condition, or both a network condition and a device condition.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end device comprises a user equipment.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the SDN agent comprises a user equipment client.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end device comprises an Internet of Things device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the SDN agent comprises an Internet of Things client.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adapting, by the SDN agent, the local table to a device condition.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the device condition comprises a mobility state of the end device.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the device condition comprises a user preference.
12. An SDN controller comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
configuring a first portion of a plurality of resources of a radio access network into a first network slice to support connectionless services,
configuring at least a second portion of the plurality of resources of the radio access network into a second network slice to support connection-oriented services,
determining a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of the radio access network, wherein determining the user plane path configuration for the application flow comprises negotiating the user plane path configuration between the SDN controller and an SDN agent stored locally in a memory of an end device, and wherein the SDN agent establishes, as part of the negotiating, a local table that is useable by the SDN agent, at least in part, to determine how to route packets for an application instance that utilizes the application flow,
providing the user plane path configuration to the SDN agent, and
providing the user plane path configuration to an SDN component to configure the SDN component to support the application flow based upon the user plane path configuration.
13. The SDN controller of claim 12 , wherein determining the user plane path configuration comprises determining the user plane path configuration further based, at least in part, upon an overall network view and a rule.
14. The SDN controller of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based upon the user plane path configuration, a service edge configuration; and
providing the service edge configuration to a further SDN component to configure the further SDN component as a service edge component.
15. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored herein that, when executed by a processor of an SDN controller, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
configuring a first portion of a plurality of resources of a radio access network into a first network slice to support connectionless services,
configuring at least a second portion of the plurality of resources of the radio access network into a second network slice to support connection-oriented services;
determining a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of the radio access network, wherein determining the user plane path configuration for the application flow comprises negotiating the user plane path configuration between the SDN controller and an SDN agent stored locally in a memory of an end device, and wherein the SDN agent establishes, as part of the negotiating, a local table that is useable by the SDN agent, at least in part, to determine how to route packets for an application instance that utilizes the application flow;
providing the user plane path configuration to the SDN agent; and
providing the user plane path configuration to an SDN component to configure the SDN component to support the application flow based upon the user plane path configuration.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based upon the user plane path configuration, a service edge configuration; and
providing the service edge configuration to a further SDN component to configure the further SDN component as a service edge component.