Telecommunications network bearer allocation and deallocation
An access network can allocate a bearer for a network service associated with a quality-of-service (QoS) value (QV) and a retention-priority value (RPV), and determine a bearer ID for the service based on the QV, the RPV, and a supplemental priority value (SPV) different from the QV and from the RPV. Upon handover of a terminal, session(s) carried by a bearer allocated by the terminal can be terminated. That bearer can be selected using IDs of the bearers and a comparison function that, given two bearer IDs, determines which respective bearer should be terminated before the other. Upon handover of a terminal to an access network supporting fewer bearers per terminal than the terminal has allocated, a network node can select a bearer based on respective QVs and RPVs of a set of allocated bearers. The network node can deallocate the selected bearer.
1. At least one computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer, configure the computer to perform acts comprising:
receiving an indication of a handover of a terminal from a first access network to a second access network, the computer associated with the second access network, wherein:
the first access network supports a first number of bearers for the terminal;
the second access network supports a second number of bearers for the terminal; and
the second number of bearers is less than the first number of bearers; and
determining that the terminal has allocated a set of bearers comprising more bearers than the second number of bearers;
selecting a first bearer of the set of bearers based on:
respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
a predetermined comparison function that, given two bearer IDs determines which of two respective bearers corresponding to the two bearer IDs should be terminated before the other; and
terminating at least one session being carried by the first bearer.
2. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , the acts further comprising, in response to the determination:
determining that a second bearer of the second access network is unallocated;
selecting a third bearer of the set of bearers based at least in part on:
the respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
the predetermined comparison function that determines which of two corresponding bearers should be terminated before the other; and
moving at least one session being carried by the third bearer to the second bearer.
3. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 2 , the acts further comprising, in response to the determination:
selecting a fourth bearer of the set of bearers based on:
the respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
the predetermined comparison function; and
terminating at least one session being carried by the fourth bearer.
4. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined comparison function determines that a bearer having a respective ID with a relatively higher numerical value should be terminated before a bearer having a respective ID with a relatively lower numerical value.
5. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal is configured to receive a network service that is associated with a quality-of-service (Qos) value (QV) and a retention-priority value (RPV).
6. The least one computer-readable medium according to claim 5 , further comprising determining a bearer identifier (ID) for the network service based at least in part on the QV, the RPV, and a supplemental priority value (SPV).
7. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first access network or the second access network is associated with a gNodeB.
8. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first access network or the second access network is associated with a eNodeB.
9. A telecommunication device, comprising:
a communications interface;
at least one processor; and
at least one computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving an indication of a handover of a terminal from a first access network to a second access network, wherein:
the first access network supports a first number of bearers for the terminal;
the second access network supports a second number of bearers for the terminal; and
the second number of bearers is less than the first number of bearers; and
determining that the terminal has allocated a set of bearers comprising more bearers than the second number of bearers;
selecting a first bearer of the set of bearers based on:
respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
a predetermined comparison function that, given two bearer IDs, determines which of two respective bearers corresponding to the two bearer IDs should be terminated before the other; and
terminating at least one session being carried by the first bearer.
10. The telecommunication device according to claim 9 , the operations further comprising, in response to the determination:
determining that a second bearer of the second access network is unallocated;
selecting a third bearer of the set of bearers based at least in part on:
the respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
the predetermined comparison function that determines which of two corresponding bearers should be terminated before the other; and
moving at least one session being carried by the third bearer to the second bearer.
11. The telecommunication device according to claim 10 , the operations further comprising, in response to the determination:
selecting a fourth bearer of the set of bearers based on:
the respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
the predetermined comparison function; and
terminating at least one session being carried by the fourth bearer.
12. The telecommunication device according to claim 11 , wherein the predetermined comparison function determines that a bearer having a respective ID with a relatively higher numerical value should be terminated before a bearer having a respective ID with a relatively lower numerical value.
13. The telecommunication device according to claim 9 , wherein the terminal is configured to receive a network service that is associated with a quality-of-service (QOS) value (QV) and a retention-priority value (RPV).
14. The telecommunication device according to claim 13 , the operations further comprising determining a bearer identifier (ID) for the network service based at least in part on the QV, the RPV, and a supplemental priority value (SPV).
15. A method comprising, by a control unit of a network node, performing operations comprising:
receiving an indication of a handover of a terminal from a first access network to a second access network, the network node associated with the second access network, wherein:
the first access network supports a first number of bearers for the terminal;
the second access network supports a second number of bearers for the terminal; and
the second number of bearers is less than the first number of bearers;
determining that the terminal has allocated a set of bearers comprising more bearers than the second number of bearers; and
in response to the determination:
determining that a first bearer of the second access network is unallocated;
selecting a second bearer of the set of bearers based at least in part on:
respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
a predetermined comparison function that, given two bearer IDs, determines which of two corresponding bearers corresponding to the two bearer IDs should be terminated before the other; and
moving at least one session being carried by the second bearer to the first bearer.
16. The method according to claim 15 , the operations further comprising, in response to the determination:
selecting a third bearer of the set of bearers based on:
the respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
the predetermined comparison function that, given two bearer IDs, determines which of the two respective bearers should be terminated before the other; and
terminating at least one session being carried by the third bearer.
17. The method according to claim 16 , the operations further comprising, in response to the determination:
selecting a fourth bearer of the set of bearers based on:
the respective bearer IDs of the bearers in the set of bearers; and
the predetermined comparison function; and
terminating at least one session being carried by the fourth bearer.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined comparison function determines that a bearer having a respective ID with a relatively higher numerical value should be terminated before a bearer having a respective ID with a relatively lower numerical value.
19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the terminal is configured to receive a network service that is associated with a quality-of-service (QOS) value (QV) and a retention-priority value (RPV).
20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising determining a bearer identifier (ID) for the network service based at least in part on the QV, the RPV, and a supplemental priority value (SPV).