Decentrallizing core network functionalities
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for providing network access, wherein a connection to a core network is established via a wireless access device and a gateway device. Connectivity of the wireless access device is restricted to a pre-defined group of core network address of a pool of gateway devices with multi-node connectivity to the core network, and a single address is selected to establish the connection to a one of the gateway devices. The gateway device is provided with a relay function for mapping a single input address to a plurality of core network addresses based on a location information of the wireless access device and with at least one co-located decentralized core network functionality.
1. A method of providing network access, said method comprising:
a. establishing a connection to a core network via a wireless access device,
the wireless access device configured to wirelessly communicate with and provide network access to at least one user equipment;
b. restricting connectivity of said wireless access device that is associated with a single input to a predefined group of core network addresses of a pool of gateway devices with multi-node connectivity to said core network;
c. selecting a single address to establish connectivity to one of said gateway devices; and
d. establishing a control-plane connection to said gateway device via a single transmission protocol association containing a single transmission protocol stream and a single Internet Protocol address.
2. A method of providing network access, said method comprising:
a. using a gateway device for establishing a connection from a wireless access device to a core network;
b. providing said gateway device with a relay function for mapping a single input address of said wireless access device to a plurality of core network addresses based on a location information of said wireless access device; and
c. decentralizing at least one core network functionality and co-locating it with said gateway device;
wherein said at least one core network functionality comprises a control plane anchor function for said wireless access device, so that a user plane of said connection is terminated at said wireless access device.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising establishing a user-plane connection to said gateway device via a single Internet Protocol address.
4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising connecting said gateway device to said core network via several Internet Protocol addresses and several transmission protocol streams.
5. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a computer program for producing the steps of claim 1 when run on a computer device.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing automatic setup of said gateway device with a pre-defined identification.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said predefined identification comprises a tracking area with at least one dedicated tracking area code.
8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one core network functionality comprises at least one of a serving gateway functionality, a packet data network gateway functionality, a mobility management functionality, so that at least one of a user plane and a control plane of said connection is terminated at said gateway device.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said mobility management functionality management functionality is part of a pool of mobility management entities local to said gateway device.
10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising using a default bearer for traffic terminated at said gateway device.
11. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a computer program for producing the steps of claim 2 when run on a computer device.
12. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising using said at least one core network functionality to provide local routing without passing a centralized gateway device at said core network.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said local routing comprises at least one of local peer-to-peer routing and local routing to an external packet data network.
14. An apparatus for providing access to a core network, said apparatus comprising:
a. connecting means which provide a connectivity restricted to a pre-defined group of core network address of a pool of gateway devices with multi-node connectivity to said core network from said apparatus when input with a single address; and
b. selecting means for selecting a single address from said group of core network addresses to establish a connection to a one of said gate-way devices;
wherein said connecting means is adapted to establish a control-plane connection to said gateway device via a single transmission protocol association containing a single transmission protocol stream and a single Internet Protocol address.
15. A chip module comprising an apparatus according to claim 14 .
16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said connecting means is adapted to establish a user-plane connection to said gateway device via a single Internet Protocol address.
17. A wireless access device comprising an apparatus according to claim 14 .
18. An apparatus for establishing a connection from a wireless access device to a core network, said apparatus comprising:
a. relay means for mapping a single input address to a plurality of core network addresses based on a location information of said wireless access device when input with a single address; and
b. at least one co-located decentralized core network functionality;
wherein said at least one core network functionality comprises a control plane anchor function for said wireless access device, so that a user plane of said connection is terminated at said wireless access device.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said relay means is configured to provide a connection to said core network via several Internet Protocol addresses and several transmission protocol streams.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said relay means provides a logical signaling interface between said wireless access device and other wireless access devices or macro access devices which provide macro cells.
21. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said at least one core network functionality comprises at least one of a serving gateway functionality, a packet data network gateway functionality, a mobility management functionality, so that at least one of a user plane and a control plane of said connection is terminated at said gateway device.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said mobility management functionality management functionality is part of a pool of mobility management entities local to said gateway device.
23. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said at least one core network functionality is configured to use a default bearer for traffic terminated at said gateway device.
24. A chip module comprising an apparatus according to claim 18 .
25. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said apparatus is configured to use said at least one core network functionality to provide local routing without passing a centralized gateway device at said core network.
26. The apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said local routing comprises at least one of local peer-to-peer routing and local routing to an external packet data network.
27. A gateway device comprising an apparatus according to claim 18 .