公开(公告)号：US20210344606A1

公开(公告)日：2021-11-04

申请号：US17243169

申请日：2021-04-28

Applicant: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.

Inventor： Martin TAYLOR ,  James Robert ANDREW ,  Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS

IPC: H04L12/851 ,  H04L12/801 ,  H04L12/815

Abstract: User traffic is processed in a virtualised network. First and second VNFs are initialised in the same network namespace as each other in user space in a host and have access to a shared memory region of the host. The first VNF processes user traffic and the second VNF provides a user plane service in relation to user traffic processed by the first VNF. The first VNF is used to establish a point-to-point, shared-memory interface between the first and second VNFs and is used to classify incoming user traffic. In response to the first VNF determining based on the classifying, that the incoming user traffic is to be subject to the user plane service, the first VNF is used to store the incoming user traffic in the shared memory region of the host to enable the second VNF to provide the user plane service in relation to the incoming trier traffic.

公开(公告)号：US20200260506A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-13

申请号：US16813045

申请日：2020-03-09

Applicant: Metaswitch Networks Ltd.

Inventor： Leland Douglas BENSON ,  David REEKIE ,  Benjamin Thomas WRIGHT ,  Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Richard HEWITT

IPC: H04W76/10 ,  H04W72/04 ,  H04W8/18 ,  H04W48/16 ,  H04M15/00

Abstract: In one aspect, a control plane Interworking Function (IWF-C) is used to establish a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session in a data communications network. A create session request is received, for example from a Mobile Management Entity (MME). A create session management context request is generated by the IWF-C and transmitted to a Session Management Function (SMF). A create session management context request response is received from the SMF. A create session request response is generated by the IWF-C and sent, for example to the MME. In other aspects, control plane policy interworking and user plane interworking is provided between components of 4G and 5G networks.

公开(公告)号：US20240022651A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18135103

申请日：2023-04-14

Applicant: MetaSwitch Networks Ltd.

Inventor： Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Richard John WHITEHOUSE ,  Christopher Neil SWINDLE ,  Colin REYNOLDS

IPC: H04L69/22

CPC classification number: H04L69/22 ,  H04L2212/00

Abstract: In operation, packets traverse the packet processing data structure, and the network processing represented by each object in the data structure is applied to each packet. From time to time, the packet processing data structure may need to be updated. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for lock-free updating of a packet processing data structure by means of epoch-based garbage collection. In embodiments, a particular past packet processing epoch is considered to be no longer referenced by any cores when the sequence numbers recorded in each said memory location are different to the sequence number of that particular past packet processing epoch. The deletion thread checks both whether a past epoch is being referenced by any packets and whether it is being reference by any cores. Thus memory is safely freed without having any impact on any packet processing which may be occurring in parallel to the deletion thread.

公开(公告)号：US20240020289A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18248105

申请日：2021-10-08

Applicant: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.

Inventor： Michael Jeffrey EVANS ,  Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS

IPC: G06F16/22

CPC classification number: G06F16/2255

Abstract: Key data is processed using a hash table data structure. Control data storage locations have a write-availability indicated by a first write-availability state indicating that the location is available to be written to, and a second write-availability state indicating that the location is not available to be written to. A temporary label value is stored in a selected control data storage location to render the selected location and a corresponding key data storage location inactive for read-out. The write-availability of the control data storage location is changed to the second write-availability state in association with the storage of the processed label value in the selected location. A read-out label value is obtained and the temporary label value stored in the selected control data storage location is over-written with the obtained read-out label value, to render the selected control data storage location and corresponding key data storage location active for read-out.

公开(公告)号：US20230254914A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-10

申请号：US18001709

申请日：2021-10-29

Applicant: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD

Inventor： Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Colin TREGENZA DANCER ,  Martin TAYLOR ,  David REEKIE ,  Richard HEWITT

IPC: H04W76/12

CPC classification number: H04W76/12 ,  H04W80/10

Abstract: Network slicing allows a network operator to divide up their network into different network slices. The operator can assign specific users or classes of users to 5 each slice. Network functions (NFs) comprising a network slice may be placed in different locations in a network (for example, nearer the network edge), may be configured or tuned for different traffic profiles, and/or may be implemented by different vendors from those in other slices. A network, configured to perform network slicing, receives information from a Session Management Function, SMF, relating to a 10 given packet data session belonging to a given network slice. Based on the information received from the SMF, the network signals to a UPF instance that the given packet data session belongs to the given network slice.

公开(公告)号：US20220183085A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-09

申请号：US17526888

申请日：2021-11-15

Applicant: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.

Inventor： Leland Douglas BENSON ,  David REEKIE ,  Benjamin Thomas WRIGHT ,  Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Richard HEWITT

IPC: H04W76/10 ,  H04M15/00 ,  H04W8/18 ,  H04W48/16 ,  H04W72/04

Abstract: In one aspect, a control plane Interworking Function (IWF-C) is used to establish a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session in a data communications network. A create session request is received, for example from a Mobile Management Entity (MME). A create session management context request is generated by the IWF-C and transmitted to a Session Management Function (SMF). A create session management context request response is received from the SMF. A create session request response is generated by the IWF-C and sent, for example to the MME. In other aspects, control plane policy interworking and user plane interworking is provided between components of 4G and 5G networks.

公开(公告)号：US20220166856A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-26

申请号：US17535351

申请日：2021-11-24

Applicant: MetaSwitch Networks Ltd.

Inventor： Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Richard John WHITEHOUSE ,  Christopher Neil SWINDLE ,  Colin REYNOLDS

IPC: H04L69/22

Abstract: In operation, packets traverse the packet processing data structure, and the network processing represented by each object in the data structure is applied to each packet. From time to time, the packet processing data structure may need to be updated. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for lock-free updating of a packet processing data structure by means of epoch-based garbage collection. In embodiments, a particular past packet processing epoch is considered to be no longer referenced by any cores when the sequence numbers recorded in each said memory location are different to the sequence number of that particular past packet processing epoch. The deletion thread checks both whether a past epoch is being referenced by any packets and whether it is being reference by any cores. Thus memory is safely freed without having any impact on any packet processing which may be occurring in parallel to the deletion thread.

公开(公告)号：US20200267077A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-20

申请号：US16749881

申请日：2020-01-22

Applicant: Metaswitch Networks Ltd.

Inventor： Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Michael Jeffrey EVANS

IPC: H04L12/725 ,  H04L12/741 ,  H04L12/851 ,  H04L29/06 ,  H04L12/26

Abstract: A packet classifier and methods of processing data packets in a data communications network can include receiving a data packet comprising packet header data; performing rule-based classification of the received data packet to generate rule-based classification data; and processing the data packet in accordance with the rule-based classification data.

公开(公告)号：US20200260505A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-13

申请号：US16784573

申请日：2020-02-07

Applicant: Metaswitch Networks Ltd.

Inventor： Leland Douglas BENSON ,  David REEKIE ,  Benjamin Thomas WRIGHT ,  Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS ,  Richard HEWITT

IPC: H04W76/10 ,  H04M15/00 ,  H04W8/18 ,  H04W48/16 ,  H04W72/04

Abstract: In one aspect, a control plane Interworking Function (IWF-C) is used to establish a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session in a data communications network. A create session request is received, for example from a Mobile Management Entity (MME). A create session management context request is generated by the IWF-C and transmitted to a Session Management Function (SMF). A create session management context request response is received from the SMF. A create session request response is generated by the IWF-C and sent, for example to the MME. In other aspects, control plane policy interworking and user plane interworking is provided between components of 4G and 5G networks.

公开(公告)号：US20170310580A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-26

申请号：US15491241

申请日：2017-04-19

Applicant: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.

Inventor： Andrew Munro CALDWELL ,  Matthew Ian Ronald WILLIAMS

IPC: H04L12/703 ,  H04L12/741 ,  H04L12/715 ,  H04L29/12 ,  H04L12/751

CPC classification number: H04L45/74 ,  H04L12/18 ,  H04L43/10 ,  H04L61/103

Abstract: A plurality of network nodes are configured to form a virtual logical network over a plurality of broadcast domains. Configuring the virtual logical network includes configuring at least one of the nodes in the plurality of nodes to broadcast routes to IP addresses hosted on nodes in the plurality of network nodes between nodes in the plurality of broadcast domains. A primary workload hosted on a first node in the plurality of nodes is configured to share ownership of an IP address with a secondary workload hosted on a second node in the plurality of nodes. In response to detecting a failure indication associated with the primary workload, an IP address failover procedure for the shared IP address is performed between the primary workload and the secondary workload.