Gateway arrangements for wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments related to gateway arrangements for wireless communication networks are disclosed herein. For example, in some embodiments, a network controller computing system may include serving gateway (SGW) control plane circuitry to virtualize control plane functions of an SGW, packet data network gateway (PGW) control plane circuitry to virtualize control plane functions of a PGW, first communication circuitry to establish a first secure communication link between the SGW control plane circuitry and an SGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of an SGW, and second communication circuitry to establish a second secure communication link between the PGW control plane circuitry and a PGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of a PGW. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a serving gateway (SGW) control plane computing system to:
 receive a modify bearer request from a mobility management entity, the modify bearer request to include a user data general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-U) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) of an evolved node B; and   transmit an update message to a SGW user plane computing system over a communication link between the SGW control plane computing system and the SGW user plane computing system to provide the GTP-U tunnel endpoint identifier.   
     
     
         27 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 26 , wherein the communication link is a secure communication link and the instructions, when executed, further cause the SGW control plane computing system to:
 create the secure communication link with the SGW user plane computing system.   
     
     
         28 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 26 , wherein the SGW control plane computing system is to receive the modify bearer request and transmit the update message after an attach procedure is performed by a user equipment. 
     
     
         29 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 26 , wherein the update message is a first update message and the instructions, when executed, further cause the SGW control plane computing system to:
 receive, from a packet gateway (PGW) control plane system, a create session response that includes a GTP-U TEID of a PGW user plane computing system; and   transmit, to the SGW user plane computing system, a second update message that includes the GTP-U TEID of a PGW user plane computing system.   
     
     
         30 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 26 , wherein the update message is a first update message and the instructions, when executed, further cause the SGW control plane computing system to:
 transmit, to the SGW user plane computing system, a second update message to include the GTP-U TEID of the SGW user plane computing system.   
     
     
         31 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 26 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the SGW control plane computing system to:
 create one or more GTP user plane tunnels and update the SGW-U with the plurality of GTP TEIDs that correspond to the one or more GTP user plane tunnels.   
     
     
         32 . One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a serving gateway (SGW) user plane computing system to:
 receive, from an SGW control plane computing system, a plurality of user data general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-U) tunnel endpoint identifiers (TEIDs); and   forward data to or from a user equipment based on the GTP-U TEIDs.   
     
     
         33 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of GTP-U TEIDs includes a GTP-U TED of the SGW user plane computing system, a GTP-U TEID of a packet gateway user plane computing system, or a GTP-U TEID of an evolved node B. 
     
     
         34 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 32 , wherein the SGW user plane computing system is to receive the GTP-U TEIDs in one or more update messages from the SGW control plane computing system. 
     
     
         35 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 32 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the SGW control plane computing system to communicate with a packet gateway (PGW) user plane computing system through a GTP-U tunnel. 
     
     
         36 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 32 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the SGW control plane computing system to communicate with an evolved node B through a GTP-U tunnel. 
     
     
         37 . An evolved packet core (EPC) controller comprising:
 a serving gateway (SGW) control plane node to transmit, to a SGW user plane node, one or more user data general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-U) tunnel endpoint identifiers (TEIDs) to facilitate forwarding; and   a packet gateway (PGW) control plane node to transmit, to a PGW user plane node, at least one GTP-U TEID to facilitate forwarding of user data.   
     
     
         38 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein the SGW control plane node is to transmit, to the SGW user plane node, a GTP-U TEID of the SGW user plane node. 
     
     
         39 . The EPC controller of  claim 37  wherein the SGW control plane node is to transmit, to the SGW user plane node, a GTP-U TEID of an evolved node B. 
     
     
         40 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein the SGW control plane node is to transmit, to the SGW user plane node, a GTP-U TEID of the PGW user plane node. 
     
     
         41 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein the PGW control plane node is to transmit, to the PGW user plane node, a GTP-U TEID of the SGW user plane node. 
     
     
         42 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein the PGW control plane node is to transmit, to the PGW user plane node, a GTP-U TEID of the PGW user plane node. 
     
     
         43 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein the SGW control plane node is to transmit the one or more GTP-U TEIDs over a first secure communication link and the PGW control plane node is to transmit the at least one GTP-U TED over a second secure communication link. 
     
     
         44 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein individual GTP-UE TEIDs are created by the SGW control plane node or the PGW control plane node. 
     
     
         45 . The EPC controller of  claim 37 , wherein the SGW control plane node is to communicate with the PGW control plane node through a control general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-C) tunnel.