Method and apparatus relating to congestion control

摘要

A method and apparatus for enabling service aware congestion control of PS (Packet Switched) data to be performed in a communication network. In the communication network PS data is communicated between a core network of the communication network and one or more User Equipments, UE, via the communication network node. Each UE is associated to the core network by one or more PS connections, and each of the PS connections is applied by the UE for a respective PS data service. When performing the service aware congestion control, information related to a respective PS data service is obtained, and priority information is provided to a resource manager arranged in the communication network. The priority information is based on the information related to the respective PS data service for a plurality of the PS connections. The resource manager is then enabled to perform congestion control of the PS connections based on the priority information. By determining for which PS data services the PS connections are currently applied, and prioritize the PS connections accordingly, the communication network node may reallocate RAN communication resources to higher prioritized PS data services from less prioritized PS data services. Thereby, a more flexible and effective use of available RAN communication resources may be achieved.

主权项

1. A method in a communication network node for a communication network for enabling congestion control of Packet Switched (PS) data, in the communication network, the PS data being communicated between a core network of the communication network and one or more User Equipments (UEs) via the communication network node, where each UE is associated to the core network by one or more PS connections, and each of the PS connections is applied by the UE for a respective PS data service, the method comprising:
obtaining information related to the respective PS data service, wherein obtaining the information related to the respective PS data service comprises:
inspecting a content of communicated packets for the PS connection, wherein the inspected content is at least one of headers of communicated packets for the PS connection and payload of the communicated packets; anddetermining, based on the inspected content of the communicated packets, a type of PS data service for which the PS data of the PS connection is currently communicated; and providing priority information for each of a plurality of the PS connections to a resource manager arranged in the communication network, the priority information being based on the information related to the respective PS data service for the plurality of the PS connections, wherein providing the priority information comprises:
categorizing the PS connection in one of a plurality of pre-defined service categories at least based on the determined type of PS data service;putting together a priority list of the plurality of the PS connections, the priority list prioritizing the plurality of PS connections with respect to each other, based on the categorizing; andproviding the priority list to the resource manager, wherein the resource manager is enabled to perform congestion control of the PS connections based on the priority information.