Application-Based Multiple Radio Access Technology and Platform Control Using SDN

Abstract

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to application-based multiple radio access technologies (“RAT”) and platform control using software-defined networking (“SDN”). According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, an SDN controller can configure a radio access network (“RAN”) for connectionless services and for connection-oriented services. The RAN can support multiple RATs each capable of providing radio access to a device, such as a UE or an IoT device. The SDN controller can determine a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of the RAN. The SDN controller can provide the user plane configuration to an SDN agent that is stored on and is executable by the device.

1 . A method comprising:
 negotiating, by a software-defined network (“SDN”) agent executed by a processor of a device, with an SDN controller, a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of a radio access network, wherein the radio access network comprises a first network slice to support connectionless services and a second network slice to support connection-oriented services;   establishing, by the SDN agent, a local table to be used to determine how to route packets for an application instance that utilizes the application flow;   measuring, by the SDN agent, a network condition of the radio access network;   adapting, by the SDN agent, the local table to a device condition and the network condition; and   directing, by the SDN agent, the application flow based upon the local table.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises an Internet of Things device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a user equipment device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device condition comprises a mobility state of the device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the local table comprises information that maps a specific application to a specific port of the device; and wherein the application instance is an instance of the specific application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the specific port corresponds to a radio of the device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the radio enables the device to communicate with the radio access network via the first network slice to support connectionless services. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the radio enables the device to communicate with the radio access network via the second network slice to support connection-oriented services. 
     
     
         9 . A device comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that store a software-defined network (“SDN”) agent that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising
 negotiating, with an SDN controller, a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of a radio access network, wherein the radio access network comprises a first network slice to support connectionless services and a second network slice to support connection-oriented services, 
 establishing a local table to be used to determine how to route packets for an application instance that utilizes the application flow, 
 measuring a network condition of the radio access network, 
 adapting the local table to a device condition and the network condition, and 
 directing the application flow based upon the local table. 
   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the device condition comprises a mobility state of the device. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the local table comprises information that maps a specific application to a specific port of the device; and wherein the application instance is an instance of the specific application. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a radio; and wherein the specific port corresponds to the radio. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the radio enables communication with the radio access network via the first network slice to support connectionless services. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the radio enables communication with the radio access network via the second network slice to support connection-oriented services. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored herein that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 negotiating, with an SDN controller, a user plane path configuration for an application flow through at least part of a radio access network, wherein the radio access network comprises a first network slice to support connectionless services and a second network slice to support connection-oriented services,   establishing a local table to be used to determine how to route packets for an application instance that utilizes the application flow,   measuring a network condition of the radio access network,   adapting the local table to a device condition and the network condition, and   directing the application flow based upon the local table.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the device condition comprises a mobility state of the device. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the local table comprises information that maps a specific application to a specific port of the device; and wherein the application instance is an instance of the specific application. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the specific port corresponds to a radio. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the radio enables communication with the radio access network via the first network slice to support connectionless services. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the radio enables communication with the radio access network via the second network slice to support connection-oriented services.