Field of the invention
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of access communications and
particularly to a method of providing a nomadism service through a virtual residential
gateway.
Background of the invention
In fact, no matter where a user is, he would like to be provided with the same
service and experience as he is at home. In another word, even if he is in a nomadic
site, he would like to obtain the service subscribed at home, e.g., a high-definition TV
program, IPTV, various OTT services, etc.
In real life, we may be faced with the following scenarios or the like: if a home
network 1 is a home network of a user 1-1, a user 1-2 and a user 1-3, and a home
network 2 is a home network of a user 2-1 and a user 2-2, then (1) the user 1-3
visiting the home of the user 2-1 tries to invite the user 2-1 to watch high-definition
TV subscribed the by user 1-3 through a Residential Gateway (RG, i.e., RG-1); and (2)
the user 2-2 roaming in another pace wants to obtain a service subscribed by the user
2-2 at home.
The architecture of a Network Enhanced Residential Gateway (NERG) proposed
in the Broadband Forum (BBF) has modified most of service and network functions
of the residential gateway to extend a local LAN outside the home of the user. Such
functions as IP forwarding, routing, NAT and IP addressing related functions can be
arranged on a Virtual Gateway (vG) so that the residential gateway acts as a bridge. In
addition, some service modules corresponding to application services purchased in
the home network (originally implemented in the home gateway) are also
implemented in the virtual Residential Gateway (vRG).
In fact, wherever the user is nomadic, he generally prefers to be provided with a
uniform and consistent experience of the user, so he generally prefers the services
subscribed in his own home network, that is, the services preferred by the user are
frequently subscribed through the residential gateway.
Thus it is highly desirable to support a nomadic service through the virtual
residential gateway in the access network.
Summary of the invention
In view of the problem, the invention defines a procedure in which a user is
provided with a service subscribed by the user in a residential gateway, through a
virtual residential gateway.
The invention provides a method of providing a nomadic service, the method
including: i . sending, by a user, a nomadic service request to an Authentication,
Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server to determine whether the nomadic
service request is allowed; ii. if the nomadic service request is allowed, then
instantiating a service module for the nomadic service in a corresponding virtual
Residential Gateway (vRG) platform, or selecting a corresponding service module in
a residential gateway of the user, based on the nomadic service , by a Software
Defined Network (SDN) controller; and iii. determining and configuring, by the SDN
controller, a network delivery path between the user and the service module based
upon a path establishment request and a position of the service module.
Preferably the step (i) includes: sending, by the user, the nomadic service request
to a nomadic service portal website through network connection provided by a current
vRG, and then sending, by the nomadic service portal website, an access request
including the nomadic service request to the AAA server.
Preferably the step (i) includes: sending, by the user, an authentication request
including the nomadic service request to the SDN controller through a current vRG,
and sending, by the SDN controller, an access request including the authentication
request to the AAA server, or sending, by the current vRG, the authentication request
directly to the AAA server; and the step (iii) includes: sending, by the AAA server,
the path establishment request to the SDN controller.
Preferably the step (ii) includes: checking, by the AAA server, whether the
nomadic service has been subscribed by the residential gateway of the user, and if yes,
then further checking, by the AAA server, whether the user is allowed to be provided
with the nomadic service, by using the residential gateway of the user.
Preferably the step (ii) includes: determining the position of the service module
based upon mobility of the user, and an implementation of the vRG in the network,
wherein when each of the vRGs in the network is implemented in a centralized vRG
platform, the SDN controller selects the service module in the residential gateway of
the user for the nomadic service; and when the vRGs in the network are implemented
in a distributed manner, the SDN controller instantiates the service module in a
current vRG of the user, or instantiates a temporary virtual gateway including the
service module in the centralized vRG platform, based upon the mobility of the user;
wherein the centralized vRG platform is located in a broadband network gateway
(BNG) or between the BNG and a home network access node or in a data center
connected with an access network.
Preferably the step (iii) further includes: when the nomadic service request is
allowed, sending, by the SDN controller, an access grant message to the current vRG
to thereby provide the user with an IP address, and to send the path establishment
request to the SDN controller, through the current vRG.
The invention further provides a method of managing a nomadic service in a
Software Defined Network (SDN) controller, the method including: i . receiving a path
establishment request to deliver the nomadic service; ii. instantiating a service
module for the nomadic service in a corresponding virtual Residential Gateway (vRG)
platform, or selecting a corresponding service module in a residential gateway of the
user, based upon the nomadic service; and iii. determining and configuring a network
delivery path between the user and the service module based upon the path
establishment request, and the position of the service module.
Preferably the step (ii) includes: determining the position of the service module
based upon mobility of the user, and implementation manner of vRGs in the network,
wherein when each of the vRGs in the network is implemented in a centralized vRG
platform, the controller selects the service module in the residential gateway of the
user for the nomadic service; and when the vRGs in the network are implemented in a
distributed manner, the controller instantiates the service module in a current vRG of
the user, or instantiates a temporary virtual gateway including the service module in
the centralized vRG platform, based upon the mobility of the user; wherein the
centralized vRG platform is located in a broadband network gateway (BNG) or
between the BNG and a home network access node or in a data center connected with
the access network.
Preferably the delivery path establishment request includes information about a
current residential gateway of the user, a nomadic service provision point request, and
a bandwidth corresponding to the nomadic service.
Preferably the step (ii) further includes: locating, by the controller, the nomadic
service provision point at the determined position of the service module after
determining the position of the service module. The position can be the vRG or the
virtual gateway.
Preferably the step (i) further includes: when the nomadic request received by the
controller is included in an authentication request of the user, incorporating, by the
controller, the authentication request into an access request, and sending the access
request to an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server.
Preferably the step (i) further includes: allocating, by the controller, an IP address
for the user through a current vRG of the user after receiving an access grant message
from the AAA server.
The invention further provides a control apparatus for managing a nomadic
service in a Software Defined Network (SDN), the control apparatus including: i . a
receiving device configured to receive information related to the nomadic service,
wherein the information related to the nomadic service includes a delivery path
establishment request; ii. a service module determining device configured to
instantiate a service module in a corresponding virtual Residential Gateway (vRG)
platform, or to select a service module in a residential gateway of the user, based
upon the nomadic service; and iii. a path establishing device configured to configure a
network delivery path between the user and the service module based upon the path
establishment request and a position of the service module.
Preferably the service module determining device is configured to determine the
position of the service module based upon mobility of the user, and an
implementation manner of the vRG in the network, wherein when each of the vRGs in
the network is implemented in a centralized vRG platform, the controller selects the
service module in the residential gateway of the user for the nomadic service; and
when the vRGs in the network are implemented in a distributed manner, the controller
instantiates the service module in a current vRG of the user, or instantiates a
temporary virtual gateway including the service module in the centralized vRG
platform, based upon the mobility of the user; wherein the centralized vRG platform
is located in a broadband network gateway (BNG) or between the BNG and a home
network access node or in a data center connected with an access network.
Preferably when the nomadic request received by the control apparatus is
included in an authentication request of the user, the control apparatus incorporates
the authentication request into an access request, and sending the access request to an
Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server; and the control
apparatus allocates an IP address for the user through the current vRG of the user
after receiving a message granting an access of the user to the network.
With the technical solutions according to the invention, the user can be provided
rapidly with the service subscribed by the user through the residential gateway even if
he is not at home, and moreover the control function can be centralized in the SDN
controller to thereby select the optimum service provision point rapidly for the user so
as to avoid a waste of resources.
Brief description of drawings
The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and
advantages of the invention will become more apparent, from the following
description of embodiments of the invention taken with reference to the drawings in
which:
Fig. l illustrates a schematic diagram of a network architecture according to an
embodiment of the invention;
Fig. illustrates a procedure of providing a nomadic service according to an
embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 3 illustrates a procedure of providing a nomadic service according to another
embodiment of the invention.
Detailed description of embodiments
Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described below in further
details with reference to the drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of this
disclosure are illustrated in the drawings, it shall be appreciated that this disclosure
can be embodied in various forms but will not be limited to the embodiments
described here. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make this
disclosure more thorough and complete and to enable the scope of this disclosure to
be conveyed fully to those skilled in the art.
The invention is intended to dynamically instantiate a service module at the
optimal site for a nomadic service requested by a nomadic user. That is, after
receiving the nomadic service request from the nomadic user, an SDN controller
obtains a profile for this requested service, finds the optimal site (e.g., either an vRG
for the nomadic site, or a vRG platform, proximate to a BNG or of a data center) to
instantiate the corresponding module for the requested service, and configures
corresponding network elements to thereby form a path with a corresponding QoS for
delivering the service to the nomadic user.
In the network architecture with the vRG platform, the vRG can be implemented
either in a centralized or distributed manner. When the vRGs are implemented in the
distributed manner differently, the SDN controller decides where to instantiate the
corresponding service module to serve the nomadic user, which can be a vRG which
serves a home network of the nomadic user or the vRG platform at the BNG or the
vRG pool in the data center. The SDN controller sends a corresponding command to
the corresponding platform to thereby dynamically instantiate the serving module for
the nomadic user.
In order to facilitate an implementation of the nomadic service, the invention
further proposes adding information tables associated with the nomadic service to the
vRG, e.g., a nomadic information table and a service profile table, where the nomadic
information table can maintain the statuses of all the users by recording whether they
are allowed to be nomadic to another site than a primary site, when they are allowed
to obtain the nomadic service. The service profile table can maintain profiles for
respective services subscribed by the home network, where the service profiles
include bandwidth requirements for the services, and other service modules
implemented in the vRG (e.g., a codec for a media program).
Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of the network architecture according to
an embodiment of the invention.
This network architecture generally includes the following components:
(1) The SDN controller and other auxiliary control/management servers: the SDN
controller implements the entire control plane of an access network, that is, the
control plane of the access network is centralized in the SDN controller. The SDN
controller has interfaces to the other auxiliary servers (e.g., Authentication,
Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server, a DHCP server, other application
servers like a policy server, a nomadic server, etc.). The SDN controller has the
following functions: (1) to control/manage all the forwarding devices in the access
network (e.g., a bRG in the home network, an access node, a switch, and a BNG); and
(2) to instantiate/update the vRG needed for the home network, including allocating
appropriate resources for the vRG, instantiating appropriate modules in the vRG, etc.
Particularly the SDN controller is further provided with a service module
determining device configured to instantiate the new service module in the
corresponding vRG platform, or to select the service module in the residential
gateway, for the nomadic service.
(2) The forwarding devices in the access network, e.g., the residential gateway
bRGl-2, the access node AN1-2, the switch, the BNG, etc., which can become simple
forwarding devices to forward traffic as configured by the SDN controller, because all
the control functions are performed in the SDN controller.
(3) The virtual Residential Gateway (vRG) platform which is just a collection of
computing resource for implementing the vRG therein as needed, where some of the
computing resources can be attached to the access node, and the others can be
attached to the BNG, or implemented in the data center connected to the access
network. This platform is controlled by the SDN controller determining where to
instantiate the vRG for a specific home network and how many resources to be
allocated for the vRG, and to instantiate specific modules in the vRG. Normally in the
vRG platform, there is a vRG which serves a bRG in a home network. Once the vRG
is instantiated, there is a logic link between the vRG and the residential bRG.
For the vRG, two information tables can be further introduced to support the
nomadic function, which can be a nomadic information table and a service profile
table, where the nomadic information table keeps information for devices/accounts
which belong to the home network, and each entry has the following attributes: a
device/user name, an MAC address/password, nomadic property to indicate whether
the device/account can get the nomadic service through the vRG, a current status to
record where the device/account is currently used, i.e., either at home or nomadic, and
a survival time to set a period of tome for which the device/account can get the
nomadic support.
When a user device/account with the nomadic right has moved to a nomadic site,
if it requests for a service subscribed by its home network, then the request will be
checked in both the AAA server and in the residential vRG. Thus it can be determined
from Table 1 whether some user device has the nomadic right, a period of time for
which it can be nomadic, etc.
Table 1 Nomadic Information Table
The service profile table records profile information for services which have been
subscribed by the home network. The profile information includes service names,
service types, service bandwidths, service modules, etc.
Table 2 Service profile table
Two devised embodiments of the invention, i.e., procedures of providing a
nomadic user with a nomadic service, will be described below further to the
description above.
The first embodiment relates to a procedure of providing a nomadic service when
network connection is provided by a local site.
When network connection is provided by a local site, a user can access the
Internet without authorization from an access network. For example, when the user
1-3 is located at the home of the user 2-1, the user 2-1 just tells the user 1-3 a
password of his home network connection, and then the user 1-3 can use the password
to connect to the home network of the user 2-1 and access the Internet.
Fig.2 illustrates a procedure of providing a nomadic service according to an
embodiment of the invention, where the user 1-3 requests for a nomadic service
subscribed through his residential gateway vRG-1.
521 . The user 1-3 is provided with network connection through the local site.
In this step, the local site (i.e., the vRG2) allocates an IP address for the user 1-3
so that the user 1-3 can access the Internet.
522. The user 1-3 sends a nomadic service request.
In this step, the user 1-3 accesses a nomadic service portal website and requests
for a nomadic service. The first request message input by the user includes residential
vRG information (i.e., information about the vRG-1), authorization information of an
Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server of an operator for the
vRG-1, identification information of the user 1-3 in the vRG-1, and an indication
information of the nomadic service requested by the user 1-3.
Particularly a user field includes a device name and an MAC address/password,
e.g., Nomadic-user lD, etc., and a domain filed includes a service ID, a residential
gateway ID, and an operator ID, e.g., the character string
"Service-ID. home_RG-ID. Operator-ID".
523. The nomadic service portal website sends an access request message to the
AAA server.
In this step, the nomadic service portal website constructs the access request
message including the nomadic service request based on the nomadic service request
from the user 1-3, and then sends the access request message to the AAA server for
authentication.
524. The AAA server checks the access request message.
In this step, the AAA server will firstly check against the service profile table
above (Table 2) whether the home network of the user (i.e., the vRG-1) has
subscribed the service indicated in the nomadic service request. If the vRG-1 has
subscribed the service, then the AAA server will further check with the vRG-1
whether the user 1-3 is allowed to be provided with his requested service at the
nomadic site; otherwise, the AAA server will reject the service request of the user.
525. The VRG-1 determines whether the user is allowed to be provided with the
corresponding service.
In this step, since the nomadic information table (Table 1) has been stored in the
vRG-1, the vRG-1 can check against Table 1 whether the user 1-3 can be provided
with his requested service at that time, and if yes, then the vRG-1 will return the
corresponding service profile retrieved from the service profile table thereof to the
AAA server.
526. The AAA server sends a delivery path establishment request message to the
SDN controller.
In this step, since it has been determined in the step S25 that the user 1-3 can be
provided with his requested nomadic service, the AAA server will send a delivery
path establishment request message to the SDN controller to request for a delivery
path for the nomadic service. In this embodiment, the path establishment request
message includes information about two endpoints (i.e., the bRG2 and the service
provision point), a corresponding service feature (e.g., a bandwidth), and other related
parameters. The service provision point refers to a vRG including a service module,
and apparently the service provision point at this time has not been determined, so the
path establishment request message will request the SDN controller for specifying a
particular position of the service provision point.
The related parameters here can include related resource calculation parameters
(e.g., a CPU demand, a storage demand, etc.) required for a new service module
(located either in the vRG of the nomadic site or a newly instantiated temporary vG).
S27. The SDN controller selects the corresponding service module in the
residential gateway of the user or instantiates a service module corresponding to the
service in a new vRG platform.
In this step, the SDN controller computes the optimal site where the
corresponding service module will be instantiated, which can be either the nearest
vRG pool or the vRG-2. After the optimal site is located, the SDN controller
instantiates the corresponding service module. At this time it can be determined
which vRG the service provision point in the step S26 is.
There may include but will not be limited to the following three scenarios of a
rule under which the optimum site, where the service module will be instantiated, is
selected, dependent upon the mobility of the user 1-3, and the implementation of the
vRG:
In the first scenario, the vRGs are centralized in the vRG platform at the BNG
At this time the vRG-2 and the vRG-1 are implemented in a centralized vRG
platform, so data will be exchanged between them both over less resources and for a
shorter period of time, and thus in this scenario, the service module in the vRG-1
corresponding to the service requested by the user 1-3 can be reused. As can be
appreciated, the service module in the vRG-1 corresponding to the service requested
by the user 1-3 can still be used when the user 1-3 moves frequently between
respective network points in the first scenario.
In the second scenario, the vRGs are implemented in a distributed manner in the
access network and there is low mobility of the user.
In this scenario, the vRG-1 corresponding to the home network 1 is implemented
in the vRG platform 1 at the Access Node (AN) 1, and correspondingly the vRG-2
corresponding to the home network 2 is implemented in the vRG platform 2 at the AN
2 . Apparently if the service module in the vRG-1 is still used at this time, then there
will be a very long delivery path, so the SDN controller will instantiate a service
module again.
The low mobility of the user means that the user will reside in the same network
(e.g., the home network 2) for a long period of time, so the service module can be
instantiated in the vRG-2 to thereby shorten the delivery path. At this time since the
service module needs to be configured on the original vRG2, the vRG2 will be
allocated more resources to operate the service module for the service requested by
the user 1-3, e.g., an additional delivery path, an extended bandwidth, etc.
In the third scenario, the vRG is implemented in a distributed manner in the
access network and user has a high mobility.
Like the second scenario, the vRG-1 and the vRG-2 are implemented respectively
in the vRG platforms 1 and 2 at the ANl and the AN2 in this scenario.
The high mobility of the user means that the user residing in the respective
networks for a short period of time will move between the respective network points,
so if the service module is instantiated frequently in the respective vRGs, then
significant amounts of time and resources will be consumed. Thus in this scenario, the
SDN will instantiate a temporary vG including the service module in the vRG
platform closer to the BNG than the ANl and the AN2, so that even if the home
network of the user 1-3 is switched frequently, he will be served by the temporary
vRG platform through connection provided by the current home network.
As can be appreciated, the high or low mobility of the user can be determined by
being compared with a threshold, or the mobility of the user has been preset in
advance by the SDN controller. Thus in the second and third scenarios, where the
vRGs in the network are implemented in a distributed manner , the SDN controller
instantiates the service module in the current vRG of the user, or instantiates the
temporary vG including the service module in the vRG platform at the BNG node,
dependent upon the mobility of the user.
The three scenarios above merely illustrates scenarios where the vRG platform is
implemented at the node of the BNG, but actually the vRG platform can alternatively
be located at the switch, the server, or another position with computing resources,
between the AN and the BNG; and alike the vRG platform can alternatively be the
data center currently connected with the current access network.
528. The SDN controller establishes the delivery path.
In the step 27, the SDN controller has determined where to instantiate the service
module, so the SDN controller will calculate a delivery path satisfying the QoS
requirement based upon the result of the step S27, and set up the delivery path
between the bRG-2 and the service provision point. Apparently the other network
elements involved in the delivery path will also be configured correspondingly by the
SDN controller to comply with the demand for the nomadic service.
529. The SDN controller sends a path establishment acknowledgement message
(Path-Establish-Ack) to the AAA server after establishing the delivery path
successfully.
S2A. The AAA server sends an Access Accept message to the nomadic service
portal server.
S2B. The nomadic server a reply message to the nomadic service request to the
user 1-3.
With the steps above, the user 1-3 can obtain his requested nomadic service at the
nomadic site, where the corresponding service is delivered firstly to the vRG
including the service module for further processing, and then delivered to the user
1-3.
Thus firstly the user is provided with network connection, and only then it will be
determined whether the user can be provided with the nomadic service, in the first
embodiment.
In the second embodiment, network connection is provided by the operator.
In this scenario, the authentication request message includes the nomadic service
request. After receiving the authentication request, the SDN controller forwards it to
the AAA server for authentication. Upon successful authentication, IP address
allocation will be triggered, and upon successful IP address allocation, a service
delivery path request will be triggered to the SDN controller, which will firstly
instantiate the service module at the most appropriate site, and then compute and
configure the delivery path for the nomadic user.
Fig. 3 illustrates a procedure of providing a nomadic service according to another
embodiment of the invention.
53 1. The user 1-3 sends an authentication request message to the vRG-2.
In this step, the authentication request message includes a nomadic service
request, and as can be apparent from the description above, the nomadic service
request can include residential vRG information (i.e., information about the vRG-1),
authorization information of the Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA)
server of the operator for the vRG-1, identification information of the user 1-3 in the
vRG-1, and an indication information of the nomadic service requested by the user
1-3.
532. The vRG-2 forwards the authentication request to the SDN controller.
533. The SDN controller forwards the access request to the AAA server so that
the AAA server determines whether the user 1-3 can obtain a service subscribed by
the user through the residential gateway vRG-1.
Alternatively in this embodiment, the steps S32 and S33 can be performed in the
step S3E where the current vRG of the user (i.e., the vRG-2) transmits the
authentication request directly to the AAA server.
534. The AAA server checks whether the user 1-3 can obtain the service
subscribed by the user through the residential gateway vRG-1.
In this step, the AAA server will firstly check against the service profile table
above (Table 2) whether the residential gateway of the user 1-3 (i.e., the vRG-1) has
subscribed the service indicated in the first request. If the vRG-1 has subscribed the
service, then the AAA server will further check with the vRG-1 whether the user 1-3
is allowed to be provided with his requested service at the nomadic site.
535 . The VRG-1 determines whether the user is allowed to be provided with the
corresponding service.
In this step, since the nomadic information table (Table 1) has been stored in the
vRG-1, the vRG-1 can check against Table 1 whether the user 1-3 can be provided
with his requested service at that time, and if yes, then the vRG-1 will return the
corresponding service profile retrieved from the service profile table thereof to the
AAA server.
536. The AAA server sends access information to the SDN controller.
If it can be determined in the step S35 that the user 1-3 can obtain the service
subscribed by the user through the vRG-1, then in the step S36, the AA server will
forward an access grant to the SDN controller based upon the result to notify the SDN
controller that the user 1-3 has been authenticated successfully.
537. The SDN controller forwards authentication success information to the
vRG-2, that is, the AAA server allows the user for an access to the network.
S38 . The vRG-2 returns the authentication result to the user 1-3.
In this step, a feedback message transmitted by the nomadic server to the nomadic
service request is also transmitted to the user 1-3.
S39. An IP address is allocated.
In this step, the DHCP module in the vRG-2 will allocate an IP address for the
user 1-3.
S3A. A delivery path establishment request message is sent.
After the IP address is allocated, the vRG-2 sends a path establishment request to
the SDN controller. Alike the path establishment request includes information about
two endpoints (i.e., the bRG2 and the service provision point), a corresponding
service feature (e.g., a bandwidth), etc. The service provision point here refers to a
vRG including a service module.
S3B. The SDN controller selects or instantiates a service module corresponding
to the service.
In this step, the SDN controller calculates the optimum position where the
corresponding service module will be instantiated, which can be the nearest vRG pool
or the vRG2. After the optimum position is located, the SDN controller instantiates
the corresponding service module. At this time it can be determined which vRG the
service provision point in the step S3A is.
Alike there may include but will not be limited to the three scenarios, described
in the first embodiment, of a rule under which the optimum site, where the service
module will be instantiated, is selected, dependent upon the mobility of the user 1-3,
and the implementation of the vRG.
S3C. The SDN establishes the delivery path.
In the step 3B, the SDN controller has determined where to instantiate the service
module, so the SDN controller will establish the delivery path between the bRG-2 and
the service provision point based upon the result of the step S3B.
S3D. The SDN controller sends a path establishment acknowledgement message
to the vRG-2.
With the steps, the user 1-3 can obtain his requested nomadic service at the
nomadic site, where the corresponding service is delivered firstly to the vRG
including the service module for further processing, and then delivered to the user
1-3.
Thus in the second embodiment, only the user with network connection can be
served, that is, the user can be provided with network connection only if it is
determined that the user can be provided with the nomadic service.
The invention further proposes an SDN control apparatus including: a receiving
device 4 1 configured to receive a path establishment request to deliver a nomadic
service; a service module determining device 42 configured to instantiate a service
module in a corresponding virtual Residential Gateway (vRG) platform, or to select a
service module in a residential gateway of the user, for the nomadic service; and a
path establishment device 43 is configured to configure a network delivery path
between the user and the service module based upon the path establishment request,
and the position of the service module.
Preferably the service module determining device is configured to determine the
position of the service module based upon mobility of the user, and an
implementation of the vRG in the network, where when the vRG in the network is
implemented in a centralized vRG platform at a broadband network gateway (BNG),
the controller selects the service module in the residential gateway of the user for the
nomadic service; and when the vRGs in the network are implemented in the
distributed manner and the mobility of the user is below a threshold, the controller
instantiates the service module in the current vRG of the user; and when the vRGs in
the network are implemented in the distributed manner and the mobility of the user
is above the threshold, the controller generates a temporary vG including the service
module in the vRG platform at the BNG node.
Preferably when the nomadic request received by the control apparatus is
included in an authentication request of the user, the control apparatus includes the
authentication request in an access request, and sends the access request to an
Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server; and the control
apparatus allocates an IP address for the user through the current vRG of the user
after receiving a message granting an access of the user to the network.
Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the instances above are merely
illustrative but not intended to limit the application scope of the invention. Those
skilled in the art can decide to how to implement the functions described above in a
number of implementations for respective specific applications, but the
implementation decision shall not be construed as departing from the claimed scope
of the invention.

CLAIMS
1. A method of providing a nomadic service, the method comprising steps of
1. sending, by a user, a nomadic service request to an Authentication, Authorization
and Accounting (AAA) server to determine whether the nomadic service request is
allowed;
ii. if the nomadic service request is allowed, then instantiating a service module for
the nomadic service in a corresponding virtual Residential Gateway (vRG) platform or
selecting a corresponding service module in a residential gateway of the user, based upon
the nomadic service, by a Software Defined Network (SDN) controller; and
iii. determining and configuring, by the SDN controller, a network delivery path
between the user and the service module based upon a path establishment request and a
position of the service module.
2 . The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (i) comprises:
sending, by the user, the nomadic service request to a nomadic service portal
website through network connection provided by a current vRG, and then sending, by the
nomadic service portal website, an access request comprising the nomadic service request
to the AAA server.
3 . The method according to claim 1, wherein:
the step (i) comprises: sending, by the user, an authentication request comprising
the nomadic service request to the SDN controller through a current vRG; and sending, by
the SDN controller, an access request comprising the authentication request to the AAA
server, or sending, by the current vRG, the authentication request directly to the AAA
server; and
the step (iii) comprises: sending, by the AAA server, the path establishment request
to the SDN controller.
4 . The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (ii) comprises:
checking, by the AAA server, whether the nomadic service has been subscribed by
the residential gateway of the user, and if yes, then further checking, by the AAA server,
whether the user is allowed to be provided with the nomadic service by using the
residential gateway of the user.
5 . The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (ii) comprises:
determining the position of the service module based upon mobility of the user and
implementation manner of vRGs in the network, wherein:
when each of the vRGs in the network is implemented in a centralized vRG
platform, the SDN controller selecting the service module in the residential gateway of
the user for the nomadic service; and
when the vRGs in the network are implemented in a distributed manner, the SDN
controller instantiating the service module in a current vRG of the user, or instantiating a
temporary virtual gateway comprising the service module in the centralized vRG platform,
based upon the mobility of the user;
wherein the centralized vRG platform is located in a broadband network gateway
(BNG) or between the BNG and a home network access node or in a data center
connected with an access network.
6 . The method according to claim 3, wherein the step (iii) further comprises:
when the nomadic service request is allowed, sending, by the SDN controller, an
access grant message to the current vRG to thereby provide the user with an IP address
and to send the path establishment request to the SDN controller, through the current vRG.
7 . A method of managing a nomadic service in a Software Defined Network (SDN)
controller, the method comprising:
i . receiving a path establishment request to deliver the nomadic service;
ii. instantiating a service module for the nomadic service in a corresponding virtual
Residential Gateway (vRG) platform or selecting a corresponding service module in a
residential gateway of the user, based upon the nomadic service; and
iii. determining and configuring a network delivery path between the user and the
service module based upon thea path establishment request and position of the service
module.
8 . The method according to claim 7, wherein the step (ii) comprises:
determining the position of the service module based upon mobility of the user and
implementation manner of vRGs in the network, wherein:
when each of the vRGs in the network is implemented in a centralized vRG
platform, the controller selecting the service module in the residential gateway of the user
for the nomadic service; and
when the vRGs in the network are implemented in a distributed manner, the
controller instantiating the service module in a current vRG of the user, or instantiating a
temporary virtual gateway comprising the service module in the centralized vRG platform,
based upon the mobility of the user;
wherein the centralized vRG platform is located in a broadband network gateway
(BNG) or between the BNG and a home network access node or in a data center
connected with an access network.
9 . The method according to claim 8, wherein:
the delivery path establishment request comprises information about a current
residential gateway of the user, a nomadic service provision point request, and a
bandwidth corresponding to the nomadic service.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step (ii) further comprises:
locating, by the controller, the nomadic service provision point at the determined
position of the service module after determining the position of the service module.
11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step (i) further comprises:
when the nomadic request received by the controller is comprised in an
authentication request of the user, incorporating, by the controller, the authentication
request into an access request, and sending the access request to an Authentication,
Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step (i) further comprises:
allocating, by the controller, an IP address for the user through a current vRG of the
user after receiving an access grant message from the AAA server.
13. A control apparatus for managing a nomadic service in a Software Defined
Network (SDN), the control apparatus comprising:
i . a receiving device configured to receive information related to the nomadic
service, wherein the information related to the nomadic service comprises a delivery path
establishment request;
ii. a service module determining device configured to instantiate a service module
in a corresponding virtual Residential Gateway (vRG) platform or to select a service
module in a residential gateway of the user, based upon the nomadic service; and
iii. a path establishing device configured to configure a network delivery path
between the user and the service module based upon the path establishment request and a
position of the service module.
14. The control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the service module
determining device is configured to determine the position of the service module based
upon mobility of the user and implementation manner of vRGs in the network, wherein:
when each of the vRGs in the network is implemented in a centralized vRG
platform, the controller selecting the service module in the residential gateway of the user
for the nomadic service; and
when the vRGs in the network are implemented in a distributed manner, the
controller instantiating the service module in a current vRG of the user, or instantiating a
temporary virtual gateway comprising the service module in the centralized vRG platform,
based upon the mobility of the user;
wherein the centralized vRG platform is located in a broadband network gateway
(BNG) or between the BNG and a home network access node or in a data center
connected with an access network.
15. The control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:
when the nomadic request received by the control apparatus is comprised in an
authentication request of the user, the control apparatus incorporating the authentication
request into an access request and sends the access request to an Authentication,
Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server; and
the control apparatus allocating an IP address for the user through a current vRG of
the user after receiving a message granting an access of the user to the network.