KR102352934B1 - Multi access edge computing orchestrator, and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an edge computing (MEC, Multi-Access Edge Computing) technology, and an edge computing management device and an edge computing management device that provide a data roaming service by utilizing an edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) existing in a network of a telecommunication service provider. about how it works.

Description

The edge computing management device and the operation method of the edge computing management device {MULTI ACCESS EDGE COMPUTING ORCHESTRATOR, AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to an edge computing (MEC, Multi-Access Edge Computing) technology, and to a method for providing a data roaming service by utilizing an edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) existing in a network of a telecommunication service provider.

For mobile communication services, such as when visiting a foreign country while carrying a subscriber terminal, the service area of the Visit Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN) outside the service area of the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) to which the user is subscribed When entering the mobile communication service provider, roaming service is provided that provides mobile phone outgoing and incoming services in the service area of both sides to subscribers of both sides by interworking between the system and the bilateral agreement between the mobile communication service providers.

The roaming service also provides a data roaming service in addition to basic voice calls and SMS (Short Message Service).

However, in the case of the data roaming service provided to the terminal located in the visited network in the conventional LTE (4G) communication system, the data traffic of the terminal must be serviced via the PDN Gateway (PGW) located in the home network (HPLMN) of the home country. Therefore, there is a problem that the quality of data traffic is not guaranteed at all depending on the distance between countries and the quality of the interworking network.

Meanwhile, in recent years, the evolution from 4G communication system to 5G communication system is actively progressing, and edge computing (MEC, MEC, Multi-Access Edge Computing) technology is being tried.

When such edge computing technology is commercialized, it can also be expected to provide data roaming services based on the edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) implemented in the network of a telecommunication service provider.

Accordingly, in the present invention, a new data roaming service based on the edge computing cloud is implemented to solve the problem of the existing technology that the quality of data traffic cannot be guaranteed according to the distance between countries and the quality of the interworking network.

The present invention has been created in view of the above circumstances, and the object to be reached in the present invention is an edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) existing in the network of a telecommunication service provider according to the application of edge computing (MEC, Multi-Access Edge Computing) technology. to provide data roaming service using

To achieve the above object, an edge computing management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention creates a virtual gateway for a foreign communication service provider in an edge computing cloud of a visited network (VPLMN), and allocates access information related to the virtual gateway generating unit; and registering the access information in the visited network, and when the terminal accesses the visited network to use the data roaming service, a session for data traffic transfer between the terminal and the virtual gateway may be formed according to the access information. It is characterized in that it includes a register that allows.

Specifically, the generator allocates a first APN address that is an APN address in the visited network for the foreign communication service provider, and an IP address mapped to the first APN address, and provides the virtual gateway to the edge computing cloud. can create

Specifically, the registration unit matches the first APN address with the operator identification information of the foreign telecommunication service provider and registers it with the MME (Mobility Management Entity) of the visited network, and the DNS (Domain Name System) server of the visited network. Mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address may be registered.

Specifically, the MME is an APN address in the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication operator requested by the terminal when the operator identification information of the foreign communication operator is confirmed from the terminal connected to the visited network. Instead of the 2 APN address, an IP address matching the first APN address may be obtained from the DNS server to form a session between the terminal and the virtual gateway.

Specifically, when the access of the terminal to the visited network is confirmed, the MME authenticates the terminal in connection with the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication operator, and upon completion of authentication for the terminal, the first A session between the terminal and the virtual gateway may be formed by obtaining an IP address matching 1 APN address from the DNS server.

Specifically, the registration unit transmits and receives a GPRS Tunneling Protocol-Control (GTP-C) message to and from the MME, and the GTP-C message includes a message type field for distinguishing between message transmission and reception for the MME, the first It may include at least one of an APN address field into which the APN address is inserted, a communication operator identification field into which the operator identification information is inserted, and a message definition field for distinguishing that the message is for registration or deletion of the first APN address.

Specifically, the edge computing management device is configured to provide the number of virtual gateways, the number of IP addresses assignable to the terminal in the virtual gateway, and the data roaming service based on the data traffic monitoring result between the terminal and the virtual gateway. It may further include a management unit that adjusts at least one of a weight factor that is a weight for selecting a virtual gateway.

In order to achieve the above object, a method of operating an edge computing management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention creates a virtual gateway for a foreign communication service provider in an edge computing cloud of a visited network (VPLMN), and accesses the virtual gateway generating step of allocating information; and when the terminal accesses the visited network to use the data roaming service, registering the access information to the visited network so that a session for data traffic transfer between the terminal and the virtual gateway can be formed according to the access information It is characterized in that it includes a registration step.

Specifically, in the generating step, a first APN address, which is an APN address in the visited network for the foreign communication service provider, and an IP address mapped to the first APN address are allocated to the virtual gateway to the edge computing cloud. can create

Specifically, in the registration step, the first APN address is matched to the operator identification information of the foreign telecommunication service provider and registered in the MME (Mobility Management Entity) of the visited network, and a Domain Name System (DNS) server of the visited network. may register mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address.

Specifically, the MME is an APN address in the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication operator requested by the terminal when the operator identification information of the foreign communication operator is confirmed from the terminal connected to the visited network. Instead of the 2 APN address, an IP address matching the first APN address may be obtained from the DNS server to form a session between the terminal and the virtual gateway.

Specifically, when the access of the terminal to the visited network is confirmed, the MME authenticates the terminal in connection with the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication operator, and upon completion of authentication for the terminal, the first A session between the terminal and the virtual gateway may be formed by obtaining an IP address matching 1 APN address from the DNS server.

Accordingly, according to the edge computing management device and the operating method of the edge computing management device of the present invention, the edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) existing in the visited network (VPLMN) according to the application of edge computing (MEC, Multi-Access Edge Computing) technology By providing a data roaming service to a terminal entering a visited network (VPLMN) using

1 is an exemplary diagram showing a data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a data roaming service environment according to the prior art.
3 is an exemplary diagram specifically illustrating a data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic configuration diagram of an edge computing management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is an exemplary diagram for 4G and for explaining a data roaming service procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a message structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an edge computing management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an edge computing (MEC, Multi-Access Edge Computing) technology for providing a data roaming service by utilizing an edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) existing in a network of a telecommunication service provider is dealt with.

Here, in the telecommunication service provider network, the home network (HPLMN, Home Public Land Mobile Network), which is the service area of the foreign telecommunication service provider, and the terminal subscribing to the communication service of the foreign telecommunication service provider go out of the service area of the home network (HPLMN) and perform data roaming It can be divided into a visit network (VPLMN, Visit Public Land Mobile Network) that uses the service.

In addition, the communication service provider network may include all communication networks to which edge computing (MEC) technology can be applied, but in an embodiment of the present invention, an LTE (4G) communication system will be described as an example.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1 , the data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention is a terminal ( 10) may include an edge computing management device 20 (MEO, MEC Orchestrator) that creates a virtual gateway (vPGW) of a foreign telecommunication service provider for the data roaming service of 10).

Here, the terminal 10 is an inbound terminal subscribed to the communication service of a foreign communication service provider, and according to the entry into the service area of the visited network (VPLMN), the virtual gateway (vPGW) of the foreign communication service provider created in the edge computing cloud 30 Data roaming service can be provided through

That is, in the case of an embodiment of the present invention, when the data roaming service is provided, data traffic of the terminal 10 is serviced via a PDN Gateway (PGW) located in the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication service provider, unlike the prior art. , is greatly distinguished in that it passes through the virtual gateway (vPGW) created in the edge computing cloud 30 of the visited network (VPLMN).

In this regard, FIG. 2 schematically shows a conventional data roaming service environment.

As shown in FIG. 2 , in the conventional data roaming service environment, when the terminal 10 accesses the visited network (VPLMN), the Mobility Management Entity (MME) 40 of the visited network (VPLMN) is the home of the foreign telecommunication service provider. After completing authentication in connection with HSS (Home Subscriber Server; 70) located in the network (HPLMN), SGW (Serving Gateway; 60) of the visited network (VPLMN) and the PGW ( By forming a session for data traffic delivery between Home Subscriber Servers ( 70 ), it is possible to provide a data roaming service for the terminal 10 .

As such, in the conventional data roaming service environment, the data traffic of the terminal 10 entering the visited network (VPLMN) must be serviced via the PGW 70 located in the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication service provider. There is a problem that the quality of data traffic is not guaranteed at all depending on the distance between countries and the quality of the interworking network.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows a data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention in more detail.

As shown in FIG. 3 , in the data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the terminal 10 accesses the visited network (VPLMN), the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN) communicates abroad. Authentication is performed in connection with the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 70 located in the operator's home network (HPLMN), and when the authentication for the terminal 10 is completed, the SGW (Serving Gateway; 60) and the edge of the visited network (VPLMN) By forming a session for data traffic transfer between the virtual gateways (vPGWs) of foreign carriers created in the computing cloud 30, the data roaming service of the terminal 10 through the virtual gateways (vPGWs) of foreign carriers becomes possible. will be.

As such, in the data roaming service environment according to an embodiment of the present invention, unlike the prior art in which data traffic of the terminal 10 is serviced via a PDN Gateway (PGW) located in the home network (HPLMN) of a foreign communication service provider, , it can be seen that the virtual gateway (vPGW) created in the edge computing cloud 30 of the visited network (VPLMN) goes through.

However, in order to provide the data roaming service for the terminal 10 through the virtual gateway (vPGW) created in the edge computing cloud 30 as described above, the virtual gateway (vPGW) of a foreign telecommunication service provider is provided in the edge computing cloud 30. A procedure of generating and registering the related information in the MME 40 and the DNS (Domain Name System) server 50 of the visited network (VPLMN) should be preceded.

Accordingly, hereinafter, a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign telecommunication service provider is created in the edge computing cloud 30 existing in the visited network (VPLMN), and related information is transmitted to the MME 40 and DNS server of the visited network (VPLMN). The configuration of the edge computing management device 20 for registration in 50 will be described in more detail.

4 schematically shows the configuration of an edge computing management apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the edge computing management device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention generates a generator 21 that generates a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign communication service provider, and a virtual gateway (vPGW). It may have a configuration including a register 22 for registering with a visited network (VPLMN).

In addition, the edge computing management apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a management unit 23 for managing data traffic according to the use of the data roaming service in addition to the above-described configuration.

The entire configuration or at least a part of the configuration of the edge computing management device 20 may be implemented in the form of a hardware module or a software module, or may be implemented in the form of a combination of a hardware module and a software module.

Here, the software module may be understood as, for example, instructions executed by a processor that processes operations in the edge computing management device 20 , and these instructions are mounted in a separate memory in the edge computing management device 20 . can have a form.

On the other hand, the edge computing management device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the communication unit 24, which is an RF module responsible for actual communication with foreign communication operators and network components in the visited network (VPLMN) ) may have a configuration that further includes.

Here, the communication unit 24 includes, for example, an antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a codec (CODEC) chipset, and a memory, and the like, including, but not limited to, this function. All known circuits to be performed may be included.

As described above, the edge computing management device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention creates a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign communication service provider in the edge computing cloud 30 existing in the visited network (VPLMN) through the above-described configuration. , enabling a data roaming service via a virtual gateway (vPGW). Hereinafter, each configuration in the edge computing management device 20 for realizing this will be described in more detail.

The generating unit 21 performs a function of generating a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign communication service provider.

More specifically, the generation unit 21 allocates access information in the edge computing cloud 30 to the foreign communication service provider in response to a virtual gateway (vPGW) creation request from the foreign communication service provider, and the edge computing cloud 30 A virtual gateway (vPGW) matching the connection information assigned to .

To this end, the generating unit 21 provides a UI (User Interface) related to the creation of a virtual gateway (vPGW) to the foreign communication service provider, and enables the foreign communication service provider to provide information necessary for creating a virtual gateway (vPGW) through this UI. allow it to be entered.

Here, as the information required to create a virtual gateway (vPGW), for example, CPU, memory, interface, network acceleration support (PCI-PT or SR-IOV or DPDK) for the virtual gateway (vPGW), virtual gateway (vPGW) Network topology information among VNFCs to be configured may be included.

On the other hand, in the access information in the edge computing cloud 30 allocated to the foreign communication service provider as described above, the APN (Access Point Name) address (hereinafter, the first APN address) in the VPLMN for the foreign communication service provider and the , an IP address mapped to the first APN address may be included.

Accordingly, the generation unit 21 generates a first APN address in a VPLMN for a foreign communication service provider and an IP address mapped to the first APN address in response to a virtual gateway (vPGW) creation request from a foreign communication service provider. By allocating, it is possible to create a virtual gateway (vPGW) for processing data roaming services for overseas telecommunication operators on the edge computing cloud 30 .

At this time, in the IP address assigned to the foreign telecommunication service provider, the IP address matching the first APN address assigned to the foreign telecommunication service provider one-to-one, and the terminal connected to the virtual gateway (vPGW) during the data roaming service process. An IP address pool that is a plurality of IP addresses may be included.

In addition, in this way, the first APN address and IP address pool allocated to the foreign communication service provider are injected into the virtual gateway (vPGW) in the process of creating the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 (Injection) should be

At this time, the injection method is, for example, a method using Cloud-init, a standard framework for injecting additional information into a VM, and a first APN address when a virtual gateway (vPGW) operates based on a container. The first APN address and IP address pool are injected using the method of creating and mounting a light volume including the IP address pool and the virtual gateway (vPGW), and using a separate API provided by the virtual gateway method, etc., may be applied.

On the other hand, with respect to the foreign communication service provider, as described above, in addition to the first APN address that is the APN address of the virtual gateway (vPGW) existing in the edge computing cloud 30 of the visited network (VPLMN), as well as the overseas communication mentioned in FIG. It may be referred to later that the second APN address that is the APN address for the PGW 80 existing in the operator's home network (HPLMN) is allocated.

5 exemplarily confirms a procedure in which the generation unit 21 generates a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign communication service provider according to an embodiment of the present invention.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5 , when a virtual gateway (vPGW) creation is requested from a foreign communication service provider, the generation unit 21 first APN address in a VPLMN visited network for a foreign communication service provider according to the request. and by allocating an IP address mapped with the first APN address, a virtual gateway (vPGW) for processing data roaming services for overseas telecommunication operators on the edge computing cloud 30 can be created (ac).

The registration unit 22 performs a function of registering a virtual gateway (vPGW) of a foreign communication service provider.

More specifically, when the creation of a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign communication service provider is completed, the registration unit 22 registers access information of the virtual gateway (vPGW) in the visited network (VPLMN).

That is, when the registration unit 22 registers the access information of the virtual gateway (vPGW) created for the foreign communication service provider in the visited network (VPLMN), when the terminal 10 is connected to the visited network to use the data roaming service This is to enable a session for data traffic transfer to be formed between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 according to the access information registered in the visited network (VPLMN).

To this end, the registration unit 22 registers the first APN address, which is the virtual gateway (vPGW) address of the foreign telecommunication service provider, in the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN), and between the first APN address and the IP address mapped thereto. The mapping information is registered in the DNS server 50 of the visited network (VPLMN).

At this time, in the process of registering the first APN address to the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN), the registration unit 22 matches the first APN address with the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of the foreign telecommunication service provider. Register.

In this way, matching and registering the first APN address with the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of the foreign communication operator causes the MME 40 to send the foreign communication operator from the terminal 10 connected to the visited network (VPLMN). When the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of This is to obtain an IP address matching the first APN address from the DNS server 50 to form a session for data traffic transfer between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 .

Here, in the case of the MME 40, as described above, when the access of the terminal 10 to the visited network (VPLMN) is confirmed, HSS (Home Subscriber Server; 70) located in the home network (HPLMN) of a foreign telecommunication service provider The authentication of the terminal 10 is performed in connection with the terminal 10, and when the authentication of the terminal 10 is completed, the Serving Gateway (SGW) 60 of the visited network (VPLMN) and the overseas communication service provider created in the edge computing cloud 30 By forming a session for data traffic transfer between virtual gateways (vPGWs) of

In this regard, in FIG. 5 exemplified above, the registration unit 22 registers a virtual gateway (vPGW) in a visited network (VPLMN) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the data roaming service for the terminal 10 is provided. can be seen as an example.

As shown in FIG. 5 , when the creation of a virtual gateway (vPGW) for a foreign communication service provider is completed through the preceding procedures a to c, the registration unit 22 performs the first virtual gateway (vPGW) address of the foreign communication service provider. The APN address is matched with the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of the foreign telecommunication service provider and registered in the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN), and the mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address mapped thereto is stored in the visited network ( VPLMN) in the DNS server 50 (de).

In this case, when the access of the terminal 10 to the visited network (VPLMN) is confirmed, the MME 40 connects with the HSS (Home Subscriber Server; 70) located in the home network (HPLMN) of the foreign communication service provider ( 10), and upon completion of authentication for the terminal 10, reject the second APN address, which is the APN address in the home network (HPLMN) of the overseas communication service provider, requested by the terminal 10, and , instead of acquiring an IP address matching the first APN address from the DNS server 50 and forming a session between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30, data through the session Enables data traffic according to the use of roaming service to be delivered.

On the other hand, the registrar 22 not only registers the first APN address in the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN), but also deletes it conversely, and for this, a GPRS Tunneling Protocol-Control (GTP-C) message Transmits and receives with the MME (40).

In the case of such a GTP-C message, for example, it may be defined using the '142 to 148' allocated for the Future Usage of 'MME to MME' or the '248-255' area allocated to the 'Others' area.

In this regard, the structure of a GTP-C message according to an embodiment of the present invention can be exemplarily confirmed in FIG. 6 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , in the case of a GTP-C message according to an embodiment of the present invention, a message type field for distinguishing message transmission or reception for the MME 40 , and an APN address field into which the first APN address is inserted , by being defined to include a carrier identification field into which carrier identification information (eg, MCC, MNC) is inserted, and a message definition field for distinguishing that the message is for registration or deletion of the first APN address, etc. It makes it possible not only to register with the MME 40 of a visited network (VPLMN), but also to delete it on the contrary.

The management unit 23 performs a function of managing data traffic according to the use of the data roaming service.

More specifically, the management unit 23 monitors data traffic according to the use of roaming services after a session is formed between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30, and according to the monitoring result, It handles the settlement of roaming data.

In addition, the management unit 23 adjusts (In/Out) the scale of the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 according to the data traffic monitoring result, or a DNS weight factor for the DNS server 50 (Weight) factor) is adjusted.

Here, adjusting the scale of the virtual gateway (vPGW) (In/Out) means adjusting the processing capability of the virtual gateway (vPGW) of a foreign telecommunication service provider according to the load level of data traffic according to the use of roaming services. As such, it can be understood that, for example, the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 is extended to allow more terminals to access, or vice versa.

In addition, adjusting the DNS weight factor for the DNS server 50 means, for example, if an IP address matching the first APN address is selected from the MME 40 and returned, edge computing cloud 30 Adjusting the weight for each virtual gateway (vPGW) for selecting one of the virtual gateways (vPGW) created for foreign telecommunication operators on the When the above terminal access is not allowed, the weight for the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 is set very low so that the IP address of the PGW 80 located in the home network (HLMN) of the foreign communication service provider is returned. It can be understood as an operation such as

In this regard, in FIG. 5 exemplified above, a procedure in which the management unit 23 manages data traffic according to the use of the data roaming service according to an embodiment of the present invention can be exemplarily confirmed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5 , the management unit 23 forms a session between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 through the preceding procedures c to k, and then the data according to the use of the roaming service. By monitoring traffic, settlement of roaming data with overseas telecommunication service providers can be processed according to the monitoring results (lm).

In addition, the management unit 23 adjusts (In/Out) the scale of the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 by reflecting the monitoring result in procedure 1, or a DNS weight factor for the DNS server 50 By adjusting the (Weight Factor), the quality of the data roaming service provided by the visited network (VPLMN) is managed.

As described above, according to the configuration of the edge computing management apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, edge computing existing in the visited network (VPLMN) according to the application of multi-access edge computing (MEC) technology It can be seen that by providing a data roaming service for the terminal 10 that has entered the visited network (VPLMN) using the cloud 30, the quality of data traffic can be guaranteed regardless of the distance between countries and the quality of the interworking network. have.

Hereinafter, an operation method of the edge computing management apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7 .

First, the generation unit 21 allocates access information in the edge computing cloud 30 to the foreign communication service provider in response to a virtual gateway (vPGW) creation request from a foreign communication service provider, and allocates it to the edge computing cloud 30 . A virtual gateway (vPGW) matching the connected connection information is created (S10-S30).

As such, the access information in the edge computing cloud 30 allocated to the foreign telecommunication service provider includes an APN (Access Point Name) address (hereinafter, the first APN address) in the VPLMN for the foreign telecommunication service provider, and these An IP address mapped to the first APN address may be included.

Accordingly, the generation unit 21 generates a first APN address in a VPLMN for a foreign communication service provider and an IP address mapped to the first APN address in response to a virtual gateway (vPGW) creation request from a foreign communication service provider. By allocating, it is possible to create a virtual gateway (vPGW) for processing data roaming services for overseas telecommunication operators on the edge computing cloud 30 .

At this time, in the IP address assigned to the foreign telecommunication service provider, the IP address matching the first APN address assigned to the foreign telecommunication service provider one-to-one, and the terminal connected to the virtual gateway (vPGW) during the data roaming service process. An IP address pool that is a plurality of IP addresses may be included.

Then, when the creation of the virtual gateway (vPGW) for the foreign communication service provider is completed, the registration unit 22 registers the access information of the virtual gateway (vPGW) to the visited network (VPLMN) (S40).

That is, when the registration unit 22 registers the access information of the virtual gateway (vPGW) created for the foreign communication service provider in the visited network (VPLMN), when the terminal 10 is connected to the visited network to use the data roaming service This is to enable a session for data traffic transfer to be formed between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 according to the access information registered in the visited network (VPLMN).

To this end, the registration unit 22 registers the first APN address that is the virtual gateway (vPGW) address of the foreign communication service provider in the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN), and between the first APN address and the IP address mapped thereto. The mapping information is registered in the DNS server 50 of the visited network (VPLMN).

At this time, in the process of registering the first APN address to the MME 40 of the visited network (VPLMN), the registration unit 22 matches the first APN address with the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of the foreign telecommunication service provider. Register.

In this way, matching and registering the first APN address with the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of the foreign communication operator causes the MME 40 to send the foreign communication operator from the terminal 10 connected to the visited network (VPLMN). When the operator identification information (eg, MMC, MMC) of This is to obtain an IP address matching the first APN address from the DNS server 50 to form a session for data traffic transfer between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 .

Here, in the case of the MME 40, as described above, when the access of the terminal 10 to the visited network (VPLMN) is confirmed, HSS (Home Subscriber Server; 70) located in the home network (HPLMN) of a foreign telecommunication service provider The authentication of the terminal 10 is performed in connection with the terminal 10, and when the authentication of the terminal 10 is completed, the Serving Gateway (SGW) 60 of the visited network (VPLMN) and the overseas communication service provider created in the edge computing cloud 30 By forming a session for data traffic transfer between virtual gateways (vPGWs) of

Thereafter, the management unit 23 manages data traffic according to the use of the roaming service after the session is formed between the terminal 10 and the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 ( S50 ).

In this case, the management unit 23 may monitor data traffic according to the use of the roaming service, and may process the settlement of roaming data with a foreign communication service provider according to the monitoring result.

In addition, the management unit 23 adjusts (In/Out) the scale of the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 according to the data traffic monitoring result, or a DNS weight factor for the DNS server 50 (Weight) factor) is adjusted.

Here, adjusting the scale of the virtual gateway (vPGW) (In/Out) means adjusting the processing capability of the virtual gateway (vPGW) of a foreign telecommunication service provider according to the load level of data traffic according to the use of roaming services. As such, it can be understood that, for example, the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 is extended to allow more terminals to access, or vice versa.

In addition, adjusting the DNS weight factor for the DNS server 50 means, for example, if an IP address matching the first APN address is selected from the MME 40 and returned, edge computing cloud 30 Adjusting the weight for each virtual gateway (vPGW) for selecting one of the virtual gateways (vPGW) created for foreign telecommunication operators on the When the above terminal access is not allowed, the weight for the virtual gateway (vPGW) on the edge computing cloud 30 is set very low so that the IP address of the PGW 80 located in the home network (HLMN) of the foreign communication service provider is returned. It can be understood as an operation such as

As described above, according to the operating method of the edge computing management apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the edge existing in the visited network (VPLMN) according to the application of multi-access edge computing (MEC) technology It can be seen that by providing data roaming service to the terminal 10 that has entered the visited network (VPLMN) by utilizing the computing cloud 30, the quality of data traffic can be guaranteed regardless of the distance between countries and the quality of the interworking network. can

Meanwhile, the operating method of the edge computing management apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic media such as floppy disks. - includes magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the following claims, the technical field to which the present invention pertains It will be said that the technical idea of the present invention extends to a range where various modifications or corrections are possible by anyone having ordinary knowledge in the present invention.

According to the edge computing management apparatus and the operating method of the edge computing management apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a data roaming service by utilizing an edge computing cloud (MEC Cloud) existing in the network of a telecommunication service provider. Limitations of the existing technology It is an invention with industrial applicability because the possibility of marketing or business of the applied device, not just the use of the related technology, is sufficient as it exceeds the above, and it can be clearly implemented in reality.

10: terminal
20: edge computing management device
21: generator 22: register
23: Management
30: Edge Computing Cloud

Claims (12)

a generation unit that creates a virtual gateway for another communication service provider in an edge computing cloud of a visited network (VPLMN) and allocates access information related to the virtual gateway; and
When the terminal accesses the visited network to use the data roaming service, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the visited network forms a session for data traffic transfer between the terminal and the virtual gateway according to the access information. and a register for registering information in the visited network,
The generating unit,
Creates the virtual gateway in the edge computing cloud by allocating a first APN address that is an APN address in the visited network for the other communication service provider, and an IP address mapped to the first APN address,
The MME is
The home network of the other communication service provider requested by the terminal connected to the visited network according to matching information obtained by matching the first APN address to the other communication service provider and mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address Edge computing management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a session between the terminal and the virtual gateway is formed by using an IP address matching the first APN address instead of a second APN address that is an APN address in (HPLMN). The method of claim 1,
The register is
The first APN address is matched with the operator identification information of the other communication service provider and registered in the MME, and mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address is registered in the DNS (Domain Name System) server of the visited network. Edge computing management device, characterized in that. 3. The method of claim 2,
The MME is
When the operator identification information of the other communication service provider is confirmed from the terminal connected to the visited network, an IP address matching the first APN address is obtained from the DNS server. The method of claim 1,
The MME is
When the access of the terminal to the visited network is confirmed, the terminal is authenticated in connection with the home network (HPLMN) of the other communication service provider, and upon completion of authentication for the terminal, a session between the terminal and the virtual gateway Edge computing management device, characterized in that forming. 3. The method of claim 2,
The register is
Transmits and receives a GTP-C (GPRS Tunneling Protocol-Control) message to and from the MME,
The GTP-C message is
A message type field for distinguishing message transmission or reception for the MME, an APN address field into which the first APN address is inserted, a carrier identification field into which the operator identification information is inserted, and registration or deletion of the first APN address Edge computing management device comprising at least one of a message definition field for distinguishing that the message is for The method of claim 1,
The edge computing management device,
Based on the data traffic monitoring result between the terminal and the virtual gateway, the number of virtual gateways, the number of IP addresses that can be assigned to the terminal in the virtual gateway, and a weight factor that is a weight for selecting the virtual gateway when providing a data roaming service (Weight Factor) Edge computing management apparatus, characterized in that it further comprises a management unit for adjusting at least one. A generation step of creating a virtual gateway for another communication service provider in an edge computing cloud of a visited network (VPLMN), and allocating access information related to the virtual gateway; and
When the terminal accesses the visited network to use the data roaming service, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the visited network forms a session for data traffic transfer between the terminal and the virtual gateway according to the access information. Including a registration step of registering the information to the visited network,
The creation step is
creating the virtual gateway in the edge computing cloud by allocating a first APN address that is an APN address in the visited network for the other communication service provider, and an IP address mapped to the first APN address,
The MME is
The home network of the other communication service provider requested by the terminal connected to the visited network according to matching information obtained by matching the first APN address to the other communication service provider and mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address A method of operating an edge computing management apparatus, characterized in that the session between the terminal and the virtual gateway is formed by using an IP address matching the first APN address instead of a second APN address that is an APN address in (HPLMN). 8. The method of claim 7,
The registration step is
The first APN address is matched with the operator identification information of the other communication service provider and registered in the MME, and mapping information between the first APN address and the IP address is registered in the DNS (Domain Name System) server of the visited network. An operating method of an edge computing management device, characterized in that. 9. The method of claim 8,
The MME is
When the operator identification information of the other communication service provider is confirmed from the terminal connected to the visited network, an IP address matching the first APN address is obtained from the DNS server. . 8. The method of claim 7,
The MME is
When the access of the terminal to the visited network is confirmed, the terminal is authenticated in connection with the home network (HPLMN) of the other communication service provider, and upon completion of authentication for the terminal, a session between the terminal and the virtual gateway An operating method of an edge computing management device, characterized in that forming. 9. The method of claim 8,
The registration step is
Transmits and receives a GTP-C (GPRS Tunneling Protocol-Control) message to and from the MME,
The GTP-C message is
A message type field for distinguishing message transmission or reception for the MME, an APN address field into which the first APN address is inserted, a carrier identification field into which the operator identification information is inserted, and registration or deletion of the first APN address A method of operating an edge computing management device, characterized in that it includes at least one of a message definition field for distinguishing that the message is a message. 8. The method of claim 7,
The method is
Based on the data traffic monitoring result between the terminal and the virtual gateway, the number of virtual gateways, the number of IP addresses that can be assigned to the terminal in the virtual gateway, and a weight factor that is a weight for selecting the virtual gateway when providing a data roaming service (Weight Factor) The operating method of the edge computing management apparatus, characterized in that it further comprises a management step of adjusting at least one.

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