Virtualization-Based Scaling Methods for Stateful Cellular Network Nodes Using Elastic Core Architecture

Abstract

This paper describes a novel scheme which enables scaling of cellular node applications without disrupting session continuity. With this scheme, states of node applications, including User Equipment (UE) states and transport protocol states, are maintained during scaling operations that are possible in a virtualized environment. A prototype of Mobility Management Entity (MME) of Evolved Packet Core (EPC) was designed to show how the proposed scheme together with the Elastic Core Architecture (ECA) can achieve the session continuity by means of empirical evaluations performed in a laboratory test bed. The results show that our proposed scheme can realize virtualization-based scaling of stateful cellular network node applications with negligible session interruption characteristics.