Feature Description

This feature addresses the load balancing across overloaded UPFs. Each IP pool has existing usable threshold configuration. This configuration allows to mention percentage of IP addresses to be considered as a threshold hit for a given UPF. IPAM informs SMF when a threshold is hit for a particular DNN for a UPF, SMF gives lower priority to such UPF until UPF hits threshold condition.

Use Cases

UPFs serving same DNN and have different priority consume IP addresses unevenly, in such cases particular UPF may run out of IP addresses quickly and hit a threshold. In such cases SMF will first give preference to UPFs which have't hit the threshold while assigning new sessions.

Due to nonlinear activities in field, it is possible that initial session distribution by SMF to UPF is uniform. In the subsequent sessions, one particular UPF may stay longer and another UPF cleared, in such cases new sessions continue to distribute based on priority the UPF. On the calls which stay longer may hit a threshold and it may happen that UPF may run out of IP addresses. To cater such situation the UPF's threshold is given less priority.