Microsoft patents safe way to update 5G network software on shared servers
This patent describes a method for updating software that manages 5G wireless signals on a computer server. It uses an 'update agent' to pause the old version of the software and start the new one without both running at the same time, which could cause errors. The system moves data traffic from the old version to the new one once the update is ready.
In the filing’s own words
A distributed unit (DU) in a virtual radio access network (vRAN) of a wireless 5G (fifth generation) network is implemented using software-defined networking (SDN) technology on a single computer server that is physically co-located with a radio unit in a distributed RAN (D-RAN) architecture. An update agent facilitates versioning support through interoperations with different DU versions, v1 and v2, to prevent them from concurrently executing real-time processing threads on the server's processor which would cause malfunctions. DU v2 is initialized using non-real-time threads. The update agent blocks real-time processing thread generation by DU v2 after initialization is complete. The update agent sets DU v1 processing threads to non-real-time and unblocks DU v2 to migrate data traffic between the versions. A layer 2 switch provides duplicated data packets to virtual network interface cards that are implemented for the respective DU versions and which share a common MAC (medium access control) address.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A computer-implemented method operating on a computer server for updating versions of a distributed unit (DU) in a virtual radio access network in a wireless 5G (fifth generation) network, comprising: operating a first version of the DU on the computer server to process data traffic, associated with user equipment (UE), received over a fronthaul of the 5G network from a radio unit (RU), in which the data traffic processing is performed by the first version of the DU by executing real-time processing threads on a processor of the computer server; initializing a second version of the DU on the computer server, the second version of the DU being updated from the first version, in which the initialization is performed by the second version of the DU by executing non-real-time processing threads on the processor; and implementing an update agent on the computer server, the update agent selectively setting processing threads of the first version of the DU to non-real-time processing and blocking creation of real-time processing threads by the second version of the DU to prevent simultaneous execution on the processor of real-time processing threads from the first and second versions of the DU.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- Updating a distributed unit in a 5G virtual radio access network
- Patent number
- US12739664B2
- Application number
- 18435088
- Filed
- Feb 7, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H04W 24/02 Electricity & electronicsH04L 49/70 Electricity & electronicsMore from Microsoft in Networks & wireless
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.