Communication method, access network device, and communication network

Abstract

Provided are a communication method, an access network device, and a communication network, relating to the field of communications. The communication method can implement configuration of service transmission on the basis of applications, so as to ensure differentiated experiences when users use specific applications, thereby enhancing user experience. The communication method is applied to an access network device, wherein the access network device is communicationally connected to a network management system. The communication method comprises: receiving first configuration information from the network management system, wherein the first configuration information is used for indicating configuration parameters for service transmission of a first application of a first user equipment; and on the basis of the first configuration information, generating a first virtual service port, wherein the first virtual service port is used for service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment. Embodiments of the present application are applied to the field of communications.

Description

A communication method, access network equipment, and communication network

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411726684.3, filed on November 26, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method, Access Network Equipment and Communication Network", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, access network equipment, and communication network. Background Technology

[0003] With the rapid development of communication technology, communication services are becoming increasingly integrated and intelligent, and users' demands for communication services are also increasing.

[0004] Typically, operators provide internet access services to users, who then use various applications on their devices to access the internet, send emails, and perform other internet functions. When users use applications such as games, live sports broadcasts, video-on-demand, and live streaming apps on their devices to perform these functions, all of these applications transmit data. The data transmitted by any application to perform its function falls under the category of communication services. Currently, all applications transmit data through the same transmission channel (i.e., the transmission channel between the service virtual ports of two access network devices), resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this application relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, access network device, and communication network. This communication method can configure service transmission based on applications, ensuring that users have a differentiated experience when using specified applications, thereby improving user experience.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This communication method is applied to an access network device, which is communicatively connected to a network management system. The communication method includes: receiving first configuration information from the network management system, the first configuration information being used to instruct a first application of a first user equipment to perform service transmission configuration parameters; and generating a first service virtual port based on the first configuration information; wherein the first service virtual port is used by the first application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission.

[0007] In the above scheme, the access network device, based on configuration information indicating configuration parameters for a specific application (i.e., the first application of the first user equipment), can generate a corresponding service virtual port (i.e., the first service virtual port) for that application. Furthermore, the application can transmit services through this service virtual port. The configuration information comes from the network management system communicating with the access network device. Typically, the access network device includes service virtual ports, through which it transmits services for all applications. Users have different experience requirements for different applications in specific scenarios. For example, in a gaming scenario, users have higher requirements for the gaming application experience and lower requirements for other applications. Therefore, if a specific application and other applications all transmit services through the same service virtual port, the service transmission quality of the specific application will be poor. Since users have higher requirements for the experience of the specific application, the user experience will be severely affected. However, through the above scheme, the access network device will generate a service virtual port corresponding to a specific application based on its configuration parameters, enabling the application to transmit services through its own corresponding service virtual port. This ensures the quality of service transmission for the application, guarantees a differentiated experience for users when using the specified application, and thus improves the user experience.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the above configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, the service flow associated with the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment, the transmission parameter template for the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment in the uplink direction, the transmission parameter template for the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment in the downlink direction, the duration for which the service virtual port corresponding to the first application can be used, the identification information of the first application, and the transmission performance indicators for the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment.

[0009] Among the various configuration parameters for a specific application (i.e., the first application of the first user equipment) in the above scheme, the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, the transmission parameter template for the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services in the uplink direction, the transmission parameter template for the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services in the downlink direction, the duration supported by the service virtual port corresponding to the first application, the identification information of the first application, and the transmission performance indicators of the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services can all be used to indicate the correspondence between the specific application and the generated service virtual port. Therefore, these are the key parameters for generating the service virtual port corresponding to the first application and are of higher importance. Correspondingly, the configuration parameter of the service flow associated with the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment is of lower importance. Of course, the configuration parameters indicated by the configuration information are not limited to the above parameters and can include more other types of parameters. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0010] Optionally, the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment includes: the name (identified as name) of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, the number (identified as index) of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, and the identity document (identity document, ID) of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment. For example, the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment may also include: broadband account, point-to-point protocol over Ethernet (PPPOE) protocol account, and universally unique identifier (UUID).

[0011] Optionally, the identification information of the first application includes: a unique identifier for the first application (identified as application-id), a list of five-tuples for the first application (identified as app-tuple), etc.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the above communication method further includes: receiving second configuration information from a network management system, the second configuration information being used to instruct the second application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission configuration parameters; and generating a second service virtual port based on the second configuration information.

[0013] In the above scheme, the access network device, based on configuration information indicating configuration parameters for another specific application (i.e., the second application of the first user equipment), can generate a corresponding service virtual port (i.e., a second service virtual port) for that application. Based on the other schemes described above, the access network device can generate a first service virtual port corresponding to the first application based on the configuration information of the first application. Furthermore, through the above schemes, the access network device can generate different service virtual ports for different applications, enabling any application to transmit services through its corresponding service virtual port. For example, the access network device can generate a corresponding service virtual port for a video application, and it can also generate a corresponding service virtual port for a chat application. Therefore, based on the above schemes, the access network device can generate corresponding service virtual ports for different applications, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the above communication method further includes: receiving a first message, wherein the first message is a message for service transmission by a first application of a first user equipment; and transmitting the first message through a first service virtual port.

[0015] In the above scheme, the access network device can transmit received service transmission packets from the first application of the first user equipment through the generated first service virtual port. Based on the other schemes mentioned above, the access network device generates a corresponding first service virtual port for the first application based on the configuration information of the first application. Typically, the first application transmits services by transmitting packets. Therefore, when the first application transmits services, the access network device can transmit the service transmission packets of the first application through the first service virtual port corresponding to the first application. Thus, the above scheme can transmit application packets through the service virtual port corresponding to the application, ensuring that the generated corresponding service virtual port can be used during the service transmission process of the application, thereby guaranteeing the service transmission quality of the application.

[0016] In one possible implementation, before transmitting the first message through the first service virtual port, the method further includes: determining that the first message is a message for service transmission by the first application of the first user equipment.

[0017] In the above scheme, the access network device can determine the received packet (i.e., the first packet). When it is determined that the received packet is a packet for service transmission by the first application of the first user equipment, the first packet is transmitted through the generated first service virtual port. Typically, the access network device receives multiple packets for service transmission from different applications of different terminal devices, and all multiple packets are forwarded through the service virtual port. Therefore, when the access network device generates a corresponding first service virtual port for service transmission by the first application, it needs to determine the received packet during packet forwarding to ensure that the first application's packet can be transmitted through the corresponding first service virtual port, thereby guaranteeing the service transmission quality of the first application. Thus, the above scheme can determine the received packet, thereby ensuring that the packet of a specific application can be transmitted through the corresponding service virtual port, and thus guaranteeing the service transmission quality of that application.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first message carries indication information; determining that the first message is a message for service transmission by a first application of a first user equipment includes: determining that the first message is a message for service transmission by a first application of a first user equipment based on the indication information carried in the first message.

[0019] Therefore, in the above scheme, when the access network device determines whether the received first message is a message for service transmission by the first application of the first user equipment, it can do so through the indication information carried in the first message. This indication information can indicate the user equipment associated with the first message and the associated application.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned indication information includes: source Internet Protocol address information, destination Internet Protocol address information, source port, destination port, and protocol information.

[0021] In the above scheme, the indication information carried by the first message includes: source Internet Protocol (IP) address information (source IP address), destination Internet Protocol (IP) address information (destination IP address), source port, destination port, and protocol information (such as protocol number and protocol type), which is also called the message's five-tuple. Typically, the five-tuples for different applications will not overlap. For example, the five-tuple for a game application and the five-tuple for a video application will not overlap. The correspondence between the five-tuple and the application is usually identified using fields such as the domain name in the message. For example, when the access network device determines that the first message has a source IP address of 192.168.10.10, a destination IP address of 10.11.11.11, a source port of 1234, a destination port of 5678, and a protocol number of 11, and the payload of the first message contains the phrase "youxiyingyong," it can identify that the message is a message used by the game application for service transmission, and the correspondence between this five-tuple and the application will also be recorded by the access network device. Furthermore, when the access network device subsequently receives a message carrying this 5-tuple, it knows that the message belongs to the game application.

[0022] In one possible implementation, receiving the first configuration information from the network management system includes: receiving the first configuration information from the network management system according to the YANG data modeling language transmitted by the Netconf protocol for network data device configuration management.

[0023] In the above scheme, when the access network device receives the first configuration information, it can receive it according to the YANG data modeling language transmitted by the Netconf protocol for network data device configuration management. This YANG data modeling language can carry information related to the configuration parameters instructing the first application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the above communication method further includes: obtaining the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port; sending first indication information to the network management system; the first indication information is used to indicate the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message.

[0025] In the above scheme, the access network device can obtain the transmission performance of the first application's packets transmitted through the first service virtual port and report this transmission performance to the network management system through the first indication information. For example, the access network device collects the actual transmission results of the application's service transmission (including the application used by the user equipment and network indicators such as latency and packet loss when the application transmits service packets) through a corresponding device (such as an application identification module), thereby obtaining the corresponding transmission performance and reporting it to the network management system. Through the above scheme, the access network device can determine and report the actual transmission results of the first application's packets transmitted through the first service virtual port, so that the network management system can configure the transmission of the application's packets based on the transmission results.

[0026] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This communication method is applied to a network management system, which is communicatively connected to an access network device and a first user equipment. The communication method includes: sending first configuration information to the access network device, the first configuration information being used to instruct the first application of the first user equipment on configuration parameters for service transmission; the first configuration information being used to establish a first service virtual port for the first application of the first user equipment.

[0027] The technical effects of the above solutions can be compared with the technical effects of the corresponding implementation methods in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the above communication method further includes: receiving a first message, the first message carrying identification information of a first user device and identification information of a first application; and generating first configuration information based on the first message.

[0029] In the above scheme, the network management system can generate configuration information (i.e., first configuration information) to be sent to the access network device based on the received message (i.e., the first message) carrying the identification information of the first user equipment and the identification information of the first application. Typically, this first message may be received from the user equipment or from the operator's system. Of course, the first message can also be received from other devices or apparatuses; the embodiments of this application do not limit this. Specifically, when the network management system receives the first message and parses the identification information of the first user equipment and the identification information of the first application, it can determine that the access network device needs to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application. Further, the network management system will perform corresponding conversion on the first message, transforming the content of the message into a form that can be recognized by the access network device (e.g., configuration parameters).

[0030] Optionally, the identification information of the first user equipment includes: the device account of the first user equipment, the name of the first user equipment, the ID of the first user equipment, and the address of the first user equipment.

[0031] Optionally, the identification information of the first application includes: the name of the first application and the number of the first application.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the above communication method further includes: receiving first indication information sent by the access network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the message of the first application through the first service virtual port.

[0033] The technical effects of the above solutions can be compared with the technical effects of the corresponding implementation methods in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the above communication method further includes: determining whether to generate a second service virtual port for the second application based on the first indication information.

[0035] In the above scheme, the network management system, based on the first indication information received from the access network device, can obtain the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting packets of the first application through the first service virtual port. Furthermore, for example, based on this transmission performance, the network management system can pre-evaluate whether to generate a service virtual port for the second application. That is, it assesses whether the corresponding transmission results (e.g., latency, packet loss metrics) after establishing a service virtual port for the second application can meet the user's requirements for the second application's experience, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the communication method further includes: sending second configuration information to the access network device when it is determined that a second service virtual port is established for the second application; wherein the second configuration information is used to instruct the second application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission configuration parameters.

[0037] In the above scheme, when the network management system determines that the access network device needs to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the second application, it will generate second configuration information that instructs the first user equipment to perform service transmission for the second application, so that the access network device can generate the service virtual port corresponding to the second application based on the second configuration information.

[0038] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. This communication device can be the access network equipment itself or a module within the access network equipment. The communication device includes an interface unit and a processing unit. The interface unit is used to receive first configuration information from a network management system, the first configuration information being configuration parameters instructing a first application of a first user equipment to perform service transmission; the processing unit is used to generate a first service virtual port based on the first configuration information received by the interface unit; wherein the first service virtual port is used by the first application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission.

[0039] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. This communication device can be the network management system itself or a module within the network management system. The communication device includes an interface unit and a processing unit. The interface unit is used to send first configuration information to the access network device. The first configuration information is used to instruct the first application of the first user equipment on configuration parameters for service transmission; the first configuration information is used to establish a first service virtual port for the first application of the first user equipment.

[0040] Fifthly, an access network device is provided. This access network device is used to perform the communication method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0041] Sixthly, a network management system is provided. This network management system is used to perform the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the network management system described above includes at least one server.

[0043] A seventh aspect provides a communication network. The communication network includes at least one access network device as described in the third aspect, and at least one network management system as described in the fourth aspect; wherein the network management system is communicatively connected to the access network device.

[0044] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0045] A ninth aspect provides a computer program product comprising instructions. The computer program product includes computer program code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0046] The technical effects of any of the possible design methods in the third to ninth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the technical effects of different design methods in the first or second aspects, and will not be elaborated here. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a passive optical fiber network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 is an architecture diagram of a communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 is an architecture diagram of a communication network provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0055] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches may also be used. It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0056] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] With the rapid development of communication technology, communication services are becoming increasingly integrated and intelligent, and users' demands for communication services are also increasing.

[0058] When users utilize applications such as game apps, high-definition live sports broadcast apps, and high-definition video-on-demand apps on their terminal devices to perform corresponding functions, these applications all transmit data. The data transmitted by any application while performing its function falls under the category of communication services. Generally, users have different needs regarding data transmission for different applications. Currently, all applications transmit data through the same transmission channel when performing services via the access network, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0059] The access network refers to all equipment between the backbone network and the terminal devices. Access methods typically include: copper wire (ordinary telephone line) access, fiber optic access, hybrid access using fiber optic coaxial cable and cable television cable, and wireless access.

[0060] Specifically, fiber optic access technology uses optical fiber as the transmission medium to transmit signals, including active optical access and passive optical access. In fiber-to-the-x (FTTx) networks, signal transmission occurs between the central office (e.g., the central control station) and the user side via optical fiber. Due to its advantages such as small size, low cost, and long transmission distance, it is now widely used in various scenarios.

[0061] A passive optical network (PON) is a typical optical communication network that uses fiber optic access technology (i.e., fiber optic access network, or simply optical access network). For example, referring to Figure 1, an embodiment of this application provides a schematic diagram of a passive optical network. For ease of explanation, the passive optical network shown in Figure 1 is represented as PON 10. As shown in Figure 1, PON 10 includes: an optical line terminal (OLT) located on the network side (refer to OLT 101 in Figure 1), an optical network termination (ONT) located on the user side (refer to ONT 103 in Figure 1), and an optical distribution network (ODN) connecting the OLT and the ONT (refer to ODN 102 in Figure 1). ODN 102 is typically implemented by a passive optical splitter (e.g., a 1:N passive optical splitter), and ONT 103 includes one or more ONTs (refer to ONT 103-1 to ONT 103-n in Figure 1).

[0062] In the embodiments of this application, the user side is described using an ONT as an example, such as ONT 103 in Figure 1. Of course, the aforementioned ONT can also be implemented by an optical network unit (ONU). It is easy to understand that ONTs or ONUs are usually located in different positions on the user side (also known as the terminal side), and the functions performed by ONTs and ONUs are similar, and they are usually regarded as components of the ONU.

[0063] It is easy to understand that, for ease of explanation, the architecture shown in Figure 1 is used as an example only, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. For example, ODN 102 includes a multi-stage beam splitter (with multiple beam splitters) to achieve multi-stage beam splitting of optical signals.

[0064] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, PON 10 typically transmits signals via broadcast in the downlink direction. In the uplink direction, it typically transmits signals via Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA).

[0065] Based on the above architecture, and exemplarily referring to Figure 2, an embodiment of this application also provides a schematic diagram of a communication network. Based on the architecture shown in Figure 1, and in conjunction with Figure 2, the communication network includes: OLT 101, ODN 102, ONT 103, operator system (refer to operator system 104 in Figure 2), network management system (referred to as network management system, refer to network management system 105 in Figure 2), and terminal device (refer to terminal device 106 in Figure 2).

[0066] In one possible implementation, the network management system 105 includes: a quality-on-demand (QoD) application program interface (API) (see interface 105-1 in Figure 2), a network controller (hereinafter referred to as the controller, see controller 105-2 in Figure 2), and a data collector (see data collector 105-3 in Figure 2). Here, the QoD API refers to a message interface for inter-network communication.

[0067] Optionally, the OLT 101 includes: a forwarding chip (refer to forwarding chip 101-1 in Figure 2), an application identification module (refer to application identification 101-2 in Figure 2), and an application key performance indicators (KPI) measurement module (refer to application measurement 101-3 in Figure 2). The forwarding chip is typically integrated on the OLT's PON board.

[0068] For example, terminal device 106 includes different types of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. In one possible implementation, terminal device 106 includes multiple devices.

[0069] In this communication network, the ONT and OLT, acting as relay devices, can also be broadly referred to as access network devices. In one possible implementation, the network management system 105 is implemented by one or more servers; however, this embodiment does not limit this implementation. Optionally, the terminal device 106 includes one or more terminal devices. It is easy to understand that, for ease of explanation, the architecture shown in Figure 2 is used as an example only and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. For example, the aforementioned ONT 103 can be implemented by a Fiber To The Room (FTTR) device.

[0070] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, an operator is someone who provides communication services during communication; they are also called a telecommunications operator or telecommunications service provider. Communication services include: voice services (such as making and receiving calls, sending text messages, etc.), mobile data services (such as internet access, sending emails, sending text messages, etc.), and internet access services (such as internet access, sending emails, etc.). Operators configure, manage, and maintain these communication services through their operator systems (e.g., operator system 104).

[0071] The network management system 105 can configure, analyze, evaluate, and control network resources of the communication network based on relevant requirements (such as real-time performance and quality of service). Furthermore, the network management system 105 can promptly handle faults occurring in the communication network to ensure its efficient operation. Operators can manage the configuration of the network management system 105 through their respective control and management systems.

[0072] Terminal device 106 is a user-side device (also called a user device). Users can achieve the corresponding functions of different applications by using the terminal device. For example, a user can play music online by using the music application on the terminal device. Or, a user can watch videos online by using the video application on the terminal device.

[0073] Generally speaking, when users use different applications on the same terminal device (e.g., terminal device 106), the business transmission of all applications is carried out through the same transmission channel, which results in a poor user experience.

[0074] Therefore, it is necessary to tailor the experience to user needs and ensure differentiated usage when using specific applications. For example, in gaming and entertainment scenarios, users have higher requirements for the data transmission of gaming applications on their devices compared to sports applications. Therefore, a technical solution is needed that can configure data transmission based on the application, thereby improving the user experience.

[0075] Based on this, and by way of example, referring to FIG3, an embodiment of this application provides a schematic diagram of a communication method that can be applied to an access network device. The communication method provided by the embodiment of this application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG3. In the following embodiments, the communication method provided by the embodiment of this application will be described with reference to the architecture shown in FIG2, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiment of this application.

[0076] It should be noted that the following embodiments use OLT 101 as an access network device for illustration. Referring to the architecture shown in FIG2, both OLT 101 and ONT 103 can be used as access network devices to execute the methods provided in the following embodiments of this application. Of course, other devices or equipment capable of implementing similar functions can also execute the following communication method, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this. The communication method includes steps 301 to 303, which are described in detail below.

[0077] Step 301: The network management system sends the first configuration information to the access network device. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first configuration information from the network management system.

[0078] For example, taking OLT 101 as an access network device, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 sends first configuration information to OLT 101. Optionally, the first user equipment can be a terminal device, such as terminal device 106 shown in Figure 2.

[0079] The first configuration information is used to instruct the first application of the first user equipment on the configuration parameters for service transmission.

[0080] Optionally, the above configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, the service flow associated with the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment, the transmission parameter template for the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment in the uplink direction, the transmission parameter template for the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment in the downlink direction, the duration for which the service virtual port corresponding to the first application can be used, the identification information of the first application, and the transmission performance indicators for the service transmission of the first application of the first user equipment.

[0081] Optionally, the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment mentioned above includes: the name (identified as name) of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, the number (identified as index) of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment, and the ID of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment. For example, the identification information of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the first user equipment may also include: broadband account, PPPoE protocol account, and UUID.

[0082] Optionally, the identification information of the first application mentioned above includes: the unique identifier of the first application (identified as application-id), the list of five-tuples of the first application (identified as app-tuple), etc.

[0083] For ease of explanation, in the following embodiments, the first service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the terminal device 106 is represented as application (APP)-service virtual port (flow)1, i.e., app-flow 1.

[0084] For example, referring to the configuration model shown in Table 1, this configuration model includes the model parameters included in the configuration information, as follows:

[0085] Table 1

[0086] It is easy to understand that the configuration parameters shown in Table 1 are only one configuration model corresponding to the configuration information.

[0087] For ease of explanation, Table 1 is used as an example only, and should not be used to limit the number or type of configuration parameters indicated by the configuration information. In other examples, the configuration model may consist of different parameters, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0088] Optionally, the more critical configuration parameters mentioned above include: configuration parameters containing "app-flow 1" (e.g., the name of app-flow 1), the identification information of the first application, the traffic template, and the transmission performance indicators of the first application on the first user device for business transmission.

[0089] For example, in order to ensure the quality and reliability of the service and meet the user's business needs, the transmission performance indicators of the first application of the first user equipment for business transmission can be SLA requirements that include indicators such as latency and packet loss, determined based on the service level agreement (SLA).

[0090] In one possible implementation, the identification information of the first application (identified as "application") includes a five-tuple list of messages transmitted by the first application for business purposes and a unique identifier for the first application. Based on this, exemplarily referring to the configuration model shown in Table 2, this configuration model includes the model parameters included in the identification information of the first application, as follows:

[0091] Table 2

[0092] It is easy to understand that the parameters shown in Table 2 are only one configuration model corresponding to the identification information of the first application. For ease of explanation, Table 2 is used as an example only, and should not be used to limit the number or type of parameters included in the identification information of the first application. In other examples, the configuration model may be composed of different parameters, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0093] Optionally, the five-tuple list (identified as app-tuple) of the packets used by the first application for service transmission includes: source IP address, destination IP address, source port, destination port, and protocol type. Based on this, for example, referring to the configuration model shown in Table 3, this configuration model includes model parameters for the five-tuple list of packets used by the first application for service transmission, as follows:

[0094] Table 3

[0095] Typically, in an access network, the values ​​of configuration parameters in the five-tuple lists of different applications will not be duplicated. For example, the five-tuple for a game application will not be the same as the five-tuple for a video application.

[0096] Therefore, access network devices (such as OLT 101) can identify the correspondence between the five-tuple of the received message and the application in advance by using fields such as the domain name of the received message, thereby determining the application corresponding to the received message.

[0097] For example, the 5-tuple of a message from a video application (e.g., named "First") is: Source IP = 192.168.10.10, Destination IP = 10.11.11.11, Source Port = 1234, Destination Port = 5678, Protocol Number = 11. The presence of the word "diyi" in the message payload identifies it as the "First" video application. Simultaneously, the relationship between this 5-tuple and the video application is recorded. Furthermore, when an access network device (e.g., OLT 101) recognizes that a subsequent received message contains the same 5-tuple, it can determine that the subsequent received message belongs to the "First" video application and is transmitting services.

[0098] Step 302: The access network device receives the first configuration information from the network management system.

[0099] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 receives the first configuration information from the network management system 105.

[0100] In one possible implementation, step 302 above includes: the access network device receiving first configuration information from the network management system according to the YANG (Yet Another Next Generation) data modeling language transmitted by the network configuration protocol (Netconf protocol).

[0101] Step 303: The access network device generates the first service virtual port based on the first configuration information.

[0102] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 generates a first service virtual port based on the first configuration information. This first service virtual port is used by the first user equipment for service transmission in its first application.

[0103] Based on steps 301 to 303 above, the access network device can generate a service virtual port corresponding to a specific application based on the application's configuration parameters. This allows the application to transmit services through its corresponding service virtual port. This ensures the service transmission quality of the application, guarantees a differentiated user experience when using the specified application, and ultimately improves the user experience.

[0104] Based on steps 301 to 303 above, and exemplarily referring to Figure 4, the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application further includes the following steps:

[0105] Step 304: The access network device receives the first message.

[0106] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 receives the first message. This first message is a message from the first user equipment's first application for service transmission.

[0107] Step 305: The access network device transmits the first message through the first service virtual port.

[0108] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 transmits the first packet through the generated first service virtual port.

[0109] For example, in the downlink direction, OLT 101 transmits the first message to ONT 103 through the generated first service virtual port. Alternatively, in the uplink direction, OLT 101 transmits the first message to network management system 105 through the generated first service virtual port.

[0110] Prior to step 305, the communication method further includes:

[0111] Step 306: The access network device determines that the first message is a message for the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services.

[0112] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, before OLT 101 transmits the first message through the first service virtual port, it first determines that the first message is a message for the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services.

[0113] In one possible implementation, the first message carries indication information. Optionally, the indication information includes: source Internet Protocol address information, destination Internet Protocol address information, source port, destination port, and protocol information.

[0114] For example, the aforementioned indication information could be a list of five-tuples (identified as app-tuple) of the messages transmitted by the first application for business purposes, including: source IP address (identified as source-ip), destination IP address (identified as destination-ip), source port (identified as source-port), destination port (identified as destination-port), and protocol type (identified as protocol-type).

[0115] In conjunction with step 301 above, in the access network, the five-tuples for different applications typically do not repeat. Based on this, step 306 includes: the access network device determining, according to the indication information carried in the received first message, that the first message is a message for service transmission by the first application of the first user equipment.

[0116] Optionally, as shown in Figure 4, prior to step 301 above, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application further includes:

[0117] Step 307: The network management system receives the first message.

[0118] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 receives the first message. This first message carries the identification information of the first user equipment and the identification information of the first application.

[0119] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 receives a first message from the operator system 104. In other examples, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 receives a first message from the user equipment (i.e., terminal device 106).

[0120] Optionally, the identification information of the first user equipment mentioned above includes at least one of the following: the device account of the first user equipment, the name of the first user equipment, the ID of the first user equipment, or the address of the first user equipment. Of course, the identification information of the first user equipment may also include other parameters or information that can be used to identify the first user equipment, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0121] Optionally, the identification information of the first application mentioned above includes at least one of the following: the name of the first application, or the number of the first application. Of course, the identification information of the first application also includes other parameters or information that can be used to identify the first application, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0122] Step 308: The network management system generates first configuration information based on the first message. Correspondingly, the access network device receives second configuration information from the network management system.

[0123] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 generates first configuration information based on the received first message.

[0124] Optionally, referring to Figure 4, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application further includes:

[0125] Step 309: The network management system sends the second configuration information to the access network device. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the second configuration information from the network management system.

[0126] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 sends second configuration information to OLT 101. This second configuration information is used to instruct the second application of the first user equipment on the configuration parameters for service transmission.

[0127] Step 310: The access network device receives the second configuration information from the network management system.

[0128] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 receives the second configuration information from the network management system 105.

[0129] Step 311: The access network device generates a second service virtual port based on the second configuration information.

[0130] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 generates a second service virtual port based on the second configuration information. This second service virtual port is used for service transmission by the second application of the first user equipment.

[0131] Optionally, as shown in Figure 4, prior to step 309 above, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application further includes:

[0132] Step 312: The access network device obtains the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port.

[0133] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 obtains the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port.

[0134] In one possible implementation, the OLT 101 obtains the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port by determining the actual transmission result of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port.

[0135] Optionally, the aforementioned transmission performance can be represented by corresponding transmission performance indicators. That is, the OLT 101 can obtain the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's packets through the first service virtual port by determining transmission performance indicators such as latency and packet loss.

[0136] Step 313: The access network device sends a first indication message to the network management system. Correspondingly, the network management system receives the first indication message sent by the access network device.

[0137] Specifically, taking the access network device OLT 101 as an example, as shown in Figure 2, OLT 101 sends the first instruction information to the network management system 105.

[0138] The first indication information is used to indicate the transmission performance of the first user equipment in transmitting messages of the first application.

[0139] Step 314: The network management system determines whether to generate a second service virtual port for the second application based on the first instruction information.

[0140] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the network management system 105 determines whether to generate a second service virtual port for the second application based on the received first indication information.

[0141] For example, the network management system 105 compares the actual transmission performance of the first application with its transmission requirements to obtain a comparison result. Based on the comparison result, it then determines to generate a second service virtual port for the second application. Further, in some examples, if the network management system 105 determines to generate a second service virtual port for the second application based on the received first indication information, it sends second configuration information to the OLT 101 (i.e., step 307).

[0142] Based on steps 301 to 314 above, the access network device can generate a service virtual port corresponding to a specific application based on the application's configuration parameters. Furthermore, this scheme enables the application to transmit services through its corresponding service virtual port. This ensures the service transmission quality of the application, guarantees a differentiated experience for users when using the specified application, and thus improves the user experience.

[0143] It should be noted that the communication method described in the above embodiments can be implemented not only through access network devices, but also applied to other network forwarding devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the actions performed by the access network device in the communication method described in the above embodiments can also be implemented through an optical modem.

[0145] Based on the architecture shown in Figure 2, and exemplarily referring to Figure 5, an embodiment of this application provides an architecture diagram of a communication network, illustrating the transmission process when the above-described communication method is applied to an access network. Specifically, based on the architecture shown in Figure 2 and referring to Figure 5, this architecture includes: OLT 101, ONT 103, operator system 104, network management system 105, and terminal device 106.

[0146] In the following embodiments, the steps performed by the access network device are illustrated using OLT 101 as an example. It is understood that, for ease of explanation, the architecture shown in Figure 5 is used here as an example only, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. For example, the aforementioned OLT 103 can be implemented by an FTTR device.

[0147] Referring to Figure 5, the transmission process shown in this architecture diagram includes steps 1 to 6, which are explained in detail below:

[0148] Step 1: The user sends a message to the operator through the user interface on the terminal device to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application on the terminal device.

[0149] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the user sends a message to the operator system 104 through the terminal device 106. The message instructs the user to request the access network device to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device 106.

[0150] Of course, the embodiments of this application do not limit the form or specific method of sending the message. For example, the message may be sent in the form of a data packet. Or, for example, the message may be sent in the form of a control command.

[0151] Step 2: The operator issues an instruction to the network management system to generate the corresponding service virtual port for the first application.

[0152] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the operator system 104 sends an instruction to the network management system 105 interface 105-1 to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device 106.

[0153] Of course, the embodiments of this application do not limit the form or method of sending the instruction. For example, the instruction may be sent in the form of a message. Or, for example, the instruction may be sent in the form of a network message (i.e., a message, such as the first message mentioned above).

[0154] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 5, the network management system 105 sends a message to the controller 105-2, which sends an instruction to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device 106.

[0155] Optionally, based on the received message, the controller 105-2 converts the instruction to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device 106 into configuration information. Specifically, the controller 105-2 converts the identification information of the first user equipment and the identification information of the first application into configuration information that the OLT can recognize. This configuration information indicates the configuration parameters for service transmission of the first application of the terminal device 106.

[0156] Optionally, the message may carry the identification information of the first user device and the identification information of the first application.

[0157] Step 3: The network management system sends configuration information to the access network devices.

[0158] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the controller 105-2 in the network management system 105 sends configuration information to the OLT 101.

[0159] Optionally, the network management system 105 sends the first configuration information to the OLT 101 through the controller 105-2 (refer to step 3 above). Alternatively, the network management system 105 sends the second configuration information to the OLT 101 through the controller 105-2 (refer to step 3 above).

[0160] In one possible implementation, the action of the controller 105-2 sending configuration information to the OLT 101 can be accomplished through the YANG data modeling language, which is used for network data device configuration management and Netconf protocol transmission.

[0161] For example, the syntax structure of the YANG data modeling language is as follows:

[0162] (1) Overall structure:

[0163] Step 4: Based on the received configuration information, the access network device generates the corresponding first service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device.

[0164] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the OLT 101 generates a corresponding first service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device 106 based on the received configuration information.

[0165] In one possible implementation, after receiving the configuration information, the OLT 101 generates the first service virtual port corresponding to the first application of the terminal device 106 in the corresponding module (e.g., PON board) of the OLT 101.

[0166] Furthermore, the packets for service transmission of the first application in the terminal device 106 will be forwarded through the first service virtual port. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the forwarding chip 101-1 in the OLT 101 can match the determined first packet with the service virtual port (i.e., the first service virtual port) of the first application corresponding to the packet.

[0167] Similarly, as shown in Figure 5, the forwarding chip 101-1 in the OLT 101 performs differentiated scheduling on the generated first service virtual port and the process of transmitting packets on that service virtual port by configuring traffic templates for the first service virtual port. For example, the scheduling priority of the first service virtual port can be distinguished from that of service virtual ports of other applications.

[0168] Step 5: The access network device receives the first message and determines that the first message is a message for the first application of the terminal device to transmit services.

[0169] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the OLT 101 performs application identification on the received first message through application identification 101-2, and can perform deep message parsing on the first message (e.g., parsing the five-tuple of the message), thereby determining that the first message is a message for the first application of the terminal device to transmit services.

[0170] Step 6: The access network device sends the first instruction information to the network management system.

[0171] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the OLT 101 sends a first indication message to the network management system 105, indicating the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the message of the first application.

[0172] In one possible implementation, the OLT 101 obtains the transmission performance of the terminal device 106 transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port by determining the actual transmission result (e.g., network metrics such as latency and packet loss) of the terminal device 106 transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port.

[0173] Specifically, the OLT 101 can collect application information used by the user (such as application identification information) through the application metric 101-3, as well as network indicators such as latency and packet loss of the terminal device 106 transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port, and report them to the controller 105-2 in the network management system 105.

[0174] Furthermore, after receiving network metrics such as latency and packet loss, the controller 105-2 of the network management system 105 can visualize the user's experience with the first application on the terminal device 106 (e.g., through interface display). Specifically, when the network management system 105 visualizes the data, it can display on the interface the user's usage time of the first application on the terminal device 106, latency variation graphs of the first application on the terminal device 106, packet loss rate variation graphs, etc., thereby facilitating a direct and intuitive understanding of changes in network metrics.

[0175] On the other hand, based on historical network indicator data received from OLT 101, the controller 105-2 of network management system 105 can pre-evaluate the user experience before another application (such as the second application of terminal device 106) generates the corresponding second service virtual port. Specifically, the controller 105-2 of network management system 105 can evaluate whether network indicators such as latency and packet loss can meet the user experience requirements after generating the corresponding second service virtual port for the second application of terminal device 106.

[0176] It is easy to understand that the second service virtual port corresponding to the second application of terminal device 106 can be identified as: app-flow 2.

[0177] In one possible implementation, based on step 6 above, after the network management system 105 obtains the transmission performance of the message transmitted by the first user equipment for the first application, it can also determine and report the application experience status (used to indicate the user equipment's experience using the first application, such as network speed smoothness) to the operator system 104. Furthermore, the operator system 104 can inform the terminal device of the received application experience status by sending an application experience report to the terminal device 106.

[0178] Optionally, the parameters of the command-line features during the execution of steps 1 to 6 above include:

[0179] Generate app-flow 1: Bind service-port, bind application, bind traffic template;

[0180] app-flow index <0,1023>service-port service-port-index <0,139263>app-type app-type-index <0,1023>;

[0181] inbound traffic-table index table-index <0,1023>outbound traffic-table index table-index <0,1023>;

[0182] Create a view with application ID 100;

[0183] app-type 100;

[0184] Add a quintuple;

[0185] add tuple{src-ip ipaddr |dst-ip ipaddr |src-port port <0,65535>|dst-port port <0,65535>|protocol{tcp|udp}}*;

[0186] Among these, the more critical parameters are app-flow 1, traffic-table (i.e., traffic template), and app-type (i.e., the first application name).

[0187] Combining steps 1 to 6 above, there are no special requirements for ONT 103; therefore, no adjustments need to be made to the ONT structure and forwarding process during the transmission. Based on this, the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application can be applied to current ONTs, offering higher compatibility.

[0188] In some scenarios, the aforementioned access network equipment also includes an ONT. Optionally, the ONT can be implemented by other types of devices, such as an FTTR device.

[0189] Generally, an ONT includes multiple wide area network (WAN) interfaces (also called WAN ports), as shown in Figure 5 (WAN 1 and WAN 2). The ONT communicates with other connected devices (such as OLTs) through the WAN ports. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, ONT 103 uses one WAN port to communicate with OLT 101, and application message identification and forwarding are both handled by OLT 101.

[0190] Based on the architecture shown in Figure 5, and exemplarily referring to Figure 6, an embodiment of this application provides an architecture diagram of a communication network, illustrating the transmission process when the above-mentioned communication method is implemented by an ONT. Based on the architecture shown in Figure 2, specifically referring to Figure 6, this architecture includes: OLT 101, ONT 103, operator system 104, network management system 105, and terminal device 106.

[0191] ONT 103 is implemented by an FTTR device that supports the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. It is easy to understand that, for ease of explanation, the architecture shown in Figure 6 is used here as an example only, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application.

[0192] Referring to Figure 6, the transmission process shown in this architecture diagram includes steps 1 to 7, which are explained in detail below:

[0193] Step 1: The user sends a message to the operator through the user interface on the terminal device to generate a corresponding service virtual port for the first application on the terminal device.

[0194] Step 2: The operator issues an instruction to the network management system to generate the corresponding service virtual port for the first application.

[0195] Step 3: The network management system sends configuration information to the OLT.

[0196] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the network management system 105 sends configuration information to the OLT 101. This configuration information specifies the configuration parameters for service transmission by the first application of the terminal device 106.

[0197] Step 7: The OLT sends configuration information to the ONT.

[0198] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the OLT 101 sends configuration information to the FTTR device.

[0199] Step 4: Based on the received configuration information, ONT generates the corresponding first service virtual port for the first application of the terminal device.

[0200] The FTTR device supports differentiated scheduling of the first service virtual port (see step 4 in Figure 5). For example, the FTTR device can differentiate the scheduling of the generated first service virtual port and the process of transmitting packets through the first service virtual port by configuring traffic templates for it. For example, the scheduling priority of the first service virtual port can be different from that of service virtual ports of other applications.

[0201] Step 5: The ONT receives the first message and determines that the first message is a message for the first application of the terminal device to transmit services.

[0202] Step 6: ONT sends the first instruction information to the network management system.

[0203] Among them, the FTTR device can support the identification of network indicators such as application traffic (see step 6 in Figure 5).

[0204] Specifically, the FTTR device can collect information about the applications used by the user (such as application identification information), as well as network indicators such as latency and packet loss of the messages transmitted by the terminal device through the first service virtual port to the first application, and report them to the network management system.

[0205] It is easy to understand that the specific transmission process of steps 1 to 6 can be referred to the transmission process shown in Figure 5, and will not be repeated here.

[0206] Based on the transmission process described in steps 1 to 7 above, the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application can be applied to different types of access network devices, and therefore can be adapted to different application scenarios.

[0207] For example, referring to FIG7, an embodiment of this application provides a communication device. This communication device can be the access network device itself or a module within the access network device. Specifically, referring to FIG7, the communication device includes an interface unit 601 and a processing unit 602. The interface unit 601 is used to receive first configuration information from a network management system, the first configuration information being used to instruct a first application of a first user equipment to perform service transmission configuration parameters; the processing unit 602 is used to generate a first service virtual port based on the first configuration information received by the interface unit 601; wherein, the first service virtual port is used for the first application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission.

[0208] In one possible implementation, interface unit 601 is further configured to receive second configuration information from the network management system, the second configuration information being used to instruct the second application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission configuration parameters. Processing unit 602 is further configured to generate a second service virtual port based on the second configuration information received by interface unit 601.

[0209] In one possible implementation, interface unit 601 is further configured to receive a first message, which is a message for service transmission by a first application of the first user equipment. Processing unit 602 is further configured to transmit the first message received by interface unit 601 through a first service virtual port.

[0210] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 602 is further configured to determine that the first message is a message for service transmission by the first application of the first user equipment.

[0211] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 602 is further configured to determine, based on the indication information carried in the first message, that the first message is a message for the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the interface unit 601 is specifically used to receive first configuration information from the network management system by using the YANG data modeling language, which is used to configure and manage the transmission of the Netconf protocol for network data devices.

[0213] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 602 is further configured to obtain the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port. The interface unit 601 is further configured to send first indication information to the network management system; the first indication information is used to indicate the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message obtained by the processing unit 602.

[0214] The interface unit 601 is further configured to execute the communication methods described in steps 302, 304, 305, 308, and 313; the processing unit 602 is further configured to execute the communication methods described in steps 303, 309, and 312. It is understood that the functions and effects described in the communication methods shown in Figures 3 and 4 can be directly referenced here, and will not be repeated.

[0215] For example, referring to FIG8, an embodiment of this application provides a communication device. This communication device can be the access network device itself or a module within the access network device. Specifically, referring to FIG8, the communication device includes an interface unit 701 and a processing unit 702. The interface unit 701 is used to send first configuration information to the access network device. The first configuration information is used to instruct the first application of the first user equipment on configuration parameters for service transmission; the first configuration information is used to establish a first service virtual port for the first application of the first user equipment.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the interface unit 701 is further configured to receive a first message, the first message carrying identification information of a first user equipment and identification information of a first application. The processing unit 701 is further configured to generate first configuration information based on the first message received by the interface unit 701.

[0217] In one possible implementation, the interface unit 701 is further configured to receive first indication information sent by the access network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port.

[0218] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to determine whether to generate a second service virtual port for the second application based on the first indication information received by the interface unit 701.

[0219] In one possible implementation, the interface unit 701 is further configured to send second configuration information to the access network device when it is determined that a second service virtual port has been generated for the second application; wherein the second configuration information is used to instruct the second application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission configuration parameters.

[0220] The interface unit 701 is further configured to execute the communication methods described in steps 301 and 307; the processing unit 702 is further configured to execute the communication methods described in steps 311 and 314. It is understood that the functions and effects described in the communication methods shown in Figures 3 and 4 can be directly referenced here, and will not be repeated.

[0221] In one possible implementation, embodiments of this application provide an access network device. This access network device is used for the communication method provided in the above embodiments of this application (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0222] In one possible implementation, embodiments of this application provide a network management system. This network management system is used to execute the communication method provided in the above embodiments of this application (see Figures 3 and 4). Optionally, the network management system includes at least one server.

[0223] In one possible implementation, embodiments of this application provide a communication network. The communication network includes at least one access network device as described in the above embodiments of this application, and at least one network management system as described in the above embodiments of this application; wherein the network management system is communicatively connected to the access network device.

[0224] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that can be integrated with one or more media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)). In embodiments of this application, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0225] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple components. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0226] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of this application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

A communication method, characterized in that, It is applied to access network equipment, which is communicatively connected to the network management system; The communication method includes: Receive first configuration information from the network management system, the first configuration information being used to instruct the first application of the first user equipment on the configuration parameters for service transmission; Based on the first configuration information, generate the first service virtual port; The first service virtual port is used by the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services. The communication method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, The configuration parameters include at least one of the following: The first user equipment's identification information for the service virtual port corresponding to the first application, the service flow associated with the first application of the first user equipment for service transmission, the transmission parameter template of the first application of the first user equipment for service transmission in the uplink direction, the transmission parameter template of the first application of the first user equipment for service transmission in the downlink direction, the duration supported for use of the service virtual port corresponding to the first application, the identification information of the first application, and the transmission performance indicators of the first application of the first user equipment for service transmission. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Receive second configuration information from the network management system, the second configuration information being used to instruct the second application of the first user equipment on configuration parameters for service transmission; Based on the second configuration information, a second service virtual port is generated. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-3 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Receive a first message, which is a message for the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services; The first message is transmitted through the first service virtual port. The communication method according to claim 4 is characterized in that, Before transmitting the first message through the first service virtual port, the process further includes: The first message is determined to be a message used by the first application of the first user equipment for service transmission. The communication method according to claim 5 is characterized in that, The first message carries indication information; The determination that the first message is a message used by the first application of the first user equipment for service transmission includes: Based on the indication information carried in the first message, it is determined that the first message is a message used by the first application of the first user equipment to transmit services. The communication method according to claim 6 is characterized in that, The indication information includes: source Internet Protocol address information, destination Internet Protocol address information, source port, destination port, and protocol information. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-7 is characterized in that, The receipt of the first configuration information from the network management system includes: The system receives the first configuration information from the network management system based on the YANG data modeling language, which is used to manage the transmission of the Netconf protocol for network data device configuration. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Obtain the transmission performance of the first user equipment transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port; Send a first indication message to the network management system; the first indication message is used to indicate the transmission performance of the first user equipment in transmitting the message of the first application. A communication method, characterized in that, It is applied to a network management system, which is communicatively connected to the access network equipment and the first user equipment; The communication method includes: Send first configuration information to the access network device. The first configuration information is used to instruct the first application of the first user equipment on the configuration parameters for service transmission. The first configuration information is used to establish a first service virtual port for the first application of the first user equipment. The communication method according to claim 10 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Receive a first message, the first message carrying the identification information of the first user equipment and the identification information of the first application; Based on the first message, the first configuration information is generated. The communication method according to claim 10 or 11 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: The system receives a first indication message sent by the access network device. The first indication message is used to instruct the first user equipment on the transmission performance of transmitting the first application's message through the first service virtual port. The communication method according to claim 12 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Based on the first indication information, determine whether to generate a second service virtual port for the second application. The communication method according to claim 13 is characterized in that, The communication method further includes: If it is determined that the second service virtual port is generated for the second application, the second configuration information is sent to the access network device; The second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration parameters for the second application of the first user equipment to perform service transmission. An access network device, characterized in that, The access network device is used to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. A network management system, characterized in that, The network management system is used to execute the communication method as described in any one of claims 10 to 14. The network management system according to claim 16 is characterized in that, The network management system includes at least one server. A communication network, characterized in that, The communication network includes at least one access network device as described in claim 15, and at least one network management system as described in claim 16 or 17; The network management system is communicatively connected to the access network equipment.

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