A network slice determination method and related device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a network slice determination method. Based on this method, when the service server determines that a service demand for establishing a network slice is required, it can actively initiate a slice establishment request, and the slice establishment request includes a service quality parameter that supports the service demand. The terminal can obtain a first device trigger request corresponding to the slice establishment request, and determine the corresponding slice configuration identifier through the above-mentioned service quality parameters included in the first device trigger request. The slice configuration identifier can reflect the configuration parameters of the network slice that can support the service quality parameters. According to the slice configuration identifier, the terminal initiates a data path establishment request for the service server, and the network slice and the data path in the network slice can be established in the 5G network. Therefore, there is no need for the terminal to initiate a slice establishment request, and the network slice can be established under the original application system architecture, which reduces the difficulty of application adaptation and reduces the consumption of manpower costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a network slice determination method and related devices. Background Art

[0002] Network Slice (NSL) will be an important technical means to meet the special business requirements of different industries in the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) network. Network slicing is a communication resource that can ensure that the bearer service can meet the service level requirement (SLR) requirements. For example, in some scenarios, the network service quality of the protocol data unit (PDU) session between the user equipment (UE) and the server can be supported by establishing a network slice.

[0003] Currently, in the network slicing architecture supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), when there is a need to establish a network slice, the establishment of the network slice is generally initiated by the application (Application, APP) installed in the UE, and the APP must have an APP ID allocated by applying to the 5G operator.

[0004] This approach requires that many apps currently in use undergo architectural upgrades or even be redeveloped to support the above-mentioned network slicing functionality, and that they also need to apply for IDs from operators, greatly increasing adaptation costs. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a network slice determination method, which does not require a terminal to initiate a slice establishment request. The establishment of a network slice can be completed under the original application system architecture, thereby reducing the difficulty of application adaptation and reducing labor costs.

[0006] The embodiments of the present application disclose the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a network slice, the method comprising:

[0008] Obtain a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger request includes a service quality parameter carried in a slice establishment request initiated by a service server;

[0009] Determine a corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter, where the slice configuration identifier is used to identify a configuration parameter of a network slice that supports the service quality parameter;

[0010] Initiate a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0011] Obtaining a setup completion message returned for the data path setup request, wherein the setup completion message is used to identify that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice, and the target network slice is established according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0012] In response to the first device trigger request, a first device trigger response including an identifier of the data path is returned, and the first device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice has been established.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, if the routing policy record corresponding to the service server is established, the method further includes:

[0014] Delete the routing policy record.

[0015] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network slice determination device, the device comprising a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a first initiation unit, a second acquisition unit, and a first return unit:

[0016] A first acquisition unit is used to acquire a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger request includes a service quality parameter carried in a slice establishment request initiated by a service server;

[0017] A first determination unit, configured to determine a corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter, wherein the slice configuration identifier is used to identify a configuration parameter of a network slice supporting the service quality parameter;

[0018] A first initiating unit, configured to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0019] A second acquisition unit is used to acquire an establishment completion message returned for the data path establishment request, where the establishment completion message is used to identify that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice, and the target network slice is established according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0020] The first return unit is used to return a first device trigger response including an identifier of the data path in response to the first device trigger request, wherein the first device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice has been established.

[0021] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a network slice, the method comprising:

[0022] Initiate a slice establishment request, the slice establishment request including a service quality parameter and an identifier of a user equipment; the slice establishment request is used to instruct the user equipment to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server based on the service quality parameter;

[0023] Obtain a slice establishment response including a data path identifier, wherein the slice establishment response is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user device and the service server has been imported into the target network slice.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0025] Initiating a slice closing request including an identifier of the data path, wherein the slice closing request is used to instruct the user equipment to close the target network slice by releasing the data path;

[0026] Get a slice closing response, where the slice closing response is used to identify that the target network slice is closed.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner, if the corresponding relationship is established, the method further includes:

[0028] Delete the corresponding relationship.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network slice determination device, the device comprising a first initiating unit and a first acquiring unit:

[0030] The first initiating unit is used to initiate a slice establishment request, wherein the slice establishment request includes a service quality parameter and an identifier of a user equipment; the slice establishment request is used to instruct the user equipment to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server based on the service quality parameter;

[0031] The first acquisition unit is used to obtain a slice establishment response including an identifier of a data path, wherein the slice establishment response is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user device and the service server has been imported into the target network slice.

[0032] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network slice determination system, the system comprising a user device and a service server:

[0033] The user equipment is used to execute the network slice determination method described in the first aspect;

[0034] The business server is used to execute the network slice determination method described in the third aspect.

[0035] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a device for determining a network slice, the device comprising a processor and a memory:

[0036] The memory is used to store program code and transmit the program code to the processor;

[0037] The processor is used to execute the network slice determination method described in any one of the first aspect or the third aspect according to the instructions in the program code.

[0038] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, and the computer program is used to execute the network slice determination method described in any one of the first aspect or the third aspect.

[0039] It can be seen from the above technical solution that when the service server determines that a business demand needs to establish a network slice, it can actively initiate a slice establishment request, and the slice establishment request includes a service quality parameter that supports the business demand. Correspondingly, the terminal can obtain a first device trigger request corresponding to the slice establishment request, and determine the corresponding slice configuration identifier through the above service quality parameters included in the first device trigger request. The slice configuration identifier can reflect the configuration parameters of the network slice that can support the service quality parameters. Based on the slice configuration identifier, the terminal initiates a data path establishment request for the service server, and the data path establishment request can instruct the 5G network to establish a data path between the terminal and the service server in the established network slice that supports the service quality parameters. When the terminal confirms that the data path is established, it returns a first device trigger response including a data path identifier, so that the service server can clearly understand that the network slice is established. It can be seen from this that when it is necessary to establish a network slice between the terminal and the business server, the business server can act as the initiator of the slice establishment request. The application deployed in the terminal only needs to request to establish the corresponding data path after the business server initiates it. There is no need to perform an application architecture upgrade to send dedicated network signaling in order to initiate a slice establishment request. Under the original application system architecture, the business server can be cooperated to realize the establishment of network slices to meet the business needs in the 5G network, and there is no need to apply for an APP ID specifically for this purpose, which greatly reduces the adaptation cost of accessing the 5G network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a network slice in a related technology;

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a network slice in an actual application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a system architecture for determining a network slice provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 A signaling diagram of a network slice determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a network slice in an actual application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a network slice in an actual application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 7 A structural block diagram of a user equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of a service server provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig. 9 A structural diagram of a device for determining a network slice provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig.10 A structural diagram of a server provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0052] In 5G network-related technologies, the establishment of network slices can only be requested by the APP in the 5G user device, which means that many APPs currently in use must undergo architectural upgrades or even be redeveloped to support the above-mentioned function of establishing network slices. In addition, they must have an additional APP ID assigned by the 5G network operator, which makes the establishment conditions very stringent.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network slice establishment method in the related art. In this schematic diagram, there are multiple apps in the user device. When the app has the need to initiate network slicing, it can initiate a request to establish a slice to the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) module, and the NSSF module will establish network slices in the 5G network. These network slices can be used to connect the app in the user device with the service server in the edge data network (Local Data Network, Local DN) module or the central data network (Central DN) module. Among them, the app that can initiate the request must have an app ID assigned by the 5G network operator.

[0054] Since the APP must have an APP ID when initiating a slice establishment request and must be able to support 5G network signaling, in order to enable the APP to initiate the establishment of network slices and adapt to the 5G network, developers need to apply for an APP ID for the APP and even need to upgrade the APP architecture, which makes adaptation more difficult.

[0055] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a network slice determination method. Based on this method, when there is a need to establish a network slice, the service server can initiate a request to establish a network slice, and the terminal only needs to initiate a data path establishment request by responding to the request. The establishment of network slices and data paths in the network slices can be completed in the 5G network, thereby eliminating the need for the terminal to initiate a slice establishment request. The establishment of the network slice can be completed under the original application system architecture, reducing the difficulty of application adaptation and reducing the consumption of manpower costs.

[0056] It can be understood that the method can be applied to a processing device, which is a processing device capable of processing network slicing related information, for example, it can be a user device or a server with the function of processing network slicing related information. The method can be applied to a network scenario in which a user device and a server communicate, and is executed by the cooperation of the user device and the server. Among them, the user device can be a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer and other devices. The server can be understood as an application server or a Web server. In actual deployment, the server can be an independent server or a cluster server. At the same time, in terms of hardware environment, the environments in which this technology has been implemented include: ARM architecture processors, X86 architecture processors; in terms of software environment, the environments in which this technology has been implemented include: Android platform, Windows xp and above operating systems or Linux operating systems.

[0057] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the network slice determination method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be introduced below in combination with actual application scenarios.

[0058] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an actual application scenario of a network slice determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this application scenario, the processing devices are user equipment 101 and service server 102. In the process of business processing, the application in user equipment 101 may generate various business processing requirements, some of which may have high requirements on the security, reliability and transmission speed of business data transmission. At this time, the network slicing technology in the 5G network carried by the 5G network base station can be used to establish a corresponding network slice for data transmission between user equipment 101 and service server 102. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3It is a system architecture diagram of a 5G network including a base station carrier. In this system architecture, the network slice determination method provided by the technical solution of the present application can be completed. Wherein, in addition to the user equipment 101 and the service server 102, it also includes a 5G NSSF module, a 5G network exposure function (Network Exposure Function, NEF) module, a 5G user plane function (User Plane Function, UPF) module, a radio access network (RAN) module, a 5G user plane function entity (Unified Data Management, UDM) module, a 5G access and mobility management function (Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF) module, and a 5G session management function (Session Management Function, SMF) module. When it is determined that a network slice needs to be established for data transmission, the service server 102 can initiate a slice establishment request and send the slice establishment request to the 5G network. In order to make the established network slice meet the needs of business processing, the business server 102 can add a business quality parameter in the initiated slice establishment request. The business quality parameter is used to identify the parameter requirements required for this business processing; at the same time, in order to enable the 5G network to determine the user equipment that needs to perform this data transmission, the slice establishment request also includes the identification of the user equipment 101.

[0059] After receiving the slice establishment request, the 5G network can convert the slice establishment request into a first device trigger request that can be received and responded to by the user equipment 101, and the first device trigger request includes the service quality parameters in the slice establishment request. The 5G network can send the first device trigger request to the user equipment 101 through the identifier of the user equipment 101. After obtaining the first device trigger request, the user equipment 101 can determine the corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameters included therein. Among them, the slice configuration identifier is used to identify the configuration parameters of the network slice that supports the service quality parameters. In the 5G network, the corresponding network slice can be established through the configuration parameters.

[0060] It is understandable that the network slice provides resources for data transmission, and in order to enable data transmission between the user device 101 and the service server 102, it is also necessary to establish a data path for connecting the user device 101 and the service server 102 in the network slice. Therefore, after determining the slice configuration identifier, the user device 101 can initiate a data path establishment request for the service server 102 to the 5G network according to the slice configuration identifier.

[0061] After receiving the data path establishment request, the 5G network can establish a target network slice that supports the service quality parameters according to the slice configuration identifier included in the data path establishment request. The target network slice is used to provide the required network resources for data transmission between the user device 101 and the service server 102. After the establishment is completed, in order to enable data transmission between the user device 101 and the service server 102, the 5G network also needs to establish a data path for the service server 102 according to the request, and import the data path into the established target network slice. Therefore, through the data path, data transmission between the user device 101 and the service server 102 can be carried out in the target network slice that can support data transmission.

[0062] After the import is completed, the 5G network can return a setup completion message to the user device 101 to inform the user device 101 that the target network slice and the data path have been established, and the data path has been imported into the target network slice. At this time, in order to notify the service server 102 of the establishment completion message, the user device 101 can return a first device trigger response including the identifier of the data path for the first device trigger request. After receiving the first device trigger response, the 5G network can return a slice establishment response including the identifier of the data path to the service server 102 to inform the service server 102 that the network slice has been established.

[0063] It can be seen that in the application scenario of the present application, when it is necessary to establish a network slice for data transmission, the business server 102 can initiate a slice establishment request, and the user device 101 only needs to respond to the slice establishment request to initiate the corresponding data path establishment request to complete the target network slice and data path establishment required for data transmission in the 5G network, and can import the data path into the target network slice for data transmission. Therefore, there is no need for the user device 101 to initiate a slice establishment request, so there is no need to upgrade or even redevelop the application architecture in the user device 101, and there is no need to obtain the APP ID required to initiate the network establishment request, which reduces the difficulty of network slice establishment to a certain extent and reduces the adaptation cost of the application in the user device 101 to access the 5G network.

[0064] Next, a network slice determination method provided by an embodiment of the present application will be introduced in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 4 , Figure 4 A signaling diagram of a network slice determination method is shown, the method comprising:

[0065] S401: The business server initiates a slice creation request.

[0066] With the continuous development of user devices, various apps in user devices have become an inseparable part of people's daily lives. For example, people often watch TV series, movies and other entertainment videos through various video apps in their leisure time, or transfer and share files through some network disk apps. In 5G technology, in order to meet the needs of different apps for data transmission, corresponding network slices can be established for various apps according to the slice establishment request initiated by the app when there is demand, so that the app can transmit data.

[0067] For example, in Figure 1 In the schematic diagram shown, when APP C in the user equipment has a demand for establishing a network slice, it can send a slice establishment request to the NSSF module through the AMF module. After receiving the request, the NSSF module notifies the RAN module and the UPF module in the 5G base station through the AMF module and the SMF module to reserve resources, which are used to establish the network slice. After the network slice is established, the confirmation information of the successful creation of the network slice can be notified to APP C, and APP C can initiate a PDU session request. The 5G network can establish a PDU session between APP C and the Central DN based on the request, and allocate the PDU session to the established network slice, so that through the session, APP C in the user equipment can transmit data with the service server in the Central DN. For example, the transmitted data can be sent from APP C in the user equipment, forwarded by the RAN and UPF modules, and reach the service server in the Central DN.

[0068] However, in related technologies, when an APP initiates a slice establishment request, it needs to obtain the APPID assigned by the operator, and must support 5G network signaling. Therefore, when the APP needs to initiate a slice establishment request, it is necessary to apply for the corresponding APPID and perform an architectural upgrade of the APP, which is costly.

[0069] In order to reduce the cost of establishing network slices, in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the slice establishment request can be initiated by the business server, thereby avoiding the APP initiating the slice establishment request. Therefore, there is no need to apply for the required APP ID, nor to make changes to the existing APP architecture.

[0070] When it is determined that there is a need to establish a network slice, for example, when the APP is a film and television APP, in order to ensure the user's viewing experience and prevent the video from being stuck, it may be necessary to establish a network slice dedicated to the transmission of video data. At this time, in order to establish a network slice, the service server can initiate a slice establishment request. It can be understood that different network slices can provide different network resources. In order to make the network resources provided by the established network slice meet the needs of data transmission, the slice establishment request may include service quality parameters, such as Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, etc. The service quality parameters are used to select network slice configuration parameters that meet the requirements from the preset network slice configuration parameters in multiple 5G networks.

[0071] It is understandable that the network slice provides network resources for data transmission, and data transmission requires the establishment of a corresponding data path. Therefore, in order to enable data transmission between the user device and the service server, a data path connecting the service server and the user device needs to be established in the established network slice. The service server can establish a request through the slice, instructing the user device to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server based on the service quality parameters.

[0072] S402: The user equipment obtains a first device triggering request.

[0073] After the service server initiates a slice establishment request, the slice establishment request can be sent to the 5G network, and the 5G network triggers the user equipment to establish a network slice. It can be understood that in order for the 5G network to determine the user equipment for which a network slice needs to be established, the slice establishment request may include the identifier of the user equipment, such as the Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) of the user equipment, which can be represented by a telephone number. The 5G network can use the identifier of the user equipment to convert the slice establishment request into a first device trigger request, and send the first device trigger request to the user equipment corresponding to the user equipment identifier, and the first device trigger request includes the service quality parameters in the slice establishment request.

[0074] For example, in Figure 3In the system architecture shown, after initiating a slice establishment request, the service server can send the slice establishment request to the slice management component, and the slice establishment request includes the GPSI and QoS parameters of the user equipment. Among them, the slice management component is a functional component that can be deployed in the service server 102 or other servers to manage the relevant operations of the service server initiating network slice establishment and shutdown. After receiving the slice establishment request, the slice management component can forward it to the 5G NEF module. In order to find the user equipment in the 5G network, after receiving the request, the 5G NEF first extracts the GPSI of the user equipment, and uses the identifier to initiate a user identity conversion request to the 5G UDM module, so that the 5G UDM returns the identity of the user equipment in the 5G network, such as the user permanent identifier (Subscription Permanent Identifier, SUPI).

[0075] The 5G NEF module can use SUPI to send a first device trigger request (DeviceTrigger Request) to the corresponding user equipment, which is forwarded to the user equipment by the 5G AMF module. After the user equipment obtains the first device trigger request, it can complete the establishment of network slicing and data path according to the first device trigger request.

[0076] S403: The user equipment determines the corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter.

[0077] After obtaining the trigger request of the first device, the user equipment can extract the service quality parameters included therein, and determine the corresponding slice configuration identifier from the multiple slice configuration identifiers provided by the network slice configuration information according to the service quality parameters. The slice configuration identifier is used to identify the configuration parameters of the network slice that supports the service quality parameters, for example, the network slice selection assistance information (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance information, S-NSSAI) corresponding to the network slice. The network slice configuration information is used to provide multiple groups of quality parameters, each group of quality parameters has a corresponding slice configuration identifier. For example, the network configuration information can be information obtained by the user equipment by signing a 5G network.

[0078] For example, in Figure 3 In the system architecture shown, after obtaining the first device trigger request, the user equipment can extract QoS parameters from it, and select the S-NSSAI that meets the QoS parameters from the network slice configuration information provided by the user equipment subscription information.

[0079] S404: The user device initiates a data path establishment request to the service server according to the slice configuration identifier.

[0080] After determining the slice configuration identifier of the network slice to be established, the user device can establish the corresponding network slice in the 5G network by sending the slice configuration identifier. On this basis, in order to enable data transmission between the service server, the user device needs to establish a data path corresponding to the service server in the network slice. At this time, in order to establish a data path, the user device can initiate a data path establishment request for the service server to the 5G network according to the slice configuration identifier, and the data path request includes the above-mentioned slice configuration identifier.

[0081] S405: The user equipment obtains a setup completion message returned in response to the data path setup request.

[0082] After receiving the data path establishment request sent by the user equipment, the 5G network can establish a corresponding target network slice according to the slice configuration identifier included therein, and the target network slice is a network slice that can support the service quality parameters among the multiple network slices that can be established through the 5G network. After the target network slice is established, the 5G network can establish a data path for data transmission between the user equipment and the service server according to the data path establishment request. After the data path is established, in order to enable the data path to enjoy the network resources provided by the 5G network through the target network slice, the 5G network can import the data path into the established target network slice.

[0083] After the import is completed, the 5G network can send a setup completion message to the user device, which is used to indicate that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice. The user device can obtain the setup completion message returned for the data path establishment request, thereby knowing that the required network slice and data path have been established.

[0084] For example, in Figure 3 In the system architecture shown, the user equipment can send a data path establishment request to the 5G NSSF module. The request is first sent to the 5G AMF module, and then forwarded by the 5G AMF module to the 5G NSSF module. The 5G NSSF module can complete the establishment of network slices and data paths in the 5G RAN module and the 5G UPF module according to the request, and then return an establishment completion message to the user equipment. The establishment completion message is forwarded by the 5G AMF module and received by the user equipment.

[0085] S406: The user equipment returns a first device triggering response including an identifier of a data path in response to the first device triggering request.

[0086] After obtaining the establishment completion message, in order for the service server to use the data path for data transmission, the user device needs to inform the service server of the network slice and the message that the data path is established. The user device can return a first device trigger response including a data path identifier to the 5G network in response to the first device trigger request, and the first device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice has been established.

[0087] S407: The business server obtains a slice establishment response including the identifier of the data path.

[0088] After the 5G network receives the first device trigger response sent by the user equipment, in order to enable the service server to receive and know the message that the network slice establishment is complete, the first device trigger response can be converted into a slice establishment response that can be received and recognized by the service server and sent to the service server. The service server can receive the slice establishment response, which is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user equipment and the service server has been imported into the above-mentioned target network slice. At this point, the service server and the user equipment can use the network resources provided by the target network slice through the data path to transmit data.

[0089] For example, in Figure 3 In the system architecture shown, after receiving the establishment completion message, the user equipment can send a first device trigger response to the 5G NEF module. Based on the response, the 5G NEF module can send a slice establishment response to the slice management component. The slice establishment response is sent to the service server via the slice management component to notify the service server that the target network slice has been established.

[0090] It can be seen from the above technical solution that when the service server determines that a business demand needs to establish a network slice, it can actively initiate a slice establishment request, and the slice establishment request includes a service quality parameter that supports the business demand. Correspondingly, the terminal can obtain a first device trigger request corresponding to the slice establishment request, and determine the corresponding slice configuration identifier through the above service quality parameters included in the first device trigger request. The slice configuration identifier can reflect the configuration parameters of the network slice that can support the service quality parameters. Based on the slice configuration identifier, the terminal initiates a data path establishment request for the service server, and the data path establishment request can instruct the 5G network to establish a data path between the terminal and the service server in the established network slice that supports the service quality parameters. When the terminal confirms that the data path is established, it returns a first device trigger response including a data path identifier, so that the service server can clearly understand that the network slice is established. It can be seen from this that when it is necessary to establish a network slice between the terminal and the business server, the business server can act as the initiator of the slice establishment request. The application deployed in the terminal only needs to request to establish the corresponding data path after the business server initiates it. There is no need to perform an application architecture upgrade to send dedicated network signaling in order to initiate a slice establishment request. Under the original application system architecture, the business server can be cooperated to realize the establishment of network slices to meet the business needs in the 5G network, and there is no need to apply for an APP ID specifically for this purpose, which greatly reduces the adaptation cost of accessing the 5G network.

[0091] It is understandable that, since in most cases, the dominant authority of service processing is in the APP corresponding to the service in the user device, the APP in the user device can determine whether a network slice needs to be established for service processing. In one possible implementation, the user device can send a service request including an identifier of the user device, which is used to request the service server to initiate a slice establishment request. The service server can obtain the service request including the identifier of the user device and initiate a slice establishment request based on the request.

[0092] For example, when a user device has a certain film and television APP, the user may want to watch a certain high-definition video through the APP. Since high-definition videos often have large video data, in order to ensure that the user can watch the video smoothly, the film and television APP can send a service request including the identifier of the user device to the service server storing the video data, so that the service server initiates a slice establishment request for the network slice used to transmit the video data.

[0093] In addition, in the 5G network, in order to make full use of the network resources provided by the network slice, multiple data paths may be imported into a network slice, and each data path is used for data transmission between a group of user devices and a service server. At this time, in order to distinguish the data transmitted through the network slice so that the data can be transmitted between the corresponding service server and the user device, in a possible implementation, the slice establishment request initiated by the service server can also include the address information of the service server. After the user equipment learns that the data path establishment is completed and imports the target network slice, it can establish a routing policy (UE Route Selection Policy, URSP) record corresponding to the slice configuration identifier, and the routing policy record includes the corresponding relationship between the address information and the identifier of the data path. Among them, the address information is used to identify the location of the service server in the data network, and the address information can include multiple types. In a possible implementation, the address information can include the network address, port number and network protocol number of the service server.

[0094] It is understandable that multiple data paths can be imported into each network slice, and each data path has a corresponding routing policy record. After establishing the routing policy record according to the address information of the service server that initiated the slice establishment request, when the user device needs to perform data transmission, in a possible implementation, in order to determine whether the data transmission is data transmission between the service server, the user device can first determine whether the destination address information of the data message to be sent is consistent with the routing policy record, wherein the destination address information of the data message is used to identify the service server to which the user device wants to send the data message. If they are consistent, it means that the data message is sent to the service server. At this time, the user device can send the data message to the service server by importing the data path of the target network slice.

[0095] For example, in Figure 3 In the system architecture shown, after obtaining the establishment completion message, the user device can extract the network address, port number and network protocol number of the service server from the first device trigger request, and establish a URSP corresponding to the S-NSSAI in combination with the S-NSSAI. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the URSP and the PDU session ID, that is, there is a correspondence between the network address, port number and network protocol number of the service server in the URSP and the PDU session ID. When sending a data message, the user device will determine whether the destination network address, destination port number and destination network protocol number of the data message are consistent with the URSP. If they are consistent, they will be sent to the service server through the PDU session.

[0096] It is understandable that data transmission is often bidirectional. Therefore, in one possible implementation, in order for the business server to find the corresponding data path to transmit data with the user equipment that has data transmission requirements, after obtaining the slice establishment response including the identifier of the data path, the business server can establish a correspondence between the address information and the identifier of the data path based on its own address information included in the slice establishment request. When data transmission is required, the business server can determine the identifier of the corresponding data path based on its own address information, and transmit data with the corresponding user equipment through the data path. It is understandable that the identifier of the data path may be different on the user equipment side and the business server side. For example, the data path identifier on the user equipment side can be a PDU session identifier, and the data path identifier on the business server side can be a Hypertext Transport protocol (HTTP) identifier.

[0097] In addition, in the relevant 5G network architecture, business servers are often distributed in the data network, and there may be multiple data networks, such as Local DN, Central DN, etc. Different business servers may be distributed in different data networks. When transmitting data in the 5G network, it may be necessary to first determine the data network where the business server is distributed, and then determine the specific distribution location of the business server in the data network based on the address information. Therefore, in one possible implementation method, when sending the first device trigger information to the user device, the data network identifier of the data network where the business server is located, such as the data network number (Data Network Name, DNN), can be added to the first device trigger request. After receiving the request, the user device can initiate a data path establishment request for the business server based on the slice configuration identifier and the data network identifier, so that the 5G network can establish a data path to the data network based on the establishment request. For example, in Figure 3 In the schematic diagram shown, the slice management component has the function of obtaining the underlying information of the data network. When the service server 102 initiates a slice establishment request, the slice management component can obtain the DNN of the service server 102, and add the DNN to the slice establishment request and send it to the 5G NEF module. The 5G network adds the DNN to the first device trigger request and sends it to the user device 101.

[0098] Through this data path, the user device can send data packets to the data network where the service server is located, and then send the data packets to the corresponding service server through relevant modules, such as the 5G UPF module, according to the destination address information included in the data packet.

[0099] It is understandable that after the data transmission is completed, in order to save network resources, the network slice used for this data transmission can be closed, thereby releasing the network resources occupied by the network slice for other user devices and service servers with data transmission requirements to establish network slices. In one possible implementation, the service server can initiate a slice closing request including an identifier of a data path, and the slice closing request is used to instruct the user device to close the target network slice by releasing the data path. It is understandable that in one possible implementation, the service server can complete the network slice closing operation through other functional components. For example, in Figure 3 In the schematic diagram shown, after the business server 102 initiates a slice closing request, the slice management component can communicate with the 5G network to complete the network slice closing operation.

[0100] After receiving the slice closing request, the 5G network can convert the request into a second device trigger request that can be received and responded to by the user equipment, and send the second device trigger request to the user equipment corresponding to the user equipment, and the second device trigger request includes the identifier of the data path carried in the slice closing request initiated by the service server. After obtaining the second device trigger request, the user equipment can initiate a data path release request for the data path according to the identifier of the data path included in the request. After receiving the data path release request, the 5G network can release the data path and close the target network slice where the data path is located. Afterwards, the 5G network can return a release completion message to the user equipment in response to the data path release request, and the release completion message is used to identify the release of the data path and the closure of the target network slice.

[0101] After obtaining the release completion message, the user equipment can return a second device trigger response to the second device trigger request in order to notify the service server of the slice closure message. The second device trigger response is used to identify the target network slice closure. After receiving the second device trigger response, the 5G network can convert the second device trigger response into a slice closure response and send it to the service server that initiated the slice closure request. The slice closure response is used to identify the target network slice closure.

[0102] In addition, since the data path is released after the network slice is closed, the routing policy record corresponding to the slice configuration identifier established by the user device and the correspondence between the address information stored in the service server and the data path identifier have become invalid. At this time, in order to clean up useless information in the user device and the service server and facilitate the initiation of subsequent network slices and data path establishment, in a possible implementation, if a routing policy record corresponding to the network slice is established, the user device can delete the routing policy record; at the same time, in the service server, if the above-mentioned correspondence is established, the correspondence can be deleted.

[0103] Next, a network slice determination method provided by an embodiment of the present application will be introduced in combination with an actual application scenario. Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a network slice in an actual application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 It mainly demonstrates the process of establishing network slices in this actual application scenario.

[0104] In this actual application scenario, the user device is a mobile phone held by the user, and the mobile phone has a network disk APP. When the user downloads a large file through the network disk, the APP determines that a network slice needs to be established for data transmission. At this time, the user device can send a service request including the mobile phone identifier to the service server, and add the GPSI of the mobile phone to the request. After receiving the request, the service server can determine whether to establish a network slice based on the content of the service request. For example, the service server can determine whether the mobile phone corresponding to the GPSI is qualified to transmit data through network slicing. This qualification can reflect whether the user has activated the service of using network slicing for data transmission.

[0105] After determining to establish a network slice, the service server sends a slice establishment request to the slice management component, and writes the GPSI of the mobile phone, the network address, port number and network protocol number of the service server, and QoS parameters into the request. The slice management component can send the slice establishment request to the 5GNEF module. The 5G NEF module can extract the GPSI of the mobile phone from it, and send a GPSI query request to the 5GUDM module based on the GPSI. The 5G UDM module can read the GSPI in the query request, and after querying the SUPI corresponding to the GPSI, the SUPI can be returned to the 5G NEF module.

[0106] After reading the returned SUPI, the 5G NEF module sends the first DTR request to the 5G AMF module, and writes the SUPI of the mobile phone, the network address, port number, network protocol number of the service server, and the DNN and QoS parameters corresponding to the service server into the request, indicating that the request requires the mobile phone to initiate the establishment of a data path. The 5G AMF module can forward the first DTR request to the corresponding user equipment, that is, the mobile phone, based on the SUPI in the first DTR request. After receiving the request, the mobile phone can read the address information, DNN and QoS parameters of the service server.

[0107] After reading the above parameters, the mobile phone can find the network slice configuration that can meet the QoS parameters from the locally stored contract information with the network operator and extract the corresponding S-NSSAI. After that, the mobile phone initiates a PDU session establishment request to the 5GRAN module based on the S-NSSAI and writes the DNN and S-NSSAI into the request.

[0108] Among them, the 5G AMF module first receives the request, and then sends the PDU session establishment request to the 5G SMF module. The 5G AMF module can send a slice establishment request to the 5G NSSF module based on the request, and write the S-NSSAI into the request. The 5G SMF module can also send a slice establishment request to the 5G NSSF module and also write the S-NSSAI into the request.

[0109] After the target network slice is established, the 5G AMF module notifies the 5G RAN module to complete the PDU establishment, and the 5G SMF module notifies the 5G UPF module to complete the PDU establishment. In the process of establishing the data path, the 5G network can first establish a GTP tunnel according to the General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) based on the DNN. The GTP tunnel is established in the target network slice and is used to transmit data to the data network corresponding to the DNN. After the PDU is established, it is imported into the GTP tunnel, thereby completing the process of importing the PDU into the target network slice.

[0110] Subsequently, the 5G NSSF module confirms to the 5G AMF module and the 5G SMF module that the network slice has been established, and returns the PDU session ID. The 5G AMF module confirms to the mobile phone that the PDU session has been established. After receiving the PDU session establishment response, the mobile phone can create a new URSP record and write the address information of the service server into the record to establish a one-to-one correspondence between the address information and the PDU session ID. After the establishment is completed, the mobile phone returns the first DTR response to the 5G NEF module, confirming that the PDU session has been established, and writes the PDU session ID into the response.

[0111] The 5G NEF module can return a slice establishment response to the slice management component, confirming that the network slice establishment is complete, and write the PDU session ID into the response. The slice management component can forward the response to the service server, informing the service server that the slice establishment is complete. The service server can establish a correspondence between its own address information and the PDU session ID for data transmission.

[0112] At the same time, in this practical application scenario, a method for disabling network slicing is also demonstrated. Figure 6 , Figure 6 It mainly shows the process of closing the network slice in the actual application scenario. After the network disk APP in the mobile phone determines that the file transfer is completed, in order to save network resources, it decides to close the network slice established for this data transmission. At this time, the mobile phone can send a service request including the GPSI of the mobile phone to the service server. After receiving the service request, the service server determines to close the network slice, sends a slice closing request to the slice management component, and writes the GPSI of the mobile phone and the address information of the service server into the request.

[0113] After receiving the slice closing request, the slice management component can determine the PDU session ID corresponding to the address information from the storage information. After that, the slice management component can send a slice closing request to the 5G NEF module and write the GPSI and PDU session ID of the mobile phone into the request. After receiving the request, the 5G NEF module can extract the GPSI, send a query request to the 5G UDM module, and obtain the SUPI of the mobile phone corresponding to the GPSI queried by the 5G UDM module.

[0114] The 5G NEF module can issue a second DTR request to the 5G AMF module, and write the SUPI and PDU session ID into the request, indicating that the request requires the mobile phone to initiate a PDU session release request. The 5G AMF module can forward the request to the corresponding user equipment, that is, the mobile phone, based on the SUPI. After receiving the second DTR request, the mobile phone can read the PDU session ID therein, and then send a PDU session release request to the 5G AMF module through the 5GRAN module based on the ID. After receiving the request, the 5G AMF module can issue a PDU session release request to the 5G SMF module, and issue a slice closing request to the 5G NSSF module. The 5G SMF module can also issue a network slice establishment request to the 5G NSSF module.

[0115] After the network slice is closed and the PDU session is released, the 5G AMF module notifies the 5G RAN module to complete the PDU session release, and the 5G SMF module notifies the 5G UPF module to complete the PDU session release. In addition, the 5G NSSF module confirms the completion of the network slice closure to the 5G AMF module and the 5G SMF module respectively. Subsequently, the 5G AMF module returns a PDU session release response to the mobile phone, informing it that the PDU session release is complete. After receiving the response, the mobile phone clears the corresponding URSP record and returns a second DTR response to the 5G NEF module to confirm that the network slice closure is complete.

[0116] The 5G NEF module can return a slice establishment response to the slice management component, which is forwarded to the service server by the slice management component to inform the service server that the network slice shutdown is complete. Finally, the service server deletes the correspondence between the stored PDU session ID and address information to facilitate the establishment of the next network slice.

[0117] Based on the network slice determination method provided in the above embodiment, the embodiment of the present application also provides a user equipment 700, see Figure 7 , the user equipment includes a first acquisition unit 701, a first determination unit 702, a first initiation unit 703, a second acquisition unit 704 and a first return unit 705:

[0118] A first acquisition unit 701 is used to acquire a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger request includes a service quality parameter carried in a slice establishment request initiated by a service server;

[0119] A first determining unit 702 is used to determine a corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter, where the slice configuration identifier is used to identify a configuration parameter of a network slice supporting the service quality parameter;

[0120] The first initiating unit 703 is used to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0121] A second obtaining unit 704 is used to obtain an establishment completion message returned in response to the data path establishment request, where the establishment completion message is used to identify that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice, where the target network slice is established according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0122] The first return unit 705 is used to return a first device trigger response including an identifier of a data path in response to a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger response is used to identify that establishment of a target network slice is complete.

[0123] In a possible implementation, the first device trigger request further includes address information of the service server, and the user equipment 700 further includes an establishing unit 706:

[0124] Establishing unit 706 is used to establish a routing selection policy record corresponding to the slice configuration identifier, and the routing selection policy record includes the correspondence between the address information and the identifier of the data path.

[0125] In a possible implementation, the user equipment 700 further includes a second determining unit 707

[0126] The second determining unit 707 is used to determine whether the destination address information of the data message to be sent is consistent with the routing policy record;

[0127] If so, send the data message to the business server by importing the data path of the target network slice.

[0128] In a possible implementation, the address information includes a network address, a port number, and a network protocol number of the service server.

[0129] In a possible implementation manner, the first device trigger request further includes a data network identifier of a data network where the service server is located, and the first initiating unit 703 is specifically configured to:

[0130] Based on the slice configuration identifier and data network identifier, a data path establishment request is initiated for the business server.

[0131] In a possible implementation, the user equipment 700 further includes a sending unit 708:

[0132] The sending unit 708 is used to send a service request including the identifier of the user equipment, and the service request is used to request the service server to initiate a slice establishment request.

[0133] In a possible implementation, the user equipment 700 further includes a third acquiring unit 709, a second initiating unit 710, a fourth acquiring unit 711 and a second returning unit 712:

[0134] The third acquisition unit 709 is used to acquire a second device trigger request, where the second device trigger request includes an identifier of a data path carried in a slice closing request initiated by the service server;

[0135] A second initiating unit 710, configured to initiate a data path release request for the data path according to an identifier of the data path;

[0136] The fourth acquisition unit 711 is used to obtain a release completion message returned for the data path release request, where the release completion message is used to indicate that the data path is released and the target network slice is closed;

[0137] The second return unit 712 is used to return a second device trigger response in response to the second device trigger request, and the second device trigger response is used to indicate that the target network slice is closed.

[0138] In a possible implementation, if a routing policy record corresponding to the service server is established, the user equipment 700 further includes a deleting unit 713:

[0139] The deleting unit 713 is used to delete the routing policy record.

[0140] Based on the network slice determination method provided in the above embodiment, the embodiment of the present application also provides a service server 800, see Figure 8 The service server 800 includes a first initiating unit 801 and a first acquiring unit 802:

[0141] The first initiating unit 801 is used to initiate a slice establishment request, where the slice establishment request includes a service quality parameter and an identifier of a user equipment; the slice establishment request is used to instruct the user equipment to initiate a data path establishment request for a service server based on the service quality parameter;

[0142] The first acquisition unit 802 is used to obtain a slice establishment response including an identifier of a data path. The slice establishment response is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user device and the service server has been imported into the target network slice.

[0143] In a possible implementation, the slice establishment request also includes address information of the service server, and the service server 800 also includes an establishment unit 803:

[0144] The establishing unit 803 is used to establish a corresponding relationship between the address information and the identifier of the data path.

[0145] In a possible implementation, the service server 800 further includes a second obtaining unit 804:

[0146] The second acquisition unit 804 is used to obtain a service request including an identifier of a user device, where the service request is used to request a service server to initiate a slice establishment request.

[0147] In a possible implementation, the service server 800 further includes a second initiating unit 805 and a third acquiring unit 806:

[0148] A second initiating unit 805 is used to initiate a slice closing request including an identifier of a data path, where the slice closing request is used to instruct the user equipment to close the target network slice by releasing the data path;

[0149] The third acquisition unit 806 is used to obtain a slice closing response, and the slice closing response is used to identify the closure of the target network slice.

[0150] In a possible implementation, if a corresponding relationship is established, the service server 800 further includes a deleting unit 807:

[0151] The deleting unit 807 is used to delete the corresponding relationship.

[0152] The present application also provides a device for determining a network slice, which is described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Fig. 9 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides a device 900, which may also be a terminal device. The terminal device may be any intelligent terminal including a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a point of sales (POS), a vehicle-mounted computer, etc., and the terminal device is a mobile phone as an example:

[0153] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a partial structure of a mobile phone related to a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 The mobile phone includes: a radio frequency (RF) circuit 910, a memory 920, an input unit 930, a display unit 940, a sensor 950, an audio circuit 960, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) module 970, a processor 980, and a power supply 990. Those skilled in the art can understand that Fig. 9 The mobile phone structure shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the mobile phone, and may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0154] Combine the following Fig. 9 A detailed introduction to the various components of the mobile phone:

[0155] The RF circuit 910 can be used for receiving and sending signals during the process of sending and receiving information or making calls. In particular, after receiving the downlink information of the base station, it is sent to the processor 980 for processing; in addition, the designed uplink data is sent to the base station. Usually, the RF circuit 910 includes but is not limited to an antenna, at least one amplifier, a transceiver, a coupler, a low noise amplifier (Low Noise Amplifier, referred to as LNA), a duplexer, etc. In addition, the RF circuit 910 can also communicate with the network and other devices through wireless communication. The above-mentioned wireless communication can use any communication standard or protocol, including but not limited to the Global System of Mobile communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), email, Short Messaging Service (SMS), etc.

[0156] The memory 920 can be used to store software programs and modules. The processor 980 executes various functional applications and data processing of the mobile phone by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 920. The memory 920 can mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system, an application required for at least one function (such as a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), etc.; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the mobile phone (such as audio data, a phone book, etc.), etc. In addition, the memory 920 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage devices.

[0157] The input unit 930 can be used to receive input digital or character information, and to generate key signal input related to the user settings and function control of the mobile phone. Specifically, the input unit 930 may include a touch panel 931 and other input devices 932. The touch panel 931, also known as a touch screen, can collect the user's touch operation on or near it (such as the user's operation on the touch panel 931 or near the touch panel 931 using any suitable object or accessory such as a finger, stylus, etc.), and drive the corresponding connection device according to a pre-set program. Optionally, the touch panel 931 may include two parts: a touch detection device and a touch controller. Among them, the touch detection device detects the user's touch orientation, detects the signal brought by the touch operation, and transmits the signal to the touch controller; the touch controller receives the touch information from the touch detection device, converts it into contact coordinates, and then sends it to the processor 980, and can receive and execute commands sent by the processor 1480. In addition, the touch panel 931 can be implemented in various types such as resistive, capacitive, infrared, and surface acoustic waves. In addition to the touch panel 931, the input unit 930 may further include other input devices 932. Specifically, the other input devices 932 may include but are not limited to one or more of a physical keyboard, function keys (such as volume control keys, switch keys, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, a joystick, etc.

[0158] The display unit 940 can be used to display information input by the user or information provided to the user and various menus of the mobile phone. The display unit 940 may include a display panel 941. Optionally, the display panel 941 may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display (Liquid Crystal Display, LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (Organic Light-Emitting Diode, OLED), etc. Further, the touch panel 931 may cover the display panel 941. When the touch panel 931 detects a touch operation on or near it, it is transmitted to the processor 980 to determine the type of touch event. Subsequently, the processor 980 provides a corresponding visual output on the display panel 941 according to the type of touch event. Although in Fig. 9 In the embodiment, the touch panel 931 and the display panel 941 are used as two independent components to realize the input and output functions of the mobile phone, but in some embodiments, the touch panel 931 and the display panel 941 can be integrated to realize the input and output functions of the mobile phone.

[0159] The mobile phone may also include at least one sensor 950, such as a light sensor, a motion sensor, and other sensors. Specifically, the light sensor may include an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor, wherein the ambient light sensor may adjust the brightness of the display panel 941 according to the brightness of the ambient light, and the proximity sensor may turn off the display panel 941 and / or the backlight when the mobile phone is moved to the ear. As a type of motion sensor, the accelerometer sensor can detect the magnitude of acceleration in all directions (generally three axes), and can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity when stationary. It can be used for applications that identify the posture of the mobile phone (such as horizontal and vertical screen switching, related games, magnetometer posture calibration), vibration recognition related functions (such as pedometer, tapping), etc.; as for other sensors that can be configured in the mobile phone, such as gyroscopes, barometers, hygrometers, thermometers, infrared sensors, etc., they will not be repeated here.

[0160] The audio circuit 960, the speaker 961, and the microphone 962 can provide an audio interface between the user and the mobile phone. The audio circuit 960 can transmit the received audio data to the speaker 961 after converting the received audio data into an electrical signal, which is converted into a sound signal for output; on the other hand, the microphone 962 converts the collected sound signal into an electrical signal, which is received by the audio circuit 960 and converted into audio data, and then the audio data is output to the processor 980 for processing, and then sent to another mobile phone through the RF circuit 910, or the audio data is output to the memory 920 for further processing.

[0161] WiFi is a short-range wireless transmission technology. The mobile phone can help users send and receive emails, browse web pages and access streaming media through the WiFi module 970. It provides users with wireless broadband Internet access. Fig. 9 A WiFi module 970 is shown, but it is understandable that it is not an essential component of the mobile phone and can be omitted as needed without changing the essence of the invention.

[0162] The processor 980 is the control center of the mobile phone. It uses various interfaces and lines to connect various parts of the entire mobile phone. It executes various functions of the mobile phone and processes data by running or executing software programs and / or modules stored in the memory 920, and calling data stored in the memory 920. Optionally, the processor 980 may include one or more processing units; preferably, the processor 980 may integrate an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly processes the operating system, user interface, and application programs, and the modem processor mainly processes wireless communications. It is understandable that the above-mentioned modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 980.

[0163] The mobile phone also includes a power supply 990 (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components. Preferably, the power supply can be logically connected to the processor 980 through a power management system, so that the power management system can manage charging, discharging, power consumption and other functions.

[0164] Although not shown, the mobile phone may also include a camera, a Bluetooth module, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0165] In this embodiment, the processor 980 included in the terminal device also has the following functions:

[0166] Obtain a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger request includes a service quality parameter carried in a slice establishment request initiated by a service server;

[0167] Determine a corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter, where the slice configuration identifier is used to identify a configuration parameter of a network slice that supports the service quality parameter;

[0168] Initiate a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0169] Obtaining a setup completion message returned for the data path setup request, wherein the setup completion message is used to identify that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice, and the target network slice is established according to the slice configuration identifier;

[0170] In response to the first device trigger request, a first device trigger response including an identifier of the data path is returned, and the first device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice has been established.

[0171] Alternatively, the processor 980 included in the terminal device further has the following functions:

[0172] Initiate a slice establishment request, the slice establishment request including a service quality parameter and an identifier of a user equipment; the slice establishment request is used to instruct the user equipment to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server based on the service quality parameter;

[0173] Obtain a slice establishment response including a data path identifier, wherein the slice establishment response is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user device and the service server has been imported into the target network slice.

[0174] The present application also provides a server. Fig.10 As shown, Fig.10The structural diagram of the server 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the server 1000 may have relatively large differences due to different configurations or performances, and may include one or more central processing units (CPU) 1022 (for example, one or more processors) and a memory 1032, and one or more storage media 1030 (for example, one or more mass storage devices) storing application programs 1042 or data 1044. Among them, the memory 1032 and the storage medium 1030 can be short-term storage or permanent storage. The program stored in the storage medium 1030 may include one or more modules (not shown in the figure), and each module may include a series of instruction operations on the server. Furthermore, the central processing unit 1022 can be configured to communicate with the storage medium 1030 and execute a series of instruction operations in the storage medium 1030 on the server 1000.

[0175] The server 1000 may also include one or more power supplies 1026, one or more wired or wireless network interfaces 1050, one or more input and output interfaces 1058, and / or one or more operating systems 1041, such as Windows ServerTM, Mac OS XTM, UnixTM, LinuxTM, FreeBSDTM, etc.

[0176] The steps performed by the server in the above embodiment can be based on Fig.10 The server structure shown.

[0177] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which is used to execute any one of the implementation methods of the network slice determination method described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0178] An embodiment of the present application also provides a network slice determination system, which includes a user device and a service server. The system can be used to execute the network slice determination method provided in any one of the above embodiments.

[0179] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the above-mentioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment; and the above-mentioned storage medium can be at least one of the following media: read-only memory (English: read-only memory, abbreviated: ROM), RAM, magnetic disk or optical disk, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0180] It should be noted that each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same and similar parts between the embodiments can refer to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the device and system embodiments, since they are basically similar to the method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can refer to the partial description of the method embodiments. The device and system embodiments described above are merely schematic, in which the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative work.

[0181] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A network slice determination method, It is characterized in that The method comprises: Obtain a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger request includes a service quality parameter carried in a slice establishment request initiated by a service server; Determine a corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter, where the slice configuration identifier is used to identify a configuration parameter of a network slice that supports the service quality parameter; Initiate a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier; Obtaining a setup completion message returned for the data path setup request, wherein the setup completion message is used to identify that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice, and the target network slice is established according to the slice configuration identifier; In response to the first device trigger request, a first device trigger response including an identifier of the data path is returned, and the first device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice has been established.

2. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first device trigger request also includes address information of the service server, and the method further includes: A routing selection policy record corresponding to the slice configuration identifier is established, wherein the routing selection policy record includes a correspondence between the address information and the identifier of the data path.

3. The method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: Determine whether the destination address information of the data message to be sent is consistent with the routing policy record; If so, the data packet is sent to the service server by importing the data path of the target network slice.

4. The method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The address information includes the network address, port number and network protocol number of the service server.

5. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first device trigger request also includes a data network identifier of the data network where the service server is located, and initiating a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier includes: Based on the slice configuration identifier and the data network identifier, a data path establishment request is initiated for the business server.

6. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Before obtaining the first device trigger request, the method further includes: A service request including the identifier of the user equipment is sent, where the service request is used to request the service server to initiate the slice establishment request.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: Obtaining a second device trigger request, where the second device trigger request includes an identifier of the data path carried in the slice closing request initiated by the service server; Initiating a data path release request for the data path according to the identifier of the data path; Obtain a release completion message returned for the data path release request, where the release completion message is used to indicate that the data path is released and the target network slice is closed; In response to the second device trigger request, a second device trigger response is returned, where the second device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice is closed.

8. A user device, It is characterized in that The user equipment includes a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a first initiation unit, a second acquisition unit and a first return unit: A first acquisition unit, used to acquire a first device trigger request, where the first device trigger request includes a service quality parameter carried in a slice establishment request initiated by a service server; A first determination unit, configured to determine a corresponding slice configuration identifier according to the service quality parameter, wherein the slice configuration identifier is used to identify a configuration parameter of a network slice supporting the service quality parameter; A first initiating unit, configured to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server according to the slice configuration identifier; A second acquisition unit is used to acquire an establishment completion message returned for the data path establishment request, where the establishment completion message is used to identify that the established data path has been imported into the established target network slice, and the target network slice is established according to the slice configuration identifier; The first return unit is used to return a first device trigger response including an identifier of the data path in response to the first device trigger request, wherein the first device trigger response is used to identify that the target network slice has been established.

9. A method for determining a network slice, It is characterized in that The method comprises: Initiate a slice establishment request, the slice establishment request including a service quality parameter and an identifier of a user equipment; the slice establishment request is used to instruct the user equipment to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server based on the service quality parameter; Obtain a slice establishment response including a data path identifier, wherein the slice establishment response is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user device and the service server has been imported into the target network slice.

10. The method according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The slice establishment request also includes address information of the service server, and the method further includes: A correspondence between the address information and the identifier of the data path is established.

11. The method according to claim 9, It is characterized in that Before initiating the slice creation request, the method further includes: Obtain a service request including the identifier of the user equipment, wherein the service request is used to request the service server to initiate the slice establishment request.

12. A business server, It is characterized in that The service server includes a first initiating unit and a first acquiring unit: The first initiating unit is used to initiate a slice establishment request, wherein the slice establishment request includes a service quality parameter and an identifier of a user equipment; the slice establishment request is used to instruct the user equipment to initiate a data path establishment request for the service server based on the service quality parameter; The first acquisition unit is used to obtain a slice establishment response including an identifier of a data path, wherein the slice establishment response is used to identify that the target network slice corresponding to the slice configuration identifier has been established, and the data path between the user device and the service server has been imported into the target network slice.

13. A network slice determination system, It is characterized in that The system includes a user device and a service server: The user equipment is used to execute the network slice determination method described in claims 1-7; The business server is used to execute the network slice determination method described in claims 9-11.

14. A device for determining a network slice, It is characterized in that The device comprises a processor and a memory: The memory is used to store program codes and transmit the program codes to the processor; The processor is used to execute the network slice determination method described in any one of claims 1-7 or claims 9-11 according to the instructions in the program code.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, It is characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, and the computer program is used to execute the network slice determination method described in any one of claims 1-7 or claims 9-11.

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