Method and apparatus for managing network traffic in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A method for generating an uplink classifier (UL CL) via a session management function (SMF), comprising: requesting a network data connection and analysis function (NWDAF) to provide data related to the UL CL for controlling network traffic flow; receiving the data related to the UL CL from the NWDAF; selecting at least one of a plurality of user plane functions (UPFs) based on the received data related to the UL CL; and creating the UL CL in the selected at least one UPF.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing network traffic in a wireless communication system. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the growing demand for wireless data communication volume after the commercialization of the fourth generation (4G) communication system, efforts have been made to develop advanced fifth generation (5G) systems or pre-5G (pre-5G) communication systems. For this reason, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also referred to as super 4G network communication systems or post-long term evolution (LTE) systems. The 5G communication system defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is called the New Radio (NR) system. In order to achieve high data rates, the implementation of 5G communication systems in ultra-high frequency millimeter wave (mmWave) bands (e.g., 60GHz bands) is being considered. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission range of radio waves in ultra-high frequency bands, technologies such as beamforming, massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antennas are being discussed and applied to NR systems. In order to improve the system network, technologies for advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communications, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communications, coordinated multipoint (CoMP), receiving-end interference cancellation, etc. are also being developed for 5G communication systems. In addition, for 5G systems, advanced coding modulation (ACM) (e.g., hybrid frequency shift keying (FSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC)) and advanced access technologies (e.g., filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA)) are being developed.

[0003] At the same time, the Internet is evolving from a human-centric connectivity network in which humans generate and consume information to an Internet of Things (IoT) network in which distributed entities or things send, receive and process information without human intervention. Internet of Everything (IoE) technologies combined with IoT have also emerged, such as big data processing technologies through connections with, for example, cloud servers. In order to implement IoT, various technologies are required, such as sensing technologies, wired / wireless communications and network infrastructure, service interface technologies, and security technologies, and recently, sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, and machine-type communications (MTC) technologies for connections between things are being studied. This IoT environment can provide intelligent Internet technology (IT) services that create new value for human life by collecting and analyzing data generated between connected things. Through the integration and combination between existing information technology (IT) and various industrial applications, IoT can be applied to various fields such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, smart grids, health care, smart home appliances, and advanced medical services.

[0004] In this regard, various attempts are being made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies regarding sensor networks, M2M communications, MTC, etc. are implemented by 5G communication technologies such as beamforming, MIMO, array antenna schemes, etc. Even the application of cloud radio access networks (cloud RAN), which is the aforementioned big data processing technology, can be said to be an example of the fusion of 5G and IoT technologies.

[0005] As various services may be provided along with the development of the aforementioned technologies and mobile communication systems, a method of efficiently providing the services is required. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] A method and apparatus for managing network traffic in a wireless communication system are provided.

[0008] Technical Solution

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for generating an uplink classifier (UL CL) performed by a session management function (SMF) includes: requesting a network data connection and analysis function (NWDAF) to provide data related to the UL CL for controlling the flow of network traffic; receiving data related to the UL CL from the NWDAF; selecting at least one of a plurality of user plane functions (UPF) based on the received data related to the UL CL; and inserting the UL CL into the selected at least one UPF.

[0010] Requesting the NWDAF to provide data related to the UL CL may include sending a request message including parameter data for requesting the data related to the UL CL from the data collected by the NWDAF. In addition, the parameter data may be related to at least one of data related to a predetermined event, data about an analysis object related to at least one entity in the network, or request data.

[0011] The data related to the UL CL may include at least one of network data, traffic data, quality of service data, packet data, or data session data.

[0012] The data related to the UL CL may include at least one of recommendation data for inserting the UL CL, data about a time required to apply the recommended data, information data, or requirement data, and selecting at least one of the plurality of UPFs may include selecting at least one of the plurality of UPFs based on the recommendation data.

[0013] The method of generating UL CL via SMF may also include: selecting a first UPF to be removed from at least one UPF in which the UL CL is created based on received data related to the UL CL according to changes in network traffic flow; and sending and receiving data sent and received through the first UPF through a second UPF among the at least one UPF in which the UL CL is created.

[0014] The method may also include sending and receiving data through a first UPF among multiple UPFs, and creating a UL CL may also include: determining whether it is necessary to transfer the traffic load based on the traffic data of the first UPF in the received data related to the UL CL; based on the determination result, creating a UL CL in a second UPF among the multiple UPFs so as to transfer the traffic load to the second UPF; and sending and receiving at least a portion of the data through the second UPF by using the UL CL created in the second UPF.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an operating method of a network data connection and analysis function (NWDAF) includes: collecting data from a user equipment (UE) or at least one entity in a network; receiving parameter data from a session management function (SMF), the parameter data requesting data related to an uplink classifier (UL CL) for controlling a network traffic flow from the collected data; analyzing the data related to the UL CL based on the received data; and providing the analyzed data to the SMF.

[0016] The parameter data may be related to at least one of data related to a predetermined event for filtering, data about an analysis object including the at least one entity in the network, or request data.

[0017] The data related to the UL CL may include at least one of network data, traffic data, service quality data, packet data, or data session data. In addition, analyzing the data related to the UL CL may include analyzing the quality of a service provided by a user plane function (UPF) as the at least one entity in the network by analyzing at least one of a delay, an error rate, or a round trip time (RTT) of the traffic based on the traffic reported from the UPF.

[0018] Analyzing the data related to the UL CL may include determining whether to insert the UL CL based on the received data, and the analyzed data may include recommendation data for recommending selection of a UPF for inserting the UL CL based on a result of the determination.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a session management function (SMF) for creating an uplink classifier (UL CL) includes: a transceiver; and at least one processor connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to request data related to the UL CL for controlling network traffic flow from a network data connection and analysis function (NWDAF), receive the data related to the UL CL from the NWDAF, select at least one of a plurality of user plane functions (UPFs) based on the received data related to the UL CL, and insert the UL CL into the selected at least one UPF.

[0020] The at least one processor may also be configured to send a request message including parameter data for requesting data related to the UL CL from data collected by the NWDAF. In addition, the parameter data may be related to at least one of data related to a predetermined event, data about an analysis object related to at least one entity in the network, or request data.

[0021] The data related to the UL CL may include at least one of network data, traffic data, quality of service data, packet data, or data session data.

[0022] The data related to the UL CL may include at least one of recommendation data for inserting the UL CL, data about a time required to apply the recommendation data, information data, or requirement data. In addition, the at least one processor may be further configured to select at least one of the plurality of UPFs based on the recommendation information.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network data connection and analysis function (NWDAF) for providing data related to an uplink classifier (UL CL) includes: a transceiver; and at least one processor connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: collect data from at least one of a user equipment (UE) or an entity in a network; receive parameter data from a session management function (SMF), the parameter data requesting data related to the UL CL for controlling a network traffic flow from the collected data; analyze the data related to the UL CL based on the received data; and provide the analyzed data to the SMF. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating logical dependencies between entities according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating logical dependencies between entities in a case where local access is possible according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of a process of collecting and analyzing data of an entity performed by a network data connection and analysis function (NWDAF) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 is a diagram for describing a process of controlling an uplink classifier (UL CL) via subscription / notification about NWDAF analysis data according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process being performed by a session management function (SMF).

[0028] Figure 5is a diagram for describing a process of controlling UL CL via subscription / notification about a configuration value recommended by NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process being performed by SMF.

[0029] Figure 6 is a diagram for describing a process of controlling UL CL via request / response regarding NWDAF analysis data according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process being performed by SMF.

[0030] Figure 7 is a diagram for describing a process of controlling UL CL via request / response regarding a configuration value recommended by NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process being performed by SMF.

[0031] Figure 8 is a diagram for describing a method of transferring load by analyzing data using NWDAF, performed by SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 9 is a diagram for describing modification of a configuration of a created UL CL and a method of transferring a load by using analysis data of an NWDAF, performed by an SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig.10 is a diagram for describing a process of removing UL CL by using analysis data of NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process being performed by SMF.

[0034] Fig.11 is a diagram for describing a method for managing a user plane function (UPF) instance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig.12 is a diagram for describing the operation of a point coordination function (PCF) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.13 is a diagram of a configuration of a user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig.14 is a diagram of a configuration of a network entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] When describing the embodiments, technical aspects that are well known in the art and not directly related to the present disclosure are not described. By omitting unnecessary descriptions, the main points of the present disclosure will not be obscured and can be relatively more clearly conveyed.

[0040] For the same reason, some parts in the drawings are exaggerated, omitted or schematically shown. The size of each element may not fully reflect their actual size. In all drawings, the same number refers to the same element.

[0041] When the following embodiments of the present disclosure are read with reference to the accompanying drawings, the advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will be more clearly understood. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Throughout the specification, the same numbers refer to the same elements.

[0042] It is understood that the combination of each frame and frame in the process flow chart can be implemented by computer program instructions. Computer program instructions can be loaded onto a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so when run by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device, they generate a device for performing the functions described in the (multiple) frames of the flow chart. Computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory for a computer or other programmable data processing device, so that a product containing instructions for performing the functions described in the (multiple) frames of the flow chart can be manufactured. Computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or programmable data processing device, so that instructions can generate a process run by a computer or other programmable data processing device to provide steps for performing the functions described in the (multiple) frames of the flow chart.

[0043] In addition, each box can represent a part of a module, segment or code, including one or more executable instructions that perform specific logical functions. Note that in alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the functions described in the box may not occur in order. For example, two consecutive boxes can be executed substantially simultaneously or in reverse order.

[0044] The term "~ unit" used herein refers to a software or hardware component that performs some functions, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). However, the "~ unit" is not limited to software or hardware. The term "~ unit" can be configured to be stored in an addressable storage medium or to run one or more processors. For example, the "~ unit" may include components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. The functions served by components and "~ units" can be combined into fewer components and "~ units", or further divided into additional components and "~ units". Components and "~ units" can be implemented as one or more central processing units (CPUs) in a running device or a secure multimedia card. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the "~ unit" may include one or more processors.

[0045] When describing the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, the radio access network, i.e., the New Radio (NR) Access Network (RAN)) and the core network, i.e., the packet core (5G system, 5G core network, or next generation (NG) core) specified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a mobile communication standardization group are mainly described. However, with slight modifications, the gist of the present disclosure can be applied to other communication systems with similar technical backgrounds whose scope does not greatly deviate from the scope of the present disclosure, which can be understood by ordinary technicians in the field.

[0046] In 5G systems, in order to support network automation, a network data collection and analysis function (NWDAF) can be defined to analyze and provide data collected in the 5G network. NWDAF can collect / store / analyze data from the 5G network and provide the results to an unspecified network function (NF). The analysis results can be used independently by each NF.

[0047] Below, for the convenience of description, the terms and names defined by the 3GPP standards (5G, NR, LTE or similar system standards) may be partially used. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these terms and names. The present disclosure can be equally applied to systems according to other standards.

[0048] In addition, the terms used in the following description, such as terms identifying connection nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, and terms referring to various identification information, are merely examples given for the convenience of description. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to these terms, and other terms may be used to refer to objects with similar technical meanings.

[0049] The present disclosure provides a method for using a packet data unit (PDU) session in a 5G mobile communication system, whereby a session management function (SMF) requests analysis data required for session management from an NWDAF and manages the PDU session by using the analysis data.

[0050] The 5G mobile communication system may support a method whereby the NF can collect network-related data through the NWDAF and use the analysis results. Via this method, the collection and analysis of network data can be performed in a centralized manner so that each NF can effectively provide its functions. The NWDAF may perform collection and analysis of network data for each network slice. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the network slice unit, and the NWDAF may additionally use various data such as user equipment (UE), PDU session, NF status, quality of service obtained from an external service server, and the like. The analysis results of the NWDAF may be sent to each NF requesting the results, and the sent analysis results may be used to optimize network management functions such as protecting / improving quality of service (QoS), traffic control, mobility maintenance, load transfer, and the like.

[0051] The present disclosure relates to a method by which SMF uses data collected and analyzed by NWDAF to efficiently manage PDU sessions. In a 5G mobile communication system, SMF refers to a network function that manages sessions of data sent to or received from a user equipment (UE). SMF can provide a variety of functions, such as inserting / changing / removing sessions, assigning / managing UE's IP address, dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) function, address resolution protocol (ARP) proxy function, selecting and controlling user plane function (UPF), controlling UPF's traffic, billing-related functions, notifying downlink data, etc.

[0052] The present disclosure provides a method of using NWDAF to improve the efficiency of selecting and controlling dual UPFs and controlling UPF traffic.

[0053] Currently, in 3GPP, the core network of 5G mobile communications can provide PDU connectivity services that support data communication between UE and data network, where data communication can be managed by a PDU session created for each UE.

[0054] In 5G mobile communications, a PDU session can send data units of IPv4, IPv6, IPv4v6, and Ethernet, as well as unstructured data units. The two endpoints of a PDU session can be UPFs directly connected to the UE and the data network (DN). Here, the UPF included in the endpoint can include a PDU session anchor (PSA).

[0055] In the case of uplink, the UE can send data to the endpoint UPF including the PSA through the base station and the intermediate UPF, and the endpoint UPF can send the sent data to the external network.

[0056] In the case of a downlink, a similar process may occur in the reverse order, and an additional process of discovering and waking up the UE may be performed. Here, a DN located outside the core network of mobile communication may regard the object communicating with the DN as a UPF including a PSA. The PSA may have an address assigned to each UE that can be routed via an external network, and the address may be different from the internal address of the UE, which is assigned for routing via the internal network. Here, the conversion between the external address and the internal address may be performed using methods such as network address translation (NAT).

[0057] Generally speaking, a PDU session for each UE may typically have a single PSA for a predetermined DN. However, 5G supports a method by which data may be simultaneously sent to a DN via multiple PSAs on a PDU session. This function may be referred to as an uplink classifier (UL CL). Generally speaking, UL CL may be applied in a mobile communication structure.

[0058] UL CL is one of the functions provided by UPF, and the insertion / removal and control of UL CL can be determined by SMF. UL CL can be located on the path through which network traffic sent by UE reaches DN. Traffic can be classified according to the filtering rules inherent in UL CL, and the classified traffic can be sent to DN through each different path.

[0059] Here, the DN may be the same as the DN sent before the diversion. However, the PSA at the end point of the path diverted through the UL CL may be different. That is, the traffic toward the same DN may be sent via the UL CL selecting one of the multiple paths. The insertion of the UL CL may be performed simultaneously with the creation of the PDU session. However, it is not limited to this, and the insertion of the UL CL may be performed after the PDU session is created.

[0060] In the case of transmission through the downlink, packets received by multiple PSAs can be sent to the UL CL, the received packets can be merged and sent to the UE, and the separated / merged packets can be controlled by the SMF. When multiple PSAs are activated, the UPF can create filters to classify the traffic in the UL CL in order to identify the traffic toward each PSA. Here, representative factors included in the filter can include the destination address or the prefix of the address.

[0061] The traffic classified by the filter can be sent to the DN through each different route according to the additional routing rules. The address of only one PSA among the PSAs created at the same time can be sent to the UE. In addition, the traffic can be separated by UL CL, so that the transmission can not affect the behavior of UE or base station.

[0062] The entities in this disclosure are described as follows.

[0063] The unit that performs each function provided by the 5G network system may be defined as a network function (NF). Representative NFs may include, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF) configured to manage network access and mobility of UEs, an SMF configured to perform session-related functions, an UPF configured to manage a user data plane, a network slice selection function (NSSF) configured to select a network slice instance that can be used for a predetermined UE, an application function (AF) configured to efficiently provide services, and the like. However, NFs are not limited to the above examples.

[0064] In addition, there may be an NWDAF, which is a NF configured to collect and analyze data. The NWDAF can analyze data collected from the network or external environment and provide the analyzed data to the NF. The NWDAF can collect data from operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM), NFs included in the 5G network, or AF. The NWDAF can collect data through various methods. The NWDAF can collect and analyze the load level of the network slice instance and provide the analysis results to the NSSF to select the network slice instance to be used by a specific UE.

[0065] Here, in order to request analysis data or send analysis result values ​​between a specific NF and NWDAF, a service-based interface defined for the 5G network may be used, and as a transmission scheme, a document in HTTP or JSON format may be used.

[0066] In the 5G network, NWDAF, which provides the function of collecting and analyzing data, can provide the following services. However, the services are not limited to the following examples.

[0067] exist Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the correlation between entities according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating logical dependencies between entities according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] In the present disclosure, a data network name (DNN) may be used as a factor for identifying a DN. Here, when the DNs are physically different networks but have the same DNN, the DNs may be considered to be logically equal to each other. There may be a situation where the DNNs are the same but the data network access identifiers (DNAIs) are different. For example, this situation may include a network that is activated only in a predetermined area to achieve a predetermined purpose, such as a local area data network (LADN), or a local area network established to manage or improve network performance.

[0070] Accordingly, Figure 2 A situation is shown where logically equivalent services are available through physically different paths.

[0071] Figure 2 is a diagram showing logical dependencies between entities in the case where local access is possible according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, NWDAF can collect network data from NF and analyze the network data. NWDAF can collect and analyze network-related data, service-related data, and UE-related data.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, representative data having a traffic management purpose using UL CL may be used. However, the data used and the analysis method are not necessarily limited thereto.

[0074] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the representative data collected may include application ID from point coordination function (PCF), IP filter data, media / application bandwidth, UE identifier from AMF, location data, destination DNN from SMF, UE IP, QoS flow bit rate, QFI, QoS flow error rate, QoS flow delay, traffic usage data from UPF, etc. The traffic usage data from UPF may be sent to NWDAF from the SMF that has received the data from UPF.

[0075] NWDAF can additionally collect data such as the current resource status (CPU, memory, I / O, etc.) of each NF from OAM (which is an entity that affects the connectivity between UE and service server) except for NFs included in the core network of 5G, throughput of each NF and connection link, service level agreement (SLA) information, UE status information from UE, application information, usage pattern information, application identifiers of services provided by AF, service quality, traffic patterns, etc., and the data can be used for analysis.

[0076] The representative data collected may include data collected by NWDAF from NF (as shown in [Table 1]) and data collected by NWDAF from external entities (as shown in [Table 2]). The content of [Table 2] may correspond to data collected from entities other than the core network.

[0077] When collecting the above data, the period and time point of collecting data from each entity may vary. In addition, the correlation between the collected data may be identified based on the correlation ID used to map the data collected from each object and by the timestamp used to record the time point of collecting the data. Based on the correlation, the collected data may be further classified into predetermined UEs, predetermined UE groups, predetermined services, predetermined locations, etc. in more detail.

[0078] [Table 1]

[0079] Data collected from NF by NWDAF

[0080]

[0081]

[0082] [Table 2]

[0083] Data collected by NWADF from external entities

[0084]

[0085]

[0086] The NWDAF that has collected the above data may analyze the data by using data for each service, each DNN, each UE group (when there are multiple UE groups), each UE, each area, each NF, and each traffic route.

[0087] The network data that is mainly analyzed may be information directly related to the traffic. For example, flow duration, volume, packet inter-arrival time, burstiness (the amount of traffic sent in a short period of time), average packet size, traffic trend (up / down state and increase and decrease), load information of NF / route / slice, round trip time (RTT) of a predetermined UPF, etc. may be analyzed. Based on the analyzed data, the load level of a predetermined network route and a predetermined entity and the load level of a predetermined future time zone may be estimated and analyzed.

[0088] In addition, the probability of failure of a predetermined NF, the probability of congestion or chaos on a predetermined route, whether the SLA is violated, the probability of SLA violation, the service end time, and whether a handover to a predetermined area occurs and its probability can be analyzed.

[0089] That is, the final form of the analyzed data can have the purpose of calculating the path through which packets are to be sent from the UE to the destination DN, as well as calculating information created by mapping network resources to be assigned to path entities existing on the path, and can analyze and predict information about problems that may occur directly on the path.

[0090] Figure 3 The process of collecting and analyzing the above data is shown.

[0091] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of a process in which NWDAF collects and analyzes data of an entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0092] For each route between a predetermined UE or base station and a predetermined DNN, the traffic status, whether the SLA is violated, load information, and analysis information of delay and error levels can be analyzed, and prediction values ​​about future conditions can be obtained. These values ​​can be used in the embodiments of the present disclosure to be described below.

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the network analysis and prediction information obtained through the above process can be used, and the UL CL function provided by the UPF regarding the traffic toward the same DN can be used. Therefore, without operations such as UE configuration or session mobility, network traffic can be efficiently managed.

[0094] The data collected and analyzed by NWDAF can be sent to SMF. SMF can establish a processing method internally, and then SMF can separate or merge predetermined network traffic by using the UL CL function provided by UPF for the purpose of one or more embodiments. Through this operation, network traffic and resources can be effectively managed.

[0095] In the 5G mobile communication network of 3GPP, the operation of operation functions (such as insertion and removal of UL CL) can be performed by SMF.

[0096] NWDAF can provide analysis data to SMF so that SMF can effectively operate UL CL. Here, UL CL related information can be transmitted and received between SMF and NWDAF mainly by using two methods.

[0097] First, NWDAF can only provide analysis data. NWDAF can directly send analysis data to SMF. SMF can directly perform additional analysis operations and determine the method of managing UL CL. SMF can instruct UPF to insert / change / remove UL CL.

[0098] Secondly, NWDAF can provide SMF with recommended configuration parameters related to UL CL.

[0099] exist Figure 4 A method performed by the SMF using analysis data from the NWDAF to apply the UL CL is shown in FIG.

[0100] Figure 4 is a diagram for describing a process in which the SMF controls the UL CL by subscribing to / notifying the analysis data of the NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] NWDAF can provide analytical data by collecting and analyzing data from each NF and external entities. Here, the collection and analysis of required data can be performed from the time point when SMF requests to subscribe to traffic-related data.

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 The first operation may correspond to an operation in which the SMF requests subscription to UC CL related analysis data from the NWDAF, and may be performed via the Nnwdaf_EventsSubscription_Subscribe interface. The factors sent in the request message may include analysis data objects (predetermined slices, DNNs, predetermined routes, predetermined UE groups, predetermined NFs), requested analysis data, event data receiving objects, event subscription related factors (modes, number of reports, reporting periods), event filters (event notification conditions), etc.

[0103] In response to the request, the NWDAF may return a subscription correlation ID for the current subscription.

[0104] Here, the requested data may include flow duration, volume, packet inter-arrival time, burstiness (amount of traffic sent in a short period of time), average packet size, traffic trend (up / down state and increase and decrease), load information of NF / route / slice, RTT of predetermined UPF, failure probability of predetermined NF, probability of congestion or chaos on predetermined route, whether SLA is violated, probability of SLA violation, service end time, and whether switching to predetermined area occurs and its probability, as described above for the analysis process. Other additional information may be requested and used by SMF.

[0105] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 The second operation (i.e., notification of analysis data) may correspond to an operation of periodically sending analysis data from NWDAF to SMF in response to a request from SMF, or an operation of sending analysis data when a predetermined condition is met. NWDAF may send the event ID, notification object address, analysis object, and analysis data to SMF.

[0106] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 The third operation may correspond to an operation of determining whether to insert / change / remove UL CL in a predetermined UPF based on an inherent operation method via the SMF that has received the analysis data. The inherent operation method of the SMF may vary depending on the manufacturing company. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a predetermined threshold is received, the SMF may perform a predetermined UL CL-related operation. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an algorithm for calculating an optimized state (e.g., a lower maximum link utilization, minimum energy usage, a minimum number of pre-texts, etc.) may be adopted depending on the purpose.

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 The fourth operation may correspond to an operation of determining the configuration of the UL CL by an inherent algorithm, and an operation of changing the configuration of the UL CL and the associated UPF by the N4 interface according to the process of inserting / changing / removing the UL CL. Here, the SMF may send traffic filtering rules about which traffic will be sent through which route. The traffic filtering rules may include a method for classifying traffic, a method for applying rules, and an output route. The traffic classification method may include a combination of a sending address, a prefix of a sending address, a destination address, a prefix of a destination address, a DNN, etc. The output route may vary according to the network. For example, the output route may include an output port, a next UPF, a tunnel selection, etc.

[0108] Figure 5 is a diagram for describing a process in which the SMF controls the UL CL via subscription / notification of a configuration value recommended by the NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] Specifically, Figure 5 is a diagram for describing a method of managing UL CL via NWDAF providing a recommended configuration value to SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 The first operation may correspond to an operation in which the SMF may send a request for subscription to a recommended configuration value to the NWDAF by using the Nnwdaf_Recommendation_Subscribe interface. The subscription request message may internally include an object indicating a request for a desired UL CL-related configuration value. In addition, a time period required to apply the configuration value, a period for data collection and analysis, and additional requirements may be sent together. Therefore, between the NWDAF and the SMF, the UL CL-related configuration value and a method of obtaining the value via the SMF may be implemented internally.

[0111] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the NWDAF determines that an operation of inserting / changing / removing the UL CL needs to be performed, the following operations may be performed: Figure 5 The second operation. Figure 5 In the second operation, the time point of notification and the content of notification can be determined by considering the configuration value and requirements requested in the first operation.

[0112] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 The third operation may correspond to applying the change to the UL CL according to the procedure by using the recommended configuration value received from the NWDAF.

[0113] Between the second operation and the third operation, an operation in which the SMF checks whether to apply the recommended value of the NWDAF may also be included.

[0114] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The described example corresponds to a method via subscription, and when the SMF meets a predetermined condition, the SMF can request analysis information or recommended configuration values ​​from the NWDAF. When comparing the method via subscription and notification between the SMF and the NWDAF with the embodiment of the present disclosure, the factors sent and received between the SMF and the NWDAF may be similar to each other, but the method and the embodiment may be different from each other because the NWDAF interface used may use request / response. In addition, the embodiment of the present disclosure may be different from the previous method because the monitoring of the time point of application of the UL CL can be performed directly by the SMF.

[0115] Figure 6 A process is shown for a case where analysis information can be used directly by the SMF.

[0116] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram for describing a process in which the SMF controls the UL CL via a request / response regarding analysis data of the NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0117] exist Figure 7 The process of SMF receiving recommended configuration values ​​from NWDAF is shown in FIG.

[0118] Figure 7 is a diagram for describing a process in which the SMF controls the UL CL via a request / response regarding a configuration value recommended by the NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] Hereinafter, a method of applying UL CL to shift network load by using analysis data of NWDAF will be described.

[0120] A mobile communication network may refer to a system in which multiple users receive services at the same time. In this case, the traffic may be concentrated on a predetermined DN, so that the NF or the network link located on the route may be overloaded. In order to solve the occurrence of overload, the load can be transferred by selecting another route that is not currently busy. Figure 8 FIG. 4 shows a process in which SMF inserts UL CL to transfer load by using the analysis data of NWDAF.

[0121] Figure 8 is a diagram for describing a method of transferring load by using analysis data of NWDAF, performed by SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0122] Specifically, Figure 8 is a diagram for describing a process of additionally assigning a UPF (PSA 2) to transfer load in a situation where a UE sends and receives data traffic through a UPF (PSA 1) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] As Figure 8 The process for collecting data can apply the operating process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure as described above.

[0124] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first operation, the SMF may request to subscribe to data analysis from the NWDAF, and the NWDAF may perform the data analysis and send the result to the SMF.

[0125] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a second operation, the UE may create a PDU session through the UPF (PSA 1) to send and receive data traffic.

[0126] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a third operation, the NWDAF may analyze load-related data based on the collected data.

[0127] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the fourth operation, when overload is predicted for a predetermined NF or a predetermined route, the NWDAF may notify the SMF of analysis data. The function of detecting the need for load transfer may be performed by using an event condition filter that is sent together with a subscription request sent from the SMF to the NWDAF, or the SMF may directly decide on the insertion of the UL CL by periodically receiving analysis data from the NWDAF.

[0128] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the fifth operation, the SMF that has received the notification about the event can decide the insertion of the UL CL, and can determine the configuration value and position for the insertion of the UL CL. Through this process, UPF (UL CL) and UPF (PSA 2) can be selected. UPF (UP CL) and UPF (PSA 2) can be newly created according to the operation policy, or the previous UPF can be selected.

[0129] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the sixth operation, the SMF may configure the UPF (PSA2) to support the session.

[0130] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the seventh operation may correspond to an operation of inserting UPF (UL CL), and in this operation, a traffic rule may be applied to apply a traffic filter, through which UPF (UL CL) is diverted to UPF (PSA 1) and UPF (PSA2).

[0131] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the eighth operation may correspond to an operation of applying a traffic rule to configure the downlink traffic of the UPF (PSA1) to pass through the UPF (UL CL). After this process, the traffic entering through the DN can be sent to the UE through the UL CL. The uplink traffic from the UE can be sent to the DN through the same route as the previous route. Next, the SMF may request the (R)AN to change the configuration to send the uplink to the UL CL. Through this process, the process of inserting the UL CL can be completed. Thereafter, the traffic sent from the UE to the DN can be diverted in the UL CL to be transferred to the UPF (PSA1) and the UPF (PSA2), and the downlink traffic can be merged in the UL CL and sent to the UE.

[0132] In this process, session continuity of the traffic transferred to the UPF (PSA2) can be continuously supported through its higher-level mobility support technology (e.g., L3 tunnel, locator-ID separation protocol (LISP), etc.). This may be different according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, because when a recommended configuration value is received from the NWDAF, the NWDAF may determine whether to insert the UL CL and may send a notification message including an object with the configuration value to the SMF as described above. However, the method of basic operation is the same.

[0133] Hereinafter, in a situation where a UL CL has been inserted, a method of transferring load by using analysis data of NWDAF is described.

[0134] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the UL CL has been inserted, when the network condition is changed after a period of time, a new load transfer rule can be applied. Fig. 9 FIG. 4 shows the process in which SMF transfers load by modifying UL CL using analysis data of NWDAF.

[0135] Fig. 9 is a diagram for describing modification of a configuration of an inserted UL CL and a method of transferring a load by using analysis data of an NWDAF, performed by an SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0136] exist Fig. 9 In , the process of collecting data is the same as above.

[0137] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first operation, the SMF may request to subscribe to data analysis from the NWDAF, and the NWDAF may perform the data analysis and send the result to the SMF.

[0138] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second operation may correspond to an operation in which the NWDAF may analyze load-related data based on the collected data.

[0139] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the third operation may correspond to an operation in which NWDAF may notify SMF of analysis data when an overload of a predetermined NF or route is expected. In the operation of detecting the need for load transfer, an event condition filter sent together with a subscription request sent from SMF to NWDAF may be used. Alternatively, SMF may periodically receive analysis data from NWDAF and may directly decide whether to insert UL CL.

[0140] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fourth operation may correspond to an operation in which the SMF having received the notification about the event may determine to change the UL CL and determine an inserted configuration value for the UL CL.

[0141] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fifth operation may correspond to an operation of inserting UPF (UL CL), and a traffic rule may be applied to change a traffic filter through which UPF (UL CL) may be diverted to UPF (PSA1) and UPF (PSA 2).

[0142] Thereafter, the traffic sent from the UE to the DN can be split in the UL CL according to the new rules and can be distributed to the UPF (PSA 1) and the UPF (PSA 2). The downlink traffic can be merged in the UL CL and can be sent to the UE. In this process, the session continuity of the traffic distributed to the UPF (PSA 2) can be continuously supported by its higher-level mobility support technology (e.g., L3 tunnel, LISP, etc.).

[0143] This may be different according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, because when receiving a recommended configuration value from NWDAF, NWDAF may determine whether to insert UL CL, and may send a notification message including an object with the configuration value to SMF as described above. However, the method of basic operation is the same.

[0144] Hereinafter, a method of removing UL CL by using analysis data of NWDAF in order to save network resources is described.

[0145] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, regarding the inserted UL CL, there may be a need to remove the UL CL due to a change in the network or service conditions. Such a change in conditions may also be accommodated by a single route due to a decrease in the number of users or the number of required services. Alternatively, the network or service conditions may change when an overload problem occurring in the NF is resolved. In addition, there may be a case where resources are additionally allocated due to an added device or an upgrade to the device, or there may be a case where there is confusion in a predetermined PSA or a service does not have to be provided. However, this is not limited to the above examples.

[0146] Fig.10 is a diagram of a process in which the SMF removes UL CL by using analysis data of the NWDAF.

[0147] Specifically, Fig.10It illustrates a process in which, under the condition that the UE sends and receives data traffic through UPF (PSA 1), UPF (PSA 2) and UPF (UL CL), the UE removes UPF (PSA 1) and UPF (UL CL) and uses only UPF (PSA 2) and retrieves previously allocated resources.

[0148] For the process of collecting data, you can apply reference Figure 8 Describe the process.

[0149] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first operation, the SMF may request to subscribe to data analysis from the NWDAF, and the NWDAF may perform the data analysis and send the result to the SMF.

[0150] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the second operation, the UE may create a PDU session through the UPF (PSA 1), the UPF (PSA 2), and the UPF (UL CL), and send and receive data traffic.

[0151] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the third operation may correspond to an operation in which the NWDAF may analyze load-related data based on the collected data.

[0152] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the fourth operation, NWDAF may notify SMF of analysis data indicating the need to be merged into a predetermined NF or route. Regarding the time point for sending data, an event condition filter may be used, which is sent from SMF to NWDAF together with a subscription request. SMF may periodically receive analysis data from NWDAF and may directly decide whether to remove UL CL.

[0153] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the fifth operation, the SMF having received the event notification may decide to remove the ULCL. Through this operation, it is possible to select to remove the UPF (UL CL) and the UPF (PSA 1).

[0154] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the sixth operation, SMF can directly send the traffic entering through UPF (UL CL) to UPF (PSA 2) by updating the configuration of (R)AN. After this process, the traffic toward UPF (PSA 2) can be sent directly to UPF (PSA 2) without passing through UL CL.

[0155] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the seventh operation may correspond to an operation of updating the transmission position of the downlink traffic from UPF (PSA 2) to (R)AN. Through this process, the traffic using UPF (PSA 2) may not pass through UPF (UL CL). Thereafter, SMF may release the resources assigned to UPF (PSA 1) and UPF (UL CL), and may remove the previously inserted UPF (UL CL) and UPF (PSA 1).

[0156] In the following, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for inserting ULCL to improve the reliability of the network by using the analysis data of NWDAF is described. In order to support ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), the network reliability can be improved by duplicating the traffic and sending the traffic sent from the UE via the uplink to the destination via another route. In this process, the receiving end can ignore the repeatedly received packets, or can re-request the packet. To this end, there can be a method for collecting and processing the repeatedly received traffic. The operation of the method can be performed by the receiving end.

[0157] The operation according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be compared with the Figure 8 The method described is essentially the same. Figure 8 In the traffic filtering rule of the UL CL in the seventh operation, the output traffic may be sent to the UPF (PSA 1) and the UPF (PSA 2) at the same time, so that the traffic may be copied and may be sent to the destination.

[0158] Hereinafter, a method of using UL CL in order to control ingress network traffic received from an external network by using analysis data of NWDAF is described.

[0159] Generally, there may be situations where it is impossible to control the traffic that originates and enters from an external network. The transmission route may be determined by a routing device located between an external sender and a receiver. Therefore, when a mobile communication network supports multi-homing, it may not be possible to directly control the ingress traffic.

[0160] Typically, in a mobile communication network, services may be provided to a UE through a network address translation (NAT) environment. When the mobile communication network initially sends traffic to an external network, operations for communicating with the external network may begin. A server located in the external environment may respond to traffic through the same route as the route of the received initial packet. Based on the network characteristics, in the presence of multiple UPFs, the routing of the ingress traffic may be controlled.

[0161] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the insertion / change / removal of UL CL can be dynamically applied. By removing UL CL or changing traffic filtering rules, the scale of the egress traffic toward a predetermined UPF can be increased, thereby increasing the ingress traffic toward a predetermined UF. Here, the scale and characteristics of the ingress traffic and the egress traffic can be different.

[0162] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the impact of uplink traffic and downlink traffic can be analyzed by NWDAF, whether the traffic can be accommodated in the assigned route can be analyzed, and UL CL rules and creation / modification / removal of UL CL rules can be applied.

[0163] Hereinafter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of using ULCL to differentiate service quality by using analysis data of NWDAF is described. By changing a network route according to the location of a receiving end located in an external environment, service quality can be improved.

[0164] For example, in the case of service A, the receiving end can be logically or physically close to UPF (PSA 1), so that a higher quality service can be provided by UPF (PSA 1) than by UPF (PSA 2). Similarly, in the case of service B, a higher quality service can be provided by UPF (PSA 2) than by UPF (PSA 1).

[0165] This aspect can be analyzed by using the traffic patterns reported from the UPF. The quality of service routed through the external network can be measured indirectly by analyzing in a combined manner the delay and error rate of the sent traffic, the pattern of downlink traffic, the round trip time (RTT), etc. The AF can directly provide feedback on the quality of service and traffic patterns.

[0166] By using this data, the NWDAF can identify the traffic towards the UPF (PSA 1) and the UPF (PSA 2), and can configure the traffic sent and received through the preferred UPF via the UL CL.

[0167] Hereinafter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of using ULCL for local network access by using analysis data of NWDAF is described.

[0168] For reference, a network that can be used in a predetermined area or under predetermined conditions may be referred to as a local access network.

[0169] In the 5G mobile communication network, there may be a local area data network (LADN). One of the characteristics of LADN is that it can only be used under predetermined location or time conditions. Therefore, the local access network can be efficiently supported by analyzing the usage pattern of the UE.

[0170] When the UE moves in a predetermined pattern, the NWDAF can analyze the predicted route of the UE, and based on the predicted route, a UL CL for accessing the local access network can be created. When an available local access network is detected on the predicted route of the UE, a traffic filtering rule can be applied to create the UL CL so that the services provided by the local access network can be provided to the UL CL.

[0171] Through the local access network, when the UE moves to other areas for a predetermined period of time, it can continue to use the network in other areas by modifying the UL CL. When the UE escapes from the service provision area, the assigned resources can be retrieved by removing the UL CL.

[0172] Fig.11 It is a diagram for describing a method for managing a UPF instance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] In the following, when the SMF configures the relevant routing rules in the UPF, the UL CL and BP can generally function. Here, in order to support efficient operation, it may be necessary to configure the resources of the UPF, which is the NF that performs the actual functions when creating the UL CL and BP. The physical (or logical) management of the resources of the UPF can be performed by a network management device (such as OAM) located outside the core network. The network management device can perform the creation, removal, or modification of the UPF instance, and can manage the resources for functions such as CPU, memory, storage device, etc. assigned to the instance. Therefore, OAM may have to manage the UPF instance by obtaining sufficient resources for efficient operation of the UL CL and BP.

[0174] When the resources previously allocated to the UPF instance are insufficient, OAM can create a new UPF instance, or can additionally allocate resources to the UPF instance. However, when the architectural shape (UPF topology) of the previous UPF instance may not perform UL CL or BP, or even when the architectural shape of the previous UPF instance can perform UL CL or BP, the described effect may not be obtained. In order to improve this situation, OAM or a network management device can manage the UPF instance by using the traffic-related analysis data and load-related analysis data provided by NWDAF.

[0175] refer to Fig.11, the zeroth operation is the basic state before the execution process, and may correspond to an operation in which the NWDAF collects data inputs required to perform the analysis function, where the NWDAF may collect data from various entities such as NF, OAM, UE, and AF. Data collection may be performed reactively after the NWDAF receives a request for analysis or after a need for data collection arises.

[0176] In the first operation, the SMF can request to subscribe to the status of the currently available NF (especially UPF) through the network repository function (NRF). Through this process, the newly created or removed UPF can be identified from the NRF.

[0177] In the second operation, OAM may request to subscribe to analytical data about the traffic and load of the UPF from NWDAF. Based on the analytical data, OAM may determine whether the load status of the currently operating UPF and the traffic that the currently operating UPF must handle at a predetermined point in time are at a legal level. Here, OAM may specify conditions for transmitting analytical data related to traffic or load. For example, by specifying relevant conditions, such as the load level of the UPF exceeds a predetermined threshold, the traffic is greater than a threshold, etc., analytical data values ​​can be obtained only for conditions specified by OAM. In addition, OAM may subscribe to analytical data periodically.

[0178] In a third operation, the NWDAF may send analysis data related to traffic and UPF load to the OAM.

[0179] In the fourth operation, the OAM that has received the analysis data of the NWDAF can internally run an analysis on whether any of the currently running UPFs is overloaded, can create a new UPF instance based on the results of the analysis, and can modify the relationship configuration of the UPF (UPF topology). However, when the load or traffic of the UPF tends to decrease at a predetermined time point, the OAM can also remove unnecessary UPFs.

[0180] In the fifth operation, the newly created UPF instance may be directly configured according to the inherent rules, or may be configured by OAM. The configuration of the UPF instance may be newly registered in the NRF, or the previous configuration may be updated when the previous configuration is modified.

[0181] In the sixth operation, the NRF may notify the NF subscribed to the NF status data of the data about the newly created or updated UPF through Nnrf_NFmanagement_NFStatus notify. The notified NF may recognize that the data about the UPF is modified, and may perform a sequential operation based on the updated data.

[0182] In a seventh operation, the SMF may request to subscribe to traffic and load data from the NWDAF.

[0183] In the eighth operation, after the NWDAF calculates the requested analysis data, the NWDAF may send the data to the SMF. The seventh and eighth operations may be performed separately from the first to fifth operations described above. That is, the seventh and eighth operations may be performed simultaneously with at least one of the first to fifth operations described above, or may be performed before or after at least one of the first to fifth operations described above.

[0184] In the ninth operation, the SMF may create, modify or remove the UL CL according to the analysis result.

[0185] In the above operation, when AMF-SMF replaces UPF, for example, when data transmission is performed through the control plane to support cellular IoT, NWDAF can send analysis data of traffic and load not only through UPF but also through SMF and AMF. Here, OAM can add, change or remove new SMF and AMF instances, and the above process can be equally applicable.

[0186] Fig.12 is a flowchart for describing the operation of the PCF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0187] As described below, the PCF can subscribe to the traffic data and load data of the UPF provided by the NWDAF, and can establish policies related to traffic routing or transmission, or can create policy and charging control (PCC) rules to send policies or PCC rules to the SMF. PCC rules directly related to traffic routing can use a predetermined N6 tunnel, or send traffic to a DN or DNAI to meet requirements related to a predetermined N6. Therefore, when creating or modifying the UL CL, the SMF may have to be configured to meet the needs of the PCF. That is, the PSA that may have to be sent by the UL CL can be determined based on the determination of the PCF. When the PCF notifies requirements related to the PSA or N6 or previous rules must be changed, the configuration related to the DN can be modified based on the analysis data sent by the NWDAF or the PCC rules can be changed so that the traffic can be sent to the predetermined DN.

[0188] refer to Fig.12 , the zeroth operation is the basic state before executing the process, and may correspond to an operation in which the NWDAF collects data inputs required to perform the analysis function, where the NWDAF may collect data from various entities such as NF, OAM, UE, and AF. Data collection may be performed reactively after the NWDAF receives a request for analysis or after a need for data collection arises.

[0189] In the first operation, the PCF may request to subscribe to analytical data about the traffic and load of the UPF from the NWDAF. Based on the analytical data, the PCF may determine whether the load status of the currently running UPF and the traffic that the currently running UPF must handle at a predetermined point in time are at a legal level. Here, the PCF may specify conditions for transmitting analytical data related to traffic or load. For example, by specifying relevant conditions, such as the load level of the UPF exceeding a predetermined threshold, the traffic being greater than a threshold, etc., analytical data values ​​may be obtained only for conditions specified by the PCF. In addition, the PCF may periodically subscribe to analytical data.

[0190] In a second operation, the NWDAF may send analysis data related to traffic and UPF load to the OAM.

[0191] In a third operation, the PCF receiving the analysis data of the NWDAF can determine whether the PCC rules currently sent to the SMF can meet the requirements related to the transmission of the scheduled traffic based on the analysis data. When it is determined that the requirements may not be met or that resources or configurations may be optimized to meet the requirements, the PCF can create new PCC rules and update the rules previously sent to the SMF. The operation of the PCF may include creating new rules that can be sent to the new DN to meet the requirements related to the transmission of the scheduled traffic. The PCF may not allow the traffic to be transmitted to the scheduled DN. In addition, the PCF may update N6-related rules that may have to be supported by the scheduled N6.

[0192] In a fourth operation, the SMF may request to subscribe to traffic and load data from the NWDAF.

[0193] In the fifth operation, after the NWDAF calculates the requested analysis data, the NWDAF may send information related to the analysis data to the SMF. The fourth and fifth operations may be operations separate from the first to third operations described above, and may not be performed in the described order. That is, the fourth and fifth operations may be performed simultaneously with at least one of the first to third operations described above, or may be performed before or after at least one of the first to third operations described above.

[0194] In the sixth operation, the SMF may create, modify or remove the UL CL according to the analysis result.

[0195] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0196] 1) The configuration in the mobile communication core network may not affect the configuration of the UE and services.

[0197] 2) Network routing can be selected based on the characteristics of the external network, thereby distinguishing the quality of service.

[0198] 3) Ingress and egress traffic between the external environment and the mobile communication network can be indirectly controlled.

[0199] 4) Can efficiently manage internal network resources.

[0200] 5) It can support local access networks or multi-access edge computing without the need for additional specific equipment or processes.

[0201] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing network data traffic in a wireless communication system by using a function of collecting and analyzing data and UL CL. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus and method for effectively managing ingress and egress traffic of a data network in a mobile communication system are provided. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus and method for effectively providing services or improving network operation efficiency in a mobile communication system are provided.

[0202] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for providing management of ingress and egress traffic of a data network in a wireless communication system may include: separating traffic passing through UL CL via SMF by receiving analysis data of factors affecting the state of data sessions; and merging two or more sessions.

[0203] Fig.13 is a configuration diagram of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0204] refer to Fig.13 , the UE may include a transceiver 1302, a memory 1303, and a processor 1301. Based on the communication method of the UE described above, the transceiver 1302, the memory 1303, and the processor 1301 may operate. However, the components of the UE are not limited to the above examples. For example, the UE may include more or fewer components than the above components. In addition, the transceiver 1302, the memory 1303, and the processor 1301 may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0205] The transceiver 1302 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can send signals to a base station and receive signals from a base station. Here, the signal may include control information and data. To this end, the transceiver 1302 may include a radio frequency (RF) transmitter that performs up-conversion and amplification on the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that performs low-noise amplification on the received signal and performs down-conversion on the frequency. However, this is only an embodiment of the transceiver 1302. The components of the transceiver 1302 are not limited to the RF transmitter and the RF receiver.

[0206] In addition, the transceiver 1302 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a signal through a wireless channel, output the signal to the processor 1301 , and transmit a signal output from the processor 1301 through a wireless channel.

[0207] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1303 may store programs and data required for the operation of the UE. In addition, the memory 1303 may store control information or data included in a signal obtained from the UE. The memory 1303 may include a storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk, a compact disk (CD)-ROM, and a digital versatile disk (DVD), or a combination of storage media. In addition, the memory 1303 may include a plurality of memories. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1303 may store a program for supporting beam-based collaborative communication.

[0208] The processor 1301 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may control a series of processes for the UE to operate according to the above-mentioned embodiment. Here, with respect to the operation of the processor 1301, only one or more operations of the above-mentioned embodiment are described as examples. However, the operation of the processor 1301 is not limited thereto. The processor 1301 may control all or part of the processes according to the above-mentioned embodiment for the UE to operate.

[0209] Fig.14 is a diagram of a configuration of a network entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0210] refer to Fig.14 , the network entity may include a transceiver 1402, a memory 1403, and a processor 1401. Based on the communication method of the above network entity, the transceiver 1402, the memory 1403, and the processor 1401 may operate. However, the components of the network entity are not limited to the above examples. For example, the network entity may include more or fewer components than the above components. In addition, the transceiver 1402, the memory 1403, and the processor 1401 may be implemented in the form of a single chip. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the network entity may include an entity included in a base station and a core network. The network entity may include the above NF (network function), and may include, for example, AMF, SMF, etc.

[0211] The transceiver 1402 can send and receive signals between UE, network entity or base station. Here, the signal may include control information and data. To this end, the transceiver 1402 may include an RF transmitter that performs up-conversion and amplification on the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that performs low-noise amplification on the received signal and performs down-conversion on the frequency. However, this is only an embodiment of the transceiver 1402. The components of the transceiver 1402 are not limited to the RF transmitter and the RF receiver.

[0212] In addition, the transceiver 1402 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a signal through a wireless channel, output the signal to the processor 1401 , and transmit a signal output from the processor 1401 through a wireless channel.

[0213] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1403 may store programs and data required for the operation of the network entity. In addition, the memory 1403 may store control information or data included in a signal obtained from the network entity. The memory 1403 may include a storage medium such as a ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD, or a combination of storage media. In addition, the memory 1403 may include multiple memories. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1403 may store a program for supporting beam-based cooperative communication.

[0214] The processor 1401 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may control a series of processes for the UE to operate according to the above-described embodiments. According to one or more embodiments, the network entity may send a request for available analysis data to the NWDAF, and may receive a response including available analysis data from the NWDAF. The processor 1401 may only perform one or more operations of the above-described embodiments. However, the operation of the processor 1401 is not limited thereto. The processor 1401 may control all or part of the processes according to the above-described embodiments for operation by the network entity.

[0215] The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0216] When these methods are implemented by software, a computer-readable recording medium or a computer program product storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. One or more programs stored in a computer-readable recording medium or a computer program product may be configured to run via one or more processors in an electronic device. One or more programs may include instructions for an electronic device to run the methods of the embodiments described in the claims and specification of the present disclosure.

[0217] The program (software module or software) may be stored in a non-volatile memory (including RAM, flash memory, etc.), ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), magnetic disk storage device, CD-ROM, DVD, other optical storage device or cassette tape. Alternatively, the program may be stored in a memory composed of part or all of the above memories. In addition, each memory included in the memory may be provided in multiples.

[0218] In addition, the program can be stored in an attachable storage device that can be accessed through a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area LAN (WLAN), or a storage area network (SAN), or through a communication network that combines the above communication networks. The storage device can access the device configured to perform the embodiments of the present disclosure through an external port. In addition, an additional storage device on the communication network can access the device configured to perform the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0219] Regarding the detailed embodiments disclosed above, according to the detailed embodiments provided, the components included in the present disclosure are referred to by singular terms or plural terms. However, for ease of explanation, singular terms or plural terms can be appropriately selected according to the provided conditions. The present disclosure is not limited to singular components or plural components. Components referred to by plural terms can be configured as singular components, and components referred to by singular terms can be configured as plural components.

[0220] The embodiments disclosed in the specification and the drawings may provide examples for easily explaining the technical concept of the present disclosure and helping to understand the present disclosure, and may not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, it is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that other modified examples are possible based on the technical concept of the present disclosure. In addition, each embodiment may be combined with another embodiment as needed. For example, one embodiment of the present disclosure and part of another embodiment may be combined. In addition, the embodiments may be modified based on the technical concept of the present disclosure so as to be applied to other systems, for example, an LTE system, a 5G system, or an NR system.

Claims

1. A method performed by an entity associated with a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, the method include: receiving analysis information from an entity associated with a network data analysis function NWDAF; as well as Based on processing the duration, interval time, and amount of communication included in the analysis information and analysis of the network function NF load, at least one entity associated with the user plane function UPF for the uplink classification function and the protocol data unit PDU session anchor is selected.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: Determine to insert an uplink classifier UL CL in the data path, and The UL CL is an uplink classification function supported by one of at least one entity associated with the UPF.

3. The method according to claim 2, in, The UL CL applies traffic filtering rules and determines how to route data.

4. A method performed by an entity associated with a network data analysis function NWDAF in a wireless communication system, the method include: Receiving first data associated with a network function NF load and a user equipment UE; as well as sending second data to an entity associated with a session management function SMF, the second data comprising duration, interval time and volume of communication, and analysis of NF load, and The second data is processed by an entity associated with the SMF for selecting an entity associated with a user plane function UPF for an uplink classification function and a protocol data unit PDU session anchor.

5. The method according to claim 4, in, The first data includes information about at least one of a data network name DNN, a traffic usage report, or an application ID, and The information is provided by at least one of a user plane function UPF, a session management function SMF, or an application function AF.

6. The method according to claim 4, in, The second data also includes at least one of information on the NF availability status or information on the load.

7. An entity associated with a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, the entity comprising: Transceiver; as well as at least one processor connected to the transceiver and configured to: receiving analysis information based on analysis of the UPF load and analysis of the user equipment UE from an entity associated with the network data analysis function NWDAF, and Based on processing the duration, interval time and amount of communication included in the analysis information and analysis of the network function NF load, at least one entity associated with the UPF for uplink classification function and protocol data unit PDU session anchor is selected.

8. An entity according to claim 7, in, The at least one processor is further configured to determine to insert an uplink classifier UL CL in the data path, and The UL CL is an uplink link classification function supported by at least one UPF.

9. An entity according to claim 8, in, The UL CL applies traffic filtering rules and determines how to route data.

10. An entity associated with a network data analysis function NWDAF in a wireless communication system, the entity comprising: Transceiver; as well as at least one processor connected to the transceiver and configured to: receiving first data associated with a network function NF load and a user equipment UE, and sending second data to an entity associated with a session management function SMF, the second data comprising duration, interval time and volume of communications, and analysis of NF load, and The second data is processed by an entity associated with the SMF for selecting an entity associated with a user plane function UPF for an uplink classification function and a protocol data unit PDU session anchor.

11. An entity according to claim 10, in, The first data includes information about at least one of a data network name DNN, a traffic usage report, or an application ID, and The information is provided by at least one of a user plane function UPF, a session management function SMF or an application function AF.

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