Network element detection method, device, storage medium and electronic equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure is about a network element detection method, device, storage medium and electronic device, and relates to the field of communication technology. The method includes: first receiving a subscription request from a target network element NF to a target NF status, and receiving a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF, and monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset cycle time. If the heartbeat message is not received after the preset cycle time, a NF status detection request is initiated to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF, and then the predicted status of the target network element NF is determined according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request, and the predicted status is returned to the target network element NF. In this way, the NRF can actively initiate status detection for abnormal network elements without increasing the network element NF service interface, which can avoid the problem of misjudgment of NF failure due to untimely detection, thereby improving the detection efficiency of network element status and further improving the availability of the 5GC system.

Description

Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the fifth generation mobile communication network technology (5G), the 3GPP standard R15 specification introduced a service-based architecture (SBA) in the 5G control plane. Each network function (Network Function) provides a service-oriented interface to the outside world. The Network Repository Function (NRF) network element is responsible for the automated management of all NFs, including registration, discovery, and status detection. After the NF is started, it will actively report its own network function service (NFS) information to the NRF, and find the corresponding NF through the NRF.

[0003] In the current 3GPP specification, the method used is often that the network element (NF) and the NRF keep alive through heartbeat messages, and the NRF determines whether the NF is available by determining whether the NF heartbeat is detected within the timeout period. In this way, since it is impossible to accurately set the time for monitoring heartbeat messages, it is easy for the NRF to misjudge the failure or transient failure of the NF, reducing the availability of the system.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new network element detection method and device.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides a network element detection method, device, storage medium and electronic device, so as to at least solve the problem in the related art that the time for monitoring heartbeat messages cannot be accurately set, resulting in NRF misjudging NF failures or transient failures, thereby reducing system availability.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a network element detection method is provided, which is applied to NRF, and the method includes:

[0008] receiving a subscription request from a target network element NF for the target NF status, and receiving a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF;

[0009] Monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset period of time;

[0010] If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period, a NF status detection request is initiated to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF;

[0011] Determining a predicted state of the target network element NF according to a response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request;

[0012] The obtained predicted state is returned to the target network element NF.

[0013] Optionally, the initiating a NF status detection request to an NF status notification interface of the target network element NF includes:

[0014] Periodically send an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF.

[0015] Optionally, determining the predicted state of the target network element NF according to a response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request includes:

[0016] Obtaining a response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request;

[0017] The response time is calculated using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0018] Optionally, the calculating the response time by using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF includes:

[0019] Calculate the transition matrix and transfer probability of the response time by Markov chain algorithm;

[0020] The predicted state of the target network element NF is determined according to the transition matrix of the response time and the transfer probability.

[0021] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0022] Receiving a subscription request from other network elements NF to the state of the target network element NF;

[0023] If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period, a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the first state is returned to the other network elements NF.

[0024] Optionally, after determining the predicted state of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request, the method further includes:

[0025] A message indicating that the target network element NF is in the predicted state is returned to the other network elements NF.

[0026] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0027] When the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF is received again after exceeding the preset cycle time, the operation of monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time is stopped.

[0028] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a network element detection device is provided, which is applied to NRF, and the device includes:

[0029] A first receiving module is used to receive a subscription request from a target network element NF to the target NF status, and receive a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF;

[0030] A monitoring module, used to monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset period of time;

[0031] an initiating module, configured to initiate an NF status detection request to an NF status notification interface of the target network element NF if the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period time;

[0032] a determination module, configured to determine a predicted state of the target network element NF according to a response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request;

[0033] The first returning module is used to return the obtained predicted state to the target network element NF.

[0034] Optionally, the initiating module is further used to:

[0035] Periodically send an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF.

[0036] Optionally, the determining module is further used to:

[0037] Obtaining a response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request;

[0038] The response time is calculated using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0039] Optionally, the determining module is further used to:

[0040] Calculate the transition matrix and transfer probability of the response time by Markov chain algorithm;

[0041] The predicted state of the target network element NF is determined according to the transition matrix of the response time and the transfer probability.

[0042] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0043] A second receiving module is used to receive a subscription request from other network elements NF to the state of the target network element NF;

[0044] The second returning module is configured to return a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the first state to the other network elements NF if the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period.

[0045] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0046] The third returning module is used to return a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the predicted state to the other network elements NF.

[0047] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0048] The stop module is used to stop the operation of monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time when the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF is received again after exceeding the preset cycle time.

[0049] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the network element detection method described in any one of the above is implemented.

[0050] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device, including:

[0051] Processor; and

[0052] A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor;

[0053] The processor is configured to execute any one of the above-mentioned network element detection methods by executing the executable instructions.

[0054] In summary, the network element detection method provided by the embodiment of the present invention can first receive the subscription request of the target network element NF for the target NF status, and receive the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF, and monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time. If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset cycle time, then initiate a NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF, and then determine the predicted status of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request, and return the obtained predicted status to the target network element NF. In this way, the NRF can actively initiate status detection for abnormal network elements without increasing the network element NF service interface, which can avoid the problem of misjudgment of NF failure due to untimely detection, thereby improving the detection efficiency of network element status and further improving the availability of the 5GC system.

[0055] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0057] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method for detecting a network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0058] Figure 2 is a flowchart of another network element detection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0059] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of another network element detection method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a network element detection process provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of network element detection interaction provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0062] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a network element detection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0063] Figure 7 An electronic device for implementing the above network element detection method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and the concepts of the example embodiments are fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions of the present disclosure may be practiced while omitting one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. may be adopted. In other cases, known technical solutions are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0065] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and their repeated description will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0066] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a network element detection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to NRF, such as Figure 1 As shown, the method may include:

[0067] Step S101: receiving a subscription request from a target network element NF for the target NF status, and receiving a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF.

[0068] In the disclosed embodiment, receiving a subscription request from a target network element NF to a target NF status may be that the target network element NF sends a request to NRF to subscribe to its own status, and accordingly, NRF receives the subscription request from the target network element NF to the target NF status, wherein the subscription request for the target NF status may be a request to obtain the target NF status, specifically, the status of the target NF may be obtained periodically at a preset time, or when the target NF status changes, an updated target NF status may be obtained.

[0069] In the disclosed embodiment, the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF may be a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF to the NRF, and accordingly, the NRF receives the heartbeat message, wherein the heartbeat message may be a message sent according to a preset rule, for example, a message sent according to a preset period, or a message sent in idle state, so that the NRF can monitor whether and when a fault occurs in the NF.

[0070] Step S102: monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset period of time.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset cycle time can be the time used to monitor heartbeat messages. Monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time can be NRF monitoring whether the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF is received within the preset cycle time. When the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time, it can be determined that the target network element NF is in normal working state. When the heartbeat message is not received within the preset cycle time, it can be determined that the target network element NF has a fault.

[0072] Step S103: If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period, an NF status detection request is initiated to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF.

[0073] In the disclosed embodiment, it may be that the NRF detects that it has not received the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF for more than a preset period of time, then the NRF may directly initiate an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF, and start detecting the status of the target network element NF. Among them, the NF status notification interface may be a subscription request for the target NF status sent by the target network element NF, and the subscription request carries parameter information of the NF status notification interface, so that when the NRF detects that the target network element NF has a fault, a detection status request is sent to the target network element NF. After receiving the NF status detection request, the target network element NF needs to return response information to the NRF so that the NRF can determine the status of the target network element NF based on the returned response information.

[0074] Step S104: Determine the predicted state of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request.

[0075] In the disclosed embodiment, since the NRF sends multiple NF status detection requests to the target network element NF through the NF status notification interface, the NRF can count the response time of the target network element NF to the multiple NF status detection requests in sequence, and thus predict the current status of the target network element NF based on the response time to the multiple NF status detection requests to obtain the predicted status of the target network element NF.

[0076] For example, the response time interval of the target network element NF to the adjacent NF status detection request can be determined. If the response time interval matches the sending time interval of the NF status detection request, and the response time interval is less than the preset delay threshold, it can be determined that the predicted state of the target network element NF is a normal state. If the response time interval does not match the sending time interval of the NF status detection request, and / or the response time interval is greater than the preset delay threshold, it can be determined that the predicted state of the target network element NF is a fault state.

[0077] Step S105: Return the obtained predicted status to the target network element NF.

[0078] In the disclosed embodiment, the NRF may return the predicted state of the target network element NF to the network element NF that subscribes to the target network element NF state, that is, the NRF may return the predicted state of the target network element NF to the target network element NF, so that the target network element NF may repair its own fault in time according to the predicted state, thereby quickly recovering to a normal working state.

[0079] In summary, the network element detection method provided by the embodiment of the present invention can first receive the subscription request of the target network element NF for the target NF status, and receive the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF, and monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time. If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset cycle time, then initiate a NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF, and then determine the predicted status of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request, and return the obtained predicted status to the target network element NF. In this way, the NRF can actively initiate status detection for abnormal network elements without increasing the network element NF service interface, which can avoid the problem of misjudgment of NF failure due to untimely detection, thereby improving the detection efficiency of network element status and further improving the availability of the 5GC system.

[0080] Optionally, the operation of initiating an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF in the embodiment of the present disclosure may specifically include:

[0081] Periodically send an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF.

[0082] In the disclosed embodiment, the NRF may send a NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF according to a preset detection period, so that the NRF can count the response time of the target network element NF to the periodic NF status detection request to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0083] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of determining the predicted state of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it may specifically include:

[0084] Step S1041: Obtain the response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, after the NRF periodically sends the NF status detection request through the NF status notification interface, the target network element NF responds to the NF status detection request, and the target network element NF returns the response information to the NF status detection request to the NRF. The NRF obtains the returned response information to the NF status detection request, and the NRF can determine the response time to the NF status detection request.

[0086] Step S1042: Calculate the response time using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0087] In the disclosed embodiment, the preset random algorithm may be a Markov Chain (MC) algorithm, or a stacking forest algorithm, or other random prediction models. The response time is calculated using the preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF. The response time may be simulated and calculated using the preset stacking algorithm to determine the probability of the target network element NF being in different states. For example, the target network element NF may have three states, namely, a normal state (register), an unstable state (unstable) or a suspended state (suspend). Then, the probability of the target network element NF being in a normal state (register), an unstable state (unstable) or a suspended state (suspend) may be determined respectively, and the state with the highest probability may be used as the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0088] Optionally, the operation of calculating the response time by using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF in the embodiment of the present disclosure may specifically include:

[0089] The transition matrix and the transfer probability of the response time are calculated by a Markov chain algorithm; and the predicted state of the target network element NF is determined according to the transition matrix and the transfer probability of the response time.

[0090] In the disclosed embodiment, a Markov chain algorithm is used to determine the predicted state of a target network element NF. The specific steps are as follows: first, the response time of n target network elements NF to a request for NF state detection is obtained, the probability state of a downstream microservice is determined by calculation, and then the transition state is derived by the probability state. Based on the probability state and the transition state, the state is counted to generate a state space, and a transition matrix is ​​generated according to the state space. The matrix can represent the overall state position of the microservice. Finally, the current transfer matrix is ​​calculated according to matrix multiplication, and then the transfer probability is calculated through the transfer matrix. According to the transfer probabilities corresponding to different states, the state with the largest transfer probability is selected as the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0091] For example, the process of determining the predicted state of the target network element NF using the Markov chain algorithm is as follows: 1) get_responsetime_data(): Obtain n state detection response time data and automatically generate data to drive the Markov chain process. Determine the state of NF1 by processing the response time data; the total response time of each state detection request can be obtained through the total_time parameter returned by curl_getinfo and stored in the sequence response_time. 2) find_bin(): Group and sort the response times in ascending order; group the obtained response time samples response_time, bin = [bin0, bin1, ……, binn], where n = ceil(sqrt(count)), bin0 = min, bin1 = min + β, ……, binn = min + nβ. count is the total number of samples response_time, sqrt(count) is the square root of count, and ceil(sqrt(count)) is the next integer not less than sqrt(count). The gradient β of the grouping is (max - min) / sqrt(count), max is the maximum value in the sample, and min is the minimum value in the sample. 3) fin_freq(): Combine the previous two steps to calculate the number of response time samples in each response time group; count the number mn of samples response_time in each group xn (0 <= n < ceil(sqrt(count))), freq = [freq0, freq1, …… freqn], (0 <= n < ceil(sqrt(count))). When n = 0, freq0 = count(response_time < x1), and when n > 0, freqn - 1 = count(xn - 1 < response_time < xn). 4) find_cum_freq(): Calculate the cumulative frequency of the response time data using the frequencies obtained in the previous step; calculate the cumulative frequency cum_freq = [cum_freq0, cum_freq1, ……, cum_freqn], (0 <= n < ceil(sqrt(count))). cum_freq0 = freq0, cum_freq1 = cum_freq0 + freq1, ……, cum_freqn = cum_freqn - 1 + freqn. 5) find_quartile_range(): Divide the cumulative frequency in the previous step into four groups to find the interquartile range of the response time set; group the response times and divide them into four equal parts, and calculate the data at the three split points to be the quartiles.6) find_p_states(): Use the response time of 1) and the range of the previous step to calculate the probability of each state; according to the range calculated in 5), the range in which the response_time response time sample is located is counted as states P1, P2, and P3 respectively. 7) find_transition_states(): Calculate the transition state based on the state probability of the previous step. 8) find_state_count(): Use the probability state of 6) and the transition state of 7) to determine the state count; calculate the state frequencies of P1, P2, P3, P_11, P_12, P_13, P_21, P_22, P_23, P_31, P_32, and P_33; 9) create_transition_matrix(): Create a transition matrix based on the state count of 8); calculate the state transition matrix transition_matrix = {[P11 / P1, P12 / P1, P13 / P1], [P21 / P2, P22 / P2, P23 / P2], [P31 / P3, P32 / P3, P33 / P3]}; 10) matrix_mult_3_3(): 3*3 multiplication matrix function is used to calculate transition probability; this function calculates the result of matrix multiplication of 3*3 matrix m1 and 3*3 matrix m2. 11) find_transition_matrix(): Calculate the current transition probability, which can be determined by multiplying the transition matrix by the current state matrix. 12) predict_state(): Through steps 1)-11), the state of NF is finally predicted to be "Register", "Unstable" or "Suspend".

[0092] Optionally, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 3 As shown, the network element detection method may further specifically include:

[0093] Step S21: receiving a subscription request from other network elements NF to the status of the target network element NF.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when other network elements NF are associated with the target network element NF and need to obtain the status of the target network element NF, the other network elements NF can send a subscription request for the status of the target network element NF to the NRF, and accordingly, the NRF receives the subscription request for the status of the target network element NF sent by the other network elements NF.

[0095] Step S22: If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period, a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the first state is returned to the other network elements NF.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the NRF detects that the heartbeat message has not been received for more than a preset period of time, the NRF may return a message to other network elements NF that the target network element NF is in the first state, wherein the message of the first state may be that the target network element NF is in a suspended state.

[0097] Optionally, after the operation of determining the predicted state of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request, the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include:

[0098] A message indicating that the target network element NF is in the predicted state is returned to the other network elements NF.

[0099] In the disclosed embodiment, the NRF may return a message that the target network element NF is in the predicted state to other network elements NF that have subscribed to the state of the target network element NF based on the calculated predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0100] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the network element detection method may further include:

[0101] When the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF is received again after exceeding the preset cycle time, the operation of monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time is stopped.

[0102] In the disclosed embodiment, the NRF may receive a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF again after exceeding a preset cycle time, and the NRF may stop executing the operation of monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time.

[0103] For example, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a network element detection process provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Figure 4 As shown, the network element NF may register with NRF and subscribe to its own status, and NF periodically sends heartbeat messages to NRF to keep alive; when the heartbeat detection module on NRF detects that the heartbeat message has timed out, and NRF has not received the NF heartbeat message, the heartbeat detection module on NRF turns on the NF status detection module and preliminarily determines that the NF is in the SUSPEND state; NRF notifies other network elements that have subscribed to the NF status that the NF status is in the SUSPEND state; before receiving the next heartbeat message that has not timed out, the NF status detection module of NRF periodically initiates NF status detection requests to the status notification interface of the NF; NRF collects the status detection response time of NF, and determines whether the NF status is "REGISTER", "UNSTABLE" or "SUSPEND" through the Markov chain model; NRF notifies other network elements based on the predicted status. NRF receives the heartbeat message of NF again within the heartbeat timeout period, and the NF status detection module turns off and stops the NF status detection.

[0104] For example, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a network element detection interaction provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Figure 5 As shown, 1. Network element NF1 registers with NRF and subscribes to NF1's own status; 2. NF1 sends a heartbeat message to NRF; 3. NRF determines whether the heartbeat has timed out; 4. If it has timed out, NRF determines that NF1 is in a suspended state and turns on the NF abnormal state detector; 5. NRF returns to other NFs that NF1 is in a suspended state; 6. NRF returns to NF1 that NF1 is in a suspended state; 7. NRF predicts the NF1 state using a Markov chain model; 8. NRF periodically initiates a NF status detection request to NF1; 9. NRF returns the predicted state of NF1 to other NFs; 10. NF1 sends a heartbeat request to NRF; 11. NRF determines whether the heartbeat has timed out; 12. If it has not timed out, NRF determines that NF1 is in a normal state and turns off the NF abnormal state detector.

[0105] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a network element detection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Figure 6 As shown, the device 30 comprises:

[0106] The first receiving module 301 is used to receive a subscription request from a target network element NF to the target NF status, and receive a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF;

[0107] A monitoring module 302 is used to monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset period of time;

[0108] The initiating module 303 is configured to initiate an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF if the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period time;

[0109] A determination module 304, configured to determine a predicted state of the target network element NF according to a response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request;

[0110] The first returning module 305 is configured to return the obtained predicted state to the target network element NF.

[0111] In summary, the network element detection device provided in the embodiment of the present invention can first receive the subscription request of the target network element NF for the target NF status, and receive the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF, and monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time. If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset cycle time, then initiate a NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF, and then determine the predicted status of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request, and return the obtained predicted status to the target network element NF. In this way, the NRF can actively initiate status detection for abnormal network elements without increasing the network element NF service interface, which can avoid the problem of misjudgment of NF failure due to untimely detection, thereby improving the detection efficiency of network element status and further improving the availability of the 5GC system.

[0112] Optionally, the initiating module 303 is further configured to:

[0113] Periodically send an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF.

[0114] Optionally, the determining module 304 is further configured to:

[0115] Obtaining a response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request;

[0116] The response time is calculated using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF.

[0117] Optionally, the determining module 304 is further configured to:

[0118] Calculate the transition matrix and transfer probability of the response time by Markov chain algorithm;

[0119] The predicted state of the target network element NF is determined according to the transition matrix of the response time and the transfer probability.

[0120] Optionally, the device 30 further includes:

[0121] A second receiving module is used to receive a subscription request from other network elements NF to the state of the target network element NF;

[0122] The second returning module is configured to return a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the first state to the other network elements NF if the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period.

[0123] Optionally, the device 30 further includes:

[0124] The third returning module is used to return a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the predicted state to the other network elements NF.

[0125] Optionally, the device 30 further includes:

[0126] The stop module is used to stop the operation of monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time when the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF is received again after exceeding the preset cycle time.

[0127] The specific details of each module in the above network element detection device have been described in detail in the corresponding network element detection method, so they will not be repeated here.

[0128] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units to be embodied.

[0129] In addition, although the steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in this specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired results. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps, etc.

[0130] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device capable of implementing the above method is also provided.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented as systems, methods or program products. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure may be specifically implemented in the following forms, namely: complete hardware implementation, complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software, which may be collectively referred to herein as "circuits", "modules" or "systems".

[0132] Refer to the following Figure 7 The electronic device 400 according to this embodiment of the present disclosure is described. Figure 4 The electronic device 400 shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0133] like Figure 7As shown, the electronic device 400 is in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 400 may include, but are not limited to: the at least one processing unit 410, the at least one storage unit 420, a bus 430 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 420 and the processing unit 410), and a display unit 440.

[0134] The storage unit stores program codes, which can be executed by the processing unit 410, so that the processing unit 410 performs the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the above “Exemplary Method” section of this specification. For example, the processing unit 410 can perform the following steps: Figure 1 Step 101 shown in: receiving a subscription request from a target network element NF to the target NF status, and receiving a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF; Step 102: monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset cycle time; Step 103: if the heartbeat message is not received beyond the preset cycle time, initiating a NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF; Step 104: determining the predicted status of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request; Step 105: returning the obtained predicted status to the target network element NF.

[0135] The storage unit 420 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access storage unit (RAM) 4201 and / or a cache storage unit 4202 , and may further include a read-only storage unit (ROM) 4203 .

[0136] The storage unit 420 may also include a program / utility 4204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 4205, such program modules 4205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0137] Bus 430 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory unit bus or memory unit controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0138] The electronic device 400 may also communicate with one or more external devices 500 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.), may also communicate with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 400, and / or communicate with any device that enables the electronic device 400 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., routers, modems, etc.). Such communication may be performed via an input / output (I / O) interface 450. Furthermore, the electronic device 400 may also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via a network adapter 460. As shown, the network adapter 460 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 400 via a bus 430. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with the electronic device 400, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0139] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0140] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the above method of the present specification is stored. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes a program code, and when the program product is run on a terminal device, the program code is used to enable the terminal device to execute the steps according to various exemplary implementations of the present disclosure described in the above "Exemplary Method" section of the present specification.

[0141] According to the program product for implementing the above method in the embodiment of the present disclosure, it can adopt a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and can be run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, a readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which can be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, an apparatus or a device.

[0142] The program product may use any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0143] Computer readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Readable signal media may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0144] The program code embodied on the readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0145] Program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a separate software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0146] In addition, the above-mentioned figures are only schematic illustrations of the processes included in the method according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to be limiting. It is easy to understand that the processes shown in the above-mentioned figures do not indicate or limit the time sequence of these processes. In addition, it is also easy to understand that these processes can be performed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0147] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the inventions invented herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not invented by the present disclosure. The specification and examples are to be considered merely exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the claims.

Claims

1. A network element detection method, characterized in that: Applied to NRF, the method comprises: Receiving a subscription request from a target network element NF to a target NF status, and receiving a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF; Monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset period of time; If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period, multiple NF status detection requests are initiated to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF; Determining a predicted state of the target network element NF according to a response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request; Returning the obtained predicted state to the target network element NF; The determining the predicted state of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request includes: Obtaining a response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request; Calculating the response time using a preset random algorithm to determine a predicted state of the target network element NF; The calculating the response time by using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF includes: The response time is simulated and calculated by the preset random algorithm to determine the probability that the target network element NF is in a normal state, an unstable state or a paused state, and the state with the highest probability is used as the predicted state of the target network element NF.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The initiating a plurality of NF status detection requests to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF comprises: Periodically send an NF status detection request to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The calculating the response time by using a preset random algorithm to determine the predicted state of the target network element NF includes: Calculate the transition matrix and transfer probability of the response time by Markov chain algorithm; The predicted state of the target network element NF is determined according to the transition matrix of the response time and the transfer probability.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Receiving a subscription request from other network elements NF to the state of the target network element NF; If the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period, a message indicating that the target network element NF is in the first state is returned to the other network elements NF.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After determining the predicted state of the target network element NF according to the response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request, the method further includes: A message indicating that the target network element NF is in the predicted state is returned to the other network elements NF.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF is received again after exceeding the preset cycle time, the operation of monitoring whether the heartbeat message is received within the preset cycle time is stopped.

7. A network element detection device, characterized in that: Applied to NRF, the device comprises: A first receiving module is used to receive a subscription request from a target network element NF to a target NF status, and receive a heartbeat message sent by the target network element NF; A monitoring module, used to monitor whether the heartbeat message is received within a preset period of time; an initiating module, configured to initiate multiple NF status detection requests to the NF status notification interface of the target network element NF if the heartbeat message is not received within the preset period time; a determination module, configured to determine a predicted state of the target network element NF according to a response time of the target network element NF to the NF state detection request; A first returning module, configured to return the obtained predicted state to the target network element NF; The determining module is further used for: Obtaining a response time of the target network element NF to the NF status detection request; Calculating the response time using a preset random algorithm to determine a predicted state of the target network element NF; The determining module is further used for: The response time is simulated and calculated by the preset random algorithm to determine the probability that the target network element NF is in a normal state, an unstable state or a paused state, and the state with the highest probability is used as the predicted state of the target network element NF.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the network element detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the network element detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by executing the executable instructions.

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