Core network system time synchronization method, device and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a core network system time synchronization method, device, and storage medium, which are applied to a core network system comprising a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem (MANO), and core network elements, and relates to the field of communications technology. The method comprises: assigning corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network elements, respectively, with the core network cloud platform corresponding to at least two clock sources; determining a target clock source for the core network cloud platform from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform; synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the MANO based on the target clock source of the core network cloud platform; and synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the core network elements based on the clock source corresponding to the MANO. Embodiments of the present invention connect the core network cloud platform and the core network elements via the MANO, thereby achieving time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network elements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a core network system time synchronization method, device and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Due to cost considerations, current cloud-based core network systems do not have an external clock source. Without a unified clock source between components, time synchronization within the core network system is impossible. Furthermore, according to communications industry standards, when a fault alarm occurs within a core network component, the alarm must be reported to the network management system within 5 seconds. For example, if a core network element fails, the alarm must be reported to the core network cloud platform, which then reports the alarm to the network management system. However, because the core network cloud platform uses IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) and the core network elements use IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4), the core network cloud platform and core network elements cannot communicate directly, nor can they use a unified NTP (Network Time Protocol) clock source. This results in time asynchrony between the core network cloud platform and core network elements, making it impossible to effectively calculate the difference between the time the fault alarm is received by the network management system and the actual time the fault occurs, which can easily lead to response timeouts.

[0003] In order to achieve time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements and avoid the network management system's timeout in responding to fault alarms of the core network network elements, the existing technology separately divides a public resource area outside the core network system to deploy public resources including NTP servers. The core network cloud platform and the core network network elements respectively select corresponding NTP servers from the public resources to synchronize time. Specifically, the core network cloud platform selects the NTP server corresponding to the IPV6 protocol from the public resources to synchronize time, and the core network network elements select the NTP server corresponding to the IPV4 protocol from the public resources to synchronize time, thereby achieving time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements.

[0004] However, in the existing technical solutions, there is still no end-to-end clock source between the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements. The existing technical methods can only achieve time synchronization within the core network cloud platform and time synchronization between each core network network element, but cannot achieve time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a core network system time synchronization method, device and storage medium to solve the problem of time asynchrony between a core network cloud platform and core network elements in the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a core network system time synchronization method is provided, which is applied to a core network system, wherein the core network system includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO,

[0007] and a core network element, the method comprising:

[0008] Allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, respectively, the core network cloud platform corresponding to at least two clock sources;

[0009] Determining a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform;

[0010] Synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform;

[0011] Time synchronization is performed on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for use in a core network system, the core network system including a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem (MANO), and a core network element. The apparatus includes a memory, a transceiver, and a processor: the memory is configured to store a computer program; the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive data under the control of the processor; and the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0013] Allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, respectively, the core network cloud platform corresponding to at least two clock sources;

[0014] Determining a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform;

[0015] Synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform;

[0016] The clock source corresponding to the core network element is clocked according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO. Time synchronization.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a core network system time synchronization device is provided, which is applied to a core network system, wherein the core network system includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO, and a core network element, and the device includes:

[0018] A clock source distribution module is used to distribute corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element respectively, and the core network cloud platform corresponds to at least two clock sources;

[0019] A cloud platform clock source determination module, configured to determine a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform;

[0020] A MANO time synchronization module is used to synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform;

[0021] The core network element time synchronization module is used to synchronize the time of the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a processor-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to enable a processor to execute the aforementioned method.

[0023] The present invention provides a core network system time synchronization method, device, and storage medium, which are applied to a core network system comprising a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem (MANO), and core network elements, and relates to the field of communications technology. The method comprises: assigning corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network elements, respectively, with the core network cloud platform corresponding to at least two clock sources; determining a target clock source for the core network cloud platform from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform; synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the MANO based on the target clock source of the core network cloud platform; and synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the core network elements based on the clock source corresponding to the MANO. Embodiments of the present invention connect the core network cloud platform and the core network elements via the MANO, thereby achieving time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network elements.

[0024] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are specifically listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the specific steps of a core network system time synchronization method provided by Example 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a core network system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a virtualized network architecture corresponding to a core network system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a device provided in Example 3 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a core network system time synchronization device provided in Example 4 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In embodiments of the present invention, the term "and / or" describes the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present invention, the term "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar.

[0033] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , which shows a flowchart of specific steps of a core network system time synchronization method provided by Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The method is applied to a core network system, which includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO, and a core network element. Specifically, the method includes the following steps:

[0036] Step 101: allocate corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element respectively. The core network cloud platform corresponds to at least two clock sources.

[0037] Step 102: Determine a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform.

[0038] Step 103: synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

[0039] Step 104: Time synchronization is performed on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0040] In the core network system, the core network cloud platform uses the IPV6 network protocol, and the core network network elements use the IPV4 network protocol. Obviously, the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements cannot communicate directly. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements are connected through MANO (Management and Orchestration). Figure 2 , showing a structural diagram of a core network system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. MANO communicates with the core network cloud platform over the IPv6 network and with core network elements over the IPv4 network. MANO acts as a relay node between the core network cloud platform and core network elements, connecting the communication network between the core network cloud platform and core network elements.

[0041] Specifically, virtualized NTP servers are configured for the core network cloud platform, MANO, and each core network element in the core network system to obtain the virtualized network architecture corresponding to the core network system. Figure 3 , showing a schematic diagram of a virtualized network architecture corresponding to a core network system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The NTP server can synchronize the time of the settings for installing the NTP server according to the NTP protocol. Among them, in the virtualized network architecture composed of virtualized NTP servers, except for the NTP server corresponding to the root node and the NTP server corresponding to the smallest leaf node, the NTP server corresponding to the upper-level node is the client of the lower-level node, and the NTP server of the lower-level node is the server of the upper-level node. The front end of the NTP server corresponding to MANO is connected to the NTP server corresponding to the core network cloud platform through the IPV6 network, and the back end of the NTP server corresponding to MANO is connected to the NTP server corresponding to the core network network element through the IPV4 network, thereby realizing the communication connection between the core network cloud platform and the core network network element.

[0042] Because setting up a unified external clock source for the core network system consumes significant hardware resources and incurs high costs, a corresponding clock source is typically assigned to each component in the core network system. Time synchronization within the core network system is achieved by synchronizing the clock sources corresponding to these components. In an embodiment of the present invention, corresponding clock sources are assigned to the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements in the core network system. At least two NTP servers are configured for the core network cloud platform, enabling it to correspond to at least two clock sources. One of these at least two clock sources is then determined as the target clock source for the core network cloud platform.

[0043] The embodiment of the present invention adopts a master-slave deployment mode for the clock source of the core network cloud platform. Specifically, at least two clock sources are set for the core network cloud platform, and one of the clock sources is selected as the target clock source, and the other clock sources are selected as backup clock sources. When the target clock source of the core network cloud platform is working normally, the clock source corresponding to the MANO is synchronized with the target clock source of the core network cloud platform; when the target clock source of the core network cloud platform fails, a new clock source is selected from the backup clock sources as the target clock source of the core network cloud platform. During the period when the clock source of the core network cloud platform fails, the MANO does not need to wait for the failure of the clock source of the core network cloud platform to recover, and can directly synchronize time according to the re-determined target clock source, thereby ensuring time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the MANO during the period when the clock source of the core network cloud platform fails.

[0044] After synchronizing the clock source corresponding to MANO with the target clock source of the core network cloud platform, the clock sources corresponding to each core network element in the core network system are synchronized with the clock source corresponding to MANO, thereby achieving time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network elements.

[0045] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element in step 101 includes:

[0046] Step S11 , performing differentiated configuration of a clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network elements.

[0047] Step S12: The clock source release configuration system based on the differentiated configuration allocates corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element respectively.

[0048] To facilitate the allocation of corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements, the embodiment of the present invention configures clock source release configuration systems for the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements respectively, and each clock source release configuration system allocates corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements.

[0049] Specifically, the clock source distribution configuration system is configured differently in the NTP servers corresponding to the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements. Each configured clock source distribution configuration system allocates a corresponding clock source to the corresponding core network system component. The clock source distribution configuration system corresponding to the core network cloud platform allocates at least two clock sources to the core network cloud platform.

[0050] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, before performing differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element in step S11, the method further includes:

[0051] A11. Send installation data of a clock source publishing configuration system to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element.

[0052] The step S11 of performing differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element includes:

[0053] A12. Detect version information of the NTP server corresponding to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element.

[0054] A13. Perform differentiated configuration of a clock source publishing configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element according to the version information of the NTP server and the installation data.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present invention, a clock source release and configuration platform can be pre-established. This platform stores installation data for the clock source release and configuration system. This platform then sends the installation data to the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements of the core network system. After receiving the installation data for the clock source release and configuration system, the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network elements each check the version information of their own NTP servers to determine whether the NTP server version information matches the received installation data for the clock source release and configuration system. If the NTP server version information matches the received installation data for the clock source release and configuration system, the clock source release and configuration system is installed on the NTP server.

[0056] The clock source distribution and configuration system includes multiple subsystems, including the clock source detection subsystem, the batch clock source deletion subsystem, the batch clock source installation subsystem, the batch clock source configuration subsystem, and the logging subsystem. The installation data for the clock source distribution and configuration system includes the installation data for each of these subsystems. The clock source detection subsystem verifies whether the NTP server version information matches the installation data corresponding to the clock source distribution system. If not, the batch clock source deletion subsystem deletes the existing installation data, and then reinstalls and reconfigures the data using the batch clock source installation and configuration subsystems. The logging subsystem records installation information, such as installation anomalies, and returns these installation logs to the clock source distribution and configuration platform, allowing the platform to locate and analyze any installation anomalies based on the installation logs.

[0057] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the core network cloud platform includes at least two controllers, each controller corresponding to a clock source, and determining the target clock source of the core network cloud platform from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform in step 102 includes:

[0058] Step S21 : Initialize the core network cloud platform and determine a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers.

[0059] Step S22: Determine that the clock source corresponding to the main controller is the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

[0060] In the prior art, core network systems generally adopt a single-point deployment model, with only one controller corresponding to the core network cloud platform. If this controller fails, the clock source corresponding to the controller will not be able to keep time properly, resulting in time desynchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network network elements. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, a master-slave deployment model is adopted for the core network cloud platform, with at least two controllers provided for the core network cloud platform. By initializing the core network cloud platform, one controller is determined to be the master controller of the core network cloud platform, and the other controllers are determined to be backup controllers of the core network cloud platform. Each controller corresponds to a clock source, and the clock source corresponding to the master controller is the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

[0061] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, after initializing the core network cloud platform in step S21 and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers, the method further includes:

[0062] If the main controller fails, the main controller of the core network cloud platform is re-determined among controllers other than the failed controller.

[0063] If the master controller fails, a new controller, known as the backup controller, is selected as the master controller for the core network cloud platform. Therefore, during the failure of the core network cloud platform's master controller, lower-level components, such as the MANO and the core network cloud platform's internal components, do not need to wait for the master controller to recover before performing time synchronization. Instead, they synchronize directly with the clock source of a functioning backup controller, thus ensuring time synchronization within the core network system during the failure.

[0064] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, in step 103, after synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform, the method further includes:

[0065] The clock sources corresponding to the functional modules of the MANO are synchronized according to the clock sources corresponding to the MANO. The MANO includes at least the following functional modules: a network function virtualization orchestration module, a virtual network function management module, and a database module.

[0066] After synchronizing the clock source corresponding to MANO with the target clock source of the core network cloud platform, the time of each functional module included in MANO is synchronized with the clock source corresponding to MANO. This ensures that each functional module within MANO can maintain time synchronization with the core network cloud platform, which is beneficial to the time synchronization between various components within the core network system.

[0067] A similar approach is used within the core network cloud platform. Once the target clock source for the core network cloud platform is determined, the clock sources corresponding to each functional module within the core network cloud platform are synchronized based on the target clock source. The core network cloud platform includes at least the following functional modules: a computing module and a storage module.

[0068] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the core network element corresponds to at least two clock sources, and step 104 of synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO includes:

[0069] Step S31: determining a target clock source of the core network element from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element.

[0070] Step S32: Time synchronization is performed on the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present invention, in addition to adopting the active-standby deployment mode for the core network cloud platform, the active-standby deployment mode can also be adopted for the core network network elements. Specifically, at least two clock sources are configured for the core network network elements, and one clock source is determined as the primary clock source, that is, the target clock source, among the at least two clock sources, and the other clock sources are used as the backup clock sources of the core network network elements. When the target clock source is working normally, the target clock source is used to synchronize the time of the core network network elements. Figure 2 As shown, in the core network system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the upper-level node of the core network network element is MANO. Therefore, the target clock source of the core network network element is synchronized according to the clock source corresponding to MANO, and the clock source corresponding to MANO is synchronized according to the target clock source of the core network network element. By adopting this layer-by-layer progressive method, time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network elements can be achieved.

[0072] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the core network element includes at least two global boards, each global board corresponds to a clock source, and the determining of the target clock source of the core network element from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element in step S31 includes:

[0073] A21. Initialize the core network element and determine any one of the at least two global boards as the master global board of the core network element.

[0074] A22. Determine the clock source corresponding to the master global board as the target clock source of the core network element.

[0075] Among them, the global board of the core network element is used to manage various functional modules inside the core network element. In an embodiment of the present invention, the core network element can adopt a master-slave mode. Therefore, at least two global boards are set for the core network element, and one global board corresponds to one clock source. In the process of initializing the core network element, one of the global boards is determined as the master global board of the core network element, and the other global boards are determined as the backup global boards of the core network element, and the clock source corresponding to the master global board is used as the target clock source of the core network element. When the master global board works normally, the core network element is time synchronized through the target clock source corresponding to the master global board. If the master global board fails, the master global board of the core network element is re-determined among the other global boards except the failed global board, that is, the backup global boards, and the clock source corresponding to the re-determined master global board is used as the target clock source of the core network element. In this way, when the main control global board of the core network element fails, the various functional modules inside the core network element do not need to wait for the main control global board to recover before performing time synchronization. They can directly perform time synchronization based on the clock source of other backup global boards, ensuring time synchronization within the core network element during the failure.

[0076] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, after time synchronization is performed on the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO in step S32, the method further includes:

[0077] Time synchronization is performed on a clock source corresponding to a peripheral board of the core network element according to a target clock source corresponding to the core network element.

[0078] In addition to the global board, the core network element also includes various functional modules managed by the global board. These functional modules are collectively referred to as the peripheral boards of the core network element. The peripheral boards of the core network element include signaling boards, interface boards, etc.

[0079] After synchronizing the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to MANO, further synchronize the time of the peripheral clock of the core network element according to the target clock source corresponding to the core network element. While ensuring that the core network element and the core network cloud platform maintain time synchronization, it also ensures that the various functional modules within the core network element maintain time synchronization with the core network cloud platform, thereby ensuring time synchronization between various components within the entire core network system.

[0080] In summary, the embodiment of the present invention connects the core network cloud platform and the core network network element through MANO, establishes a communication connection between the core network cloud platform and the core network network element, and allocates corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, MANO, and core network network element respectively. The core network cloud platform corresponds to at least two clock sources, and the target clock source of the core network cloud platform is determined from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform. Then, the clock source corresponding to the MANO is synchronized with the target clock source of the core network cloud platform, and then the clock source corresponding to the core network network element is synchronized with the clock source corresponding to the MANO, thereby realizing time synchronization between the core network cloud platform and the core network network element.

[0081] It should be noted that the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present invention can be applicable to a variety of systems, especially 5G systems. For example, applicable systems may be global system of mobile communication (GSM) systems, code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) general packet radio service (GPRS) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) systems, universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) systems, 5G new radio (NR) systems, etc. These various systems include terminal devices and network devices. The system may also include a core network part, such as an evolved packet system (EPS), a 5G system (5GS), etc.

[0082] Example 2

[0083] Reference Figure 4 , which shows a structural diagram of a device provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention, specifically comprising:

[0084] The memory 200 is used to store computer programs.

[0085] The transceiver 210 is configured to receive and send data under the control of the processor 220 .

[0086] The processor 220 is configured to read the computer program in the memory 200 and perform the following operations:

[0087] M11. Allocate corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element, respectively. The core network cloud platform corresponds to at least two clock sources.

[0088] M12. Determine a target clock source for the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform;

[0089] M13. Synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform;

[0090] M14. Perform time synchronization on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0091] Optionally, the allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element in M11 includes:

[0092] Performing differentiated configuration of a clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network elements;

[0093] The clock source release configuration system based on differentiated configuration allocates corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element respectively.

[0094] Optionally, before performing differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, the processor is further configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0095] Sending installation data of a clock source publishing configuration system to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element;

[0096] The differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system for the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element includes:

[0097] Detecting version information of the NTP server corresponding to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element;

[0098] A clock source publishing configuration system is differentially configured for the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element according to the version information of the NTP server and the installation data.

[0099] Optionally, the core network cloud platform includes at least two controllers, each controller corresponding to a clock source, and the determining of the target clock source of the core network cloud platform from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform in M12 includes:

[0100] Initializing the core network cloud platform, and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers;

[0101] Determine that the clock source corresponding to the main controller is the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

[0102] Optionally, after initializing the core network cloud platform and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers, the processor is further configured to read a computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0103] If the main controller fails, the main controller of the core network cloud platform is re-determined among controllers other than the failed controller.

[0104] Optionally, after performing time synchronization on the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform in M13, the processor is further configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0105] The clock sources corresponding to the functional modules of the MANO are synchronized according to the clock sources corresponding to the MANO. The MANO includes at least the following functional modules: a network function virtualization orchestration module, a virtual network function management module, and a database module.

[0106] Optionally, the core network element corresponds to at least two clock sources, and the step M14 of synchronizing the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO includes:

[0107] Determining a target clock source of the core network element from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element;

[0108] Time synchronization is performed on a target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0109] Optionally, the core network element includes at least two global boards, each global board corresponds to a clock source, and determining the target clock source of the core network element from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element includes:

[0110] Initializing the core network element, and determining any one of the at least two global boards as a master global control board of the core network element;

[0111] Determine that the clock source corresponding to the master global board is the target clock source of the core network element.

[0112] Optionally, after performing time synchronization on the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO, the processor is further configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0113] Time synchronization is performed on a clock source corresponding to a peripheral board of the core network element according to a target clock source corresponding to the core network element.

[0114] Among them, Figure 4 In the embodiment, the bus interface is an interface of a bus architecture, which may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically one or more processors represented by the processor 220 and various circuits of the memory represented by the memory 200. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 210 may be a plurality of components, i.e., a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium, such as a wireless channel, a wired channel, an optical cable, and the like. The processor 220 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 200 may store data used by the processor 220 when performing operations.

[0115] The processor 220 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0116] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can implement all the method steps implemented by the above-mentioned method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as those of the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0117] Example 3

[0118] Reference Figure 5 , which shows a structural diagram of a core network system time synchronization device provided by a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The device is applied to a core network system, wherein the core network system includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO, and a core network element. The device specifically includes:

[0119] A clock source allocation module 301 is configured to allocate corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element, respectively. The core network cloud platform corresponds to at least two clock sources.

[0120] A cloud platform clock source determination module 302 is configured to determine a target clock source for the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform;

[0121] A MANO time synchronization module 303 is configured to synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform;

[0122] The core network element time synchronization module 304 is configured to synchronize the time of the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0123] Optionally, the clock source distribution module 301 includes:

[0124] A clock source release system configuration submodule, configured to perform differentiated configuration of a clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network elements;

[0125] The clock source distribution submodule is used to distribute corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element based on the clock source release configuration system with differentiated configuration.

[0126] Optionally, the clock source distribution module 301 further includes:

[0127] An installation data sending submodule, configured to send installation data of a clock source publishing configuration system to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element;

[0128] The clock source release system configuration submodule includes:

[0129] A protocol information detection unit, configured to detect version information of the NTP server corresponding to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element;

[0130] A clock source publishing system configuration unit is used to perform differentiated configuration of a clock source publishing configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element according to the version information of the NTP server and the installation data.

[0131] Optionally, the core network cloud platform includes at least two controllers, each controller corresponds to a clock source, and the cloud platform clock source determination module 302 includes:

[0132] A master controller determination submodule, configured to initialize the core network cloud platform and determine a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers;

[0133] The target clock source determination submodule is used to determine that the clock source corresponding to the main controller is the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

[0134] Optionally, the cloud platform clock source determination module 302 further includes:

[0135] The main controller adjustment submodule is used to re-determine the main controller of the core network cloud platform from controllers other than the failed controller if the main controller fails.

[0136] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0137] The MANO internal time synchronization module is used to synchronize the clock sources corresponding to the functional modules of the MANO according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO. The MANO includes at least the following functional modules: a network function virtualization orchestration module, a virtual network function management module, and a database module.

[0138] Optionally, the core network element corresponds to at least two clock sources, and the core network element time synchronization module 304 includes:

[0139] A network element target clock source determination submodule, configured to determine a target clock source of the core network element from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element;

[0140] The network element target clock source synchronization submodule is used to synchronize the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

[0141] Optionally, the core network element includes at least two global boards, each global board corresponds to a clock source, and the network element target clock source determination submodule includes:

[0142] A network element initialization unit, configured to initialize the core network element and determine any one of the at least two global boards as a master global control board for the core network element;

[0143] The network element target clock source determining unit is used to determine the clock source corresponding to the main control global board as the target clock source of the core network element.

[0144] Optionally, the core network element time synchronization module 304 further includes:

[0145] The peripheral board time synchronization submodule is used to synchronize the clock source corresponding to the peripheral board of the core network element according to the target clock source corresponding to the core network element.

[0146] It should be noted that the division of modules and units in the embodiments of the present invention is illustrative and represents only a logical functional division. Actual implementation may employ different division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules and functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically as a separate unit, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. These integrated units may be implemented in either hardware or software functional units.

[0147] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a processor-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0148] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can implement all the method steps implemented by the above-mentioned method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as those of the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0149] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a processor-readable storage medium, wherein the processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to enable a processor to execute the aforementioned method.

[0150] The processor-readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that can be accessed by the processor, including but not limited to magnetic storage (such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magneto-optical disks (MO)), optical storage (such as CDs, DVDs, BDs, HVDs, etc.), and semiconductor storage (such as ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, non-volatile memories (NANDFLASH), solid-state drives (SSDs)), etc.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage and optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0152] The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, as well as combinations of processes and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0153] These processor-executable instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for executing on the computer or other programmable device to implement the process. Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A step that specifies a function in one or more boxes.

[0154] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0155] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention and the claims, all of which are protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A core network system time synchronization method, characterized in that: Applied to a core network system, the core network system includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO, and core network elements, the method includes: Allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, respectively, the core network cloud platform corresponding to at least two clock sources; Determining a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform; Synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform; Performing time synchronization on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO; The clock sources corresponding to the functional modules of the MANO are synchronized according to the clock sources corresponding to the MANO. The MANO includes at least the following functional modules: a network function virtualization orchestration module, a virtual network function management module, and a database module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element respectively includes: Performing differentiated configuration of a clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network elements; The clock source release configuration system based on differentiated configuration allocates corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element respectively.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Before performing differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, the method further includes: Sending installation data of a clock source publishing configuration system to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element; The differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system for the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element includes: Detecting version information of the NTP server corresponding to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element; A clock source publishing configuration system is differentially configured for the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element according to the version information of the NTP server and the installation data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The core network cloud platform includes at least two controllers, each controller corresponding to a clock source, and determining a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform includes: Initializing the core network cloud platform, and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers; Determine that the clock source corresponding to the main controller is the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After initializing the core network cloud platform and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers, the method further includes: If the main controller fails, the main controller of the core network cloud platform is re-determined among controllers other than the failed controller.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The core network element corresponds to at least two clock sources, and the performing time synchronization on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO includes: Determining a target clock source of the core network element from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element; Time synchronization is performed on a target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The core network element includes at least two global boards, each global board corresponds to a clock source, and determining a target clock source of the core network element from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element includes: Initializing the core network element, and determining any one of the at least two global boards as a master global control board of the core network element; Determine that the clock source corresponding to the master global board is the target clock source of the core network element.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that After synchronizing the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO, the method further includes: Time synchronization is performed on a clock source corresponding to a peripheral board of the core network element according to a target clock source corresponding to the core network element.

9. A core network system time synchronization device, characterized in that: Applied to a core network system, the core network system includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO, and a core network element. The device includes a memory, a transceiver, and a processor: Memory for storing computer programs; a transceiver, configured to transmit and receive data under the control of the processor; A processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, respectively, the core network cloud platform corresponding to at least two clock sources; Determining a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform; Synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform; Performing time synchronization on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO; The clock sources corresponding to the functional modules of the MANO are synchronized according to the clock sources corresponding to the MANO. The MANO includes at least the following functional modules: a network function virtualization orchestration module, a virtual network function management module, and a database module.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The allocating corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element respectively includes: Performing differentiated configuration of a clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network elements; The clock source release configuration system based on differentiated configuration allocates corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element respectively.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that Before performing differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system on the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element, the processor is further configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Sending installation data of a clock source publishing configuration system to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element; The differentiated configuration of the clock source release configuration system for the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element includes: Detecting version information of the NTP server corresponding to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element; A clock source publishing configuration system is differentially configured for the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network element according to the version information of the NTP server and the installation data.

12. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The core network cloud platform includes at least two controllers, each controller corresponding to a clock source, and determining a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform includes: Initializing the core network cloud platform, and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers; Determine that the clock source corresponding to the main controller is the target clock source of the core network cloud platform.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that After initializing the core network cloud platform and determining a master controller of the core network cloud platform among the at least two controllers, the processor is further configured to read a computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: If the main controller fails, the main controller of the core network cloud platform is re-determined among controllers other than the failed controller.

14. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The core network element corresponds to at least two clock sources, and the performing time synchronization on the clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO includes: Determining a target clock source of the core network element from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element; Time synchronization is performed on a target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that The core network element includes at least two global boards, each global board corresponds to a clock source, and determining a target clock source of the core network element from the at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network element includes: Initializing the core network element, and determining any one of the at least two global boards as a master global control board of the core network element; Determine that the clock source corresponding to the master global board is the target clock source of the core network element.

16. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that After time synchronization is performed on the target clock source corresponding to the core network element according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO, the processor is further configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Time synchronization is performed on a clock source corresponding to a peripheral board of the core network element according to a target clock source corresponding to the core network element.

17. A core network system time synchronization device, characterized in that: Applied to a core network system, the core network system includes a core network cloud platform, a management and orchestration subsystem MANO, and a core network element, the device includes: A clock source distribution module is used to distribute corresponding clock sources to the core network cloud platform, the MANO, and the core network network element respectively, and the core network cloud platform corresponds to at least two clock sources; A cloud platform clock source determination module, configured to determine a target clock source of the core network cloud platform from at least two clock sources corresponding to the core network cloud platform; A MANO time synchronization module is used to synchronize the clock source corresponding to the MANO according to the target clock source of the core network cloud platform; A core network element time synchronization module, configured to synchronize the clock source corresponding to the core network element with the clock source corresponding to the MANO; The MANO internal time synchronization module is used to synchronize the clock sources corresponding to the functional modules of the MANO according to the clock source corresponding to the MANO. The MANO includes at least the following functional modules: a network function virtualization orchestration module, a virtual network function management module, and a database module.

18. A processor-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to enable the processor to execute the core network system time synchronization method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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