Communication method, security edge protection agent and communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication method, a security edge protection agent and a communication system, which relate to the field of communication technology. The method comprises: a first SEPP receives a request message carrying a connection request parameter sent by a second SEPP, wherein the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a first type of message; the first SEPP sends a response message carrying a connection response parameter to the second SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter includes second address information; and the first SEPP establishes the first connection with the second SEPP, wherein the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, a security edge protection agent, and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] To ensure network security, network elements in different core networks can communicate with each other through Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), which can implement security functions such as message filtering, access control, and topology hiding.

[0003] In the related art, multiple connections can be established between SEPPs, and different connections are used to transmit different types of messages. For example, when a certain type of message needs to be sent, the initiator SEPP can initiate a handshake process with the responder SEPP to establish a connection for sending this type of message, and when another type of message needs to be sent, it can initiate a handshake process with the responder SEPP again to establish another connection for sending another type of message. Summary of the invention

[0004] However, the inventors have noticed that in this way, the responder SEPP cannot know which type of message each connection is used to transmit.

[0005] This means that after receiving a message from the initiator SEPP, the responder SEPP needs to first parse the application layer information in the message to determine the type of the message before performing the corresponding processing, which increases the processing pressure of the SEPP and reduces the communication efficiency.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure propose the following solutions.

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: a first security edge protection agent SEPP receives a request message carrying connection request parameters sent by a second SEPP, wherein the connection request parameters include first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a first type of message; the first SEPP sends a response message carrying connection response parameters to the second SEPP, wherein the connection response parameters include second address information; and the first SEPP establishes the first connection with the second SEPP, wherein the first connection is established based on the first address information and the second address information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the first SEPP receiving a first message sent by the second SEPP; and the first SEPP determining whether the first message is a message of the first type according to whether the first message is received via the first connection.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the first SEPP establishing a second connection with the second SEPP, wherein the second connection is used to transmit a second type of message.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the first SEPP receiving a second message sent by the second SEPP; and the first SEPP determining whether the second message is a message of the second type according to whether the second message is received via the second connection.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after establishing the first connection, the first SEPP receives another request message sent by the second SEPP, the connection request parameter carried by the other request message includes another first address information different from the first address information; the first SEPP sends another response message to the second SEPP, the connection response parameter carried by the other response message includes another second address information; the first SEPP establishes another first connection with the second SEPP, the another first connection is established based on the another first address information and the another second address information; and after establishing the another first connection, the first SEPP disconnects the first connection.

[0012] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: a second security edge protection agent SEPP sends a request message carrying connection request parameters to a first SEPP, wherein the connection request parameters include first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a first type of message; the second SEPP receives a response message carrying connection response parameters sent by the first SEPP, wherein the connection response parameters include second address information; and the second SEPP establishes the first connection with the first SEPP, wherein the first connection is established based on the first address information and the second address information.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the second SEPP establishing a second connection with the first SEPP, wherein the second connection is used to transmit a second type of message.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after establishing the first connection, the second SEPP sends another request message to the first SEPP, and the connection request parameters carried by the other request message include another first address information different from the first address information; the second SEPP receives another response message sent by the first SEPP, and the connection response parameters carried by the other response message include another second address information; the second SEPP establishes another first connection with the first SEPP, and the another first connection is established based on the another first address information and the another second address information; and after establishing the another first connection, the second SEPP disconnects the first connection.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first type of message is an N32-f interface message.

[0016] In some embodiments, at least one of the request message and the response message is a message of the second type.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second type of message is an N32-c interface message.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first connection and the second connection are based on the same communication protocol.

[0019] In some embodiments, the communication protocol is the Transport Layer Security protocol.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first address information includes at least one first address information, each first address information includes an Internet Protocol address, a port number, and a fully qualified domain name.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first address information includes multiple first address information, and the request message also carries link establishment information, the link establishment information indicates that one or multiple connections are to be established according to each first address information, and the first connection includes one or multiple connections established according to each first address information.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second address information includes multiple second address information, and the link establishment information indicates that multiple connections are to be established according to each first address information, and the number of the multiple connections is equal to the number of the multiple second address information.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first SEPP and the second SEPP belong to different operators.

[0024] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a security edge protection agent is provided, comprising: a receiving module, configured to receive a request message carrying connection request parameters sent by a second SEPP, wherein the connection request parameters include first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a first type of message; a sending module, configured to send a response message carrying connection response parameters to the second SEPP, wherein the connection response parameters include second address information; and an establishing module, configured to establish a first connection with the second SEPP, the first connection being established based on the first address information and the second address information.

[0025] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a security edge protection agent is provided, including: a sending module, configured to send a request message carrying connection request parameters to a first SEPP, wherein the connection request parameters include first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a first type of message; a receiving module, configured to receive a response message carrying connection response parameters sent by the first SEPP, wherein the connection response parameters include second address information; and an establishing module, configured to establish the first connection with the first SEPP, and the first connection is established based on the first address information and the second address information.

[0026] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a security edge protection agent is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, configured to execute the method described in any one of the above embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0027] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including: the first SEPP described in any one of the above embodiments; and the second SEPP described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0028] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising computer program instructions, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the method described in any one of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0029] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in any one of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0030] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first SEPP receives a request message sent by the second SEPP, and sends a response message to the second SEPP, and then the first SEPP establishes a first connection with the second SEPP. Since the connection parameters to be used for the first connection have been negotiated with the second SEPP before the first connection is established, the first SEPP can know that the connection established according to the first address information and the second address information is the first connection for transmitting the first type of message. In this way, the first SEPP can determine that the message is a first type of message without parsing the application layer information in the first type of message from the second SEPP. In this way, it can provide a basis for reducing the processing pressure of the SEPP and improving communication efficiency.

[0031] The technical solution of the present disclosure is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a SEPP according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a SEPP according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0041] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of SEPP according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0043] Unless specifically stated otherwise, the relative arrangement of components and steps, the numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0044] At the same time, it should be understood that for the convenience of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0045] Technologies, methods, and apparatus known to ordinary technicians in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of the authorization specification.

[0046] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0047] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0048] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication method includes steps 102 to 106.

[0050] In step 102, the first SEPP receives a request message carrying connection request parameters sent by the second SEPP.

[0051] Here, the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a message of a first type.

[0052] For example, the first SEPP may be a responder SEPP and the second SEPP may be an initiator SEPP. In some embodiments, the first SEPP and the second SEPP belong to the same operator. In other embodiments, the first SEPP and the second SEPP belong to different operators.

[0053] For example, the request message may be a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) POST request message carrying connection request parameters.

[0054] The connection request parameter may include at least one first address information. For example, the connection request parameter may include one first address information; or for another example, the connection request parameter may include multiple first address information.

[0055] In some embodiments, each first address information may include an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a port number assigned by the second SEPP to the corresponding connection. In other embodiments, each first address information also includes a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) assigned by the second SEPP to the corresponding connection.

[0056] In step 104, the first SEPP sends a response message carrying connection response parameters to the second SEPP.

[0057] Here, the connection response parameter includes the second address information.

[0058] For example, the response message may be a 200OK response message carrying a connection response parameter.

[0059] The connection response parameter may include at least one second address information. For example, the connection response parameter may include one second address information; or for another example, the connection response parameter may include multiple second address information.

[0060] In some embodiments, each second address information may include an IP address and a port number assigned by the first SEPP to the corresponding connection. In other embodiments, each second address information also includes a FQDN assigned by the first SEPP to the corresponding connection.

[0061] At step 106, the first SEPP establishes a first connection with the second SEPP.

[0062] Here, the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first connection established includes a connection. For example, if the connection request parameter in the request message includes a first address information, and the connection response parameter in the response message includes a second address information, the first connection may include a connection established according to the first address information and the second address information.

[0064] In other embodiments, the first connection established includes multiple connections. For example, the connection request parameter in the request message includes multiple first address information, and the connection response parameter in the response message includes one second address information, then the first connection may include multiple connections established according to each first address information and the one second address information. In these embodiments, the first connection can be maintained when at least one of the multiple connections is not disconnected. In this way, the stability of the first connection can be improved.

[0065] The established first connection is used to transmit the first type of message. That is, in the case where the first connection is maintained, one of the first SEPP and the second SEPP can send the first type of message to the other via the first connection.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the first SEPP receives the request message sent by the second SEPP and sends a response message to the second SEPP. Then, the first SEPP establishes a first connection with the second SEPP. Since the connection parameters to be used for the first connection have been negotiated with the second SEPP before the first connection is established, the first SEPP can know that the connection established according to the first address information and the second address information is the first connection for transmitting the first type of message. In this way, the first SEPP can determine that the message is the first type of message without parsing the application layer information in the first type of message from the second SEPP. In this way, it can provide a basis for reducing the processing pressure of the SEPP and improving the communication efficiency.

[0067] The following further describes some examples Figure 1 The communication method shown.

[0068] In some embodiments, the connection request parameter carried in the request message includes multiple first address information. In these embodiments, the request message also carries link establishment information. For example, the link establishment information may also be included in the connection request parameter. Here, the link establishment information indicates that a connection or multiple connections are to be established according to each first address information.

[0069] In these embodiments, the first connection established in step 106 includes one or more connections established according to each first address information.

[0070] For example, if the first connection is to be established in a parallel linking manner, the linking information may indicate that a connection is to be established according to each first address information. For another example, if the first connection is to be established in a cross linking manner, the linking information may indicate that multiple connections are to be established according to each first address information.

[0071] In this way, the first SEPP can establish the first connection with the second SEPP according to the specified link establishment mode, thereby improving the success rate of establishing the first connection and further improving the communication efficiency.

[0072] In some embodiments, the connection request parameter includes multiple first address information, and the connection response parameter includes multiple second address information. In these embodiments, the link establishment information indicates that multiple connections are to be established according to each first address information, and the number of the multiple connections is equal to the number of the multiple second address information.

[0073] For example, the connection request parameter includes two first address information, and the connection response parameter includes two second address information. In this way, two connections are established according to each first address information, that is, the established first connection includes four connections.

[0074] In this way, when the number of the plurality of first address information and the number of the plurality of second address information is constant, the number of connections included in the first connection can be increased, thereby further improving the stability of the first connection.

[0075] In some embodiments, the connection request parameter includes multiple first address information, and the request message also carries information indicating which one or more first address information among the multiple first address information is to be used to establish a standby connection. In other embodiments, the connection response parameter includes multiple second address information, and the response message also carries information indicating which one or more second address information among the multiple second address information is to be used to establish a standby connection. In this way, the connection established in the first connection according to the specified first address information and second address information can be used as a standby connection, so that redundant backup can be easily achieved.

[0076] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] like Figure 2 As shown, the communication method further includes steps 202 to 204.

[0078] In step 202, the first SEPP receives a first message sent by the second SEPP.

[0079] If the first message is a message of the first type, the second SEPP may send the first message to the first SEPP via the first connection; if the first message is not a message of the first type, the second SEPP may send the first message to the first SEPP via other connections other than the first connection.

[0080] In step 204, the first SEPP determines whether the first message is a message of the first type according to whether the first message is received via the first connection.

[0081] If the first message is received via the first connection, the first SEPP may determine that the first message is a message of the first type; if the first message is not received via the first connection, the first SEPP may determine that the first message is not a message of the first type.

[0082] In the above embodiment, after receiving the first message sent by the second SEPP, the first SEPP can determine whether the first message is a message of the first type according to whether the first message is received via the first connection. In this way, the first SEPP can determine that the message is a message of the first type without parsing the application layer information in the message of the first type from the second SEPP, thereby reducing the processing pressure of the SEPP and improving the communication efficiency.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first type of message is an N32-f interface message. The N32-f interface message may be an inter-network element communication message.

[0084] In this way, the first SEPP can determine that the message is an N32-f interface message without parsing the application layer information in the N32-f interface message from the second SEPP, so that the N32-f interface message can be forwarded to the corresponding network element more quickly. In this way, the processing pressure of the SEPP can be reduced and the communication efficiency between network elements can be improved.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first SEPP further establishes a second connection with the second SEPP, and the second connection is used to transmit messages of the second type. In this way, the first SEPP can know that the second connection is used to transmit messages of the second type.

[0086] It can be understood that in the case where the second connection is maintained, one of the first SEPP and the second SEPP can send the second type of message to the other via the second connection.

[0087] The first connection and the second connection are based on the same communication protocol. For example, the first connection and the second connection are both based on the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

[0088] As some implementations, the first SEPP may be Figure 1As another implementation, the first SEPP may establish the second connection with the second SEPP in other ways. For example, the first SEPP may establish the second connection through a handshake process initiated by the second SEPP without negotiating with the second SEPP in advance the connection parameters to be used for the second connection.

[0089] In these embodiments, the first SEPP may also receive a second message sent by the second SEPP, and determine whether the second message is a message of the second type according to whether the second message is received via the second connection.

[0090] If the second message is received via the second connection, the second SEPP may determine that the second message is a message of the second type; if the second message is not received via the second connection, the second SEPP may determine that the second message is not a message of the second type.

[0091] In this way, the first SEPP can determine that the message is a message of the second type without parsing the application layer information in the message of the second type from the second SEPP, thereby further reducing the processing pressure of the SEPP and further improving the communication efficiency.

[0092] In some embodiments, the second type of message may be an N32-c interface message. The N32-c interface message may be an inter-SEPP negotiation message. For example, at least one of the request message received by the first SEPP in step 102 and the response message sent in step 104 is an N32-c interface message.

[0093] For example, the first SEPP may establish a second connection with the second SEPP before executing steps 102 to 106. Then, the first SEPP may receive a request message via the second connection and send a response message via the second connection.

[0094] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, the communication method also includes steps 302 to 308.

[0096] In step 302, after the first connection is established, the first SEPP receives another request message sent by the second SEPP.

[0097] Here, the other request message also carries a connection request parameter, and the connection request parameter includes another first address information. The other first address information is different from the first address information carried in the request message received by the first SEPP in step 102 .

[0098] Another first address information may also include at least one first address information.

[0099] At step 304, the first SEPP sends another response message to the second SEPP.

[0100] Here, the connection response parameter carried by another response message includes another second address information.

[0101] The other second address information may be the same as or different from the second address information carried in the response message sent in step 104. The other second address information may also include at least one second address information.

[0102] In step 306, the first SEPP establishes another first connection with the second SEPP.

[0103] Here, another first connection is established according to another first address information in step 302 and another second address information in step 304 .

[0104] Another first connection may also include one or more connections, and is also used to transmit messages of the first type.

[0105] At this time, the first SEPP and the second SEPP include the first connection established in step 106 and the first connection established in step 306. The second SEPP can send the first type of message to the first SEPP via any one of the first connections.

[0106] In step 308, after establishing another first connection, the first SEPP disconnects the first connection.

[0107] It should be understood that the first connection that is disconnected is the first connection that is established in step 106 .

[0108] After the first connection is disconnected, the first SEPP and the second SEPP only include the first connection established in step 306. The second SEPP can send a message of the first type to the first SEPP via the first connection.

[0109] In the above embodiment, after establishing the first connection, the first SEPP receives another request message sent by the second SEPP and sends another response message to the second SEPP. Then, after establishing another first connection with the second SEPP, the first SEPP disconnects the first connection established previously. In this way, the first SEPP can complete the connection switching without interrupting the first connection for transmitting the first type of message with the second SEPP.

[0110] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0111] like Figure 4 As shown, the communication method includes steps 402 to 406.

[0112] In step 402, the second SEPP sends a request message carrying connection request parameters to the first SEPP.

[0113] Here, the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a message of a first type.

[0114] In step 404, the second SEPP receives a response message carrying a connection response parameter sent by the first SEPP.

[0115] Here, the connection response parameter includes the second address information.

[0116] At step 406, the second SEPP establishes a first connection with the first SEPP.

[0117] Here, the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information.

[0118] After establishing the first connection, the second SEPP sends a message of the first type to the first SEPP via the first connection.

[0119] In some embodiments, the second SEPP may receive the message sent by the first SEPP and determine whether the message is a message of the first type based on whether the message is received via the first connection.

[0120] In the above embodiment, the second SEPP sends a request message to the first SEPP and receives a response message sent by the first SEPP. Then, the second SEPP establishes a first connection with the first SEPP according to the first address information and the second address information. In this way, the first SEPP can learn that the first connection is used to transmit the first type of message, and then the first SEPP can determine that the message is the first type of message without parsing the application layer information in the first type of message from the second SEPP. In this way, it can provide a basis for reducing the processing pressure of the SEPP and improving the communication efficiency.

[0121] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of a communication method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0122] like Figure 5 As shown, in addition to steps 402 to 406, the communication method further includes steps 502 to 508.

[0123] In step 502, after establishing the first connection, the second SEPP sends another request message to the first SEPP.

[0124] Here, the connection request parameter carried in the other request message includes another first address information different from the first address information carried in the request message sent in step 402 .

[0125] In step 504, the second SEPP receives another response message sent by the first SEPP.

[0126] Here, the connection response parameter carried by another response message includes another second address information.

[0127] At step 506, the second SEPP establishes another first connection with the first SEPP.

[0128] Here, another first connection is established according to another first address information and another second address information.

[0129] In step 508, after establishing another first connection, the second SEPP disconnects the first connection.

[0130] In the above embodiment, after establishing the first connection, the second SEPP sends another request message to the first SEPP and receives another response message sent by the first SEPP. Then, after establishing another first connection with the first SEPP, the second SEPP disconnects the first connection established previously. In this way, the second SEPP can complete the connection switching without interrupting the first connection for transmitting the first type of message with the first SEPP.

[0131] The following further describes some examples Figure 4 and Figure 5 The communication method shown.

[0132] In some embodiments, the second SEPP further establishes a second connection with the first SEPP, and the second connection is used to transmit messages of the second type. In this way, the first SEPP can be informed that the second connection is used to transmit messages of the second type.

[0133] In these embodiments, the second SEPP may also receive a message sent by the first SEPP, and determine whether the message is a message of the second type according to whether the message is received via the second connection.

[0134] about Figure 4 and Figure 5 Other embodiments of the communication method shown can be found in Figure 1 to Figure 3 And related embodiments are not described in detail here.

[0135] It should be understood that the first SEPP may also perform operations similar to those performed by the second SEPP, and the second SEPP may also perform operations similar to those performed by the first SEPP.

[0136] For example, the first SEPP may also send a request message to the third SEPP, receive a response message sent by the third SEPP, and then establish a first connection with the third SEPP. For another example, the second SEPP may also receive a request message sent by the third SEPP, send a response message to the third SEPP, and then establish a first connection with the third SEPP.

[0137] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0138] Figure 6 It is schematically shown in FIG. 1 that the core network of the operator to which the first SEPP belongs includes a first network element, and that the core network of the operator to which the second SEPP belongs includes a second network element.

[0139] In step 602, the second network element sends the HTTP message to be sent to the first network element to the second SEPP.

[0140] Here, the HTTP message is an inter-network element communication message (ie, an N32-f interface message). The following description takes the case where the first type of message is an N32-f interface message and the second type of message is an N32-c interface message (eg, an inter-SEPP negotiation message) as an example.

[0141] In step 604, the second SEPP determines whether the first connection with the first SEPP has been established.

[0142] If the first connection with the first SEPP has been established, step 616 is executed; if the first connection with the first SEPP has not been established, step 606 is executed.

[0143] At step 606, the second SEPP determines whether a second connection with the first SEPP has been established.

[0144] If the second connection with the first SEPP has been established, step 610 is executed; if the second connection with the first SEPP has not been established, step 608 is executed.

[0145] At step 608, the first SEPP establishes a second connection with the second SEPP.

[0146] In step 610, the second SEPP sends a request message to the first SEPP via the second connection, and the first SEPP receives the request message sent by the second SEPP via the second connection.

[0147] In step 612, the first SEPP sends a response message to the second SEPP via the second connection, and the second SEPP receives the response message via the second connection.

[0148] By executing steps 610 and 612, the first SEPP and the second SEPP complete the negotiation of connection parameters for the first connection.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first SEPP and the second SEPP further perform negotiation on other parameters via the second connection. For example, the first SEPP and the second SEPP may perform negotiation on a cipher suite via the second connection. This will not be described in detail here.

[0150] At step 614, the first SEPP establishes a first connection with the second SEPP.

[0151] At step 616, the second SEPP sends an HTTP message to the first SEPP via the first connection, and the first SEPP receives the HTTP message via the first connection.

[0152] In step 618, the first SEPP sends an HTTP message to the first network element.

[0153] In this way, the first SEPP can determine that the HTTP message is an inter-network element communication message rather than an inter-SEPP negotiation message without parsing the application layer information in the HTTP message, thereby reducing the processing pressure of the first SEPP and improving the inter-network element communication efficiency.

[0154] In some embodiments, the communication method may include one or more steps of steps 602 to 618 .

[0155] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a SEPP according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0156] like Figure 7 As shown, SEPP 700 includes a receiving module 701 , a sending module 702 and an establishing module 703 .

[0157] The receiving module 701 may be configured to receive a request message carrying a connection request parameter sent by the second SEPP. Here, the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a first type of message.

[0158] The sending module 702 may be configured to send a response message carrying a connection response parameter to the second SEPP. Here, the connection response parameter includes the second address information.

[0159] The establishing module 703 may be configured to establish a first connection with the second SEPP. Here, the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information.

[0160] It should be understood that SEPP 700 may also include various other modules to perform Figure 1 to Figure 3The SEPP 700 may be the first SEPP in any of the above embodiments.

[0161] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of SEPP according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0162] like Figure 8 As shown, SEPP 800 includes a sending module 801 , a receiving module 802 and an establishing module 803 .

[0163] The sending module 801 may be configured to send a request message carrying connection request parameters to the first SEPP. Here, the connection request parameters include first address information for establishing a first connection, and the first connection is used to transmit a message of the first type.

[0164] The receiving module 802 may be configured to receive a response message carrying a connection response parameter sent by the first SEPP. Here, the connection response parameter includes the second address information.

[0165] The establishing module 803 may be configured to establish a first connection with the first SEPP. Here, the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information.

[0166] It should be understood that SEPP 800 may also include various other modules to perform Figure 4-5 The SEPP 800 may be the second SEPP of any of the above embodiments.

[0167] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of SEPP according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0168] like Fig. 9 As shown, the SEPP 900 includes a memory 901 and a processor 902 coupled to the memory 901 . The processor 902 is configured to execute the communication method of any one of the above embodiments based on the instructions stored in the memory 901 .

[0169] The memory 901 may include, for example, a system memory, a fixed non-volatile storage medium, etc. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, an application program, a boot loader, and other programs.

[0170] The SEPP 900 may also include an input / output interface 903, a network interface 904, a storage interface 905, etc. The interfaces 903, 904, 905, and the memory 901 and the processor 902 may be connected, for example, via a bus 906. The input / output interface 903 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as a display, a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch screen. The network interface 904 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 905 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as an SD card and a USB flash drive.

[0171] The SEPP 900 may be configured to perform the operations performed by the first SEPP and / or the second SEPP in any of the above embodiments.

[0172] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication system, including the first SEPP (for example, SEPP 700) of any one of the above embodiments and the second SEPP (for example, SEPP 800) of any one of the above embodiments.

[0173] By using the communication system of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication efficiency of roaming between core networks (for example, domestic roaming between different networks, international roaming) can be improved, and the connection management of SEPP can be facilitated. In some implementations, the communication system of the embodiment of the present disclosure can also help to achieve redundant backup of connections between SEPPs.

[0174] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer program instructions, which implement the method of any one of the above embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0175] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the method of any one of the above embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0176] So far, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail. In order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art are not described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solution disclosed here.

[0177] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. For the SEPP and communication system embodiments, since they basically correspond to the communication method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the communication method embodiments.

[0178] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable non-transient storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0179] The present disclosure is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more blocks in the block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program 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 functions specified in the flowchart. 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.

[0180] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0181] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0182] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of examples, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be modified or some technical features may be replaced by equivalents without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising: The first security edge protection proxy SEPP receives a request message carrying a connection request parameter sent by the second SEPP, wherein the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection for transmitting a message of the first type; The first SEPP sends a response message carrying a connection response parameter to the second SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter includes the second address information; The first SEPP establishes the first connection with the second SEPP, wherein the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information; The first SEPP receives a first message sent by the second SEPP; and determining, by the first SEPP, whether the first message is a message of the first type according to whether the first message is received via the first connection; The method further comprises: After establishing the first connection, the first SEPP receives another request message sent by the second SEPP, where the connection request parameter carried by the another request message includes another first address information different from the first address information; The first SEPP sends another response message to the second SEPP, where the connection response parameter carried by the another response message includes another second address information; The first SEPP establishes another first connection with the second SEPP, wherein the another first connection is established according to the another first address information and the another second address information; and After establishing the another first connection, the first SEPP disconnects the first connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first SEPP establishes a second connection with the second SEPP, wherein the second connection is used to transmit a second type of message.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The first SEPP receives a second message sent by the second SEPP; and The first SEPP determines whether the second message is a message of the second type according to whether the second message is received via the second connection.

4. A communication method, comprising: The second security edge protection proxy SEPP sends a request message carrying a connection request parameter to the first SEPP, wherein the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection for transmitting a message of the first type; The second SEPP receives a response message carrying a connection response parameter sent by the first SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter includes second address information; and The second SEPP establishes the first connection with the first SEPP, where the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information; the second SEPP sending a first message of the first type to the first SEPP via the first connection, so that the first SEPP determines whether the first message is a message of the first type according to whether the first message is received via the first connection; The method further comprises: After establishing the first connection, the second SEPP sends another request message to the first SEPP, where the connection request parameter carried in the another request message includes another first address information different from the first address information; The second SEPP receives another response message sent by the first SEPP, where the connection response parameter carried by the another response message includes another second address information; the second SEPP establishing another first connection with the first SEPP, the another first connection being established according to the another first address information and the another second address information; and After establishing the another first connection, the second SEPP disconnects the first connection.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: The second SEPP establishes a second connection with the first SEPP, wherein the second connection is used to transmit a second type of message.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first type of message is an N32-f interface message.

7. The method according to claim 2, 3 or 5, wherein: At least one of the request message and the response message is a message of the second type.

8. The method according to claim 2, 3 or 5, wherein: The second type of message is an N32-c interface message.

9. The method according to claim 2, 3 or 5, wherein: The first connection and the second connection are based on the same communication protocol.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The communication protocol is the transport layer security protocol.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first address information includes at least one first address information, and each first address information includes an Internet Protocol address, a port number, and a fully qualified domain name.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first address information includes multiple first address information, and the request message also carries link establishment information, which indicates that one or multiple connections are to be established according to each first address information, and the first connection includes one or multiple connections established according to each first address information.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The second address information includes a plurality of second address information, and the link establishment information indicates that a plurality of connections are to be established according to each first address information, and the number of the plurality of connections is equal to the number of the plurality of second address information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first SEPP and the second SEPP belong to different operators.

15. A security edge protection agent, comprising: A receiving module, configured to receive a request message carrying a connection request parameter sent by a second SEPP, wherein the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection for transmitting a message of a first type; a sending module, configured to send a response message carrying a connection response parameter to the second SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter includes the second address information; and an establishing module, configured to establish a first connection with the second SEPP, wherein the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information; wherein the security edge protection agent is configured to receive a first message sent by the second SEPP, and determine whether the first message is a message of the first type according to whether the first message is received via the first connection; The receiving module is further configured to, after establishing the first connection, receive another request message sent by the second SEPP, wherein the connection request parameter carried by the another request message includes another first address information different from the first address information; The sending module is further configured to send another response message to the second SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter carried by the another response message includes another second address information; The establishing module is further configured to establish another first connection with the second SEPP, wherein the another first connection is established according to the another first address information and the another second address information; The security edge protection agent is further configured to disconnect the first connection after establishing the other first connection.

16. A security edge protection agent, comprising: a sending module, configured to send a request message carrying a connection request parameter to the first SEPP, wherein the connection request parameter includes first address information for establishing a first connection for transmitting a message of the first type; a receiving module, configured to receive a response message carrying a connection response parameter sent by the first SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter includes the second address information; and an establishing module, configured to establish the first connection with the first SEPP, wherein the first connection is established according to the first address information and the second address information; wherein the security edge protection agent is configured to send a first message of the first type to the first SEPP via the first connection, so that the first SEPP determines whether the first message is a message of the first type based on whether the first message is received via the first connection; The sending module is further configured to send another request message to the first SEPP after establishing the first connection, wherein the connection request parameter carried by the another request message includes another first address information different from the first address information; The receiving module is further configured to receive another response message sent by the first SEPP, wherein the connection response parameter carried by the another response message includes another second address information; The establishing module is further configured to establish another first connection with the first SEPP, wherein the another first connection is established according to the another first address information and the another second address information; The security edge protection agent is further configured to disconnect the first connection after establishing the other first connection.

17. A security edge protection agent, comprising: Memory; as well as A processor coupled to the memory, configured to execute the method of any one of claims 1-14 based on instructions stored in the memory.

18. A communication system comprising: A first SEPP is the security edge protection agent of claim 15; and The second SEPP is the security edge protection agent as claimed in claim 16.

19. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer program instructions, wherein: When the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is implemented.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is implemented.

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