An information processing method, session management function network element and user plane function network element

Abstract

An embodiment of the present application discloses an information processing method, a session management function network element and a user plane function network element, wherein the information processing method includes: the session management function network element SMF extends the message forwarding control protocol PFCP message to be sent, and sends the extended PFCP message to all user plane function network elements UPF that have established a PFCP session association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address; the SMF receives the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to, but is not limited to, the field of communications, and in particular to an information processing method, a session management function network element, and a user plane function network element. Background Art

[0002] In the 5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology (5G) core network system, the user plane (UP User Plane) usually refers to the User Plane Function (UPF) network element, which is mainly responsible for forwarding user service messages. At the same time, the UPF can also assume the reliability maintenance of the forwarding path. The control plane network element can know the base station nodes in the radio access network (RAN) connected to the 5G core network (5G Core, 5GC), but the UPF cannot know the base station nodes on the RAN side it is connected to in a timely manner, and therefore cannot predict the network reachability of the path before preparing the service. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application hope to provide an information processing method, a session management function network element and a user plane function network element.

[0004] The technical solution of this application is achieved as follows:

[0005] An information processing method, the method comprising:

[0006] The session management function network element SMF extends the message forwarding control protocol PFCP message to be sent, and sends the extended PFCP message to all user plane function network elements UPF that have established PFCP session associations with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address;

[0007] The SMF receives the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF.

[0008] An information processing method, comprising:

[0009] The first UPF receives the extended PFCP message sent by the SMF; wherein the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCPAssociation with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address;

[0010] The first UPF obtains a user plane path state based on the first identifier and the second identifier;

[0011] The first UPF reports the user plane path status to the SMF.

[0012] A session management function network element, comprising:

[0013] A first processing module, configured to extend a PFCP message to be sent;

[0014] The first sending module is used to send an extended PFCP message to all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address;

[0015] The first receiving module is used to receive the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF.

[0016] A user plane function network element, comprising:

[0017] The second receiving module is configured to receive an extended PFCP message sent by the SMF; wherein the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address;

[0018] A second processing module, configured to obtain a user plane path status based on the first identifier and the second identifier;

[0019] The second sending module is used to report the user plane path status to the SMF.

[0020] A computer storage medium stores one or more programs, and the one or more programs can be executed by one or more processors to implement the steps of the above-mentioned information processing method.

[0021] The information processing method, session management function network element and user plane function network element provided in the embodiment of the present application, wherein the information processing method includes: the session management function network element SMF extends the message forwarding control protocol PFCP message to be sent, and sends the extended PFCP message to all user plane function network elements UPF that have established a PFCP session association with the SMF, that is, the present application can expand the message body of the PFCP protocol in the PFCP Association setting, creation, update or deletion process; wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address. The SMF notifies the UPF to feedback specific information based on the identifier in the custom extended message field; further, the SMF receives the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF, so that the SMF can obtain the specific information reported by the UPF, namely the user plane path status, thereby realizing the SMF's rapid perception of the user plane path status before preparing the service. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of fault maintenance using an echo mechanism based on a GTP-U tunnel in related technology;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an information processing method provided in an embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a process of an SMF notification PDU provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an information element of a custom message body remote address provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an information processing method provided in an embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the process of detecting and maintaining each GTPU Remote address provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 A flow chart of the processing logic of the probe response message provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a process for the UPF to report SMF according to different path states provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a message domain reported when the UPF determines that a path is unreachable, provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a message domain reported when the UPF determines that the path is restored and reachable, provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of an SMF requesting a UPF to create a PDU session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the SMF requesting the UPF to update the PDU session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the format definition of Remote GTP-U Peer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the structure of a session management function network element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the structure of a user plane function network element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of the network structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 may include a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. The network device 120 may communicate with the terminal device 110 via an air interface. The terminal device 110 and the network device 120 support multi-service transmission.

[0042] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are only illustrative of the communication system 100, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. That is, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Internet of Things (IoT) system, Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, enhanced Machine-Type Communications (eMTC) system, 5G communication system, also known as New Radio (NR) communication system, or future communication systems, etc.

[0043] exist Figure 1 In the communication system 100 shown, the network device 120 may be an access network device that communicates with the terminal device 110. The access network device may provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and may communicate with the terminal device 110 (eg, user equipment) located within the coverage area.

[0044] The network device 120 may be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG RAN) device, or a base station (gNB) in an NR system, or a wireless controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN), or the network device 120 may be a relay station, an access point, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a hub, a switch, a bridge, a router, or a network device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc.

[0045] The terminal device 110 includes but is not limited to any terminal device connected to the network device 120 or other terminal devices by wired or wireless connection.

[0046] For example, the terminal device 110 may refer to an access terminal, user equipment (UE), a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The access terminal may be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, an IoT device, a satellite handheld terminal, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network, or a terminal device in a future evolution network, etc. Terminals include, but are not limited to, handheld terminals, laptop computers, subscriber units, cellular phones, smart phones, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, wireless modems, handheld devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, machine type communication (MTC) terminals, or other devices that can access the network.

[0047] The terminal device 110 can be used for device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0048] The communication system 100 may also include a core network device 130 for communicating with the base station. The core network device 130 may be a 5G core network (5G Core, 5GC) device, such as an access and mobility management function (Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF) device, or an authentication server function (Authentication Server Function, AUSF) device, or a user plane function (User Plane Function, UPF) device, or a session management function (Session Management Function, SMF) device. Optionally, the core network device 130 may also be an evolved packet core (EPC) device of the LTE network, such as a session management function + core network data gateway (Session Management Function + Core Packet Gateway, SMF + PGW-C) device. It should be understood that SMF + PGW-C can simultaneously implement the functions that can be implemented by SMF and PGW-C. During the network evolution process, the name of the above-mentioned core network device may change, or a new network entity may be formed by dividing the functions of the core network, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0049] The functional units in the communication system 100 may also establish connections and implement communication via next generation (NG) network interfaces.

[0050] For example, the terminal device establishes an air interface connection with the access network device through the NR interface for transmitting user plane data and control plane signaling; the terminal device can establish a control plane signaling connection with the AMF through the NG interface 1 (referred to as N1); the access network device, such as the next generation wireless access base station (gNB), can establish a user plane data connection with the UPF through the NG interface 3 (referred to as N3); the access network device can establish a control plane signaling connection with the AMF through the NG interface 2 (referred to as N2); the UPF can establish a control plane signaling connection with the SMF through the NG interface 4 (referred to as N4); the UPF can exchange user plane data with the data network through the NG interface 6 (referred to as N6); the AMF can establish a control plane signaling connection with the SMF through the NG interface 11 (referred to as N11); the SMF can establish a control plane signaling connection with the PCF through the NG interface 7 (referred to as N7).

[0051] Figure 1A base station, a core network device and two terminal devices are shown exemplarily. Optionally, the communication system 100 may include multiple base station devices and the coverage area of each base station may include other numbers of terminal devices, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0052] It should be noted that Figure 1 The systems to which this application applies are merely illustrative examples. Of course, the methods described in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other systems. Furthermore, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" in this application simply describes an association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship. It should also be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association relationship. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that A and B have an association relationship. It should also be understood that the "correspondence" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can mean that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between two objects, or that there is an association relationship between the two objects, or a relationship between an indicator and the indicated, a configuration and the configured, and so on. It should also be understood that the “predefined” or “predefined rules” mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in devices (for example, including terminal devices and network devices), and the present application does not limit its specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol. It should also be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, “protocol” can refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as LTE protocol, NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0053] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application are described below. The following relevant technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments of this application only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0055] The UPF in the 5G core network system is mainly responsible for forwarding user service messages. At the same time, the UPF can also undertake the reliability maintenance of the forwarding path. In related technologies, the fault maintenance provided by 3GPP is mainly based on the GTP-U tunnel (tunnel) using the response protocol (echo) mechanism, and its scope of action is as follows: Figure 2 Shown in bold black channel.

[0056] exist Figure 2 In the communication architecture shown, the control plane network element can know the base station node in the RAN connected to the 5GC, but the UPF cannot know the base station node on the RAN side to which it is connected in a timely manner, and cannot predict the network reachability of the path before preparing the service.

[0057] exist Figure 2 In the communication architecture shown, the UPF can only obtain the address of the remote base station to which it is connected when it receives the Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) creation signaling from the SMF. If there is a reachability failure on the data plane path, the UPF cannot immediately perceive the failure. As a result, the SMF may create some PDU Sessions with data plane path failures. Similarly, if the UPFs are located at the N9 (or N19) reference point, they cannot pre-detect the data plane reachability between each other.

[0058] With the cloudification of 5GC network elements, the paths between network elements will become more diverse, and the rapid perception of data plane path reachability will become increasingly important. This application provides an information processing method that enables the SMF to quickly perceive the user plane path status before preparing services.

[0059] Figure 3 A flowchart of an information processing method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown as follows: Figure 3 As shown, this method is applied to Figure 1 The SMF in the communication system 100 shown in the embodiment of the present application is not specifically limited to this. The method includes:

[0060] Step 201: Extend the PFCP message to be sent, and send the extended PFCP message to all UPFs that have established PFCP Association with the SMF.

[0061] The extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTPU) remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present application, the SMF extends the PFCP message to be sent, which can be achieved by expanding the message body of the PFCP protocol during the PFCP Association setting, creation, update, or deletion process. The extended PFCP message carries at least a first identifier for indicating whether the GTPU remote address exists and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address, so as to notify the UPF to feedback specific information.

[0063] In a scenario where a probe address is obtained, the SMF can extract and maintain the address information of GTPU nodes, including but not limited to gNB nodes, in at least one of the PFCP Association creation (Setup), update (Update), and deletion signaling. GTPU nodes can also be communicated to all UPFs via a vendor-defined extended message field. During the PFCP Association Setup / Update / Delete process, the PFCP protocol message body is expanded to include a new vendor-defined field, the GTU-Remote field, which indicates the nodes to which the control plane network element has planned data plane paths for the UPF network element. Based on this address information, the UPF can immediately initiate probes. This probe method is suitable for products with proprietary network elements or those that support this custom field.

[0064] Step 202: Receive the user plane path status reported by the first UPF.

[0065] The user plane path state is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF. The user plane can also be called a data plane or a data forwarding plane.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present application, when the SMF notifies the UPF to feedback specific information based on the identifier in the custom extended message field, the SMF can receive the specific information reported by the first UPF, namely the user plane path status, thereby enabling the SMF to quickly perceive the user plane path status before preparing the service, and avoiding the SMF from creating a user plane unreachable session.

[0067] The information processing method provided in the embodiment of the present application is that the session management function network element SMF extends the message forwarding control protocol PFCP message to be sent, and sends the extended PFCP message to all user plane function network elements UPF that have established a PFCP session association with the SMF, that is, the present application can expand the message body of the PFCP protocol in the PFCP Association setting, creation, update or deletion process; wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address. The SMF notifies the UPF to feedback specific information based on the identifier in the custom extended message field; further, the SMF receives the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF, so that the SMF can obtain the specific information reported by the UPF, namely the user plane path status, thereby realizing the SMF's rapid perception of the user plane path status before preparing the service, and avoiding the SMF from creating a user plane unreachable session.

[0068] In other embodiments of the present application, step 202 of receiving the user plane path status reported by the first UPF can be implemented by the following steps: the SMF receives path reachability information and / or network delay information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier. The user plane path status includes path reachability information and network delay information.

[0069] Here, before the first UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU Session of the terminal device, the first UPF informs the SMF in advance of the status of the forwarding path of each GTPU node (including the first UPF to the base station node) in the data plane, that is, the first UPF reports the path reachability parameters and / or network delay parameters from the UPF to the GTPU node to the SMF.

[0070] In other embodiments of the present application, when the SMF obtains path reachability information and / or network delay information, it can also perform the following steps: allocate UPF to the protocol data unit PDU session based on the path reachability information and / or network delay information.

[0071] Here, when the SMF obtains the path reachability information and / or network delay information, it can select a suitable UPF to provide services for the PDU Session of the terminal device based on the path reachability information and / or network delay information.

[0072] In other embodiments of the present application, before allocating a UPF to a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on path reachability information and / or network delay information, the SMF may further perform the following steps:

[0073] When the first UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU session, a PFCP session response message sent by the first UPF is received.

[0074] Among them, the PFCP session response message is used to indicate the refusal to provide services for the PDU session, wherein the UPF allocated to the PDU session includes the second UPF among all UPFs, the path reachability information reported by the first UPF is used to indicate that the path is unreachable, and the path reachability information reported by the second UPF is used to indicate that the path is reachable.

[0075] Here, when the first UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU Session of the terminal device, the first UPF can immediately reject it in the response message of the PFCP Session establishment / modification signaling interaction, thereby preventing the SMF from creating a session that is unreachable on the data plane.

[0076] In other embodiments of the present application, the SMF may obtain the GTPU remote address through the following steps:

[0077] The SMF extracts the GTPU remote address from the configuration signaling of the PDU session, where the configuration signaling includes at least one of the creation signaling, update signaling, and deletion signaling of the PDU session; and / or,

[0078] Obtain the GTPU remote address configured by the network management platform for the first UPF.

[0079] Here, the SMF can obtain the GTPU remote address in at least one of two ways: one is to extract the GTPU remote address from the configuration signaling of the PDU session. Another is to obtain the GTPU remote address configured for the first UPF by the network management platform. Of course, the GTPU remote address can also be obtained in other ways, such as based on network planning, or the network management personnel pre-configuring the UPF with which GTPU nodes it may have data plane paths with, including but not limited to gNB nodes.

[0080] In a feasible path detection information acquisition scenario, one SMF can manage multiple UPFs. When the SMF learns a gNB address, it can notify its related UPFs.

[0081] For example, see Figure 4As shown in the figure, the SMF learns the gNB address from signaling while servicing a PDU Session. When a new gNB address is learned, the SMF creates a data object based on it. Each time a PDU Session references this address, the reference count is incremented by 1. If it is no longer used, the reference count is decremented by 1.

[0082] The SMF notifies all UPFs with which it has established a PFCP Association of the local gNB address using the PFCP Association Setup / Update signaling based on the extension field. After the reference count of the PDU Session referencing the gNB address is cleared, the UPF is notified of the deletion of the gNB address after a delay of N.

[0083] Based on the above requirements, according to 3GPP29.244, a new information element (Information Element GTPU remote Address) for the remote address of the message body is added. In addition, the following information elements are added to Table 7.4.4.1-1: Information Elements in a PFCP Association Setup Request and Table 7.4.4.3-1: Information Elements in a PFCP Association Update Request: Figure 5 The message fields are shown.

[0084] Here, yes Figure 5 The contents of the Information Element GTPU remote Address table are described as follows:

[0085] The value of Type complies with 3GPP requirements, with the highest bit being 1 and the remaining bits being designed by the manufacturer, and their values are assumed to be TYPE_ID.

[0086] The value of Length will be set according to the actual occupied fields of the subsequent fields, Length = n.

[0087] Enterprise ID is the manufacturer's ID identification value, and its value is assumed to be VENDOR_ID.

[0088] The V4 and V6 bits are used to indicate whether the GTPU Remote Address exists in the message body. When the V4 bit is 1, the corresponding GTPU RemoteIPv4 Address must exist; when the V6 bit is 1, the corresponding GTPU RemoteIPv6 Address must exist.

[0089] If the ADD bit is 1, it means that a new GTPU Remote address will be added; otherwise, it is 0, which means that the GTPU Remote address will be revoked.

[0090] Figure 6 A flowchart of an information processing method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown as follows: Figure 6 As shown, this method is applied to Figure 1 In the communication system 100 shown, the first UPF includes:

[0091] Step 301: Receive the extended PFCP message sent by SMF.

[0092] Among them, the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, and the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address.

[0093] Step 302: Obtain a user plane path status based on the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0094] Step 303: Report the user plane path status to the SMF.

[0095] In other embodiments of the present application, step 302 obtains the user plane path status based on the first identifier and the second identifier, which can be implemented by the following steps:

[0096] The first UPF detects the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier, if the reference count indicated by the corresponding second identifier meets the count detection condition, and obtains at least path reachability information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information. Here, the path reachability information includes but is not limited to path failure and path failure recovery.

[0097] In a feasible UPF path status maintenance scenario, the GTPU remote end has multiple path detection methods, including GTPU echo, BFD, and ping. To maintain path status, the UPF needs to manage the addition and removal of GTPU remote addresses. Depending on whether the GTPU remote address is added by a different SMF (differentiated by SMFNode ID) and / or OM (configuration management channel), the UPF maintains the address based on a reference count. When the reference count reaches 0, the UPF stops detecting the address.

[0098] For example, see Figure 7 As shown, in each detection cycle, each GTPU Remote address is detected and maintained. The logic is as follows:

[0099] Step 401: UPF periodically traverses and obtains GTPU Remote data.

[0100] Step 402: The UPF determines whether a response is received.

[0101] Step 403: The UPF receives a response and determines whether it is consistent with the historical status.

[0102] Step 404: The UPF determines that the status is inconsistent with the historical status and determines whether the path is reachable.

[0103] Step 405: The UPF determines that the path is reachable and sends a response message indicating that the path has been restored.

[0104] Step 406: The UPF determines that the path is unreachable and sends a path failure response message.

[0105] Step 407: If UPF does not receive a response, it determines whether the detection has timed out.

[0106] Step 408: The UPF determines that the detection has timed out, and sets the current path as unreachable.

[0107] Step 409: The UPF determines that the detection has not timed out, and sends a detection message.

[0108] For example, see Figure 8 As shown in the figure, the processing logic of the probe response message is as follows:

[0109] Step 501: UPF obtains a response message of the detection.

[0110] Step 502: The UPF searches for the corresponding GTPU Remote object.

[0111] Step 503: The UPF searches for the GTPU Remote object successfully and determines whether it is consistent with the historical state.

[0112] Step 504: The UPF determines that the status is inconsistent with the historical status and sets the current path to be reachable.

[0113] Step 505: The UPF fails to search for the GTPU Remote object and ends the search.

[0114] In other embodiments of the present application, by detecting the existing GTPU remote address, network delay information from the first UPF to the GTPU node can also be obtained, wherein the user plane path status includes the network delay information.

[0115] In other embodiments of the present application, step 303 reports the user plane path status to the SMF, which can be implemented by the following steps: the first UPF reports a path failure message and / or a path recovery message to the SMF, wherein the user plane path status includes path reachability information and network delay information.

[0116] For example, see Figure 9 As shown, UPF will report to SMF according to different path status, and SMF will do corresponding processing after receiving it;

[0117] Step 601: When the UPF determines that the path is unreachable, it sends a PFCP Node Report Request to the SMF, which carries a User Plane Path Failure Report IE.

[0118] In this embodiment of the present application, in the message body of the Node Report Request, the path reachability parameters and network delay parameters from the UPF to the GTPU node are reported to the SMF based on the vendor-defined field extension. This reporting method is applicable to proprietary network elements or products that support the integration of this custom field.

[0119] In a feasible scenario, when the UPF determines that the path is unreachable, based on the definition of 3GPP 29.244 standard, the reporting message domain is as follows: Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 Table 7.4.5.1.2-1: User Plane Path Failure ReportIE within PFCP Node Report Request is shown.

[0120] Step 602: The SMF sends a PFCP node report response (PFCP Node Report Response) to the UPF.

[0121] Step 603: When the UPF determines that the path recovery is reachable, it sends a PFCP Node Report Request to the SMF, which carries a User Plane Path Recover Report IE.

[0122] In a feasible scenario, when the UPF determines that the path is restored and reachable, based on the definition of 3GPP 29.244 standard, the reporting message domain is as follows: Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11Table 7.4.5.1.3-1: User Plane Path RecoverReport IE within PFCP Node Report Request is shown.

[0123] Step 604: SMF sends PFCP Node Report Response to UPF.

[0124] In other embodiments of the present application, if the SMF requests the UPF to create or update a PDU session (perform signaling interaction based on the PFCP Session on the N4 channel), the UPF may refuse based on its own judgment.

[0125] For example, see Figure 12 As shown in the figure, when SMF requests UPF to create a PDU session, the interaction process is as follows:

[0126] Step 701: SMF sends a PFCP session establishment request (PFCP Session EstablishmentRequest) to UPF, requesting to create a PDU session. The request carries the creation of a remote end (FAR IE).

[0127] If the Outer Header Creation field exists in the FAR rule, and the address in the F-TEID field of this field is determined to be unreachable by the UPF, a rejection (Request reject) is immediately responded.

[0128] Step 702: The UPF sends a PFCP session establishment response (PFCP Session EstablishmentResponse) to the SMF, which carries the cause Request reject.

[0129] For example, see Figure 13 As shown in the figure, when SMF requests UPF to update the PDU session, the interaction process is as follows:

[0130] Step 801: SMF sends a PFCP session modification request (PFCP Session Modification Request) to UPF, requesting to update the PDU session. The request carries an update FAR IE.

[0131] If the Outer Header Creation field exists in the FAR rule, and the address in the F-TEID field of this field is determined to be unreachable by the UPF, a rejection (Request reject) is immediately responded.

[0132] Step 802: UPF sends a PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF, which carries the cause Request reject.

[0133] In other embodiments of this application, see Figure 14 As shown, Figure 8.2.70 of 3GPP29.224 defines the format definition of Remote GTP-U Peer.

[0134] In other embodiments of the present application, the first UPF may also perform the following steps: when the first UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU session, it sends a PFCP session response message to the SMF, wherein the PFCP session response message is used to indicate a refusal to provide services for the PDU session, wherein the path reachability information reported by the first UPF is used to indicate that the path is unreachable.

[0135] From the above, it can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, before the UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU Session of the terminal device, the UPF informs the SMF in advance of the status of the forwarding path of each GTPU node in the data plane (including the UPF to the base station node); when the UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU Session of the terminal device, the UPF can immediately reject it in the response message of the PFCP SessionEstablishment / Modification signaling interaction, thereby avoiding the SMF from creating a session that is unreachable on the data plane.

[0136] The embodiment of the present application provides a session management function network element 900, which can be used to implement Figure 3 The corresponding embodiment provides an information processing method, referring to Figure 15 As shown, the session management function network element 900 includes:

[0137] A first processing module 901 is configured to extend a PFCP message to be sent;

[0138] The first sending module 902 is configured to send an extended PFCP message to all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address;

[0139] The first receiving module 903 is configured to receive a user plane path status reported by a first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on a first identifier and a second identifier, and all UPFs include the first UPF.

[0140] In other embodiments of the present application, the first receiving module 903 is used to receive path reachability information and / or network delay information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier, wherein the user plane path status includes path reachability information and network delay information.

[0141] In other embodiments of the present application, the first processing module 901 is configured to allocate a UPF to a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on path reachability information and / or network delay information.

[0142] In other embodiments of the present application, the first receiving module 903 is used to receive a PFCP session response message sent by the first UPF when the first UPF is selected to provide service for the PDU session, wherein the PFCP session response message is used to indicate a refusal to provide service for the PDU session, wherein the UPF allocated to the PDU session includes the second UPF among all UPFs, the path reachability information reported by the first UPF is used to indicate that the path is unreachable, and the path reachability information reported by the second UPF is used to indicate that the path is reachable.

[0143] In other embodiments of the present application, the first processing module 901 is used to extract the GTPU remote address from the configuration signaling of the PDU session, wherein the configuration signaling includes at least one of the creation signaling, update signaling and deletion signaling of the PDU session; and / or obtain the GTPU remote address configured by the network management platform for the first UPF.

[0144] The session management function network element SMF provided in the embodiment of the present application extends the message forwarding control protocol PFCP message to be sent, and sends the extended PFCP message to all user plane function network elements UPF that have established a PFCP session association with the SMF, that is, the present application can expand the message body of the PFCP protocol in the PFCP Association setting, creation, update or deletion process; wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address. The SMF notifies the UPF to feedback specific information based on the identifier in the custom extended message field; further, the SMF receives the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF, so that the SMF can obtain the specific information reported by the UPF, namely the user plane path status, thereby realizing the SMF's rapid perception of the user plane path status before preparing the service, and avoiding the SMF from creating a user plane unreachable session.

[0145] The embodiment of the present application provides a user plane function network element 1000, which can be used to implement Figure 4 The corresponding embodiment provides an information processing method, referring to Figure 16 As shown, including:

[0146] The second receiving module 1001 is configured to receive an extended PFCP message sent by the SMF; wherein the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address;

[0147] The second processing module 1002 is configured to obtain a user plane path status based on the first identifier and the second identifier;

[0148] The second sending module 1003 is used for the first UPF to report the user plane path status to the SMF.

[0149] In other embodiments of the present application, the second processing module 1002 is configured to detect an existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier, if a reference count indicated by the corresponding second identifier satisfies a count detection condition, and obtain at least path reachability information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information. The path reachability information includes, but is not limited to, path failure and path failure recovery.

[0150] In other embodiments of the present application, the second processing module 1002 is used to detect the existing GTPU remote address and obtain network delay information from the first UPF to the GTPU node, wherein the user plane path status includes the network delay information.

[0151] In other embodiments of the present application, the second sending module 1003 is used to report a path failure message and / or a path recovery message to the SMF, wherein the user plane path status includes path reachability information and network delay information.

[0152] In other embodiments of the present application, the second sending module 1003 is used to send a PFCP session response message to the SMF when the first UPF is selected to provide services for the PDU session, wherein the PFCP session response message is used to indicate a refusal to provide services for the PDU session, wherein the path reachability information reported by the first UPF is used to indicate that the path is unreachable.

[0153] The first UPF provided in the embodiment of the present application receives the extended PFCP message sent by the SMF; wherein the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether the tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating the reference count of the GTPU remote address; the first UPF obtains the user plane path status based on the first identifier and the second identifier; the first UPF reports the user plane path status to the SMF, so that the SMF can obtain the specific information reported by the UPF, namely the user plane path status, thereby realizing the SMF's rapid perception of the user plane path status before preparing the service, and avoiding the SMF from creating a user plane unreachable session.

[0154] The description of the above device embodiment is similar to the description of the above method embodiment and has similar beneficial effects as the method embodiment. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiment of this application, please refer to the description of the method embodiment of this application for understanding.

[0155] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, if the above-mentioned test data generation method is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, or the part that contributes to the relevant technology, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device to execute all or part of the methods of each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. In this way, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0156] Figure 17 This is a schematic structural diagram of a network function provided by an embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned SMF or first UPF can be composed of Figure 17 It is implemented by the network function 1100 in. Figure 17 The network function 1100 shown includes at least one processor 1101 , a memory 1102 , and a communication line 1103 . The network function 1100 may also include at least one of a transceiver 1104 and a communication interface 1105 .

[0157] The processor 1101 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0158] The communication link 1103 may include a path to transmit information between the above components.

[0159] The transceiver 1104 may be any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, Radio Access Network (RAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), etc. The transceiver 1104 may also be a transceiver circuit or a transceiver.

[0160] The communication device may also include a communication interface 1105 .

[0161] The memory 1102 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may be independent and connected to the processor 1101 via a communication line 1103. The memory 1102 may also be integrated with the processor 1101.

[0162] The memory 1102 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 1101. The processor 1101 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1102, thereby implementing the information processing method provided by the above method embodiment of the present application.

[0163] In one possible implementation, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0164] As an embodiment, the processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., executing computer instructions).

[0165] From the perspective of functional units, the present application can divide each network function into functional units according to the above method embodiments. For example, each functional unit can be divided into corresponding functional units, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. The above integrated functional units can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0166] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product.

[0167] The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, a computer, a server, or a data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website, a computer, a server, or a data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can store or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more available media integrations. Available media can be magnetic media, (such as floppy disk, hard disk, tape), optical media (such as DVD), or semiconductor media (such as solid-state drive Solid State Disk (SSD)), etc.

[0168] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which may include: ROM, RAM, disk or CD, etc.

[0169] The above is a detailed introduction to the information processing method, session management function network element and user plane function network element provided in the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core ideas. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present application.

Claims

1. An information processing method, comprising: The session management function network element SMF extends the message forwarding control protocol PFCP message to be sent, and sends the extended PFCP message to all user plane function network elements UPF that have established a PFCP session Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address; The SMF receives a user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF; The user plane path state is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, including: The first UPF detects the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier and the reference count indicated by the corresponding second identifier meets the counting detection condition, and obtains at least the path reachability information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SMF receives the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, comprising: The SMF receives path reachability information and / or network delay information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information and the network delay information; The method further comprises: The SMF allocates a UPF to a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on the path reachability information and / or network delay information.

3. The method according to claim 2, before the SMF assigns a UPF to a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on the path reachability information and / or the network delay information, the method further comprises: In a case where the first UPF is selected to provide service for the PDU session, a PFCP session response message sent by the first UPF is received, wherein the PFCP session response message is used to indicate a refusal to provide service for the PDU session, wherein the UPF allocated to the PDU session includes the second UPF among all the UPFs, the path reachability information reported by the first UPF is used to indicate that the path is unreachable, and the path reachability information reported by the second UPF is used to indicate that the path is reachable.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: The SMF extracts the GTPU remote address from the configuration signaling of the PDU session, wherein the configuration signaling includes at least one of creation signaling, update signaling, and deletion signaling of the PDU session; and / or, Obtain the GTPU remote address configured by the network management platform for the first UPF.

5. An information processing method, comprising: The first UPF receives the extended PFCP message sent by the SMF; wherein the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a tunnel protocol GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address; The first UPF detects the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier, if the reference count indicated by the corresponding second identifier meets the count detection condition, and obtains at least path reachability information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information; The first UPF reports the user plane path status to the SMF.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the detecting of the existing GTPU remote address can also obtain network delay information from the first UPF to the GTPU node, wherein: The user plane path status includes the network delay information; Accordingly, the first UPF reports the user plane path status to the SMF, including: The first UPF reports a path failure message and / or a path recovery message to the SMF, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information and the network delay information.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: In the case where the first UPF is selected to provide service for the PDU session, a PFCP session response message is sent to the SMF, wherein the PFCP session response message is used to indicate a refusal to provide service for the PDU session, wherein the path reachability information reported by the first UPF is used to indicate that the path is unreachable.

8. A session management function network element, comprising: A first processing module, configured to extend a PFCP message to be sent; A first sending module is configured to send an extended PFCP message to all UPFs that have established a PFCPAssociation with the SMF, wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address; A first receiving module is used to receive the user plane path status reported by the first UPF, wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein all UPFs include the first UPF; wherein the user plane path status is obtained by the first UPF based on the first identifier and the second identifier, including: the first UPF detects the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier, when the reference count indicated by the corresponding second identifier meets the counting detection condition, and obtains at least the path reachability information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information.

9. A user plane function network element, comprising: A second receiving module is configured to receive an extended PFCP message sent by an SMF; wherein the first UPF is any UPF among all UPFs that have established a PFCP Association with the SMF, and wherein the extended PFCP message carries at least: a first identifier for indicating whether a GTPU remote address exists, and a second identifier for indicating a reference count of the GTPU remote address; a second processing module, configured to detect the existing GTPU remote address indicated by the first identifier based on the first UPF, if a reference count indicated by the corresponding second identifier satisfies a count detection condition, and obtain at least path reachability information from the first UPF to the GTPU node corresponding to the existing GTPU remote address, wherein the user plane path status includes the path reachability information; The second sending module is used to report the user plane path status to the SMF.

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