Method and apparatus for updating network element information, electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a network element information updating method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium, and relates to the technical field of core networks. The method comprises: determining a countdown of cached information in a first network function (NF) network element according to a validity period of the cached information; when the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, sending the cached information to a network repository function (NRF) network element, so that the NRF network element determines updating information according to the cached information; obtaining the updating information sent by the NRF network element; and updating the cached information according to the updating information to determine updated cached information in the first NF network element. In the present disclosure, the countdown is performed according to the validity period of each information cache, and when the countdown is less than a certain threshold, the NF initiates discovery of the information about the NF to the NRF, which can ensure that the information of the corresponding network element can be found in the local cache at any time, and solves the problem of prolonged time when reading multiple network element information after the validity period of the cached information expires.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of core network technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, electronic device and storage medium for updating network element information. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the core network of 5G mobile communication technology introduces NRF (Network Function Provider) elements to realize functions such as network element registration and discovery. During user online and session establishment updates to provide services, network function (NF) elements exchange relevant information. NF elements typically query the Network Provider Repository (NRF) element for information on other related network elements, including supported Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs), addresses, and network element IDs. For example, Access and Mobility Management (AMF) elements and Session Management (SMF) elements, as access and session management elements, need to obtain a large amount of information from other AMF elements, SMF elements, Unified Data Management (UDM) elements, and Policy Control (PCF) elements. To improve efficiency, NF elements cache the results of queries to NRF elements locally. Subsequently, when the relevant user needs to find other network elements that can provide services, such as those requiring User Permanent Identifier (SUPI), Data Network Name (DNN), slices, or Tracking Area Identifier (TAI), the NF element will first use the locally cached information to directly exchange with the corresponding network element. Typically, NF network elements such as AMF and SMF manage and update address cache information by setting a cache validity period (usually 24 hours), and this does not significantly increase the number of query and update times compared to the current model (NF information validity can be maintained for 24 hours).

[0003] In existing technologies, when the cached information about other network elements on an NF network element expires, a series of network element discovery processes need to be retried upon user login and session establishment. For example, frequent interactions occur between AMF and UDM network elements, NSSF network elements, SMF network elements, and AMF network elements in the network slice selection function, as well as between SMF network elements and UDM, PCF, and SMF network elements. When there are many network elements to search, rediscovering each network element takes a long time, which seriously affects the user experience during this period.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for updating network element information, which at least to some extent overcomes the problem of extended reading times when rereading multiple network element information after the network element information cache expires in related technologies.

[0006] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for updating network element information is provided, comprising: determining a countdown timer for cached information based on the validity period of cached information in a first network function (NF) network element, wherein the countdown timer is not greater than the validity period; when the countdown timer of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, sending the cached information to a network repository function (NRF) network element, so that the NRF network element determines update information based on the cached information; obtaining the update information sent by the NRF network element; updating the cached information based on the update information, and determining the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0008] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: obtaining first NF network element information; determining whether the first NF network element stores cache information based on the first NF network element information; if yes, determining the countdown of the cache information based on the validity period of the cache information in the first NF network element; if no, obtaining the cache information of the first NF network element through NRF, and storing the cache information in the first NF network element.

[0009] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: obtaining a network element device information request sent by a user; and establishing a connection between the first NF network element and the second NF network element according to the updated cache information.

[0010] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cached information includes at least one of the following: the ID number of the second NF network element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF network element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0011] In one embodiment of this disclosure, after updating the cache information according to the update information and determining the updated cache information in the NF network element, the method further includes: updating the validity period of the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

[0012] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first NF network element is a network element with network element information caching function.

[0013] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the preset threshold is 120 seconds.

[0014] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a network element information updating device is provided, comprising: a countdown determining module, configured to determine a countdown of cached information based on the validity period of cached information in a first network function (NF) network element, wherein the countdown is not greater than the validity period; an information judging module, configured to send the cached information to a network repository function (NRF) network element when the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, so that the NRF network element determines update information based on the cached information; an information acquiring module, configured to acquire the update information sent by the NRF network element; and an information updating module, configured to update the cached information based on the update information to determine the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the above-described method for updating network element information by executing the executable instructions.

[0016] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method for updating network element information.

[0017] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by a processor, implement operation instructions for updating the network element information as described above.

[0018] The network element information updating method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium provided in the embodiments of this disclosure determine the countdown of cached information based on the validity period of cached information in the first network function (NF) network element, wherein the countdown is not greater than the validity period; when the countdown of cached information is less than a preset threshold, the cached information is sent to the network repository function (NRF) network element, so that the NRF network element determines the update information based on the cached information; the update information sent by the NRF network element is obtained; the cached information is updated according to the update information to determine the updated cached information in the first NF network element. In the embodiments of this disclosure, a countdown is performed based on the validity period of each information cache. When the countdown is less than a certain threshold, the NF will actively initiate the discovery of the NF information with the NRF, which can ensure that the NF can find the corresponding network element information in the local cache at any time, overcoming the problem of extended reading time when rereading multiple network element information after the network element information cache validity period expires in related technologies.

[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the structure of a network element information updating system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of a method for updating network element information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of another method for updating network element information in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of another method for updating network element information in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a network element information updating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0029] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0030] To facilitate understanding, the following is an explanation of several terms used in this disclosure:

[0031] 5G: 5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology;

[0032] 5GC: 5G Core Network;

[0033] AMF: Access and Mobility Management function;

[0034] SMF: Session Management Function;

[0035] UPF: User Plane Function;

[0036] PCF: Policy Control Function;

[0037] UDM: Unified Data Management;

[0038] NRF: NF Repository Function;

[0039] NF: Network Function;

[0040] ID: Identity Document, ID card identification number;

[0041] FQDN: Fully Qualified Domain Name;

[0042] SUPI: Subscription Permanent Identifier;

[0043] NSSF: Network Slice Selection Function.

[0044] DNN: data network name;

[0045] TAI: TrackingAreaIdentify;

[0046] UE: User Equipment, user terminal;

[0047] IP address: Internet Protocol Address, refers to the address used in Internet Protocol (IP) communication.

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary system architecture that can be applied to the image processing method or image processing apparatus of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the system architecture 100 may include UE 101, first NF network element 102, second NF network element 103, network 104 and NRF network element 105.

[0050] Network 104 is a medium used to provide a communication link between UE 101, first NF network element 102, second NF network element 103 and NRF network element 105, and can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0051] Optionally, the aforementioned wireless or wired networks use standard communication technologies and / or protocols. The network is typically the Internet, but can also be any network, including but not limited to Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), mobile, wired or wireless networks, private networks, or any combination of virtual private networks. In some embodiments, technologies and / or formats including Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), etc., are used to represent data exchanged over the network. Furthermore, conventional encryption technologies such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) can be used to encrypt all or some links. In other embodiments, customized and / or dedicated data communication technologies can be used to replace or supplement the aforementioned data communication technologies.

[0052] The first NF network element can be an AMF network element, SMF network element, etc. The first NF network element determines the countdown of the cached information based on its validity period, where the countdown is no greater than the validity period. When the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, the cached information is sent to the Network Repository Function (NRF) network element, allowing the NRF network element to determine update information based on the cached information. The first NF network element then receives the update information sent by the NRF network element, updates the cached information according to the update information, and determines the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0053] In a specific instance, the information of the first NF network element is obtained; based on the information of the first NF network element, it is determined whether the first NF network element stores cached information; if so, the countdown of the cached information is determined based on the validity period of the cached information in the first NF network element; if not, the cached information of the first NF network element is obtained through NRF, and the first NF network element stores the cached information.

[0054] In a specific instance, the first NF network element obtains the network element device information request sent by the user; the first NF network element establishes a connection with the second NF network element based on the updated cached information.

[0055] In a specific instance, the cached information of the first NF network element includes at least one of the following: the ID number of the second NF network element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF network element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0056] In a specific instance, the first NF network element updates the validity period of the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0057] In a specific instance, the first NF network element is a network element with network element information caching function.

[0058] In a specific instance, the preset threshold for the first NF element is 120 seconds.

[0059] The second NF network element can be a UDM network element, AMF network element, SMF network element, PCF network element, etc.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 1 The number of UEs, first NF network elements, second NF network elements, and NRF network elements in the diagram is merely illustrative. Depending on actual needs, there can be any number of UEs, first NF network elements, second NF network elements, and NRF network elements. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0061] The following detailed description of this exemplary implementation method is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0062] First, this disclosure provides a method for updating network element information, which can be executed by any electronic device with computing capabilities.

[0063] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of a method for updating network element information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the method for updating network element information provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0064] S202, determine the countdown of the cached information based on the validity period of the cached information in the first network function NF network element, wherein the countdown is not greater than the validity period.

[0065] It should be noted that the aforementioned first network function (NF) can be a network function within the 5GC, such as an SMF or AMF network element. The aforementioned validity period can be the time limit for which cached information can be stored in the first NF network element; for example, cached information can be stored in the first NF network element for twenty-four hours. The aforementioned countdown can be a calculation of time from a future point in time to the present, used to indicate how much time remains until a certain deadline.

[0066] For example, the first NF network element starts a countdown count for each NF network element (e.g., AMF network element, SMF network element, etc.) information cache (equivalent to the above cache information).

[0067] Specifically, the validity period of the cached information of the AMF network element in the first network function NF network element is 24 hours. Therefore, the countdown to determine the cached information of the AMF network element can start from 24 hours.

[0068] For example, if the validity period of the cached information of the SMF network element in the first network function NF network element is 24 hours, then the countdown for determining the cached information of the AMF network element can start from 23 hours.

[0069] S204, when the countdown of the cached information is less than the preset threshold, the cached information is sent to the Network Refurbishment Function (NRF) element, so that the NRF element can determine the update information based on the cached information.

[0070] It should be noted that the above-mentioned preset threshold can be a pre-set maximum value that enables the first network function NF network element to send cached information to the network repository function NRF network element. For example, the above-mentioned preset threshold can be ten hours.

[0071] For example, the countdown for the cached information of the AMF network element starts at 24 hours, with a preset threshold of 23 hours. When the countdown for the cached information of the AMF network element changes from 24 hours to 23 hours after one hour, and then after another second, it is less than the preset threshold of 23 hours, the AMF network element automatically initiates a process to discover the network element from the NRF for the cached information and updates the network element information.

[0072] S206, Obtain update information sent by NRF network element.

[0073] S208, update the cache information according to the update information, and determine the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

[0074] In practice, a countdown is performed based on the validity period of each information cache. When the countdown is less than a certain threshold, the NF will proactively initiate the discovery of the NF information with the NRF. This ensures that the NF can find the corresponding network element information in the local cache at any time, overcoming the problem of extended reading time when rereading multiple network element information after the network element information cache validity period expires in related technologies.

[0075] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 3 As shown, the network element information update method provided in this embodiment can determine whether cached information needs to be updated through the following steps, and can accurately update the information of the first NF network element that stores cached information:

[0076] S302, Obtain information about the first NF network element;

[0077] S304, Based on the information of the first NF network element, determine whether the first NF network element stores cached information;

[0078] S306, If so, determine the countdown of the cached information based on the validity period of the cached information in the first NF network element;

[0079] S308, if not, obtain the cache information of the first NF network element through NRF, and the first NF network element stores the cache information.

[0080] In practice, since the NF cache time is generally set to 24 hours, the re-query frequency for a target NF is once every 24 hours. However, in actual networks, the AMF / SMF handles a large number of users and has a large query volume. Without a cache, the target NF discovery query will be re-performed in a short period of time. Therefore, the proactive update disclosed in this paper does not significantly increase the query frequency, but improves the efficiency of the process and enhances the user experience.

[0081] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 4As shown, the method for updating network element information provided in this embodiment can establish connections between network elements through the following steps, enabling timely establishment of sessions upon client requests:

[0082] S402, Get the network element device information request sent by the user;

[0083] S404, based on the updated cache information, the first NF network element establishes a connection with the second NF network element.

[0084] For example, during user login and session flow, major 5GC network elements such as AMF / SMF start a countdown timer for the cache validity period (including network element ID, address, FQDN, etc.) of each piece of information they discover from the NRF to other NFs. The address is equivalent to the IP address of the aforementioned network element. If the countdown timer for a piece of network element information is less than a certain threshold, such as 120 seconds (or other values ​​can be set according to actual needs), the NF will actively initiate a discovery of the cached network element information with the NRF. The obtained information will then be updated with new content and cache validity period (24 hours). This ensures that the NF can find the corresponding network element information in its local cache at any time, improving the efficiency of process operation.

[0085] In practice, when a user needs to establish a session, the system can promptly establish the corresponding session based on the user's needs, using valid cached information (equivalent to updated cached information), thus ensuring a good user experience.

[0086] In a specific instance, the cached information includes at least one of the following: the ID number of the second NF network element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF network element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0087] For example, the ID number of the second NF network element can be the second NF network element ID, the second NF network element ID number can be the second NF network element IP address, or the second NF network element ID number can be a fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0088] In a specific instance, after updating the cache information based on the update information and determining the updated cache information in the NF network element, the method for updating network element information disclosed herein further includes: updating the validity period of the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

[0089] For example, update the cache expiration time of network elements.

[0090] Specifically, the countdown for the cached information of the AMF network element starts at 24 hours, with a preset threshold of 23 hours. When the countdown for the cached information of the AMF network element changes from 24 hours to 23 hours after one hour, and then after another second it is less than the preset threshold of 23 hours, the AMF network element automatically initiates a process to discover the network element from the NRF for the cached information, and updates the network element information and the cache validity period of the AMF network element (the cache validity period is reset to 24 hours).

[0091] In a specific instance, the first NF network element is a network element with network element information caching function.

[0092] In a specific instance, the preset threshold is 120 seconds.

[0093] For example, the method for 5GC network elements to proactively update the information cache of other NF network elements to NRF involves counting down the timeout period of each NF information cache. When the countout period is less than a certain threshold (e.g., 120 seconds), the 5GC network element will proactively initiate a discovery of the information cache to NRF, update the information and cache expiration period, and ensure that the NF can find the corresponding network element information in the local cache at any time, improving the efficiency of the process. Compared with the current mode, it does not significantly increase the number of query and update times (the information validity period of each NF can be maintained for 24 hours).

[0094] This disclosure enables the deployment of functions for caching information related to other network elements, such as AMF and SMF, within 5GC network elements. This ensures the long-term validity of such caching within the 5GC network element, improving the efficiency of user session connections.

[0095] This disclosure involves counting the expiration dates of cached information related to other network nodes on the 5GC network element and setting a threshold. When the expiration date is less than the threshold, a query to the NRF will be initiated to update the information and expiration date.

[0096] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a network element information updating device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle by which this device solves the problem is similar to that of the above method embodiments, the implementation of this device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0097] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a network element information updating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the device includes:

[0098] The countdown determination module 51 is used to determine the countdown of the cached information based on the validity period of the cached information in the first network function NF network element, wherein the countdown is not greater than the validity period;

[0099] Information judgment module 52 is used to send the cached information to the network repository function NRF network element when the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, so that the NRF network element can determine the update information based on the cached information;

[0100] The information acquisition module 53 is used to acquire update information sent by NRF network elements;

[0101] The information update module 54 is used to update the cache information according to the update information and determine the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

[0102] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the above-mentioned network element information updating device further includes: a network element information acquisition module 55, used to acquire first NF network element information; a cache judgment module 56, used to determine whether the first NF network element stores cache information based on the first NF network element information; a countdown determination module 51, used to determine the countdown of cache information based on the validity period of cache information in the first NF network element; and a cache information acquisition module 57, used to acquire the cache information of the first NF network element through NRF when the first NF network element does not store cache information, wherein the first NF network element stores cache information.

[0103] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the above-mentioned network element information updating device further includes: a request acquisition module 58, used to acquire a network element device information request sent by a user; and a connection establishment module 59, used to establish a connection between the first NF network element and the second NF network element based on the updated cache information.

[0104] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cached information in the above-mentioned network element information updating device includes at least one of the following: the second NF network element identification number; the second NF network element Internet Protocol address; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0105] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the information update module 54 is also used to: update the validity period of the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0106] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first NF network element in the above-mentioned network element information updating device is a network element with network element information caching function.

[0107] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the preset threshold in the above-mentioned network element information updating device is 120 seconds.

[0108] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0109] The following reference Figure 6 To describe an electronic device 600 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 The electronic device 600 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0110] like Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 600 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 600 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 610, at least one storage unit 620, and a bus 630 connecting different system components (including storage unit 620 and processing unit 610).

[0111] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 610, causing the processing unit 610 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0112] For example, the processing unit 610 can execute the following steps of the above method embodiment: determine the countdown of the cached information according to the validity period of the cached information in the first network function (NF) network element, wherein the countdown is not greater than the validity period; when the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, send the cached information to the network repository function (NRF) network element, so that the NRF network element determines the update information according to the cached information; obtain the update information sent by the NRF network element; update the cached information according to the update information, and determine the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0113] For example, the processing unit 610 can execute the following steps of the above method embodiment: obtain first NF network element information; determine whether the first NF network element stores cache information based on the first NF network element information; if yes, determine the countdown of the cache information based on the validity period of the cache information in the first NF network element; if no, obtain the cache information of the first NF network element through NRF, and the first NF network element stores the cache information.

[0114] For example, the processing unit 610 can perform the following steps in the above method embodiment: obtain the network element device information request sent by the user; and establish a connection between the first NF network element and the second NF network element according to the updated cache information.

[0115] In a specific instance, the processing unit 610 executes cached information in the above method embodiment, including at least one of the following: the ID number of the second NF network element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF network element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0116] For example, the processing unit 610 can perform the following steps in the above method embodiment: update the validity period of the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

[0117] In a specific instance, the processing unit 610 executes the first NF network element in the above method embodiment as a network element with network element information caching function.

[0118] In a specific instance, the processing unit 610 executes the preset threshold of 120 seconds in the above method embodiment.

[0119] Storage unit 620 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM) 6201 and / or cache memory 6202, and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 6203.

[0120] Storage unit 620 may also include a program / utility 6204 having a set (at least one) program module 6205, such program module 6205 including but not limited to: operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0121] Bus 630 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0122] Electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more external devices 640 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 600, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 600 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 650. Furthermore, electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 660. As shown, network adapter 660 communicates with other modules of electronic device 600 via bus 630. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 600, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0123] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0124] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. Figure 7 This diagram illustrates a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the computer-readable storage medium 700 stores a program product capable of implementing the methods described above. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of this disclosure may also be implemented as a program product comprising program code that, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0125] In one embodiment, when the program product of this disclosure is executed by a processor, it implements the following steps: determining a countdown timer for cached information based on the validity period of cached information in a first network function (NF) network element, wherein the countdown timer is not greater than the validity period; when the countdown timer of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, sending the cached information to a network repository function (NRF) network element, so that the NRF network element determines update information based on the cached information; obtaining the update information sent by the NRF network element; updating the cached information based on the update information, and determining the updated cached information in the first NF network element.

[0126] In one embodiment, when the program product in this embodiment is executed by a processor, it implements the following steps: obtaining first NF network element information; determining whether the first NF network element stores cache information based on the first NF network element information; if yes, determining the countdown of the cache information based on the validity period of the cache information in the first NF network element; if no, obtaining the cache information of the first NF network element through NRF, and storing the cache information in the first NF network element.

[0127] In one embodiment, when the program product of this disclosure is executed by the processor, it implements the following steps: obtaining a network element device information request sent by the user; and establishing a connection between the first NF network element and the second NF network element based on the updated cache information.

[0128] In one embodiment, the cached information of the program product executed by the processor in this disclosure embodiment includes at least one of the following: the ID number of the second NF network element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF network element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF network element.

[0129] In one embodiment, when the program product of this disclosure is executed by a processor, it implements the following steps: updating the validity period of the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

[0130] In one embodiment, the first NF network element when the program product in this embodiment is executed by the processor is a network element with network element information caching function.

[0131] In one embodiment, the preset threshold for when the program product in this disclosure is executed by the processor is 120 seconds.

[0132] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0133] In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of transmitting, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0134] Optionally, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0135] In practical implementation, program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0136] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0137] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0138] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, mobile terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0139] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for updating network element information, characterized in that, include: Based on the validity period of the cached information in the first network function (NF) element, a countdown timer for the cached information is determined, wherein the countdown timer is not greater than the validity period; the cached information refers to the query results obtained from the network repository function (NRF) element and stored locally by the first NF element, used to characterize information of other related NF elements, and the cached information includes at least one of the following: the identification number of the second NF element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF element; When the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, the cached information is sent to the Network Repository Function (NRF) network element, so that the NRF network element can determine the update information based on the cached information. Obtain update information sent by NRF network elements; The cache information is updated according to the update information to determine the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

2. The method for updating network element information according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the first NF network element information; Based on the information of the first NF network element, determine whether the first NF network element stores cached information; If so, determine the countdown of the cached information based on the validity period of the cached information in the first NF network element; If not, the cache information of the first NF network element is obtained through NRF, and the first NF network element stores the cache information.

3. The method for updating network element information according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Get the network element device information request sent by the user; Based on the updated cache information, the first NF network element establishes a connection with the second NF network element.

4. The method for updating network element information according to claim 1, characterized in that, After updating the cache information according to the update information and determining the updated cache information in the NF network element, the method further includes: Update the validity period of the cached information in the first NF network element.

5. The method for updating network element information according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first NF network element is a network element with network element information caching function.

6. The method for updating network element information according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset threshold is 120 seconds.

7. A device for updating network element information, characterized in that, include: The countdown determination module is used to determine the countdown of the cached information based on the validity period of the cached information in the first network function (NF) element, wherein the countdown is not greater than the validity period; the cached information refers to the query results obtained from the network repository function (NRF) element and stored locally by the first NF element, used to characterize information of other related NF elements, and the cached information includes at least one of the following: the identification number of the second NF element; the Internet Protocol address of the second NF element; or the fully qualified domain name supported by the second NF element; The information judgment module is used to send the cached information to the Network Repository Function (NRF) network element when the countdown of the cached information is less than a preset threshold, so that the NRF network element can determine the update information based on the cached information. The information acquisition module is used to acquire update information sent by NRF network elements; The information update module is used to update the cache information according to the update information and determine the updated cache information in the first NF network element.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; as well as Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the method for updating network element information according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by executing the executable instructions.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the method for updating network element information as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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