Network element discovery method, device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The present application discloses a network element discovery method, device, equipment and storage medium, and relates to the field of communication technology. The method comprises: receiving a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element; determining the target third network element based on the request parameter and the selection condition of the indicated target third network element; and sending a discovery response to the second network element, wherein the discovery response includes information about the target third network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, and reduces the waste of computing resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network element discovery method, apparatus, device and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the core network of the 5G NR (New Radio) system, NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function) is introduced. It can collect data from various network elements and network management systems in the core network for big data statistics, analysis or intelligent data analysis, and obtain analysis or prediction data on the network side, thereby assisting each network element to more effectively control UE (User Equipment) access based on the data analysis results.

[0003] Currently, the data analysis of each NWDAF is independent of each other, resulting in a waste of computing resources. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a network element discovery method, device, equipment and storage medium. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a network element discovery method is provided, which is applied to a first network element, and the method includes:

[0006] receiving a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0007] Determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

[0008] A discovery response is sent to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element.

[0009] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a network element discovery method is provided, which is applied to a second network element, and the method includes:

[0010] Sending a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0011] A discovery response is received from the first network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is determined based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

[0012] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a network element discovery device is provided, the device comprising:

[0013] A request receiving module, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0014] A network element determination module, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

[0015] A response sending module is used to send a discovery response to the second network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a network element discovery device is provided, the device comprising:

[0017] A request sending module, used for sending a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0018] A response receiving module is used to receive a discovery response from the first network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is determined based on the request parameters and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

[0019] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a network device is provided, the network device comprising a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein:

[0020] The transceiver is used to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0021] The processor is configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

[0022] The transceiver is further used to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element.

[0023] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a network device is provided, the network device comprising a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein:

[0024] The transceiver is used to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0025] The transceiver is also used to receive a discovery response from the first network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is determined based on the request parameters and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

[0026] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a first network element to implement the network element discovery method as described in the above aspect.

[0027] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a second network element to implement the network element discovery method as described in the above aspect.

[0028] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip runs on a first network element, it is used to implement the network element discovery method on the first network element side.

[0029] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip runs on a second network element, it is used to implement the network element discovery method on the second network element side.

[0030] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided. When the computer program product is run on a processor of a first network element, the first network element executes the above-mentioned network element discovery method on the first network element side.

[0031] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided. When the computer program product is run on a processor of a second network element, the second network element executes the above-mentioned network element discovery method on the second network element side.

[0032] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0033] The second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; the first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, and enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a 5GS system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a 5GS system architecture provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a network element discovery method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a network element discovery device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a network element discovery device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram of a network device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 8 It is a structural diagram of a network device provided in another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the implementation methods of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. A person of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the system architecture 100 may include: a terminal device 10 , an access network device 20 and a core network device 30 .

[0045] The terminal device 10 may refer to a UE, an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a wireless communication device, a user agent or a user device. Optionally, the terminal device may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, a WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a handheld device with a wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5GS (5G System) or a terminal device in a future evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0046] The access network device 20 is a device deployed in the access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The access network device 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, etc. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with access network device functions may be different. For example, in 5GS, it is called gNodeB or gNB; in EPS (Evolved Packet System), the access network device can be called eNodeB (Evo1ved NodeB). With the evolution of communication technology, the name "access network device" may change. For the convenience of description, in the embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices are collectively referred to as access network devices.

[0047] The core network device 30 refers to a device that can provide session management, mobility relations, policy management, security authentication and other functions for the terminal device. In an embodiment of the present application, the core network device 30 may include a first core network device and a second core network device, wherein the first core network device is responsible for the access management and mobility management of the terminal device, and the second core network device is responsible for the session management of the terminal device. Exemplarily, in a 5GS system, the first core network can be implemented as an AMF (Core Access and Mobility Management Function), and the second core network device can be implemented as an SMF (Session Management Function); in an EPS system, the first core device can be implemented as an MME (Mobility Management Entity), and the second core network device can be implemented as an SGW (Serving Gateway).

[0048] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the system architecture of the 5GS provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the system architecture 200 may include: UE, RAN (Radio Access Network), Core (core network) and DN (Data Network). Among them, UE, RAN, and Core are the main components of the architecture. Logically, they can be divided into two parts: user plane and control plane. The control plane is responsible for the management of the mobile network, and the user plane is responsible for the transmission of service data. In the figure, the NG2 reference point is located between the RAN control plane and the Core control plane, the NG3 reference point is located between the RAN user plane and the Core user plane, and the NG6 reference point is located between the Core user plane and the data network.

[0049] UE: It is the entrance for mobile users to interact with the network. It can provide basic computing and storage capabilities, display service windows to users, and accept user operation input. UE will use the next generation air interface technology to establish signal connections and data connections with RAN, thereby transmitting control signals and service data to the mobile network. In the embodiments of the present application, the terms UE and terminal equipment are often used interchangeably, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings.

[0050] RAN: Similar to the base station in the traditional network, it is deployed close to the UE, provides network access for authorized users in a specific area, and can use transmission tunnels of different qualities to transmit user data according to the user level and business requirements. RAN can manage its own resources, use them reasonably, provide access services to UE on demand, and forward control signals and user data between UE and the core network.

[0051] Core: Responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network, managing the network elements of the mobile network, and providing the UE with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. When the UE is attached, it provides the UE with network access authentication; when the UE has a service request, it allocates network resources to the UE; when the UE moves, it updates the network resources for the UE; when the UE is idle, it provides the UE with a fast recovery mechanism; when the UE is detached, it releases network resources for the UE; when the UE has service data, it provides the UE with data routing functions, such as forwarding uplink data to the DN; or receiving UE downlink data from the DN, forwarding it to the RAN, and then sending it to the UE.

[0052] DN: It is a data network that provides business services to users. Generally, the client is located in the UE and the server is located in the data network. The data network can be a private network, such as a local area network, or an external network that is not controlled by the operator, such as the Internet, or a proprietary network jointly deployed by operators, such as for configuring IMS (IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem) services.

[0053] Figure 3 is Figure 2 The detailed architecture is determined on the basis of the core network, in which the core network user plane includes UPF (User Plane Function); the core network control plane includes AUSF (Authentication Server Function), AMF, SMF, NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), NEF (Network Exposure Function), NRF (NF Repository Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), PCF (Policy Control Function), and AF (Application Function). The functions of these functional entities are as follows:

[0054] UPF: performs user data packet forwarding according to the routing rules of SMF;

[0055] AUSF: performs security authentication of UE;

[0056] AMF: UE access management and mobility management;

[0057] SMF: UE session management;

[0058] NSSF: selects network slices for UE;

[0059] NEF: Opens network functions to third parties via northbound APIs.

[0060] NRF: Provides storage and selection functions for network function entity information for other network elements;

[0061] UDM: User contract context management;

[0062] PCF: User Policy Management;

[0063] AF: User Application Management.

[0064] exist Figure 3 In the architecture shown, the N1 interface is the reference point between the UE and the AMF; the N2 interface is the reference point between the RAN and the AMF, and is used for sending NAS (Non-Access-Stratum) messages, etc.; the N3 interface is the reference point between the RAN and the UPF, and is used for transmitting user plane data, etc.; the N4 interface is the reference point between the SMF and the UPF, and is used for transmitting information such as the tunnel identification information of the N3 connection, data cache indication information, and downlink data notification messages; the N6 interface is the reference point between the UPF and the DN, and is used for transmitting user plane data, etc. The SBI (Service Based Interface) interface is an interface that the network element exposes to the outside world and is used to access the services provided by the network element. Figure 3 Among them, SBI interfaces include: Nnrf interface, Namf interface, Npcf interface, Nsmf interface, Naf interface, etc.

[0065] It should be noted that Figure 2 and Figure 3 The interface name between the various network elements is only an example. The name of the interface in a specific implementation may be other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The names of the various network elements (such as SMF, AF, UPF, etc.) included in are only examples and do not limit the functions of the network elements themselves. In 5GS and other future networks, the above-mentioned network elements may also have other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above-mentioned network elements may use the terminology in 5G, or may use other names, etc., which are uniformly explained here and will not be repeated below. In addition, it should be understood that the name of the message (or signaling) transmitted between the above-mentioned network elements is only an example and does not constitute any limitation on the function of the message itself.

[0066] Figure 3 This is the system architecture diagram for UE accessing the mobile network. Among them, UE and RAN are connected via AS (Access-Stratum), exchanging AS messages and wireless data transmission, and UE and AMF are connected via NAS, exchanging NAS messages. AMF is responsible for managing UE mobility, and SMF is responsible for UE session management. In addition to managing UE mobility, AMF is also responsible for forwarding session management related messages between UE and SMF. PCF is responsible for formulating policies related to UE mobility management, session management, and billing. UPF is connected to RAN and DN for data transmission.

[0067] The 5G network adds NWDAF in the core network, which can collect data from various network elements and network management systems in the core network for big data statistics, analysis or intelligent data analysis, and obtain analysis or prediction data on the network side, thereby assisting each network element to more effectively control UE access based on the data analysis results. NWDAF can provide analysis identification (ID, Identity) to indicate various types of statistical or predicted data analysis results, such as:

[0068] Analysis identification a: Slice load information;

[0069] Analysis identifier b: service experience information of the slice or application;

[0070] Analysis identifier c: network performance in a specific area, for example, resource usage;

[0071] Analysis indicator d: the degree of data congestion in a specific area;

[0072] …

[0073] In the related art, there may be multiple NWDAFs in a network, and each NWDAF may have a different service scope. For example, each NWDAF serves a different area; each NWDAF may also serve a different network element; each NWDAF may also provide different types of data analysis, that is, support different analysis identifiers. In one case, the areas served by multiple NWDAFs may overlap or overlap. For example, a large area A includes sub-area B and sub-area C, and the three areas have three corresponding NWDAFs to perform data analysis corresponding to the same analysis identifier. The data analysis provided by the NWDAF serving area A is actually repeated with the data analysis provided by the NWDAF of sub-area B and the NWDAF of sub-area C, which will lead to a waste of computing resources. In another case, NWDAF A performs data analysis of analysis identifier 1, and NWDAF B performs data analysis of analysis identifier 2. The analysis result of analysis identifier 2 of NWDAF B can be directly used by NWDAF A for data analysis of analysis identifier 1, but there is currently no assistance between multiple NWDAFs. NWDAF A and NWDAF B perform analysis independently and cannot assist each other, resulting in a waste of computing resources.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present application, the second network element sends a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; the first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, and enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources.

[0075] The present application is described below through several embodiments.

[0076] Please refer to Figure 4 , which shows a flow chart of a network element discovery method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method may include the following steps:

[0077] Step 401: The second network element sends a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element.

[0078] The first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, and the network element information of the third network element refers to information related to the third network element. In a possible implementation, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, the service area of ​​the third network element, the network element identification of the third network element service, the capability identification supported by the third network element, and the identification information of other network elements related to the third network element. The identification information of the third network element is used to uniquely identify the third network element. Each third network element has its own identification information. Different third network elements have different identification information. The service area of ​​the third network element refers to the area where the third network element provides services. The area can be a physical area (such as an actual geographical area) or a logical area (such as a logical area division such as a cell). Different third network elements may have the same or different service areas. The network element identification of the third network element service is used to uniquely identify the network element served by the third network element. The third network element can provide services to multiple other network elements at the same time, or it can only provide services to one other network element. This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The capability identifier supported by the third network element is used to uniquely identify the capability supported by the third network element, and the capability identifier is used to indicate the type of capability supported by the third network element. The types of capabilities supported by the third network element are different, and its capability identifier is also different. The capability identifiers supported by different third network elements may be the same or different. The third network element may be correlated with other network elements, and the identification information of other network elements correlated with the third network element is used to uniquely identify the other network elements correlated with the third network element. Different other network elements have different identification information. The other network elements correlated with the third network element may refer to network elements whose service areas are correlated with the service areas of the third network element, for example, when the service areas of other network elements are subsets of the service areas of the third network element, the service areas of the other network elements are correlated with the service areas of the third network element; or may refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are correlated with the capability identifiers supported by the third network element, for example, when the calculation result of the capability identifiers supported by other network elements can assist the calculation of the capability identifiers supported by the third network element, the capability identifiers supported by the other network elements are correlated with the capability identifiers supported by the third network element.

[0079] Exemplarily, the third network element is NWDAF. When the third network element is NWDAF, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by NWDAF. The analysis identifier supported by NWDAF is used to uniquely identify the data analysis capability supported by the NWDAF. The data analysis capabilities supported by NWDAF are different, and its analysis identifier is also different. For example, assume that the analysis identifiers supported by NWDAF include: analysis identifier a, analysis identifier b, analysis identifier c, and analysis identifier d, that is, the NWDAF supports 4 types of data analysis capabilities, namely: load information of the slice indicated by analysis identifier a; service experience information of the slice or application indicated by analysis identifier b; network performance of a specific area indicated by analysis identifier c, for example, resource usage status; and data congestion level of a specific area indicated by analysis identifier d.

[0080] In a possible implementation, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element. The target third network element may be any third network element, for example, the target third network element may be any one or more third network elements corresponding to at least one network element information stored in the first network element.

[0081] The second network element and the third network element may be the same network element, or the second network element may be another network element different from the third network element, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0082] Correspondingly, the first network element receives a discovery request for a third network element from the second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element.

[0083] Step 402: Based on the request parameters and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the first network element determines the target third network element.

[0084] The selection condition refers to a condition for selecting a target third network element. In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition includes: best matching with the request parameter, and / or having a correlation with the request parameter.

[0085] The closest match to the request parameters means the highest degree of match with the request parameters.

[0086] In a possible implementation, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter. Exemplarily, assuming that the network element information of three third network elements (including: third network element a, third network element b, and third network element k) is stored in the first network element, the network element information of the third network element a includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: a, service area of ​​the third network element a: service area a, capability identifier supported by the third network element a: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element b includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: b, service area of ​​the third network element b: service area b, capability identifier supported by the third network element b: capability identifier b; the network element information of the third network element k includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: k, service area of ​​the third network element k: service area a+b, capability identifier supported by the third network element k: capability identifier k. Assuming that the request parameter includes that the service area of ​​the target third network element is a+b, and the service area a and / or service area b is a subset of the service area a+b, then the third network element a and / or b is correlated with the request parameter. Assuming that the request parameter includes that the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is a, and the calculation result of the capability identifier b can help assist the calculation of the capability identifier a, and the supported capability identifier b is related to the supported capability identifier a, then the third network element b is correlated with the request parameter.

[0087] In an illustrative embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition. The indication information of the selection condition is used to indicate the selection condition of the target third network element. The second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes request parameters and indication information of the selection condition for determining the target third network element. The first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameters and the indication information of the selection condition. In one example, the indication information is the first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter. In another example, the indication information is the second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the correlation with the request parameter. In another example, the indication information is the third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter. In a possible implementation, 00 is used to represent the first indication information, 01 is used to represent the second indication information, and 10 is used to represent the third indication information. Of course, in other possible implementations, the first indication information, the second indication information, and the third indication information can also be represented in other different ways, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. Exemplarily, the discovery request sent by the second network element to the first network element can be represented by a string of bit sequences, the first n bits of the string of bit sequences are used to represent request parameters, and the last m bits are used to represent indication information, and n and m are positive integers. The first network element parses the string of bit sequences to obtain the request parameters and the selection conditions.

[0088] In an illustrative embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to the identity of the second network element. When the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, it is found that the request does not carry the indication information of the selection condition. In one example, the first network element stores a default selection condition. At this time, the selection conditions corresponding to different second network elements may be the same, that is, for different second network elements, the first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameters of the target third network element and the default selection condition. The default selection condition can be any of the following: most matching the request parameters, having a correlation with the request parameters, most matching the request parameters, and having a correlation with the request parameters. In another example, the first network element stores the correspondence between different identities of the second network element and the selection condition. At this time, the selection conditions corresponding to the second network elements with different identities may be different. That is, for different second network elements, the first network element will determine the selection condition based on the identity of the second network element, and then determine the target third network element based on the request parameters and the selection condition. For example, when the second network element is a central third network element (the central third network element refers to a third network element serving the entire area), the selection condition is that the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter.

[0089] In an illustrative embodiment, when the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameters, the first network element determines the target third network element in the following manner: based on the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameters is selected from at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

[0090] In an illustrative embodiment, when the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameter, the first network element determines the target third network element in the following manner: based on the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter is selected from at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

[0091] In an illustrative embodiment, when the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters, the first network element determines the target third network element in the following manner: based on the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element that best matches the request parameters is selected from at least one third network element, and a third network element that has a correlation with the request parameters is selected to obtain the target third network element.

[0092] Exemplarily, it is assumed that network element information of four third network elements is stored in the first network element, and the four third network elements are: third network element a, third network element b, third network element c, and third network element k. The network element information of the third network element a includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: a, service area of ​​the third network element a: service area a, capability identifier supported by the third network element a: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element b includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: b, service area of ​​the third network element b: service area b, capability identifier supported by the third network element b: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element c includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: c, service area of ​​the third network element c: service area c, capability identifier supported by the third network element c: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element k includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: k, service area of ​​the third network element k: service area a+b+c, capability identifier supported by the third network element k: capability identifier a. At this time, the capability identifiers supported by the four third network elements stored in the first network element are the same.

[0093] In one example, assuming that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target third network element is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameters. The first network element selects, based on the stored network element information of the four third network elements, the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameters: the third network element k, as the target third network element.

[0094] In another example, assuming that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target third network element is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameters. The first network element selects, based on the stored network element information of the four third network elements, the third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameters: the third network element a, the third network element b, and the third network element c, as the target third network element.

[0095] In another example, assuming that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target third network element is service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters. The first network element selects, based on the stored network element information of the four third network elements, the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters: the third network element a, the third network element b, the third network element c, and the third network element k as the target third network element.

[0096] Exemplarily, it is assumed that network element information of five third network elements is stored in the first network element, and the five third network elements are: third network element a, third network element b, third network element c, third network element k, and third network element m. The network element information of the third network element a includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: a, service area of ​​the third network element a: service area a, capability identifier supported by the third network element a: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element b includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: b, service area of ​​the third network element b: service area b, capability identifier supported by the third network element b: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element c includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: c, service area of ​​the third network element c: service area c, capability identifier supported by the third network element c: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element k includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: k, service area of ​​the third network element k: service area a+b+c, capability identifier supported by the third network element k: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element m includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: m, service area of ​​the third network element m: service area a+b+c, capability identifier supported by the third network element m: capability identifier b. The calculation result of capability identifier b can help assist the calculation of capability identifier a.

[0097] In one example, assuming that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target third network element is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameters. The first network element selects, based on the stored network element information of the five third network elements, the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameters: the third network element k, as the target third network element.

[0098] In another example, assuming that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target third network element is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameters. The first network element selects, based on the stored network element information of the five third network elements, the third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameters: the third network element a, the third network element b, the third network element c, and the third network element m, as the target third network element.

[0099] In another example, assuming that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target third network element is service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters. The first network element selects, based on the stored network element information of the five third network elements, the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters: the third network element a, the third network element b, the third network element c, the third network element k, and the third network element m as the target third network element.

[0100] The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, so that calculation results between network elements can be shared, and network elements can assist each other in calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources.

[0101] Step 403: The first network element sends a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of a target third network element.

[0102] In a possible implementation, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0103] After the first network element determines the target third network element, the first network element sends a discovery response to the second network element. In one example, the discovery response includes identification information of the target third network element; in another example, the discovery response includes a service area of ​​the target third network element; in another example, the discovery response includes a network element identification of the target third network element service; in another example, the discovery response includes a capability identification supported by the target third network element; in yet another example, the discovery response includes any combination of identification information of the target third network element, service area, network element identification of the service, and supported capability identification.

[0104] Correspondingly, the second network element receives a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of a target third network element, where the target third network element is determined based on the request parameter and the indicated target third network element selection condition.

[0105] To summarize, in the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; the first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, and enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources.

[0106] One point that needs to be explained is that, in the above method embodiment, the technical solution of the present application is mainly introduced and explained from the perspective of the interaction between the first network element and the second network element. The above steps executed by the first network element can be independently implemented as a network element discovery method on the first network element side, and the above steps executed by the second network element can be independently implemented as a network element discovery method on the second network element side.

[0107] Exemplarily, the present application is introduced by taking the first network element as NRF, the second network element as NF (Network Function, network element) a, and the third network element as NWDAF as an example.

[0108] The NRF stores at least one NWDAF network element information, and the NF a sends a discovery request for the NWDAF to the NRF, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target NWDAF. The request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target NWDAF, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF, the network element identification served by the target NWDAF, and the analysis identification supported by the target NWDAF.

[0109] Exemplarily, it is assumed that the network element information of four NWDAFs is stored in the NRF, and the four NWDAFs are: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, and NWDAF k. The network element information of NWDAF a includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: a, service area of ​​NWDAF a: service area a, capability identification supported by NWDAF a: capability identification a; the network element information of NWDAF b includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: b, service area of ​​NWDAF b: service area b, capability identification supported by NWDAF b: capability identification a; the network element information of NWDAF c includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: c, service area of ​​NWDAFc: service area c, capability identification supported by NWDAF c: capability identification a; the network element information of NWDAF k includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: k, service area of ​​NWDAF k: service area a+b+c, capability identification supported by NWDAF k: capability identification a. At this time, the capability identifiers supported by the four NWDAFs stored in the NRF are the same.

[0110] The selection conditions include: the best match with the request parameters, and / or, correlation with the request parameters. Correlation with the request parameters includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameters, and / or, the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameters.

[0111] In one example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameters. The NRF selects the NWDAF whose network element information best matches the request parameters from the above four NWDAFs based on the network element information of the four NWDAFs stored: NWDAF k, as the target NWDAF.

[0112] In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameters. The NRF selects NWDAFs whose network element information is correlated with the request parameters from the four NWDAFs according to the stored network element information of the four NWDAFs: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, and NWDAF c, as the target NWDAF.

[0113] In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF is service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters. The NRF selects the NWDAF whose network element information best matches the request parameters and has the correlation with the request parameters from the above four NWDAFs based on the network element information of the four NWDAFs stored: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, NWDAF k as the target NWDAF.

[0114] Exemplarily, it is assumed that network element information of five NWDAFs is stored in the NRF, and the five NWDAFs are respectively: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, NWDAF k, and NWDAF m. The network element information of NWDAF a includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: a, service area of ​​NWDAF a: service area a, capability identifier supported by NWDAF a: capability identifier a; the network element information of NWDAF b includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: b, service area of ​​NWDAF b: service area b, capability identifier supported by NWDAF b: capability identifier a; the network element information of NWDAF c includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: c, service area of ​​NWDAF c: service area c, capability identifier supported by NWDAF c: capability identifier a; the network element information of NWDAF k includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: k, service area of ​​NWDAF k: service area a+b+c, capability identifier supported by NWDAF k: capability identifier a; the network element information of NWDAF m includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: m, service area of ​​NWDAF m: service area a+b+c, capability identifier supported by NWDAF m: capability identifier b. The calculation result of capability identifier b can help assist the calculation of capability identifier a.

[0115] In one example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameters. The NRF selects the NWDAF whose network element information best matches the request parameters from the above five NWDAFs based on the network element information of the five NWDAFs stored: NWDAF k, as the target NWDAF.

[0116] In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF is service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameters. The NRF selects NWDAFs whose network element information is correlated with the request parameters from the above five NWDAFs based on the stored network element information of the five NWDAFs: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, and NWDAF m, as the target NWDAFs.

[0117] In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is capability identifier a, the service area of ​​the target NWDAF is service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameters and the correlation with the request parameters. The NRF selects the NWDAF whose network element information best matches the request parameters and has the correlation with the request parameters from the above five NWDAFs based on the network element information of the five NWDAFs stored: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, NWDAF k, NWDAFm as the target NWDAF.

[0118] The NRF sends a discovery response to the NF a, and the discovery response includes information of the target NWDAF. The information of the target NWDAF includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target NWDAF, service area of ​​the target NWDAF, network element identification served by the target NWDAF, and capability identification supported by the target NWDAF.

[0119] Please refer to Figure 5 , which shows a block diagram of a network element discovery device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned first network element side method example, and the function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the first network element or can be set in the first network element. Figure 5 As shown, the device 500 may include: a request receiving module 510, a network element determining module 520 and a response sending module 530.

[0120] A request receiving module 510, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0121] A network element determination module 520, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

[0122] The response sending module 530 is used to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element.

[0123] To summarize, in the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; the first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, and enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources.

[0124] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition includes: best matching with the request parameter, and / or having a correlation with the request parameter.

[0125] In an illustrative embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

[0126] In an illustrative embodiment, the indication information is first indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, the indication information is second indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, the indication information is third indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.

[0127] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

[0128] In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the network element determination module 520 is used to:

[0129] According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

[0130] In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module 520 is configured to:

[0131] According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

[0132] In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module 520 is used to:

[0133] According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and a third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected to obtain the target third network element.

[0134] In an exemplary embodiment, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, a service area of ​​the third network element, a network element identification served by the third network element, a capability identification supported by the third network element, and identification information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.

[0135] In an exemplary embodiment, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0136] In an exemplary embodiment, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter.

[0137] In an exemplary embodiment, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0138] In an exemplary embodiment, the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

[0140] Please refer to Figure 6 , which shows a block diagram of a network element discovery device provided by another embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned second network element side method example, and the function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be a second network element or can be set in a second network element. Figure 6 As shown, the device 600 may include: a request sending module 610 and a response receiving module 620.

[0141] A request sending module 610, configured to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0142] The response receiving module 620 is used to receive a discovery response from the first network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is determined based on the request parameters and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

[0143] To summarize, in the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; the first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, and enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources.

[0144] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition includes: best matching with the request parameter, and / or having a correlation with the request parameter.

[0145] In an illustrative embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

[0146] In an illustrative embodiment, the indication information is first indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, the indication information is second indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, the indication information is third indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

[0148] In an exemplary embodiment, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element;

[0149] Among them, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of ​​the third network element, network element identification served by the third network element, capability identification supported by the third network element, and identification information of other network elements related to the third network element.

[0150] In an exemplary embodiment, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0151] In an exemplary embodiment, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter.

[0152] In an exemplary embodiment, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0153] In an exemplary embodiment, the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.

[0154] In an exemplary embodiment, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

[0155] One point that needs to be explained is that the device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example to implement its functions. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0156] Regarding the device in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0157] Please refer to Figure 7 , which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The network device 700 may be a first network element. The network device 700 may include: a processor 701, a receiver 702, a transmitter 703, a memory 704 and a bus 705.

[0158] The processor 701 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 701 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0159] The receiver 702 and the transmitter 703 may be implemented as a transceiver 706 , which may be a communication chip. The transceiver 706 is connected to the processor 701 .

[0160] The memory 704 is connected to the processor 701 via a bus 705 .

[0161] The memory 704 may be used to store a computer program, and the processor 701 may be used to execute the computer program to implement each step performed by the first network element in the above method embodiment.

[0162] In addition, the memory 704 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: RAM (Random-Access Memory) and ROM (Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory or other solid-state storage technology, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Video Disc) or other optical storage, tape cassette, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. Among them:

[0163] The transceiver 706 is configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from the second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0164] The processor 701 is configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

[0165] The transceiver 706 is further configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, wherein the discovery response includes information about the target third network element.

[0166] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition includes: best matching with the request parameter, and / or having a correlation with the request parameter.

[0167] In an illustrative embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

[0168] In an illustrative embodiment, the indication information is first indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, the indication information is second indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, the indication information is third indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.

[0169] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

[0170] In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the processor 701 is configured to:

[0171] According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

[0172] In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameter, the processor 701 is configured to:

[0173] According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

[0174] In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter, the processor 701 is configured to:

[0175] According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and a third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected to obtain the target third network element.

[0176] In an exemplary embodiment, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, a service area of ​​the third network element, a network element identification served by the third network element, a capability identification supported by the third network element, and identification information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.

[0177] In an exemplary embodiment, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0178] In an exemplary embodiment, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter.

[0179] In an exemplary embodiment, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0180] In an exemplary embodiment, the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.

[0181] In an exemplary embodiment, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

[0182] Please refer to Figure 8 , which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device 800 provided in another embodiment of the present application. The network device 800 may be a second network element. The network device 800 may include: a processor 801, a receiver 802, a transmitter 803, a memory 804 and a bus 805.

[0183] The processor 801 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 801 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0184] The receiver 802 and the transmitter 803 may be implemented as a transceiver 806 , which may be a communication chip. The transceiver 806 is connected to the processor 801 .

[0185] The memory 804 is connected to the processor 801 via a bus 805 .

[0186] The memory 804 may be used to store a computer program, and the processor 801 may be used to execute the computer program to implement each step performed by the second network element in the above method embodiment.

[0187] In addition, the memory 804 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: RAM (Random-Access Memory) and ROM (Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory or other solid-state storage technology, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Video Disc) or other optical storage, tape cassette, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. Among them:

[0188] The transceiver 806 is used to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

[0189] The transceiver 806 is further used to receive a discovery response from the first network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is determined based on the request parameters and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

[0190] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition includes: best matching with the request parameter, and / or having a correlation with the request parameter.

[0191] In an illustrative embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

[0192] In an illustrative embodiment, the indication information is first indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, the indication information is second indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, the indication information is third indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.

[0193] In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

[0194] In an exemplary embodiment, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element;

[0195] Among them, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of ​​the third network element, network element identification served by the third network element, capability identification supported by the third network element, and identification information of other network elements related to the third network element.

[0196] In an exemplary embodiment, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0197] In an exemplary embodiment, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter.

[0198] In an exemplary embodiment, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

[0199] In an exemplary embodiment, the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.

[0200] In an exemplary embodiment, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

[0201] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a first network element to implement the network element discovery method on the first network element side.

[0202] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a second network element to implement the network element discovery method on the second network element side.

[0203] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip runs on a first network element, it is used to implement the network element discovery method on the first network element side.

[0204] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip runs on a second network element, it is used to implement the network element discovery method on the second network element side.

[0205] The present application also provides a computer program product. When the computer program product runs on a processor of a first network element, the first network element executes the above-mentioned network element discovery method on the first network element side.

[0206] The present application also provides a computer program product. When the computer program product runs on a processor of a second network element, the second network element executes the above-mentioned network element discovery method on the second network element side.

[0207] It should be understood that the "plurality" mentioned in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0208] Those skilled in the art should be aware that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented with hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein the communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a general or special-purpose computer can access.

[0209] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A network element discovery method, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, the network element information of the third network element includes identification information of other network elements that are relevant to the third network element; the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose service areas are relevant to the service area of ​​the third network element; And / or, other network elements related to the third network element refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are related to the capability identifiers supported by the third network element; the method comprises: receiving a discovery request for a third network element from the second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element; Determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the selection condition includes correlation with the request parameter, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter, wherein the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter means that the calculation result of the supported capability identifier can assist the calculation of the capability identifier in the request parameter; A discovery response is sent to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The selection condition also includes: best matching with the request parameter.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In a case where the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the determining the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element includes: According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In a case where the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the determining the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element includes: According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In a case where the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter, the determining the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element includes: According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and a third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected to obtain the target third network element.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, a service area of ​​the third network element, a network element identification of a service provided by the third network element, and a capability identification supported by the third network element.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The third network element is the network data analysis function NWDAF.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

14. A network element discovery method, characterized in that: Applied to a second network element, the method includes: Sending a discovery request for a third network element to a first network element, the discovery request including a request parameter for determining a target third network element, the first network element storing network element information of at least one third network element, the network element information of the third network element including identification information of other network elements that are relevant to the third network element; the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose service areas are relevant to the service area of ​​the third network element; and / or the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are relevant to the capability identifiers supported by the third network element; Receive a discovery response from the first network element, the discovery response including information of the target third network element, the target third network element is determined based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter, wherein the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter means that the calculation result of the supported capability identifier can assist the calculation of the capability identifier in the request parameter.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The selection condition also includes: best matching with the request parameter.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter.

18. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that The first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element; The network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, a service area of ​​the third network element, a network element identification of the third network element service, and a capability identification supported by the third network element.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that The request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that The information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, characterized in that The third network element is the network data analysis function NWDAF.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

24. A network element discovery device, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, the network element information of the third network element includes identification information of other network elements that are relevant to the third network element; the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose service areas are relevant to the service area of ​​the third network element; And / or, other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are related to the capability identifiers supported by the third network element; the device includes: A request receiving module, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element; a network element determination module, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, wherein the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, and the correlation with the request parameter includes: a service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or a supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter, wherein the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter means that a calculation result of the supported capability identifier can assist in the calculation of the capability identifier in the request parameter; A response sending module is used to send a discovery response to the second network element, wherein the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that The selection condition also includes: best matching with the request parameter.

26. The device according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that The selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

27. The device according to claim 26, characterized in that The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter.

28. The device according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that The selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

29. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 28, characterized in that When the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the network element determination module is used to: According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

30. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 28, characterized in that In the case where the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module is configured to: According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element to obtain the target third network element.

31. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 28, characterized in that When the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module is used to: According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, a third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and a third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected to obtain the target third network element.

32. The device according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that The network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, a service area of ​​the third network element, a network element identification of a service provided by the third network element, and a capability identification supported by the third network element.

33. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 32, characterized in that The request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

34. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 33, characterized in that The information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

35. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 34, characterized in that The third network element is the network data analysis function NWDAF.

36. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that The capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

37. A network element discovery device, characterized in that: Applied to a second network element, the device comprises: A request sending module, used for sending a discovery request for a third network element to a first network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element, and the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, and the network element information of the third network element includes identification information of other network elements that are relevant to the third network element; the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose service areas are relevant to the service area of ​​the third network element; and / or the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are relevant to the capability identifiers supported by the third network element; A response receiving module is used to receive a discovery response from the first network element, the discovery response including information of the target third network element, the target third network element is determined based on the request parameters and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter, wherein the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter means that the calculation result of the supported capability identifier can assist the calculation of the capability identifier in the request parameter.

38. The device according to claim 37, characterized in that The selection condition also includes: best matching with the request parameter.

39. The device according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that The selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request also includes indication information of the selection condition.

40. The device according to claim 39, characterized in that The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter.

41. The device according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that The selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is used to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or to determine the selection condition according to an identity of the second network element.

42. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 41, characterized in that The first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element; The network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, a service area of ​​the third network element, a network element identification of the third network element service, and a capability identification supported by the third network element.

43. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 42, characterized in that The request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

44. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 43, characterized in that The information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of ​​the target third network element, a network element identification served by the target third network element, and a capability identification supported by the target third network element.

45. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 44, characterized in that The third network element is the network data analysis function NWDAF.

46. ​​The device according to claim 45, characterized in that The capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

47. A network device, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, the network element information of the third network element includes identification information of other network elements that are relevant to the third network element; the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose service areas are relevant to the service area of ​​the third network element; And / or, other network elements related to the third network element refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are related to the capability identifiers supported by the third network element; the network device includes a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein: The transceiver is used to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, wherein the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element; The processor is configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the selection condition comprising correlation with the request parameter, the correlation with the request parameter comprising: a service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or a supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter, wherein the supported capability identifier is correlated with the capability identifier in the request parameter means that a calculation result of the supported capability identifier can assist in the calculation of the capability identifier in the request parameter; The transceiver is further used to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element.

48. A network device, characterized in that: The network device includes a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein: The transceiver is used to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, the network element information of the third network element includes identification information of other network elements that are relevant to the third network element; the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose service areas are related to the service area of ​​the third network element; and / or the other network elements that are relevant to the third network element refer to network elements whose supported capability identifiers are related to the capability identifiers supported by the third network element; The transceiver is also used to receive a discovery response from the first network element, the discovery response including information of the target third network element, the target third network element is determined based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the correlation with the request parameter includes: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and / or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter, wherein the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter means that the calculation result of the supported capability identifier can assist the calculation of the capability identifier in the request parameter.

49. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor of the first network element to implement the network element discovery method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

50. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor of the second network element to implement the network element discovery method as described in any one of claims 14 to 23.

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