Proxy intermediary service request processing between network functions

Abstract

A method for processing a service request is provided. The method is executed by a first Service Communication Proxy (SCP) node, which is configured to perform SCP operations between a first Network Function (NF) node serving as a service consumer and a second NF node serving as a service provider. If a first request for the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node cannot be satisfied, a transmission of a second request is initiated (102) to a third NF node of the service provider. In response to receiving a response to the second request, a transmission of a response to the first request is initiated (104) to the first NF node. The response includes information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node, which will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods for handling service requests in a network and nodes configured to operate according to those methods. Background Art

[0002] There are various techniques for handling service requests in a network. Service requests are typically from a consumer of a service ("service consumer") to a provider of the service ("service provider"). For example, a service request can be from a network function (NF) node of a service consumer to an NF node of a service provider. The NF node of the service consumer and the NF node of the service provider can communicate directly or indirectly. These are referred to as direct communication and indirect communication respectively. In the case of indirect communication, the NF node of the service consumer and the NF node of the service provider can communicate via a service communication proxy (SCP) node.

[0003] Figure 1 A to Figure 1 D illustrate different existing systems for handling service requests, as described in 3GPP TS23.501 V16.4.0. More specifically, Figure 1 A and Figure 1 B illustrate systems using direct communication, while Figure 1 C and Figure 1 D illustrate systems using indirect communication.

[0004] In Figure 1 A and Figure 1 In the systems shown in A and B, a service request is sent directly from the NF node of the service consumer to the NF node of the service provider. A response to the service request is sent directly from the NF node of the service provider to the NF node of the service consumer. Similarly, any subsequent service requests are sent directly from the NF node of the service consumer to the NF node of the service provider. Figure 1 The system shown in B also includes a network repository function (NRF). Thus, in Figure 1 In the system shown in B, the NF node of the consumer can query the NRF to discover a suitable NF node of the service provider to which to send a service request. In response to such a query, the NF node of the consumer can receive one or more NF profiles for the NF nodes of the service provider, and based on the received NF profiles, can select the NF node of the service provider to which to send a service request. In Figure 1 In the system shown in A, the NRF is not used, but the NF node of the consumer can be configured with the NF profile of the NF node of the service provider.

[0005] In Figure 1 C and Figure 1In the system shown in D, service requests are sent indirectly from the NF node of the service consumer to the NF node of the service provider via a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) node. Responses to service requests are sent indirectly from the NF node of the service provider to the NF node of the service consumer via the SCP. Similarly, any subsequent service requests are sent indirectly from the NF node of the service consumer to the NF node of the service provider via the SCP. Figure 1 C and Figure 1 The system shown in D also includes an NRF.

[0006] In Figure 1 In the system shown in C, the NF node of the consumer can query the NRF to discover a suitable NF node of the service provider to which the service request is to be sent. In response to such a query, the NF node of the consumer can receive NF profiles for one or more NF nodes of the service provider, and based on the received NF profiles, can select an NF node of the service provider to which the service request is to be sent. In this case, the service request sent from the NF node of the service consumer to the SCP includes the address of the selected NF node of the service provider. The NF node of the service consumer can forward the service request without performing any further discovery or selection. If the selected NF node of the service provider is inaccessible for any reason, an alternative can be sought by the NF node of the service consumer. In other cases, the SCP can communicate with the NRF to obtain selection parameters (such as location, capacity, etc.), and the SCP can select an NF node of the service provider to which the service request is to be sent.

[0007] In Figure 1 In the system shown in D, the NF node of the consumer does not perform a discovery or selection process. Instead, the NF node of the consumer adds any necessary discovery and selection parameters (parameters required to find a suitable NF node of the service provider) to the service request that it sends via the SCP. The SCP uses the request address in the service request along with the discovery and selection parameters to route the service request to a suitable NF node of the service provider. The SCP can perform discovery using the NRF.

[0008] For the 5th Generation Core (5GC), starting from Release 16, the SCP is included as a network element to enable indirect communication between the NF node of the service consumer and the NF node of the service provider. The indirect communication used can be one of the two indirect communication options described previously with reference to Figure 1 C and Figure 1 D.

[0009] Figure 2 is a signaling diagram illustrating the signal exchange in an existing system (such as the system shown in Figure 1 C), but it should be understood that the problems described also apply to the system shown in Figure 1 D.Figure 2 The system shown includes a first SCP node 10, a first NF node 20 of the service consumer ("NFc"), a second NF node 30 of the service provider ("NFp1"), and a third NF node 70 of the service provider ("NFp2"). The first SCP node 10 is configured to operate as an SCP between the first NF node 20 and the second NF node 30. The second NF node 30 may be configured to run a service ("servA-1"), and the third NF node 70 may be configured to run a service ("servA-2"). The second NF node 30 and the third NF node 70 may be part of an NF node set 402 of the service provider. Although not shown, Figure 2 the system shown may further include a network repository function node.

[0010] In Figure 2 , step 600 involves establishing a session between the first NF node 20 and the second NF node 30. Once the session is established, the method shown in steps 602 to 618 is executed. As Figure 2 shown by the arrows 602 and 604 in, the first NF node 20 initiates the transmission of a first request 602, 604 to the second NF node through the first SCP node 10. The first request 602, 604 is directed to the second NF node 30 for using resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node 20. The first request 602, 604 includes the address of the second NF node 30, which may be the application programming interface (API) root of a uniform resource identifier (URI) for reaching the second NF node 30 (i.e., sbi-target-apiroot). The first request 602, 604 also includes an identifier (e.g., uniquely) identifying the second NF node 30, such as the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the second NF node 30.

[0011] The first service is interrupted at the second NF node 30. Thus, as shown by box 606, the first SCP node 10 does not receive a response to the first request 602, 604 from the second NF node 30, or alternatively, the first SCP network node 10 may receive an error response (e.g., 5xx code) from the second NF node 30. As Figure 2 shown by box 608 in, the first SCP node 10 identifies that reselection is needed. That is, the first SCP node 10 identifies that a different NF node of the service provider needs to be selected. As Figure 2As indicated by arrow 610, the first SCP node 10 must then initiate the transmission of an error response (e.g., 308 Permanent Redirect) to the first NF node 20. The error response includes information indicating the location of the second NF node 30 and an identifier (e.g., uniquely) identifying the second NF network node 30, such as the FQDN of the second NF node 30. The error response notifies the first NF node 20 of an error condition and thus that the first service cannot be provided.

[0012] In response to the error response, the first NF node 20 may select another NF node of the service provider. In principle, the first NF node 20 may select any NF node where the resources are located. For illustrative purposes, assume that the first NF node 20 selects the third NF node 70. As Figure 2 indicated by arrows 612 and 614, the first NF node 20 initiates the transmission of a second request to the third NF node 70 via the first SCP node 10. The second requests 612, 614 are directed to the third NF node 70 to use the resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node 20. The second requests 612, 614 include the address of the third NF node 70, which may be the application programming interface (API) root (i.e., sbi - target - apiroot) of the uniform resource identifier (URI) for reaching the third NF node 70. The second requests 612, 614 also include an identifier (e.g., uniquely) identifying the third NF node 70, such as the FQDN of the third NF node 70. As Figure 2 indicated by arrows 616 and 618, the third NF node initiates the transmission of a response to the first NF node 20 via the first SCP node 10.

[0013] A problem occurs when the first SCP node 10 performs reselection in the manner described with reference to Figure 2 After reselection, assume that the first SCP node 10 continues to use the same instance of the service. The only hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) responses in which the address of the third NF node 70 may be specified are 201 and 3xx (e.g., 308 Permanent Redirect) responses. Among these responses, only 3xx responses are available for reselection. However, if the first SCP node 10 uses such a response, it means that the additional round - trips shown in steps 610 and 612 must be performed, where the first SCP node 10 sends a redirect to the first NF node 20 and the first NF node 20 needs to initiate the transmission of a new request. This is inefficient and inconvenient. In addition, redirects may not even be supported by all NF service consumer nodes.

[0014] The article "difference between iterative and recursive DNSqueries" by Sarath Pillai is another non-3GPP example suffering from the same problem. Here, the browser needs a web page but does not have the required IP address of the server storing the web page. The browser requests the IP address from its local DNS server. The local DNS server recursively requests through the DNS root server and the TLD server and finally reaches the DNS server that can provide the IP address. If the browser does not locally store the web page address, subsequent requests for the web page address will follow the same process, which is very inefficient.

[0015] Currently, the way to avoid redirection is that the first SCP node 10 stores the newly selected resources for each user equipment (UE) / session. However, requiring the first SCP node 10 to store such information increases the complexity of the first SCP node 10 and also consumes valuable storage resources, which is undesirable and preferably avoided. Summary of the Invention

[0016] The object of the present disclosure is to exclude or eliminate at least some of the above-mentioned deficiencies related to the prior art.

[0017] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for processing a service request in a network. The method is executed by a first service communication proxy (SCP) node configured to perform SCP operations between a first network function (NF) node as a service consumer and a second NF node as a service provider in the network. The method is executed if a first request for the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node cannot be satisfied. The method includes initiating the transmission of a second request to a third NF node of the service provider. The second request is for the third NF node to use resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node. The method includes, in response to receiving a response to the second request, initiating the transmission of a response to the first request to the first NF node, the response indicating that the second request is successful. The response to the first request includes information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF node, and this information will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

[0018] In some embodiments, the information may include any one or more of the following: the address of the third NF node, the name of the service provider, the version of the application programming interface (API) for the service provider, the identifier identifying the resources, and the address of the resources.

[0019] In some embodiments, the information may be a uniform resource identifier (URI).

[0020] In some embodiments, the header of the response to the first request may include this information.

[0021] In some embodiments, the header may be a custom header.

[0022] In some embodiments, the header may be a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) header or an HTTP / 2 header.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first service and the second service may be different instances of the same service.

[0024] In some embodiments, different instances of the same service may be of the same type of service.

[0025] In some embodiments, the service set may include the first service and the second service.

[0026] In some embodiments, the third NF node and the second NF node may be the same NF node, or the third NF node and the second NF node may be different NF nodes.

[0027] In some embodiments, the third NF node and the second NF node may be different NF nodes, and the NF node set may include the second NF node and the third NF node.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method may include selecting a third NF node to provide the first service.

[0029] In some embodiments, the transmission of a second request regarding at least one third NF node may be performed multiple times until a response indicating the success of the second request is received, and this information may indicate the location of the resources in the third NF node for which the second request was successful.

[0030] In some embodiments, at least one third NF node may be a single third NF node or multiple different third NF nodes.

[0031] In some embodiments, the method may include generating a response to the first request, wherein generating a response to the first request may include replacing the information indicating the location of the resources in the second NF node that exists in the first request with the information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF node.

[0032] In some embodiments, it may be the case that if the first request transmitted to the second NF node is not successful, no response to the first request transmitted to the second NF node is received from the second NF node, or the transmission of the first request to the second NF node is blocked, then the first request cannot be satisfied.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first SCP node and the first NF node may be deployed in separate deployment units, the first SCP node and the second NF node may be deployed in separate deployment units, and / or the first SCP node and the third NF node may be deployed in separate deployment units.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first SCP node may be deployed as a distributed network element.

[0035] In some embodiments, a part of the first SCP node may be deployed in the same deployment unit as the first NF node, a part of the first SCP node may be deployed in the same deployment unit as the second NF node, and / or a part of the first SCP node may be deployed in the same deployment unit as the third NF node.

[0036] In some embodiments, at least one second SCP node may be configured to perform SCP operations between the first NF node and the first SCP node, at least one third SCP node may be configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node and the second NF node, and / or at least one fourth SCP node may be configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node and the third NF node.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first SCP node and one or more of the following may be deployed in separate deployment units: at least one second SCP node, at least one third SCP node, and at least one fourth SCP node.

[0038] In some embodiments, at least one second SCP node, at least one third SCP node, and / or at least one fourth SCP node may be deployed as distributed network elements.

[0039] In some embodiments, the entity may include a first SCP node and a Network Repository Function (NRF) node.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a first SCP node including a processing circuit (12) configured to operate according to the methods previously described with respect to the first SCP node.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first SCP node may include at least one memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the first SCP node to operate according to the methods previously described with respect to the first SCP node.

[0042] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for processing service requests in a network is provided. The method is performed by a first network function (NF) node of a service consumer, and wherein a first service communication proxy (SCP) node is configured to operate as an SCP between the first NF node and a second NF node of a service provider in the network. The method includes receiving a response to a first request. The first request is directed to the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node. The response includes information indicating the location of resources in a third NF node, which will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

[0043] In some embodiments, the method may include controlling a memory to store the information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node instead of the previously stored information indicating the location of resources in the second NF node.

[0044] In some embodiments, the information may include any one or more of the following: the address of the third NF node, the name of the service provider, the version of the application programming interface (API) for the service provider, an identifier identifying the resources, and the address of the resources.

[0045] In some embodiments, the information may be a uniform resource identifier (URI).

[0046] In some embodiments, the header of the response to the first request may include the information.

[0047] In some embodiments, the header may be a custom header.

[0048] In some embodiments, the header may be a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) header or an HTTP / 2 header.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first service and the second service may be different instances of the same service.

[0050] In some embodiments, different instances of the same service may be of the same type of service.

[0051] In some embodiments, the service set may include the first service and the second service.

[0052] In some embodiments, the third NF node and the second NF node may be the same NF node, or the third NF node and the second NF node may be different NF nodes.

[0053] In some embodiments, the third NF node and the second NF node may be different NF nodes, and the NF node set may include the second NF node and the third NF node.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first SCP node and the first NF node may be deployed in separate deployment units, the first SCP node and the second NF node may be deployed in separate deployment units, and / or the first SCP and the third NF node may be deployed in separate deployment units.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first SCP node may be deployed as a distributed network element.

[0056] In some embodiments, a part of the first SCP node may be deployed in the same deployment unit as the first NF node, a part of the first SCP node may be deployed in the same deployment unit as the second NF node, and / or a part of the first SCP node may be deployed in the same deployment unit as the third NF node.

[0057] In some embodiments, at least one second SCP node may be configured to perform SCP operations between the first NF node and the first SCP node, at least one third SCP node may be configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node and the second NF node, and / or at least one fourth SCP node may be configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node and the third NF node.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first SCP node and one or more of the following may be deployed in separate deployment units: at least one second SCP node, at least one third SCP node, and at least one fourth SCP node.

[0059] In some embodiments, at least one second SCP node, at least one third SCP node, and / or at least one fourth SCP node may be deployed as distributed network elements.

[0060] In some embodiments, an entity may include a first SCP node and a Network Repository Function (NRF) node.

[0061] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a first NF node is provided, the first NF node including processing circuitry configured to operate according to the methods previously described with respect to the first NF node.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first NF node may include at least one memory for storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the first NF node to operate according to the methods previously described with respect to the first NF node.

[0063] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a system is provided. The method includes the methods previously described with respect to the first SCP node and / or the methods previously described with respect to the first NF node.

[0064] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system including at least one of the first SCP nodes as described above and / or at least one of the first NF nodes as described above.

[0065] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program including instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform the methods previously described with respect to the first SCP node and / or the first NF node.

[0066] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, including instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform the methods previously described with respect to the first SCP node and / or the first NF node.

[0067] Therefore, an improved technique for processing service requests in a network is provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] To better understand the technique and show how it may be implemented, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0069] Figure 1 A to Figure 1 D are block diagrams showing different existing systems;

[0070] Figure 2 is a signaling diagram showing signal exchange in an existing system;

[0071] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a first service communication proxy (SCP) node according to an embodiment;

[0072] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a method performed by the first SCP node according to an embodiment;

[0073] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a first network function (NF) node according to an embodiment;

[0074] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method performed by the first NF node according to an embodiment;

[0075] Figure 7 is a signaling diagram showing signal exchange in a system according to an embodiment;

[0076] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a first SCP node according to an embodiment; and

[0077] Figure 9It is a block diagram showing a first NF node according to an embodiment. Detailed implementation

[0078] In this document, techniques for processing service requests in a network are described. A service request may also be referred to as a request for a service. Generally, a service is software managed by a user. In this document, a service may be any type of service, such as a communication service, a context management (e.g., user equipment context management (UECM)) service, a data management (DM) service, or any other type of service. The techniques described herein may be used in any network, such as any communication network. The network may be a fifth-generation (5G) network or any other generation network. In some embodiments, the network may be a core network or a radio access network (RAN). These techniques are implemented by a first service communication proxy (SCP) node and a first network function (NF) node.

[0079] An NF is a processing function in a network adopted by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or defined by 3GPP, which has a defined functional behavior and interfaces defined by 3GPP. An NF may be implemented as a network element on dedicated hardware, a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a suitable platform, such as in a cloud infrastructure. In this document, the term "node" related to an "NF node" will be understood to cover each of these scenarios.

[0080] Figure 3 A first SCP node 10 according to an embodiment is shown. The first SCP node 10 is used to process service requests in a network. The first SCP node 10 is configured to perform SCP operations between a first NF node 20 that is a service consumer and a second NF node that is a service provider in the network. In some embodiments, the first SCP node 10 may be, for example, a physical machine (e.g., a server) or a virtual machine (VM).

[0081] As Figure 3As shown, the first SCP node 10 includes processing circuitry (or logic) 12. The processing circuitry 12 controls the operation of the first SCP node 10 and may implement the methods described herein with respect to the first SCP node 11. The processing circuitry 12 may be configured or programmed to control the first SCP node 10 in the manner described herein. The processing circuitry 12 may include one or more hardware components, such as one or more processors, one or more processing units, one or more multi-core processors, and / or one or more modules. In a particular embodiment, each of the one or more hardware components may be configured to perform or used to perform individual or multiple steps of the methods described herein with respect to the first SCP node 10. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 12 may be configured to run software to perform the methods described herein with respect to the first SCP node 10. According to some embodiments, the software may be containerized. Thus, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry 12 may be configured to run a container to perform the methods described herein with respect to the first SCP node 10.

[0082] In short, the processing circuitry 12 of the first SCP node 10 is configured to operate when a first request for a second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by a first NF node cannot be satisfied. Specifically, the processing circuitry 12 of the first SCP node 10 is configured to initiate the transmission of a second request to a third NF node of a service provider. The second request is for the third NF node to use resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node. The processing circuitry 12 of the first SCP node 10 is configured to, in response to receiving a response to the second request indicating the success of the second request, initiate the transmission of a response to the first request to the first NF node. The response to the first request includes information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node, which information will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

[0083] As Figure 3 shown, in some embodiments, the first SCP node 10 may optionally include a memory 14. The memory 14 of the first SCP node 10 may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. In some embodiments, the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10 may include non-transitory media. Examples of the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10 include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media such as a hard disk, removable storage media such as a compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD), and / or any other memory.

[0084] The processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 can be connected to the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10. In some embodiments, the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10 can be used to store program code or instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10, cause the first SCP node 10 to operate in the manner described herein with respect to the first SCP node 10. For example, in some embodiments, the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10 can be configured to store program code or instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 to cause the first SCP node 10 to operate according to the method described herein with respect to the first SCP node 10. Alternatively or additionally, the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10 can be configured to store any information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein. The processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 can be configured to control the memory 14 of the first SCP node to store the information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein.

[0085] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the first SCP node 10 can optionally include a communication interface 16. The communication interface 16 of the first SCP node 10 can be connected to the processing circuit 12 and / or the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10. The communication interface 16 of the first SCP node 10 is operable to allow the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 to communicate with the memory 14 of the first SCP node 10, and / or vice versa. Similarly, the communication interface 16 of the first SCP node 10 is operable to allow the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 to communicate with the first NF node and / or any other node. The communication interface 16 of the first SCP node 10 can be configured to transmit and / or receive the information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 can be configured to control the communication interface 16 of the first SCP node 10 to transmit and / or receive the information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein.

[0086] Although Figure 3 the first SCP node 10 shown includes a single memory 14, it should be understood that the first SCP node 10 can include at least one memory (i.e., a single memory or multiple memories) 14 that operates in the manner described herein. Similarly, although the first SCP node 10 is shown in Figure 3is shown as including a single communication interface 16, but it should be understood that the first SCP node 10 may include at least one communication interface (i.e., a single communication interface or multiple communication interfaces) 16 that operates in the manner described herein. It will also be understood that Figure 3 only the components necessary to illustrate an embodiment of the first SCP node 10 are shown, and in an actual implementation, the first SCP node 10 may include additional components or alternative components to the shown components.

[0087] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a method performed by the first SCP node 10 according to an embodiment. The first SCP node 10 is configured to operate as an SCP between a first NF node 20 that is a service consumer and a second NF node that is a service provider in a network. This method is used to process service requests in the network. The first SCP node 10 described previously with reference to Figure 3 is configured to operate according to the method of Figure 4 . This method may be executed by or under the control of the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10. This method is executed if a first request by the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node cannot be fulfilled.

[0088] As Figure 4 shown in block 102 of, a transmission of a second request is initiated to a third NF node that is a service provider. The second request is for the third NF node to use resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node. As Figure 4 shown in block 104 of, in response to receiving a response to the second request indicating that the second request was successful, a transmission of a response to the first request is initiated to the first NF node. The response to the first request includes information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node, and this information will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

[0089] Herein, the term "initiate" may refer to, for example, cause or establish. Thus, the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 may be configured to transmit the second request and / or the response to the first request itself (e.g., via the communication interface 16 of the first SCP node 10), or may be configured to cause another node to transmit the second request and / or the response to the first request. Herein, the term resource will be understood to refer to an individual resource or multiple resources, such as a structured resource, which may contain sub-resources.

[0090] Figure 5Shows a first NF node 20 of a service consumer according to an embodiment. The first NF node 20 is used to process service requests in the network. The first SCP node 10 is configured to perform SCP operations between the first NF node and the second NF node that act as service providers in the network. In some embodiments, the first NF node 20 can be, for example, a physical machine (e.g., a server) or a virtual machine (VM). The first NF node 20 can be, for example, a user equipment (UE).

[0091] As Figure 5 shown, the first NF node 20 includes processing circuitry (or logic) 22. The processing circuitry 22 controls the operation of the first NF node 20 and can implement the methods described herein with respect to the first NF node 20. The processing circuitry 22 can be configured or programmed to control the first NF node 20 in the manner described herein. The processing circuitry 22 can include one or more hardware components, such as one or more processors, one or more processing units, one or more multi-core processors, and / or one or more modules. In a particular implementation, each of the one or more hardware components can be configured to perform or be used to perform individual or multiple steps of the methods described herein with respect to the first NF node 20. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 22 can be configured to run software to execute the methods described herein with respect to the first NF node 20. The software can be containerized according to some embodiments. Thus, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry 22 can be configured to run a container to execute the methods described herein with respect to the first NF node 20.

[0092] Briefly, the processing circuitry 22 of the first NF node 20 is configured to receive a response to a first request. The first request is for the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node. The response includes information indicating the location of resources in a third NF node, which will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

[0093] As Figure 5 shown, in some embodiments, the first NF node 20 can optionally include a memory 24. The memory 24 of the first NF node 20 can include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. In some embodiments, the memory 24 of the first NF node 20 can include non-transitory media. Examples of the memory 24 of the first NF node 20 include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media such as a hard disk, removable storage media such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD), and / or any other memory.

[0094] The processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 can be connected to the memory 24 of the first NF node 20. In some embodiments, the memory 24 of the first NF node 20 can be used to store program code or instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20, cause the first NF node 20 to operate in the manner described herein with respect to the first NF node 20. For example, in some embodiments, the memory 24 of the first NF node 20 can be configured to store program code or instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 to cause the first NF node 20 to operate according to the methods described herein with respect to the first NF node 20. Alternatively or additionally, the memory 24 of the first NF node 20 can be configured to store any information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein. The processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 can be configured to control the memory 24 of the first NF node 20 to store the information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein.

[0095] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 shown, the first NF node 20 can optionally include a communication interface 26. The communication interface 26 of the first NF node 20 can be connected to the processing circuit 22 and / or the memory 24 of the first NF node 20. The communication interface 26 of the first NF node 20 is operable to allow the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 to communicate with the memory 24 of the first NF node 20, and / or vice versa. Similarly, the communication interface 26 of the first NF node 20 is operable to allow the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 to communicate with the first SCP node 10 and / or any other node. The communication interface 26 of the first NF node 20 can be configured to transmit and / or receive the information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 can be configured to control the communication interface 26 of the first NF node 20 to transmit and / or receive the information, data, message, request, response, indication, notification, signal, or the like described herein.

[0096] Although Figure 5 the first NF node 20 shown includes a single memory 24, it should be understood that the first NF node 20 can include at least one memory (i.e., a single memory or multiple memories) 24 that operates in the manner described herein. Similarly, although the first NF node 20 in Figure 5is shown as including a single communication interface 26, but it should be understood that the first NF node 20 may include at least one communication interface (i.e., a single communication interface or multiple communication interfaces) 26 operating in the manner described herein. It will also be understood that Figure 5 only the components necessary to illustrate an embodiment of the first NF node 20 are shown, and in an actual implementation, the first NF node 20 may include additional components or alternative components to the components shown.

[0097] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method performed by the first NF node 20 according to an embodiment. Figure 6 The method is for processing a service request in a network. The first NF node 20 referred to previously with reference to Figure 5 is configured to operate according to the Figure 6 method. The method may be executed by or under the control of the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20. The first SCP node 10 is configured to operate as an SCP between the first NF node 20 and a second NF node of a service provider in the network.

[0098] As Figure 6 shown in block 202 of, a response to a first request is received. The first request is for the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node. The response includes information indicating the location of resources in a third NF node, which information will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service.

[0099] A system is also provided. The system may include at least one first SCP node 10 as described herein and / or at least one first NF node 20 as described herein. The system may also include any one or more other nodes as described herein.

[0100] Figure 7 is a signaling diagram showing signal exchange in a system according to an embodiment. Figure 7 The system shown includes a first SCP node 10 and a first NF node 20 of a service consumer (“NFc”). The first SCP node 10 may be as described previously with reference to Figure 3 and Figure 4 . The first NF node 20 may be as described previously with reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0101] Figure 7The system shown includes a second NF node 30 (“NFp1”) of the service provider and a third NF node 70 (“NFp2”) of the service provider. The first SCP node 10 is configured to act as an SCP operation between the first NF node 20 and the second NF node 30. The first SCP node 10 is also configured to act as an SCP operation between the first NF node 20 and the third NF node 70. The second NF node 30 may be configured to run a service (“servA-1”). The third NF node 70 may be configured to run a service (“servA-2”). The second NF node 30 and the third NF node 70 may be configured to run the same service (e.g., different instances of the same service) and / or different services.

[0102] The second NF node 30 and the third NF node 70 may be part of a set of NF nodes 402 of the service provider, i.e., they may be part of an “NF set”. An NF set may be a set of interchangeable NF nodes. The NF nodes of an NF set may be of the same type of NF nodes. The NF nodes of an NF set may support the same service and / or may support the same network slice. In some embodiments, the NF nodes in the same NF set may be geographically distributed. The NF nodes in the same NF set may access the same data (e.g., the same context data).

[0103] Although not shown, in some embodiments, Figure 7 the system shown may include a Network Repository Function (NRF) node. In some embodiments, an entity may include the first SCP node 10 and the NRF node. That is, in some embodiments, the first SCP node 10 may be merged with the NRF node in a combined entity.

[0104] In some embodiments, the first SCP node 10 and the first NF node 20 can be deployed in independent deployment units, the first SCP node 10 and the second NF node 30 can be deployed in independent deployment units, and / or the first SCP node 10 and the third NF node 70 can be deployed in independent deployment units. Therefore, as described in 3GPP TS 23.501 V16.4.0, an SCP node based on independent deployment units is possible. In other embodiments, the first SCP node 10 can be deployed as a distributed network element. For example, in some embodiments, a part of the first SCP node 10 (e.g., the service proxy) can be deployed in the same deployment unit as the first NF node 20, a part of the first SCP node 10 (e.g., the service proxy) can be deployed in the same deployment unit as the second NF node 30, and / or a part of the first SCP node 10 (e.g., the service proxy) can be deployed in the same deployment unit as the third NF node 70. Therefore, as described in 3GPP TS 23.501 V16.4.0, an SCP node based on a service mesh is possible.

[0105] In some embodiments, at least one second SCP node can be configured to operate as an SCP between the first NF node 20 and the first SCP node 10, at least one third SCP node can be configured to operate as an SCP between the first SCP node 10 and the second NF node 30, and / or at least one fourth SCP node is configured to operate as an SCP between the first SCP node 10 and the third NF node 70. Therefore, multi-path of the SCP node is possible. In some of these embodiments, the first SCP node 10 and one or more of the following are deployed in independent deployment units: at least one second SCP node, at least one third SCP node, and at least one fourth SCP node. In some embodiments, at least one second SCP node and / or at least one third SCP node can be deployed as a distributed network element.

[0106] Figure 7 Steps 600 to 608 as previously referenced Figure 2 described. However, in Figure 7At the box 606, the first SCP node 10 may identify that the first requests 602, 604 (for the second NF node 30 to use resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node 20) cannot be satisfied. There may be various reasons indicating that the first requests 602, 604 cannot be satisfied. For example, if the transmission of the first requests 602, 604 to the second NF node 30 is unsuccessful, no response to the transmission of the first requests 602, 604 to the second NF node 30 is received from the second NF network node 30 (as shown), or the transmission of the first requests 602, 604 to the second NF node 30 is blocked, then the first requests 602, 604 cannot be satisfied.

[0107] Unlike Figure 2 the existing system shown, in Figure 7 the system shown, no additional round-trip is required. That is, in Figure 7 the system shown, the first SCP node 10 does not need to respond to the first requests 602, 604 by initiating the transmission of a redirect message to the first NF node 20, which instructs the first NF node 20 to initiate the transmission of a new request. Instead, in Figure 7 the system shown, the first SCP node 10 notifies the first NF node 20 of the selection (or reselection) performed at Figure 7 the box 608.

[0108] More specifically, as shown by the arrow 614 in Figure 7 if the first requests 602, 604 cannot be satisfied (as shown in the box 606 in Figure 7 ), then the first SCP node 10 initiates the transmission of a second request to the third NF nodes 30, 70 of the service provider. Therefore, in the case where the first SCP node 10 does not respond to the first requests 602, 604, that is, before the first SCP node 10 responds to the first requests 602, 604, the transmission of the second request 614 is initiated to the third NF nodes 30, 70. The third NF nodes 30, 70 are the NF nodes of the service provider selected by the first SCP node 10 to provide the first service. For example, the selection can be performed at Figure 7 the box 608. The second request 614 is for the third NF nodes 30, 70 to use resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node 20.

[0109] In some embodiments, the third NF node 30 and the second NF node 30 can be the same NF node. Thus, for example, according to some embodiments, the first SCP node 10 can retry the second NF node 30. In other embodiments, the third NF node 70 and the second NF node 30 can be different NF nodes. Thus, for example, according to other embodiments, the first SCP node 10 can attempt different NF nodes. In some embodiments, the third NF node 70 and the second NF node 30 are different NF nodes, and as previously described, the NF node set 402 can include the second NF node 30 and the third NF node 70.

[0110] Return Figure 7 , as shown by arrow 616, the first SCP node 10 receives a response to the second request 614, which indicates that the second request 614 is successful. In some embodiments, the transmission of the second request 614 to the third NF nodes 30, 70 can be performed multiple times with respect to at least one of the third NF nodes 30, 70 until a response indicating that the second request 614 is successful is received. The at least one third NF node 30, 70 can be a single third NF node or multiple different third NF nodes. Thus, for example, the first SCP node 10 can retry the same NF node and / or attempt different NF nodes multiple times until it receives a response indicating that the second request 614 is successful. In these embodiments, the information can indicate the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70 for which the second request 614 is successful. If the second request 614 results in the creation of resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70, the response can be a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 201 "Created" response. In this case, the information included in the response to the second request 614 indicates the location of the created resources.

[0111] As Figure 7 shown by arrow 700, in response to receiving the response 616 to the second request 614 indicating that the second request 614 is successful, the first SCP node 10 initiates the transmission of a response to the first requests 602, 604 to the first NF node 20. The response 700 to the first requests 602, 604 includes information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70, which will be used when the first NF node 20 subsequently requests the second service.

[0112] In some embodiments, the first service and the second service may be different instances of the same service. In some embodiments, different instances of the same service may be services of the same type. In some embodiments, the service set may include the first service and the second service, i.e., the first service and the first service may be part of a "service set". In some embodiments, the service set may be within the same NF node, i.e., the service may be part of an "NF service set". The service set may be a set of interchangeable services. In some embodiments, the services in the service set may access the same data (e.g., the same context data).

[0113] Although Figure 7 not shown in, in some embodiments, the method may include the first SCP node 10 generating a response 700 to the first requests 602, 604. In some embodiments, generating the response 700 to the first requests 602, 604 may include replacing the information indicating the location of the resources in the second NF node 30 present in the first requests 602, 604 with information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70.

[0114] As Figure 7 shown by the arrow 700 of, the first NF node 20 receives the response to the first requests 602, 604. In some embodiments, the method may include the first NF node 20 controlling a memory (e.g., the memory 14 of the first NF node 20 or another memory) to store the information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70, in place of the previously stored information indicating the location of the resources in the second NF node 30. Since the response 700 includes the information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70 to be used when the first NF node 20 subsequently requests the second service, the first NF node 20 may accordingly direct subsequent requests for the second service.

[0115] In some embodiments, the information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70 may include any one or more of the following: the addresses of the third NF nodes 30, 70, the name of the service provider, the version of the application programming interface (API) for the service provider, an identifier (e.g., uniquely) identifying the resource, and the address of the resource. The address of the third NF nodes 30, 70 may be, for example, the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the uniform resource identifier (URI) for reaching the third NF node 70 or the application programming interface (API) root (i.e., sbi - target - apiroot). In some embodiments, the information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70 may be the uniform resource identifier (URI) of the resource, which may also be referred to in the art as "resource URI". The URI may uniquely identify the resource.

[0116] In some embodiments, the information indicating the location of resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70 may be in the form of a unique string. In some embodiments, the header of the response 700 to the first requests 602, 604 may include this information. In some embodiments, the header may be a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or HTTP / 2 header. The header may be a custom header. For example, the custom header may be called "3gpp-Sbi-Target-Location". An example of a custom header including the information indicating the location of resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70 may be as follows:

[0117] 3gpp-Sbi-Target-Location = "3gpp-Sbi-Target-Location":"OWS"

[0118] {apiRoot} / {apiName} / {apiVersion} / {apiSpecificResourceUriPart}

[0119] Herein, OWS represents optional white space. Thus, the example custom header includes the address of the newly selected third NF nodes 30, 70 ("apiRoot"), the name of the service provider ("apiName"), the version of the API for the service provider ("apiVersion"), and an identifier that (e.g., uniquely) identifies the resource and / or the resource address ("apiSpecificResourceUriPart").

[0120] The general structure of this header is consistent with the resource URI structure specified in Section 4.4.1 of 3GPP TS 29.501 V16.4.0. In 3GPP TS 29.501 V16.4.0, "apiRoot" is defined as the concatenation of the following items: scheme (e.g., "http" or "https"), fixed string (e.g., ": / / "), authorization (e.g., host and optional port), and an optional deployment-specific string (API prefix) starting with the " / " character. In addition, "apiName" is used to define the name of the API, and "apiVersion" is used to indicate the first field of the API version. It is also defined in 3GPP TS 29.501 V16.4.0. Although "apiRoot", "apiName", and "apiVersion" together define the base URI of the API, each "apiSpecificResourceUriPart" defines the resource URI of the API relative to the base URI. In this disclosure, the format of the URI for a resource may have the same format as mentioned in 3GPP TS 29.501 V16.4.0, but "apiSpecificResourceUriPart" may contain (e.g., uniquely) an identifier (e.g., context id) that identifies the resource.

[0121] The following example will now be described, where the second NF node 30 and the third NF nodes 30, 70 are session management function (SMF) nodes, and the first service is a protocol data unit (PDU) session. In this example, the first SCP node 10 may initially generate a customized header including information indicating the location of resources in the second NF node 30, as follows:

[0122] {apiRoot2} / nsmf-pdusession / v1 / sm-contexts / smContextRef1

[0123] This example customized header includes the address of the second NF node 30 ("apiRoot2"), the name of the service provider ("nsmf-pdusession"), the API version for the service provider ("v1"), the address of the resource ("sm-contexts"), and an identifier (e.g., uniquely) that identifies the resource ("smContextRef1"). apiRoot2 may be received by the first SCP node 10 in the 3gpp-Sbi-Target-apiRoot header of the first request 602, and the remaining information may be part of the URI sent to the first SCP node 10. The first SCP node 10 has its own apiRoot.

[0124] As described above, if the first requests 602, 604 cannot be satisfied (as in Figure 7 box 606), and the first SCP node 10 needs to perform reselection (as in Figure 7 box 608), then the first SCP node 10 initiates the transmission of a second request 614 to the third NF nodes 30, 70. In response to receiving a response 616 to the second request 614, the response 616 indicating that the second request 614 was successful (i.e., a positive response), the first SCP node 10 may add a new target to the header. For example, if the positive response comes from the third NF node 70, which is a different NF node from the second NF node 30, the first SCP node 10 may replace the address of the second NF node 30 in the generated header with the address of the third NF node 70. In this way, the header includes information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node 70 instead of information indicating the location of resources in the second NF node 30. For example, if the address of the third NF node 70 is apiRoot3, the new 3gpp-Sbi-Target-Location header will become:

[0125] {apiRoot3} / nsmf-pdusession / v1 / sm-contexts / smContextRef1

[0126] The first SCP node 10 initiates the transmission of a response including this new header (as shown at arrow 700 in Figure 7 ), and the first NF node 20 receives the response. Thus, in this way, the first NF node 20 receives information indicating the location of resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70.

[0127] When the first NF node 20 subsequently requests a second service, the first NF node 20 may use the information indicating the location of resources in the third NF nodes 30, 70. For example, the first NF node 20 may use the address of the third NF node 70 (e.g., apiRoot3) for subsequent service requests. In some embodiments, the first NF node 20 may use this information for all subsequent requests or at least for all subsequent requests for the same resource. In some embodiments, this information may be used to construct a URI to the resource for subsequent requests. In some embodiments, subsequent requests may be used to modify the resource.

[0128] In the following example, where the first NF node 20 is to modify the resource mentioned in the previous example, the first NF node 20 may generate (or construct) the following URI:

[0129] {apiRoot3} / nsmf-pdusession / v1 / sm-contexts / smContextRef1 / modify

[0130] In some embodiments, when the first NF node 20 initiates the transmission of a subsequent request to the first SCP node 10, the request URI may include the apiRoot of the first SCP node, and the apiRoot of the resource may be provided in the 3gpp-Sbi-Target-apiRoot customization header. When the first SCP node 10 receives the request, it may replace the apiRoot of the request URI with the apiRoot received in the 3gpp-Sbi-Target-apiRoot customization header. In this way, the first SCP node 10 does not need to store data for each UE / session.

[0131] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a first SCP node 800 according to an embodiment. The first SCP node 800 may process service requests in the network. The first SCP node 800 may perform SCP operations between a first NF node as a service consumer and a second NF node as a service provider in the network. The first SCP node 800 may operate in a case where a first request for the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node cannot be fulfilled. The first SCP node 800 includes a first transmission initiation module 802 configured to initiate the transmission of a second request to a third NF node of the service provider. The second request is for the third NF node to use resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node. The first SCP node 800 includes a second transmission initiation module 804 configured to initiate the transmission of a response to the first request to the first NF node in response to receiving a response to the second request indicating the success of the second request. The response to the first request includes information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node, and this information will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service. The first SCP node 800 may operate in the manner described herein for the first SCP node.

[0132] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing a first NF node 900 of a service consumer according to an embodiment. The first NF node 900 may process service requests in the network. The first NF node may perform SCP operations between a first NF node as a service provider and a second NF node in the network. The first NF node 900 includes a receiving module 902 configured to receive a response to a first request. The first request is for the second NF node to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node. The response includes information indicating the location of resources in the third NF node, and this information will be used when the first NF node subsequently requests a second service. The first NF node 900 may operate in the manner described herein for the first NF node.

[0133] There is also provided a computer program including instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit (such as the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 described above and / or the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 described above), cause the processing circuit to execute at least a part of the method described herein. There is provided a computer program product implemented on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, which includes instructions executable by a processing circuit (such as the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 described above and / or the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 described above) to cause the processing circuit to execute at least a part of the method described herein. There is provided a computer program product including a carrier, which contains instructions for causing a processing circuit (such as the processing circuit 12 of the first SCP node 10 described above and / or the processing circuit 22 of the first NF node 20 described above) to execute at least a part of the method described herein. In some embodiments, the carrier may be any one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, an electromagnetic signal, an electrical signal, a radio signal, a microwave signal, or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first SCP node functions and / or the first NF node functions described herein may be executed by hardware. Thus, in some embodiments, any one or more of the first SCP node 10 and the first NF node 20 described herein may be hardware nodes. However, it will also be understood that optionally, at least a part or all of the first SCP node functions and / or the first NF node functions described herein may be virtualized. For example, the functions executed by any one or more of the first SCP node 10 and the first NF node 20 described herein may be implemented in software running on general-purpose hardware configured to coordinate node functions. Thus, in some embodiments, any one or more of the first SCP node 10 and the first NF node 20 described herein may be virtual nodes. In some embodiments, at least a part or all of the first SCP node functions and / or the first NF node functions described herein may be executed in a network-supporting cloud. The first SCP node functions and / or the first NF node functions described herein may all be located in the same place, or at least some of the node functions may be distributed.

[0135] It should be understood that in some embodiments, at least some or all of the method steps described herein may be automated. That is, in some embodiments, at least some or all of the method steps described herein may be automatically executed.

[0136] Accordingly, in the manner described herein, improved techniques for processing service requests in a network are advantageously provided. In particular, the first SCP node 10 does not need to store information for each UE / session upon reselection because the first NF node 20 is provided with information indicating the location of resources in a specific NF node that will be used for subsequent service requests.

[0137] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the idea, and those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in the claims, "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may implement the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting their scope.

Claims

1. A method for processing a service request in a 3GPP network, wherein the method is executed by a first Service Communication Proxy (SCP) node (10), and the first SCP node (10) is configured to perform SCP operations between a first Network Function (NF) node (20) acting as a service consumer and a second NF node (30) acting as a service provider in the network. The method includes: If a first request (602, 604) for the second NF node (30) to use resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node (20) cannot be satisfied, then: Initiate (102) the transmission of a second request (614) to a third NF node (30, 70) of the service provider, wherein the second request (614) is for the third NF node (30, 70) to use the resources to provide the first service requested by the first NF node (20); And In response to receiving a response (616) to the second request (614), the response (616) indicating that the second request (614) is successful, then: Initiate (104) the transmission of a response (700) to the first request (602, 604) to the first NF node (20), wherein the response (700) to the first request (602, 604) includes information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF node (30, 70), and the information will be used when the first NF node (20) subsequently requests a second service.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The information includes any one or more of the following: The address of the third NF node (30, 70); The name of the service provider; The version of the Application Programming Interface (API) for the service provider; An identifier identifying the resources; and The address of the resources.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The information is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The header of the response (700) to the first request (602, 604) includes the information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The header is a custom header.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The header is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) header or an HTTP / 2 header.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first service and the second service are different instances of the same service.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The different instances of the same service are of the same type of service.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A service set includes the first service and the second service.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The third NF node (30) and the second NF node (30) are the same NF node; or The third NF node (70) and the second NF node (30) are different NF nodes.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: the third NF node (70) and the second NF node (30) are different NF nodes; and the set of NF nodes (402) includes the second NF node (30) and the third NF node (70).

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising: selecting the third NF node (30, 70) to provide the first service.

13. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the transmission of the second request (614) to the third NF node (30, 70) is performed multiple times with respect to at least one third NF node (30, 70) until a response indicating the success of the second request (614) is received; and the information indicates the location of the resources in the third NF node (30, 70) with respect to which the second request (614) is successful.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: the at least one third NF node (30, 70) is a single third NF node or multiple different third NF nodes.

15. The method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising: generating the response (700) to the first request (602, 604), wherein generating the response (700) to the first request (602, 604) includes: replacing the information indicating the location of the resources in the second NF node (30) present in the first request (602, 604) with the information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF node (30, 70).

16. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first request (602, 604) cannot be satisfied in the following cases: the transmission of the first request (602, 604) to the second NF node (30) is not successful; no response (606) to the first request (602, 604) transmitted to the second NF node (30) is received from the second NF node (30); or the transmission of the first request (602, 604) to the second NF node (30) is blocked.

17. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first SCP node (10) and the first NF node (20) are deployed in independent deployment units; the first SCP node (10) and the second NF node (30) are deployed in independent deployment units; and / or the first SCP node (10) and the third NF node (70) are deployed in independent deployment units.

18. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first SCP node (10) is deployed as a distributed network element.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: a part of the first SCP node (10) is deployed in the same deployment unit as the first NF node (20); A part of the first SCP node (10) is deployed in the same deployment unit as the second NF node (30); and / or A part of the first SCP node (10) is deployed in the same deployment unit as the third NF node (70).

20. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one second SCP node is configured to perform SCP operations between the first NF node (20) and the first SCP node (10); At least one third SCP node is configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node (10) and the second NF node (30); and / or At least one fourth SCP node is configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node (10) and the third NF node (70).

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: The first SCP node (10) and one or more of the following are deployed in independent deployment units: the at least one second SCP node, the at least one third SCP node, and the at least one fourth SCP node.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein: The at least one second SCP node, the at least one third SCP node, and / or the at least one fourth SCP node are deployed as distributed network elements.

23. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The entity includes the first SCP node (10) and a network repository function NRF.

24. A first SCP node (10), comprising: A processing circuit (12) configured to operate according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. A first SCP node (10), comprising: A processing circuit (12) configured to operate according to any one of claims 1 to 23, and At least one memory (14) for storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuit (12), cause the first SCP node (10) to operate according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

26. A method for processing a service request in a 3GPP network, wherein the method is executed by a first network function NF node (20) of a service consumer, and wherein a first service communication proxy SCP node (10) is configured to perform SCP operations in the network between the first NF node (20) and a second NF node (30) of a service provider, the method comprising: Receiving (202) a response (700) to a first request (602, 604), wherein the first request (602, 604) is directed to the second NF node (30) for using resources to provide a first service requested by the first NF node (20), and wherein the response (700) includes information indicating the location of the resources in a third NF node (30, 70), the information being used when the first NF node (20) subsequently requests a second service.

27. The method according to claim 26, the method comprising: Controlling a memory (14) to store information indicating the location of the resources in the third NF node (30, 70) in place of the previously stored information indicating the location of the resources in the second NF node (30).

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The information includes any one or more of the following: The address of the third NF node (30, 70); The name of the service provider; The version of the application programming interface API for the service provider; An identifier identifying the resource; and The address of the resource.

29. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The information is a Uniform Resource Identifier URI.

30. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The header of the response (700) to the first request (602, 604) includes the information.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein: The header is a custom header.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein: The header is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP header or an HTTP / 2 header.

33. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The first service and the second service are different instances of the same service.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein: The different instances of the same service are of the same type of service.

35. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The service set includes the first service and the second service.

36. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The third NF node (30) and the second NF node (30) are the same NF node; or The third NF node (70) and the second NF node (30) are different NF nodes.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein: The third NF node (70) and the second NF node (30) are different NF nodes; and The NF node set (402) includes the second NF node (30) and the third NF node (70).

38. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The first SCP node (10) and the first NF node (20) are deployed in separate deployment units; The first SCP node (10) and the second NF node (30) are deployed in separate deployment units; and / or The first SCP node (10) and the third NF node (70) are deployed in separate deployment units.

39. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The first SCP node (10) is deployed as a distributed network element.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein: A part of the first SCP node (10) is deployed in the same deployment unit as the first NF node (20); A part of the first SCP node (10) is deployed in the same deployment unit as the second NF node (30); and / or A part of the first SCP node (10) is deployed in the same deployment unit as the third NF node (70).

41. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: At least one second SCP node is configured to perform SCP operations between the first NF node (20) and the first SCP node (10); At least one third SCP node is configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node (10) and the second NF node (30); and / or At least one fourth SCP node is configured to perform SCP operations between the first SCP node (10) and the third NF node (70).

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein: The first SCP node (10) and one or more of the following are deployed in independent deployment units: the at least one second SCP node, the at least one third SCP node, and the at least one fourth SCP node.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein: The at least one second SCP node, the at least one third SCP node, and / or the at least one fourth SCP node are deployed as distributed network elements.

44. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The entity includes the first SCP node (10) and the Network Repository Function NRF.

45. A first NF node (20) comprising: Processing circuitry (22) configured to operate according to any one of claims 26 to 44.

46. A first NF node (20) comprising: Processing circuitry (22) configured to operate according to any one of claims 26 to 44, and At least one memory (24) for storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuitry (22), cause the first NF node (20) to operate according to any one of claims 26 to 44.

47. A method executed by a system, the method comprising: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 23; And / or The method according to any one of claims 26 to 44.

48. A system comprising: At least one first SCP node (10) according to claim 24 or 25; And At least one first NF node (20) according to claim 45 or 46.

49. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23 and / or any one of claims 26 to 44.

50. A computer program product implemented on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising instructions executable by processing circuitry to cause the processing circuitry to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23 and / or any one of claims 26 to 44.

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