Method, system, electronic device and medium for implementing service orchestration

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method, system, electronic device, and storage medium for implementing service orchestration to address the complex addressing and routing between network elements and the low efficiency of network elements in synchronous mode. An SOF connects to other network elements via a core network bus to complete the service orchestration of network elements. The method includes: abstractly separating the functions and processes of a service, dividing the service into multiple services; designing the services and processes into a business logic diagram based on the logic of the service, and controlling different services to execute according to the process of the business logic diagram based on the business logic diagram; setting up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and organizing and managing services in the form of a memory queue; sending services from a switch to the service dashboard of the corresponding network element according to the business logic diagram, and having the corresponding network element process the services in its service dashboard. The present disclosure can enable network elements to separate the business logic processing function and the connection management function in asynchronous working mode, thereby improving network performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method for implementing service orchestration, a system for implementing service orchestration, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] 5G's service-based architecture (SBA) marks the starting point for the evolution of next-generation mobile core network architectures and will continue along this path. One key evolutionary direction is the separation of signaling and logical processing within network elements. However, the current SBA architecture of the 5GC (5G core network) has the following issues:

[0003] 1) Each network element needs to manage a large amount of peer address management: The source network function (NF) needs to configure the addressing data of the target NF. A large number of source NFs must each configure and maintain a large amount of routing data. If a source NF data misconfiguration occurs, the workload of problem locating will be enormous.

[0004] 2) After the introduction of the NRF network element (Network Repository Function), each network element still needs to manage a large number of connections: 3GPP introduced the NRF network element in the R15 version, which simplified the NF's routing data configuration. After the NF configures the data belonging to the NRF, it registers with the NRF and configures the data for the NRF to perform target NF service discovery and selection. The NRF matches a set of available target NFs based on the query parameters provided by the source NF and returns them to the source NF. However, TCP connections still need to be established and maintained between NFs. The fully connected networking architecture between the source NF and the target NF consumes a lot of NF resources on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is a lot of work to maintain thousands of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connections of the NF. When an NF fails, it will cause TCP link alarms on all the opposite NFs, which is inconvenient for maintenance and management.

[0005] 3) The introduction of the SCP (Service Communication Proxy) network element presents significant challenges with internal addressing and connection management. The 5GC system architecture defined by 3GPP in Release 16 introduces a new network element, the SCP. TCP connections between source and target NFs are now aggregated by the NF's home SCP, significantly reducing the number of TCP connections maintained by the NF. Between NFs, the NF only needs to maintain a TCP connection with its home SCP, which aggregates all TCP connections between the NF and its peer NF. However, the SCP must establish and maintain a large number of connections internally. Furthermore, the SCP requires additional business processes for target NF service discovery and data configuration for target NF selection, significantly increasing the complexity of the SCP and requiring higher reliability. If the NF's home SCP fails, even if the NF and NRF remain functional, communication between all NFs will be disrupted.

[0006] 4) The network element works in synchronous mode, which affects the execution efficiency of the service processing instance within the network element: The existing 5GC signaling architecture is synchronous. After the processing instance within the network element completes the processing of the network element, it needs to wait for the message returned by other network elements before executing the next function, which is inefficient. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to at least solve the technical problems in the prior art such as complex addressing and routing between network elements, difficult connection relationship management, and low efficiency of network elements working in synchronous mode, the present disclosure provides a service orchestration implementation method, a service orchestration implementation system, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can evolve the synchronous working mode of each network element to an asynchronous working mode, separate the business logic processing function and the connection management function of the network element, and allow the business network element to focus on its own business processing, thereby simplifying the functions of each network element in the entire 5GC architecture and improving the performance of the entire 5GC network.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for implementing service orchestration, which is applied to a service orchestration network element (SOF), wherein the SOF is connected to other network elements via a core network bus to complete service orchestration of the network elements. The method includes:

[0009] Abstract and separate the business functions and processes, and divide the business into multiple services;

[0010] Design services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and control different services to execute according to the processes in the business logic diagrams;

[0011] Set up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and use memory queues to organize and manage services;

[0012] According to the business logic diagram, the service is sent from the switch to the service board of the corresponding network element, and the corresponding network element processes the service in its service board.

[0013] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0014] The route of the next destination service board of the executed service is determined according to the process of the business logic diagram, and the switch sends the executed service to the determined destination service board according to the route, and the service is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the determined destination service board.

[0015] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0016] Each unit in the memory queue stores a service, including a service message, a service type, a service state and a routing identifier;

[0017] The service message is a carrier for describing the service, including message attributes and a message body. The message attributes are used to describe the message, and the message body stores the content of the service message.

[0018] The service type is a service type that meets different application scenarios, including: instant service, scheduled service, delayed service, transaction service and sequential service. The sequential service includes global sequence and internal sequence. The global sequence is executed in the order required by the network, and the internal sequence is executed in the order within the network element or device;

[0019] The service status is used to describe different states of the service, including: service accumulation, processing service and ready service;

[0020] The routing identifier is an addressing mark from the current service board to the next service board.

[0021] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0022] The types of service kanbans include ready kanbans, unprocessed kanbans, processing kanbans, processed kanbans and failed kanbans.

[0023] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0024] Each service dashboard is divided into a main dashboard and a mirror dashboard. The mirror dashboard serves as a backup of the main dashboard and keeps in sync with the main dashboard.

[0025] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0026] If the destination service board is bound to this switch, the switch will transfer the service to the destination service board specified by the route;

[0027] If the destination service board is not bound to this switch, it will be transferred to the switch bound to the destination board according to the route, and the switch bound to the destination board will transfer the service to the destination service board.

[0028] Furthermore, the switch sends the service to the service dashboard of the corresponding network element in the following ways:

[0029] Direct exchange, publish-subscribe exchange, regular expression matching exchange, and attribute matching exchange.

[0030] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0031] SOF uses HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) protocol to establish signaling connection with network elements. The signaling connection consists of multiple channels, each of which is bound to a service processing instance in the network element; and

[0032] Each channel represents a session task, which is used to push the service to the switch after the service processing is completed, or to pull the service from the switch to the local network element for service processing.

[0033] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0034] The business logic diagram is used to split the complete business into different services, and express the relationship between services through layered diagrams, decomposition diagrams and flow charts;

[0035] The layered diagram expresses services at different levels and describes the differences in granularity or levels of services. The decomposition diagram describes the subordinate relationship of services, and the flow chart describes the sequential relationship of services.

[0036] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a service orchestration implementation system, the implementation system including a service orchestration network element SOF, the SOF connected to other network elements via a core network bus, for completing service orchestration of the network elements, the SOF including:

[0037] A business orchestration module, which is configured to abstractly separate the functions and processes of a business and divide the business into multiple services; and

[0038] Design services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and control different services to execute according to the processes in the business logic diagrams;

[0039] A service dashboard management module is configured to set up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and organize and manage services in the form of a memory queue;

[0040] The switch module is configured to send services to the service board of the corresponding network element according to the business logic diagram, and the corresponding network element processes the services in its service board.

[0041] Furthermore, the switch module is further configured to:

[0042] The route of the next destination service board of the executed service is determined according to the process of the business logic diagram, and the executed service is sent to the determined destination service board according to the route, and the service is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the determined destination service board.

[0043] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program. When the processor runs the computer program stored in the memory, the processor executes the service orchestration implementation method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0044] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method for implementing service orchestration described in any one of the above-mentioned first aspects is implemented.

[0045] Beneficial effects:

[0046] The present disclosure provides a method for implementing service orchestration, a system for implementing service orchestration, an electronic device, and a storage medium. These methods introduce Kanban technology and business process management technology used in enterprise management, and propose a service orchestration network element based on the business processing characteristics of 5G. These methods reorganize the signaling architecture and processes of 5GC, simplify the functions of 5GC network elements, and separate the business processing and signaling of 5GC network elements. These methods enable 5GC network elements to evolve from a synchronous working mode to an asynchronous working mode, thereby improving the performance of the entire 5GC network and having positive significance for the development and evolution of 5GC. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for implementing service orchestration provided in the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a structure for introducing SOF network elements into 5GC provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the relationship and structure between a service publisher, a service dashboard, and a service executor provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the relationship and structure between a network element and a switch provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the working process of a switch provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an interaction mode of an existing 5G signaling process provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a kanban mode based on signaling of service orchestration provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of an authentication process in UE registration in 5G provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] Figure 9 This is an architecture diagram of a service orchestration network element provided in the third embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] Figure 10 This is an architectural diagram of an electronic device provided in Example 4 of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments and drawings described herein are only used to explain the present disclosure, rather than to limit the present disclosure.

[0058] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence; and, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0059] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0060] In the subsequent description, suffixes such as "module," "component," or "unit" used to represent elements are used only to facilitate the description of the present disclosure and have no specific meaning. Therefore, "module," "component," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0061] In the 3GPP protocol, 5G network architectures are categorized into two types: NSA (Non-Standalone Architecture) and SA (Standalone Architecture). The NSA core network is an upgraded version of the 4G Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The 5G SA network adopts a service-based network architecture, redefining each functional entity. Previous 2G / 3G / 4G networks employed a hierarchical network topology with interleaved nodes and centralized functions, making them difficult to scale and upgrade. Failures could impact services or even paralyze the network. The SBA architecture, on the other hand, decouples network functions, connecting all network functions to the system through a unified service-based interface. This allows networks with the same functionality to jointly assume and provide network function services, achieving service load sharing. Simply adding new network functions to the system does not impact existing network operations, simplifying capacity expansion. Because of its standardized access, new software functions can be directly integrated, facilitating upgrades. Furthermore, the standardized interface allows other systems to connect, realizing the network's openness.

[0062] Each network element in 5GC is called an NF, such as UDM (Unified Data Management), AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), and SMF (Session Management Function). Each type of network element performs a specific function in the network. Two NFs with an interface relationship have an interoperability relationship. For example, UDM and AMF communicate with each other through the N8 interface, with SMF through the N10 interface, and with AUSF (Authentication Server Function) through the N13 interface. Except for the N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, and N9 interfaces, all other interfaces are service-based (SBA) interfaces.

[0063] 5GC SBA fully reflects the openness of the network architecture. At the same time, each NF (network function unit) is loosely coupled, and NFs can be added or modified as needed without affecting other NFs. NFs use lightweight service-oriented interfaces, which other NFs and business applications can easily call NFs through.

[0064] However, in the current 5GC SBA architecture, each network element needs to manage a large amount of peer address management: the source NF needs to configure addressing data for the target NF. For example, if the network deploys N AMFs and P UDMs, each AMF needs to configure data for the SUPI number segments that each of the P UDMs is responsible for. If, on average, each UDM is responsible for Q non-contiguous SUPI number segments, each AMF needs to configure routing data for M = P × Q SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier) number segments, mapping "each SUPI number segment + each service name" to a specific UDM. If some of the UDMs use a pooling mechanism (multiple UDMs share load proportionally or perform N+1 backup for the same SUPI number segment), the AMF also needs to configure data for selecting the corresponding multiple UDMs based on weight and priority for each SUPI number segment + each service name. Clearly, when the values of N and M in the network are large, a large number of source NFs will need to configure and maintain a large amount of routing data. Although the introduction of NRF network elements and SCP network elements can greatly reduce the number of TCP connections maintained and maintained by NF, a large number of connections need to be built and maintained within SCP. In addition, SCP needs to increase the business process of target NF service discovery and data configuration for selecting target NF. It cannot completely solve the problems of complex addressing and routing between network elements, difficult connection relationship management, and difficult dynamic balanced scheduling of tasks between network elements of the same type. In addition, the network elements still work in synchronous mode, which affects the execution efficiency of service processing instances within the network elements.

[0065] The following is a detailed description of the technical solutions of the present invention and how the technical solutions of the present invention solve the above-mentioned technical problems in the prior art with specific embodiments. It will be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the execution subject may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application, and these steps or operations are merely examples. The embodiments of the present application may also perform other operations or variations of various operations. In addition, the various steps may be performed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it may not be necessary to perform all the operations in the embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, the following specific embodiments may be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described in detail in certain embodiments.

[0066] Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for implementing service orchestration provided in the first embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a service orchestration network element SOF, wherein the SOF is connected to other network elements through a core network bus to complete the service orchestration of the network element, such as Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0067] Step S101: abstract and separate the business functions and processes, and divide the business into multiple services;

[0068] Step S102: Design services and processes into a business logic diagram according to the business logic, and control different services to be executed according to the process of the business logic diagram according to the business logic diagram;

[0069] Step S103: Setting up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and organizing and managing services in the form of a memory queue;

[0070] Step S104: according to the business logic diagram, the service is sent from the switch to the service board of the corresponding network element, and the corresponding network element processes the service in its service board.

[0071] The disclosed embodiments introduce the Kanban technology and business process management technology used in enterprise management, propose a service orchestration network element based on the business processing characteristics of 5G, restructure the signaling architecture and process of 5GC, and simplify the functions of the 5GC network element.

[0072] The Service Orchestration (SOF) connects to other NEs via the 5GC bus. Its mission is to orchestrate NE services, including organizing, processing, reconfiguring, and reorganizing the local NE's business logic. Through service orchestration, NE connections, signaling, and business logic are decoupled. The SOF NE now manages the organization and distribution of NE business logic and connections, leaving functional NEs focused on implementing internal business functions without any involvement in business logic.

[0073] SOF network elements achieve the separation of services and processes through orchestrators. Service process orchestration abstracts and separates the 5G business functions and processes defined by 3GPP, reducing coupling so that a complete business is composed of a combination of independent services. The sequence and transfer conditions of each service are defined as a standardized process. Service + process constitutes the business logic.

[0074] Service orchestration designs services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and controls the execution of different services according to the processes based on the business logic diagrams.

[0075] Business process management includes: process design tools, rules, workflow management, and process engines.

[0076] Task execution and exchange are two components of orchestrator business processing. Task execution encapsulates a series of services to complete a specific 5G business. It consists of "steps," a separate phase in the execution of a business consisting of one or more services. Each step contains all the information required to define and control the service. "Execution" represents the execution of a service listed in the service dashboard. Upon completion, the results are submitted to the process engine.

[0077] The service dashboard is set up for a group of similar network elements and is organized and managed in the form of a memory queue within the device. Each element in the queue stores a service.

[0078] The service dashboard puts specific services on the dashboard, so that the services that have not been processed, those that are being processed, and those that have been processed can be placed in different parts of the dashboard. The service dashboard sets one or more dashboards for each network element to provide management for the business services in this network element;

[0079] The services in each step of task processing are sent to the service dashboard of the corresponding network element by the switch. The business processing instance in the network element only needs to process the services in the corresponding service dashboard. After the execution is completed, it is submitted to the process engine. The business processing instance can then end this task and execute the next task in the service dashboard.

[0080] The disclosed embodiments reduce the complexity of network elements through service orchestration, centralize functions to internal business logic processing, eliminate communication functions and connection management between network elements, and reduce energy consumption and costs. Moreover, since the coupling between network elements is eliminated, the failure of one network element will not affect the network element at the opposite end, thereby increasing the reliability of the system and reducing the complexity of operation and maintenance. In addition, to modify or add new business processes, it is only necessary to add or modify business processes and services in the service orchestration network element, which provides convenient conditions for the development of new businesses. By opening up service orchestration through a unified interface (API), the 5G network has greater openness, which has positive significance for accelerating the evolution of the 5G network.

[0081] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0082] The route of the next destination service board of the executed service is determined according to the process of the business logic diagram, and the switch sends the executed service to the determined destination service board according to the route, and the service is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the determined destination service board.

[0083] During the business processing, steps can be static steps or process steps. Static steps end when the services in the task board are executed in sequence. After the process steps have executed the internal services, they need to be sent to the switch according to the route set by the process engine to execute the next service in the step. "Execution" means the execution of a service in a service board. After the execution is completed, the result is submitted to the process engine. The process engine determines the route of the next task board based on the business process and the execution result of the current task. Specifically: the executed service is routed to the next destination service board by the process engine according to the process, and then sent to the switch. The switch sends it to the designated service board according to the route, and it is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the service board; the above process is repeated until the business is completed.

[0084] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0085] Each unit in the memory queue stores a service, including a service message, a service type, a service state and a routing identifier;

[0086] The service message is a carrier for describing the service, including message attributes and a message body. The message attributes are used to describe the message, and the message body stores the content of the service message.

[0087] The service type is a service type that meets different application scenarios, including: instant service, scheduled service, delayed service, transaction service and sequential service. The sequential service includes global sequence and internal sequence. The global sequence is executed in the order required by the network, and the internal sequence is executed in the order within the network element or device;

[0088] The service status is used to describe different states of the service, including: service accumulation, processing service and ready service;

[0089] The routing identifier is an addressing mark from the current service board to the next service board.

[0090] Service Message: A service description medium, sent by the service publisher to the service dashboard and ultimately executed by the executor. A service message consists of message properties and a message body. Properties modify the message, such as the current service name, service priority, and service latency characteristics; the message body stores the content of the service message.

[0091] Service Type: Service types that meet different application scenarios, including:

[0092] Instant service: services that need to be performed immediately, with different levels. Service executors will give priority to high-level services according to their levels.

[0093] Scheduled service: a service that is executed periodically, including start and cancel operations after setting the scheduled time;

[0094] Delayed service: a service that is executed after a set delay time;

[0095] Transaction service: used for distributed transaction functions to achieve the final consistency of distributed transactions;

[0096] Sequential services: These services are executed in a strict first-in, first-out (FIFO) order. These services are divided into global and internal orders. Global orders are executed in the order required by the network, while internal orders are executed within the network element or device, regardless of other network elements.

[0097] Service Status: Describes the different statuses of a service, including:

[0098] Service backlog: The service publisher has sent a message to the message board, but due to the limitations of the service executor's capabilities, it cannot be executed in time. At this time, the message board stores unexecuted service messages, which is called backlog. Service backlog = number of service messages being processed + number of service messages ready.

[0099] Processing service: a service that is being processed by the service handler but has not yet returned a successful response;

[0100] Ready Services: Services that are listed on the service dashboard as ready for execution by service executors but have not yet been executed. The queue time for a ready service is the difference between the ready time of the oldest ready service and the current time. This metric reflects the latency of unprocessed services and is a crucial metric for time-sensitive services.

[0101] Routing identifier: The addressing mark from the current service board to the next service board. After the service message completes an execution process, when the executor sends the service message to the switch, the routing identifier will be attached according to the workflow. The switch sends the message to the specified service board based on the routing identifier.

[0102] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0103] The types of service kanbans include ready kanbans, unprocessed kanbans, processing kanbans, processed kanbans and failed kanbans.

[0104] Service kanbans are classified into five types: Ready, Unprocessed, Processing, Processed, and Failed. The Ready kanban stores service tasks that are ready and awaiting scheduling on the kanban. Once conditions are met, they are transferred to the Unprocessed kanban. The Unprocessed kanban stores services awaiting processing. Service executors of the same type can select a service for processing. If a processing instance in a network element selects a service, it is transferred to the Processing kanban, preventing it from being selected again by instances in other network elements. The Processing kanban stores tasks in progress, including the identification number of the service executor currently processing the service and processing status information. The Processed kanban stores completed tasks and logs the processing results for persistent storage. The switch forwards tasks on the Processed kanban based on their routing identifiers to the Ready kanban corresponding to the designated network element, completing the service processing. The Failed kanban stores tasks that could not be processed correctly, including the task's processing status and error flags, and logs the processing results for persistent storage.

[0105] The service dashboard being processed can be set for each network element separately, while the ready and unprocessed service dashboards can be shared by a group of similar network elements or the same type of service executors.

[0106] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0107] Each service dashboard is divided into a main dashboard and a mirror dashboard. The mirror dashboard serves as a backup of the main dashboard and keeps in sync with the main dashboard.

[0108] The mirror board serves as a backup of the main board, which can better ensure the security of the service process. When the main board fails, the system can promote the mirror board to the main board.

[0109] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0110] If the destination service board is bound to this switch, the switch will transfer the service to the destination service board specified by the route;

[0111] If the destination service board is not bound to this switch, it will be transferred to the switch bound to the destination board according to the route, and the switch bound to the destination board will transfer the service to the destination service board.

[0112] The switch follows the workflow orchestrated by the orchestrator, routing service messages from one service dashboard to another or multiple dashboards based on business rules. If a route is unavailable, the message is returned to the previous service dashboard with feedback information.

[0113] The switch consists of the following parts:

[0114] Exchange engine: The exchange service program that runs on the exchange node, which completes the forwarding of service information and the maintenance (addition and deletion) of the dashboard bound to the node. The working process of the exchange is as follows:

[0115] Each switching node is configured with a switching engine and bound to several service dashboards, responsible for maintaining the local service dashboards. Each service dashboard includes a primary service dashboard and a mirror service dashboard. The switching engines of different switching nodes are connected by high-speed links to facilitate the exchange of service messages between them.

[0116] Switching nodes are divided into local switching nodes and regional switching nodes. Regional switching nodes are responsible for exchanging service messages between local switching nodes in their own region and local switching nodes in other regions.

[0117] Furthermore, the switch sends the service to the service dashboard of the corresponding network element in the following ways:

[0118] Direct exchange, publish-subscribe exchange, regular expression matching exchange, and attribute matching exchange.

[0119] To meet the needs of different services, switches are divided into the following types:

[0120] Direct exchange: The exchanger sends data to a strictly matching unique kanban according to the routing key, and the exchange between kanbans is one-to-one;

[0121] Publish-subscribe exchange: Service messages sent to the exchange are forwarded to all dashboards that subscribe to the service messages from the exchange, so that the processes or network elements that subscribe to the service messages can obtain the subscribed service messages;

[0122] Regular expression matching switching: The switch matches the corresponding kanban according to the wildcard in the route identifier. Wildcards are identified by regular expressions. Regular expressions, also known as regular expressions, are text patterns that include common characters (for example, letters from a to z) and special characters (called "metacharacters"). A single string is used to describe and match a series of strings that match a certain syntactic rule.

[0123] Attribute matching exchange: The exchange does not match dashboards by routing identifiers, but uses the attributes in the service information to match the key-value pairs of the next dashboard. Since the attributes in the service information can express richer content and can be dynamically added and modified during the processing, the functions are richer and more flexible. However, the exchange requires more time to match, the exchange efficiency is low, and the latency is large.

[0124] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0125] SOF uses HTTP protocol to establish signaling connection with network elements. The signaling connection consists of multiple channels, each of which is bound to a service processing instance in the network element.

[0126] Each channel represents a session task, which is used to push the service to the switch after the service processing is completed, or to pull the service from the switch to the local network element for service processing.

[0127] The service processing instance performs read and write operations on service messages in the channel. Each network element can establish multiple channels, and each channel represents a session task.

[0128] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0129] The business logic diagram is used to split the complete business into different services, and express the relationship between services through layered diagrams, decomposition diagrams and flow charts;

[0130] The layered diagram expresses services at different levels and describes the differences in granularity or levels of services. The decomposition diagram describes the subordinate relationship of services, and the flow chart describes the sequential relationship of services.

[0131] Business logic refers to the rules and processes required to complete a service, such as UE registration. Business logic includes business rules (the conditions that must be met to complete a service) and workflows (the interactive relationships between services). The relationships between services are expressed through layered diagrams, decomposition diagrams, and flowcharts. Layered diagrams express services at different levels, describing the granularity or hierarchy of services. Decomposition diagrams describe the subordinate relationships of services. Flowcharts describe the sequential relationships of services. The orchestrator arranges different services at different levels and with different affiliations according to the business logic diagram, and then determines the execution order of services under different outcomes based on the rules, ensuring that the specified business logic can be correctly completed according to the orchestrated workflow.

[0132] The disclosed embodiments introduce the kanban technology and business process management technology used in enterprise management, propose a service orchestration network element based on the business processing characteristics of 5G, reorganize the signaling architecture and process of 5GC, simplify the functions of 5GC network elements, and realize the separation of business processing and signaling of 5GC network elements. This enables the 5GC network elements to evolve from a synchronous working mode to an asynchronous working mode, thereby improving the performance of the entire 5GC network and having positive significance for the development and evolution of 5GC.

[0133] In order to more clearly describe the technical solution of the present disclosure, the second embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a method for implementing service orchestration, referring to Figures 2 to 7 Provide explanation.

[0134] The detailed technical solution of this disclosure is as follows:

[0135] It includes four parts: 1) overall architecture; 2) composition of service orchestration network element SOF; 3) service orchestration implementation method of service orchestration network element (SOF); 4) signaling process based on service orchestration network element (SOF).

[0136] Part I: System Architecture

[0137] The implementation method of 5GC service orchestration provided by the present disclosure introduces a service orchestration network element SOF into 5GC, such as Figure 2 As shown in Figure 2, its primary task is to orchestrate network element services, including organizing, processing, reconfiguring, and reorganizing the business logic of local network elements within the 5GC. Through service orchestration, the service-oriented interfaces, connections, signaling, data, and business logic of network elements are decoupled. This allows the SOF network elements to organize and distribute the network element business logic and connections, while the functional network elements focus on implementing internal functions and no longer involve business logic.

[0138] This embodiment consists of three parts:

[0139] 1) Composition of the Service Orchestration Network Element (SOF): The structural unit and core concept of the SOF network element are the foundation of SOF.

[0140] 2) Service orchestration implementation method of service orchestration network element (SOF): including the implementation of service dashboard, orchestrator implementation method, and business processing implementation method.

[0141] 3) Signaling Process Based on Service Orchestration Element (SOF): Taking the authentication process in UE (user terminal) registration in 5G as an example, this article explains in detail the evolution of network element signaling from asynchronous to asynchronous after the introduction of SOF, as well as the separation of network element business logic and signaling.

[0142] Part II: Basic Concepts of Service Orchestration Network Element SOF

[0143] The unit composition and core concepts of SOF are as follows:

[0144] 1) Service Orchestration Element (SOF): Receives connections from 5GC elements and provides orchestration services;

[0145] 2) Service publisher: Publishes service instances or network elements. Instances are the basic program units that complete different services. Different instances can run in different processes on the same network element device or on different network element devices (for example, different network element devices of the same type running in pool mode). Instances can be shared between multiple threads in the same process.

[0146] 3) Service Executor: An instance or network element that receives, executes, and processes services. There are two ways to receive services:

[0147] Push: The service is pushed from the service dashboard to the designated service executor.

[0148] Pull: The service executor actively pulls the service execution from the service board.

[0149] 4) Service Kanban: The Service Kanban is a container for storage services. Once a service publisher sends a service message to the Service Kanban, the publisher's task ends and the next service begins without waiting for feedback on the execution result, resulting in high efficiency. The Service Kanban uses a routing mechanism to ensure that completed service processing is correctly forwarded to the next designated Service Kanban.

[0150] 5) Service Message: This describes the service, sent by the service publisher to the service dashboard and ultimately executed by the executor. A service message consists of message properties and a message body. Properties modify the message, such as the current service name, service priority, and service latency characteristics; the message body stores the content of the service message.

[0151] The above unit relationships and structures are as follows Figure 3 shown.

[0152] 6) Connection: The signaling connection between the network element and the SOF uses the HTTP protocol. The connection consists of multiple channels, and each channel is bound to a service processing instance in the network element.

[0153] 7) Channel: Service processing instances read and write service messages in channels. Each network element can establish multiple channels, each representing a session task. After service processing is completed, the channel pushes the service to the switch or pulls it from the switch and processes it in the network element.

[0154] 8) Business Logic: Business logic refers to the rules and processes required to complete a service, such as UE registration. Business logic includes business rules (the conditions that must be met to complete a service) and workflows (the interactions between services).

[0155] 9) Business Logic Diagram: Break down the complete business into different services and express the relationships between services through layered diagrams, decomposition diagrams, and flow charts. Layered diagrams represent services at different levels, describing the granularity or hierarchy of services. Decomposition diagrams describe the subordinate relationships of services. Flow charts describe the sequential relationships of services.

[0156] 10) Orchestrator: Arranges different services at different levels and with different affiliations according to the business logic diagram, and then determines the execution order of services under different results based on the rules, so that the specified business logic can be correctly completed according to the arranged workflow.

[0157] 11) Switch: Following the workflow orchestrated by the orchestrator, it forwards service messages from one service dashboard to another or multiple dashboards based on business rules. If a route is unavailable, the message is returned to the previous service dashboard with feedback information.

[0158] 12) Routing ID: The addressing tag from the current service board to the next service board. After the service message completes an execution process, when the executor sends the service message to the switch, the routing ID will be attached according to the workflow. The switch will send the message to the specified service board based on the routing ID.

[0159] 13) Binding: A virtual connection between an exchange and a service dashboard. A binding can contain one or more routing keys.

[0160] The above unit relationships and structures are as follows Figure 4 shown.

[0161] 14) Service Type: Service types that meet different application scenarios, including:

[0162] Instant service: services that need to be performed immediately, with different levels. Service executors will give priority to high-level services according to their levels.

[0163] Scheduled service: a service that is executed periodically, including start and cancel operations after setting the scheduled time;

[0164] Delayed service: a service that is executed after a set delay time;

[0165] Transaction service: used for distributed transaction functions to achieve the final consistency of distributed transactions;

[0166] Sequential services: These services are executed in a strict first-in, first-out (FIFO) order. These services are divided into global and internal orders. Global orders are executed in the order required by the network, while internal orders are executed within the network element or device, regardless of other network elements.

[0167] 15) Service Status: Describes the different statuses of the service, including:

[0168] Service Backlog: The service publisher has sent a message to the message board, but due to limitations in the service executor's capabilities, it cannot be completed in a timely manner. Unexecuted service messages are stored in the message board, and this state is called a backlog. Service Backlog = Number of Service Messages in Process + Number of Ready Service Messages.

[0169] Processing service: A service that is being processed by the service handler but has not yet returned a successful response.

[0170] Ready Services: Services that are listed on the service dashboard as ready for execution by service executors but have not yet been executed. The queue time for a ready service is the difference between the ready time of the oldest ready service and the current time. This metric reflects the latency of unprocessed services and is a crucial metric for time-sensitive services.

[0171] 16) Service Track

[0172] During a service processing, the link information aggregated by various routes can be used to query the address, processing time, and processing results of the relevant processing network element. The service trajectory can be used to query the current execution status and historical execution records of a service, facilitating statistics and troubleshooting.

[0173] Part III: Service Orchestration Implementation Method of Service Orchestration Element (SOF)

[0174] 1. Implementation of service kan-board

[0175] The service dashboard is set up for a group of similar network elements and is organized and managed in the form of a memory queue within the device. Each element in the queue stores a service, including the service message, service type, service status, and routing identifier.

[0176] There are four types of service dashboards: ready, unprocessed, processing, processed, and failed.

[0177] 1) Ready Kanban: Service tasks are ready and waiting for Kanban scheduling. Once the conditions are met, they are transferred to the Unprocessed Kanban.

[0178] 2) Unprocessed Kanban: Stores services waiting to be processed. Executors of the same service type can select a service to process. If a service is selected, it is transferred to the Processing Kanban, and the service will not be selected again by instances in other network elements.

[0179] 3) The in-process dashboard stores the tasks being processed, including the identification number of the service executor who is processing the service and the processing status information;

[0180] 4) The processed dashboard stores completed tasks and writes the processing results to the log for permanent storage. The switch switches the tasks on the processed dashboard to the ready dashboard corresponding to the specified network element according to the routing identifier, completing the service processing work;

[0181] 5) The failure dashboard stores tasks that cannot be processed correctly, including the task processing status and error mark, and writes the processing results to the log for permanent storage.

[0182] Kanban's processing control functions:

[0183] Kanban controls the processing based on the type of service message, including:

[0184] 1) Immediate service: Services in the ready board are immediately transferred to the unexecuted board. If there are different service levels, the service executor will prioritize the higher-level service according to the level.

[0185] Scheduled service: Periodically transfer services from the ready board to the unexecuted board. You can set the scheduled time, start, and cancel the operation.

[0186] Delayed service: After the set delay time, the service in the ready board is immediately transferred to the unexecuted board;

[0187] Transaction Service: If there are distributed transaction boards (several boards execute different parts of a task simultaneously, and the transaction is started to ensure the distributed transaction), the distributed transaction is eventually consistent (for example, if a task in one board processes a call transfer, and another board fails to transfer the call to the user, the board that transferred the call will cancel the call transfer and indicate that the call transfer was unsuccessful).

[0188] Sequential service: If the services in the ready kanban need to be executed sequentially, the kanban will transfer the services in the ready kanban to the unexecuted kanban in a strict first-in-first-out (FIFO) order. The service executors will also process the services in the unexecuted kanban in strict accordance with the first-in-first-out (FIFO) order.

[0189] Each dashboard is divided into a main dashboard and a mirror dashboard. The mirror dashboard serves as a backup of the main dashboard and keeps in sync with the main dashboard. When the main dashboard fails, the system promotes the mirror dashboard to the main dashboard.

[0190] 2. Orchestrator Implementation Method

[0191] 1) Separation of services and processes

[0192] Service process orchestration abstracts and separates the 5G business functions and processes defined by 3GPP, reducing coupling so that a complete business is composed of a combination of independent services. The sequence and transfer conditions of each service are defined as a standardized process, and the service + process constitutes the business logic.

[0193] Service orchestration is the process of designing services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and controlling the execution of different services according to the processes based on the business logic diagrams.

[0194] The process is defined using a modeling language, and a developed application programming interface (API) is provided to provide external services and process publishing, modification, security control, and debugging functions. This gives 5GC open business capabilities, reduces the impact of new business deployment on existing businesses, reduces the workload of new business deployment and existing business upgrades, improves system robustness, and reduces system development and maintenance costs.

[0195] 2) Business Process Management

[0196] The service orchestration of this embodiment is implemented based on BPM (Business Process Management) and includes the following parts:

[0197] Process design tools

[0198] Based on a visual interface, standard BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) and SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) methods are used to design service processes corresponding to various 5G businesses, which are then saved to a database or saved or exported in an executable language format (such as XPDL or BPEL).

[0199] rule

[0200] For complex business parts that cannot be completed by the visual interface, the business rules and condition sets of this part are designed through rules as part of the process design and execution.

[0201] Workflow Management

[0202] Workflow management and maintenance, including workflow management (addition, modification, deletion, query), workflow testing, and workflow analysis.

[0203] Process Engine

[0204] The process engine completes the conversion between the process and the exchange route. After the service is executed, the process engine determines the next service board for the subsequent execution of the service based on the current service's identification and context (the current service's position in the business process, the current service's execution result, and the current network's environmental information), and then submits the service to the exchange engine to send it to the next service board.

[0205] 3. Business processing

[0206] Tasks and exchanges are the two main parts of orchestrator business processing.

[0207] 1) Task execution

[0208] A task is a series of services encapsulated to complete a specific 5G business. It consists of "steps," an independent phase in the execution of a business consisting of one or more services. Steps are categorized as static steps and process steps. Static steps complete after the services listed in the task dashboard are executed in sequence. After a process step completes its services, it sends the service to the switch for the next service within the step, following the routing configured by the process engine. Each step contains all the information necessary to define and control the service.

[0209] "Execution" refers to the execution of a service in a service dashboard. After the execution is completed, the result is submitted to the process engine. The process engine determines the route to the next task dashboard based on the business process and the execution result of the current task. An execution contains corresponding references and transaction-related data, such as the result of user authentication. "Execution context" represents the execution environment of each step n, containing a series of key-value pairs, such as the processing power and storage idleness of the current device expressed in percentages. The execution adjusts the execution of the task according to the context, such as increasing or decreasing the number of threads. "Parameters" are the parameters for starting the execution, which enable the execution to make internal dynamic adjustments and functional adjustments based on the current configuration parameters. For example, in a single execution of user registration, the registration of local users and roaming users can be handled separately through execution parameters.

[0210] The "data reader" is an abstract data reading functional unit that provides data input for each step. The supported reading data sources include various types of databases, files, data streams, etc., covering the data reading scenarios and requirements of all 5G network elements.

[0211] The "data writer" is an abstract data writing functional unit that completes the data writing function for each step. The writing destination can be memory, cache, file, database, etc. The database has a dedicated persistence layer unit to complete it, including database connection, security management and various types of database write operations that support transactions.

[0212] The "data processor" is an abstract functional unit for processing data. Before the data reader reads data and the data writer writes data, if data processing is required, such as searching and replacing a character, data format conversion, and protocol encapsulation, the data processor will perform unified data processing.

[0213] 2) Switch exchange

[0214] After the service is completed, the process engine determines the route of the next service board for the current service and submits it to the exchange. If the destination service board is bound to this exchange, the exchange transfers the service to the service board specified by the route. If the destination service board is not bound to this exchange, the service is transferred to the exchange bound to the destination board according to the route.

[0215] To meet the needs of different services, switches are divided into the following types:

[0216] Direct exchange: The exchanger sends the message to a strictly matching unique kanban according to the routing key, and the kanbans are exchanged one-to-one.

[0217] Publish-subscribe exchange: Service messages sent to the switch are forwarded to all dashboards that subscribe to the service messages from the switch, so that the processes or network elements that subscribe to the service messages can obtain the subscribed service messages.

[0218] Regular expression matching switching: The switch matches the corresponding kanban board according to the wildcard characters in the route identifier. Wildcard characters are identified using regular expressions. Regular expressions, also known as regular expressions, are text patterns that include common characters (for example, letters from a to z) and special characters (called metacharacters). A single string is used to describe and match a series of strings that match a certain syntactic rule.

[0219] Attribute matching exchange: The exchange does not match dashboards by routing identifiers, but uses the attributes in the service information to match the key-value pairs of the next dashboard. Since the attributes in the service information can express richer content and can be dynamically added and modified during the processing, the functions are richer and more flexible. However, the exchange requires more time to match, the exchange efficiency is low, and the latency is large.

[0220] The switch consists of the following parts:

[0221] Exchange engine: The exchange service program run by the exchange node completes the forwarding of service information and the maintenance (addition and deletion) of the dashboard bound to the node.

[0222] The working process of the switch is as follows:

[0223] Each switching node is configured with a switching engine and bound to several service dashboards, responsible for maintaining the local service dashboards. Each service dashboard includes a primary service dashboard and a mirror service dashboard. The switching engines of different switching nodes are connected by high-speed links to facilitate the exchange of service messages between them.

[0224] Switching nodes are divided into local switching nodes and regional switching nodes. Regional switching nodes are responsible for exchanging service messages between local switching nodes in their own region and local switching nodes in other regions. Figure 5 shown.

[0225] Part 4: Signaling Process Based on Service Orchestration Element (SOF)

[0226] The existing 5G signaling process is an interactive mode, such as Figure 6 As shown in the figure, a business process is completed by several network elements in a "request-response" manner. Network elements not only handle internal business logic but also manage connections and interactions between them. Network elements operate synchronously; after a request is submitted, the next step cannot proceed until the other party responds.

[0227] Synchronous execution means that after executing a function, the program waits for a return message. During this time, the program is blocked and only proceeds to other functions after receiving the return message. Asynchronous execution means that after executing a function, the system directly executes subsequent functions without blocking and waiting for a return message. Asynchronous execution significantly improves program execution efficiency.

[0228] The signaling based on service orchestration is the Kanban mode, such as Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the services in each step of task processing are sent by the switch to the corresponding network element's service dashboard. The business processing instance in the network element only needs to process the services in the corresponding service dashboard. After execution is completed, it is submitted to the process engine. The business processing instance then ends the task and proceeds to the next task in the service dashboard. The process engine determines the route of the executed service to the next service dashboard based on the process flow. The service is then sent to the switch, which then sends it to the designated service dashboard based on the route. The service is then executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the service dashboard. This process repeats until the task is completed.

[0229] To further illustrate the signaling process based on service orchestration of the present invention, the following is a detailed description of the authentication process in the UE (user terminal) registration in 5G. Figure 8 As shown, the 5G AKA authentication method is adopted.

[0230] The authentication process is divided into three parts: request phase, response phase, authentication confirmation and registration binding phase.

[0231] Request phase

[0232] 1) Message direction: UE->switch->board (AMF)->switch->board (AUSF)

[0233] The UE authentication service is sent to the switch, which sends it to the dashboard (AMF). The instance of the AMF network element takes the task from the dashboard for processing. The instance selects the AUSF for authentication based on the SUCI or SUPI in the service, builds the route and sends the service to the switch, which sends it to the selected AUSF.

[0234] 2) Message direction: AUSF->Switch->UDM

[0235] The AUSF network element instance retrieves the service from the AUSF dashboard. The AUSF network element requests the UDM to select an authentication method and calculate a new authentication vector. A route is then constructed based on the selected UDM and sent to the switch, which then sends it to the UDM dashboard. The UDM network element instance retrieves the service for processing. If the service contains SUCI, the UDM decrypts the SUCI into SUPI upon receiving the request and then selects an authentication method (EAP-AKA or 5G AKA) based on the SUPI.

[0236] Response Phase

[0237] 1) UDM generates authentication vector

[0238] The UDM network element generates the authentication vector, derives KAUSF and calculates XRES*. Finally, the 5G HE AV generated by the UDM network element contains four parameters: RAND, AUTN, XRES*, and KAUSF. The authentication token

[0239] 2) Message direction: UDM dashboard -> switch -> AUSF dashboard

[0240] Successful response. The UDM network element calculates the 5G HE AV (RAND, AUTN, XRES*, KAUSF), builds a route, and sends it to the switch, which then returns it to the AUSF dashboard.

[0241] 3) AUSF calculation of XRES*

[0242] The AUSF network element instance retrieves the service from the AUSF dashboard for processing. The service uses a service identifier to identify each authentication process. The service identifier identifies the service as a response service and temporarily stores the XRES* and SUPI in the service for authentication comparison at the home location. The AUSF calculates the 5G AV (RAND, AUTN, XRES*, KAUSF) based on the 5G HE AV (RAND, AUTN, XRES*, KAUSF) in the service. HXRES* is calculated from XRES*, and KSEAF is calculated from KAUSF.

[0243] 4) Message direction: AUSF dashboard -> switch -> AMF dashboard

[0244] The AUSF network element instance builds the AMF dashboard route and then sends the service to the switch. The switch sends the service to the AMF dashboard, where the service includes 5G SE AV (RAND, AUTN, HXRES*).

[0245] 5) Message direction: AMF dashboard -> switch -> UE

[0246] The AMF retrieves the service from the AMF dashboard, saves the received HXRES*, adds the UE's route, and sends it to the switch. The switch sends an Authentication Request message to the UE, starting the T3560 timer. The message contains parameters such as RAND, AUTN, ngKSI, and ABBA. The ME passes the RAND and AUTN in the received Authentication Request message to the USIM. The UE's USIM stores basic user information and interacts with the network through the USIM / ME interface.

[0247] 6)UE calculates RES*

[0248] The USIM receives RAND and AUTN, calculates RES, and returns it to the ME along with CK and IK. The ME calculates RES* based on the received RES, and then calculates KAUSF, and then calculates KSEAF.

[0249] 7) Message direction: UE->switch->AMF dashboard

[0250] The UE constructs an Authentication Response service and sends it to the switch, which forwards it to the AMF dashboard. After the AMF network element instance reads the service, it stops the T3560 timer corresponding to the service identifier in the dashboard based on the Authentication Response.

[0251] 8) AMF calculation of HRES*

[0252] The AMF network element instance calculates HRES* based on the RES* sent by the UE. The SEAF compares HRES* and HXRES*. If the two are consistent, the UE is considered to have successfully authenticated in the current visited network. If HRES* and HXRES* are inconsistent, the UE is considered to have failed authentication in the visited network. However, the service does not carry RES*, but carries a null value to notify the AUSF of the authentication failure in the visited location.

[0253] 9) Message direction: AMF dashboard -> switch -> AUSF dashboard

[0254] The AMF constructs a route for the Confirmation Data containing the RES* and forwards it to the switch, which then sends it to the AUSF dashboard. If the UE is unreachable at this time and the service does not include RES*, the AUSF network element instance will be notified that the authentication has failed.

[0255] 10)AUSF Verification RES*

[0256] The instance of the AUSF network element takes out the service from the kanban board and compares the received RES* with the XRES* corresponding to the service identifier stored in the kanban board to see if they are consistent. If they are consistent, the AUSF considers that the home network authentication is successful.

[0257] 11) Message direction: AUSF dashboard -> switch -> AMF dashboard

[0258] If the AUSF network element instance determines that the service authentication is successful, it includes a 200OK response and Confirmation Data Response information in the service, builds a route and submits it to the switch. The switch forwards it to the AMF dashboard.

[0259] Authentication confirmation and registration binding part

[0260] 1) Message direction: AUSF dashboard -> switch -> UDM dashboard

[0261] The AUSF constructs the Nudm_UE Authentication_Result Confirmation Request message, adds a route, and forwards it to the switch. The switch then forwards it to the UDM dashboard. The message contains the AuthEvent parameter.

[0262] 2) UDM saves AuthEvent related information

[0263] After the UDM network element instance is removed from the service, the authentication status corresponding to the UE is saved in the dashboard, such as SUPI, authentication result, timestamp, serving network name, etc.

[0264] 3) Message direction: UDM dashboard -> switch -> AUSF dashboard

[0265] The UDM network element instance is successfully created (201Created), including the created resources, or fails (404NotFound), and is sent to the AUSF dashboard via the switch after adding the route.

[0266] 4) Authentication of UDM subsequent processes

[0267] If the UDM receives the subsequent process of the UE with this identifier, it performs relevant detection and protection operations according to the operator's policy.

[0268] Compared with the existing interaction mode, the task orchestration-based mode of the embodiment of the present disclosure reduces the complexity of network elements, concentrates functions on internal business logic processing, eliminates communication functions and connection management between network elements, and reduces energy consumption and costs. Since the coupling between network elements is eliminated, the failure of one network element will not affect the network element at the opposite end, which increases the reliability of the system and reduces the complexity of operation and maintenance. In addition, to modify or add new business processes, it is only necessary to add or modify business processes and services in the service orchestration network element, which provides convenient conditions for the development of new businesses. By opening service orchestration through a unified interface (API), the 5G network has greater openness, which has positive significance for accelerating the evolution of 5G networks.

[0269] The third embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a system for implementing service orchestration, the system comprising a service orchestration network element SOF, the SOF being connected to other network elements via a core network bus, for completing the service orchestration of the network elements, such as Figure 9 As shown, the SOF includes:

[0270] A business orchestration module 11 is configured to abstractly separate the functions and processes of a business and divide the business into multiple services; and

[0271] Design services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and control different services to execute according to the processes in the business logic diagrams;

[0272] A service dashboard management module 12 is configured to set up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and organize and manage services in the form of a memory queue;

[0273] The switch module 13 is configured to send services to the service board of the corresponding network element according to the business logic diagram, and the corresponding network element processes the services in its service board.

[0274] Furthermore, the switch module 13 is further configured as follows:

[0275] The route of the next destination service board of the executed service is determined according to the process of the business logic diagram, and the executed service is sent to the determined destination service board according to the route, and the service is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the determined destination service board.

[0276] Further,

[0277] Each unit in the memory queue stores a service, including a service message, a service type, a service state and a routing identifier;

[0278] The service message is a carrier for describing the service, including message attributes and a message body. The message attributes are used to describe the message, and the message body stores the content of the service message.

[0279] The service type is a service type that meets different application scenarios, including: instant service, scheduled service, delayed service, transaction service and sequential service. The sequential service includes global sequence and internal sequence. The global sequence is executed in the order required by the network, and the internal sequence is executed in the order within the network element or device;

[0280] The service status is used to describe different states of the service, including: service accumulation, processing service and ready service;

[0281] The routing identifier is an addressing mark from the current service board to the next service board.

[0282] Further,

[0283] The types of service kanbans include ready kanbans, unprocessed kanbans, processing kanbans, processed kanbans and failed kanbans.

[0284] Furthermore, the service dashboard management module 12 is further configured to:

[0285] Each service dashboard is divided into a main dashboard and a mirror dashboard. The mirror dashboard serves as a backup of the main dashboard and is kept synchronized with the main dashboard.

[0286] Furthermore, the switch module 13 is further configured as follows:

[0287] If the destination service board is bound to this switch, the switch will transfer the service to the destination service board specified by the route;

[0288] If the destination service board is not bound to this switch, it will be transferred to the switch bound to the destination board according to the route, and the switch bound to the destination board will transfer the service to the destination service board.

[0289] Furthermore, the switch module 13 sends the service to the service dashboard of the corresponding network element in the following manners:

[0290] Direct exchange, publish-subscribe exchange, regular expression matching exchange, and attribute matching exchange.

[0291] Furthermore, the SOF further includes a connection module 14:

[0292] The connection module 14 is configured to use HTTP protocol to establish a signaling connection with the network element, the signaling connection being composed of multiple channels, each channel being bound to a service processing instance in the network element; and

[0293] Each channel represents a session task, which is used to push the service to the switch after the service processing is completed, or to pull the service from the switch to the local network element for service processing.

[0294] Further,

[0295] The business logic diagram is used to split the complete business into different services, and express the relationship between services through layered diagrams, decomposition diagrams and flow charts;

[0296] The layered diagram expresses services at different levels and describes the differences in granularity or levels of services. The decomposition diagram describes the subordinate relationship of services, and the flow chart describes the sequential relationship of services.

[0297] The service orchestration implementation system of the embodiment of the present disclosure is used to implement the service orchestration implementation method in the first and second method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the previous first and second method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0298] In addition, if Figure 10 As shown, the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, including a memory 100 and a processor 200, wherein the memory 100 stores a computer program. When the processor 200 runs the computer program stored in the memory 100, the processor 200 executes the above-mentioned various possible methods.

[0299] The memory 100 is connected to the processor 200 . The memory 100 may be a flash memory, a read-only memory, or other memory. The processor 200 may be a central processing unit or a single-chip microcomputer.

[0300] In addition, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program is used by a processor to execute the above-mentioned various possible methods.

[0301] The computer-readable storage medium includes volatile or nonvolatile, removable or non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, computer program modules or other data). Computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable read only memory), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computer.

[0302] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and substance of the present disclosure, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for implementing service orchestration, characterized in that: The method is applied to a service orchestration network element SOF, where the SOF is connected to other network elements via a core network bus to complete service orchestration of the network elements. The method includes: Abstract and separate the business functions and processes, and divide the business into multiple services; Design services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and control different services to execute according to the processes in the business logic diagrams; Set up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and use memory queues to organize and manage services; According to the business logic diagram, the service is sent from the switch to the service board of the corresponding network element, and the corresponding network element processes the service in its service board.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The route of the next destination service board of the executed service is determined according to the process of the business logic diagram, and the switch sends the executed service to the determined destination service board according to the route, and the service is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the determined destination service board.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Each unit in the memory queue stores a service, including a service message, a service type, a service state and a routing identifier; The service message is a carrier for describing the service, including message attributes and a message body. The message attributes are used to describe the message, and the message body stores the content of the service message. The service type is a service type that meets different application scenarios, including: instant service, scheduled service, delayed service, transaction service and sequential service. The sequential service includes global sequence and internal sequence. The global sequence is executed in the order required by the network, and the internal sequence is executed in the order within the network element or device; The service status is used to describe different states of the service, including: service accumulation, processing service and ready service; The routing identifier is an addressing mark from the current service board to the next service board.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The types of service kanbans include ready kanbans, unprocessed kanbans, processing kanbans, processed kanbans and failed kanbans.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: Each service dashboard is divided into a main dashboard and a mirror dashboard. The mirror dashboard serves as a backup of the main dashboard and keeps in sync with the main dashboard.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the destination service board is bound to this switch, the switch will transfer the service to the destination service board specified by the route; If the destination service board is not bound to this switch, it will be transferred to the switch bound to the destination board according to the route, and the switch bound to the destination board will transfer the service to the destination service board.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The switch sends services to the service dashboard of the corresponding network element in the following ways: Direct exchange, publish-subscribe exchange, regular expression matching exchange, and attribute matching exchange.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: SOF uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to establish a signaling connection with the network element. The signaling connection consists of multiple channels, each of which is bound to a service processing instance in the network element. Each channel represents a session task, which is used to push the service to the switch after the service processing is completed, or to pull the service from the switch to the local network element for service processing.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The business logic diagram is used to split the complete business into different services, and express the relationship between services through layered diagrams, decomposition diagrams and flow charts; The layered diagram expresses services at different levels and describes the differences in granularity or levels of services. The decomposition diagram describes the subordinate relationship of services, and the flow chart describes the sequential relationship of services.

10. A service orchestration implementation system, characterized in that: The implementation system includes a service orchestration network element SOF, which is connected to other network elements through a core network bus and is used to complete the service orchestration of the network elements. The SOF includes: A business orchestration module, which is configured to abstractly separate the functions and processes of a business and divide the business into multiple services; and Design services and processes into business logic diagrams based on business logic, and control different services to execute according to the processes in the business logic diagrams; A service dashboard management module is configured to set up a service dashboard for each network element that performs service processing, and organize and manage services in the form of a memory queue; The switch module is configured to send services to the service board of the corresponding network element according to the business logic diagram, and the corresponding network element processes the services in its service board.

11. The implementation system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The switch module is further configured to: The route of the next destination service board of the executed service is determined according to the process of the business logic diagram, and the executed service is sent to the determined destination service board according to the route, and the service is executed by the instance in the network element corresponding to the determined destination service board.

12. An electronic device, characterized in that: The method comprises a memory and a processor, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and when the processor runs the computer program stored in the memory, the processor executes the method for implementing service orchestration according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for implementing service orchestration according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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