Network performance monitoring method, device, apparatus and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a network performance monitoring method and device, a base station and a computer readable storage medium, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a configuration message through the L2 module and the HL module, wherein the configuration message is related to a statistical task for monitoring network performance; executing or stopping the statistical task according to the configuration message and the determined UE that needs to perform statistical reporting through the L2 module; and reporting the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to perform statistical reporting and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module after the HL module performs the aggregation of the first statistical information and the second statistical information according to the configuration message. The embodiment of the application can comprehensively and conveniently realize network performance monitoring through joint measurement of the base station and the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a network performance monitoring method, apparatus, device, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Compared to 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, New Radio (NR) technology supports a wider spectrum range, more advanced channel coding techniques, and more flexible frame structures, network modes, and parameter set configurations. While this brings higher speeds, lower latency, greater capacity, and the introduction of more new features, it also drastically increases system complexity. The higher carrier frequency also reduces the signal coverage provided by a single Active Antenna Unit (AAU). This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of network optimization. Therefore, a more convenient network performance monitoring method is needed that can jointly report required parameters and indicators with terminals to assist in the efficient execution of network optimization. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a network performance monitoring method, apparatus, device, and computer-readable storage medium, which can solve at least one technical problem in the prior art.

[0004] Firstly, a network performance monitoring method is provided, applied to a base station, wherein the base station includes a Layer 2 protocol module (L2) and a higher-layer protocol module (HL). The method includes:

[0005] Configuration messages are received through the L2 module and the HL module, and these configuration messages are related to statistical tasks used for monitoring network performance.

[0006] The L2 module executes or stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and the identified UEs that need to report statistics.

[0007] The HL module, based on the configuration message, summarizes and reports the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0009] If the HL module determines that the first UE accessing the first cell has the ability to support statistics, a notification message is sent to the L2 module, wherein the first cell is any active cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance;

[0010] The L2 module determines the first UE as the UE that needs to be statistically reported based on the notification message.

[0011] In another possible implementation, the L2 module includes multiple sub-modules, and the configuration message includes at least the following information: the on / off switch of the statistical task, the cell where the statistical task is enabled, the statistical items for each cell, and the statistical period corresponding to the statistical items;

[0012] The step of executing the statistical task through the L2 module based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics includes:

[0013] If the statistics task switch in the configuration message is turned on, and the first or second condition is met, the following operations are performed through each submodule:

[0014] Based on the configuration message, determine the statistical items executed by each submodule;

[0015] Start the timer corresponding to the statistical item based on the statistical period corresponding to the statistical item;

[0016] Within the statistical period corresponding to the relevant statistical items, statistical tasks are performed for each cell based on all UEs that need to report statistics in that cell.

[0017] The first condition is that the statistics task was not started before the configuration message was received;

[0018] The second condition is that the statistical task has been started before the configuration message is received, and the configuration message only contains statistical task-related information configured for cells for which a statistical task has not yet been established.

[0019] In yet another possible implementation, the process of performing the statistical task also includes:

[0020] Maintain the statistics strategy table, the statistics UE list, and the statistics data register table;

[0021] The statistical strategy table is used to store information related to statistical tasks configured for the second cell, which is any cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0022] The statistical UE list is used to store the UEs that need to be statistically reported, and the statistical data register is used to store the statistical data during the execution of the statistical task.

[0023] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0024] If the timer corresponding to the statistical period of any statistical item times out, the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE that needs to be reported within the statistical period is encapsulated into a statistical message and reported to the HL module, and the statistical data in the statistical data register table is cleared after the report is made.

[0025] In another possible implementation, the step of stopping the statistical task by the L2 module based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics includes:

[0026] If the switch for the statistics task in the configuration message is turned off, the following operations are performed through the respective sub-modules:

[0027] Stop the timers corresponding to the statistical periods of the statistical items in each community where statistical tasks have been started;

[0028] Stop all processes related to the statistical tasks of each cell that have started the statistical task;

[0029] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with each cell that has started statistical tasks.

[0030] In another possible implementation, the step of stopping the statistical task by the L2 module based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics includes:

[0031] If the first cell is deactivated, the following operations are performed through the various sub-modules:

[0032] Stop the timer corresponding to the statistical period of the statistical items in the first cell;

[0033] Stop all processes related to the statistical task of the first cell;

[0034] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with the first cell.

[0035] Secondly, a network performance monitoring device is provided for use in a base station. This device includes a Layer 2 protocol (L2) module and a higher-layer protocol (HL) module.

[0036] The L2 module is used to receive configuration messages, execute or stop the statistical task according to the configuration messages and the determined UEs that need to report statistics, and report the second statistical information to the HL module.

[0037] The HL module is used to summarize and report the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module according to the received configuration message.

[0038] The configuration message is related to statistical tasks used to monitor network performance.

[0039] Thirdly, a base station is provided, the device comprising:

[0040] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0041] Transceiver, used to send and receive data under the control of the processor;

[0042] A processor is configured to read and execute a computer program from the memory to implement the network performance monitoring method shown in the first aspect of this application.

[0043] Fourthly, a processor-readable storage medium is provided, the processor-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program being used to cause a processor to execute and implement the network performance monitoring method shown in the first aspect of this application.

[0044] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application are:

[0045] By combining measurements with the base station and the UE, network performance monitoring can be achieved comprehensively and conveniently. Attached Figure Description

[0046] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below.

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of a network performance monitoring method provided in this application embodiment;

[0048] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a network performance monitoring method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of a network performance monitoring method according to another embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a statistical strategy table in a network performance monitoring method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a statistical data register table in a network performance monitoring method provided in this application embodiment;

[0052] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network performance monitoring device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0055] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein may also include the plural forms. It should be further understood that the term “comprising” as used in this application means the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we say an element is “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Furthermore, “connected” or “coupled” as used herein can include wireless connections or wireless coupling. The term “and / or” as used herein includes all or any units and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0056] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various systems, especially 5G systems. For example, applicable systems include Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), and 5G New Radio (NR). All of these systems include terminal equipment and network-side equipment. The systems may also include a core network component, such as Evolved Packet System (EPS) and 5G systems (5GS).

[0058] First, let's introduce and explain several terms used in this application:

[0059] The terminal devices involved in the embodiments of this application can be devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users, handheld devices with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The names of the terminal devices may differ in different systems; for example, in a 5G system, a terminal device can be called User Equipment (UE). Wireless terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks (CNs) via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Wireless terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones) and computers with mobile terminal devices, for example, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the RAN. Examples include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, or user device, but is not limited to these terms in the embodiments of this application.

[0060] The network-side equipment involved in this application embodiment can be a base station, which may include multiple cells providing services to terminals. Depending on the specific application, a base station may also be called an access point, or a device in the access network that communicates with wireless terminal devices through one or more sectors on the air interface, or other names. The network-side equipment can be used to exchange received air frames with Internet Protocol (IP) packets, acting as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, where the rest of the access network may include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network-side equipment can also coordinate the attribute management of the air interface.

[0061] For example, the network-side equipment involved in the embodiments of this application can be a base transceiver station (BTS) in Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a network-side device (NodeB) in Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), an evolved network-side device (eNB or e-NodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system, a 5G base station (gNB) in a next generation system, a Home evolved Node B (HeNB), a relay node, a femto, a pico, etc., and is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In some network structures, the network-side equipment may include centralized unit (CU) nodes and distributed unit (DU) nodes, and the centralized unit and distributed unit may also be geographically separated.

[0062] Network-side equipment and terminal equipment can each use one or more antennas for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. MIMO transmission can be single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) or multiple-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). Depending on the configuration and number of antenna combinations, MIMO transmission can be 2D-MIMO, 3D-MIMO, FD-MIMO, or massive-MIMO, and can also be diversity transmission, precoding transmission, or beamforming transmission, etc.

[0063] The increased complexity of NR systems makes network optimization more challenging, requiring real-time access to various network performance metrics. Current network performance monitoring primarily relies on drive testing tools, base station-side performance counters, and maintenance tools. Drive testing tools, installed on the test UE (User Equipment) in the field, provide relatively accurate and detailed feedback on the actual mobile network signal quality in a given location. Base station-side measurement tools acquire statistical data reported by the code embedded in the base band unit (BBU), precisely monitoring the base station's operational status, service quality, and the network status of users within the station.

[0064] Existing mobile network performance measurement tools can only measure network performance on the UE side or gNB side. Drive test tools require on-site deployment and testing of UEs. Moreover, the granularity of most measurement tools is limited to the UE level and cannot specifically present statistical data of various bearer levels under the UE. The generated log files need to be parsed using compatible software, making monitoring neither comprehensive nor convenient.

[0065] Therefore, this application proposes a solution to the above problems, which enables comprehensive and convenient network performance monitoring through joint measurement by gNB and UE. Base station maintenance personnel can customize statistical strategies according to actual needs, including optional statistical content (hereinafter also described as statistical items), configurable statistical periods, and statistical cells. The statistical content may include at least one item as shown in Table 1 below.

[0066]

[0067]

[0068] Table 1

[0069] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the specific implementation process of a network performance monitoring scheme provided in this application. Figure 1As shown, the Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC) can, according to the statistical strategy defined by the testers, send configuration messages for statistical tasks targeting the target cell to each sub-module of the Layer 2 (L2) module and the High-Layer (HL) module. Then, when a UE accesses the target cell, if the UE supports this statistical function, the HL sends notification messages to each sub-module of L2 to include this UE in the UE list for the statistical task. Next, after each L2 sub-module completes its base station-side statistical task for a statistical cycle, it reports the obtained information to the HL. The HL then summarizes the statistical information reported by the UE and the base station and reports it to the OMC. Finally, the OMC parses and summarizes all the statistical information received within the reporting cycle and presents it in the form of an Excel spreadsheet.

[0070] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] This application provides a network performance monitoring method, which can be applied to a base station, the base station including a Layer 2 protocol L2 module and a higher-layer protocol HL module. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0072] S101. Receive a configuration message through the L2 module and the HL module. The configuration message is related to a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0073] S102. The L2 module executes or stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and the identified UEs that need to report statistics.

[0074] S103. The HL module summarizes and reports the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module according to the configuration message.

[0075] Specifically, in this embodiment, the OMC can send configuration messages for statistical tasks targeting the target cell to the L2 module and HL module of the base station, respectively, according to the statistical strategy formulated by the testers. The target cell is the active cell configured with the statistical task. The L2 module executes or stops the statistical task based on the received configuration message and the identified UEs that need to report statistics. The HL module, based on the received configuration message, summarizes the first statistical information reported by all UEs requiring statistical reporting and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module, and then reports it to the OMC. The OMC can then parse and summarize all statistical information received within the reporting period and present it in an Excel spreadsheet for easy viewing by the user.

[0076] In the above embodiments of this application, network performance monitoring can be achieved comprehensively and conveniently through joint measurement by the base station and the UE.

[0077] It should be noted that in this embodiment, testers can configure measurement policies for cells that have not yet been activated. When the cell is activated, the OMC can send a statistical task configuration message for the cell to the L2 module and the HL module.

[0078] In one possible implementation, prior to S102, the above method may further include:

[0079] S100 (not shown in the figure): If the HL module determines that the first UE accessing the first cell has the ability to support statistics, a notification message is sent to the L2 module, wherein the first cell is any active cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0080] S104 (not shown in the figure): The L2 module determines the first UE as the UE that needs to be statistically reported based on the notification message.

[0081] Specifically, in this embodiment, the HL module can determine whether any UE in an active cell that is accessing the configuration statistics task has the capability to perform statistics. If so, it sends a UE notification message to the L2 module to notify the L2 module to add the UE to the list of UEs that need to be reported for statistics, so that the statistics task can be performed and the corresponding statistical information can be reported. If not, no UE notification message is sent.

[0082] In the above embodiments, the L2 module includes multiple sub-modules, which may include: a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sub-module, a Radio Link Control (RLC) sub-module, and a Medium Access Control (MAC) sub-module. The configuration message includes at least the following information: the on / off state of the statistical task, the cell where the statistical task is enabled, the statistical items for each cell, and the statistical period corresponding to each statistical item.

[0083] In another possible implementation, the process of performing the statistical task in S102 may specifically include:

[0084] If the statistics task switch in the configuration message is turned on, and the first or second condition is met, the following operations are performed through each submodule:

[0085] Based on the configuration message, determine the statistical items executed by each submodule;

[0086] Start the timer corresponding to the statistical item based on the statistical period corresponding to the statistical item;

[0087] Within the statistical period corresponding to the relevant statistical item, statistical tasks are performed for each cell based on all UEs that need to report statistics for that cell.

[0088] The first condition is that the statistics task was not started before the configuration message was received;

[0089] The second condition is that the statistical task has been started before the configuration message is received, and the configuration message only contains statistical task-related information configured for cells for which a statistical task has not yet been established.

[0090] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the purpose of designing the second condition is to ensure the accuracy of statistical data and does not support dynamic modification of the established measurement strategy of the statistical task during the execution of the statistical task.

[0091] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the process of performing the statistical task may further include: maintaining a statistical strategy table, a statistical UE list, and a statistical data register table.

[0092] The statistical strategy table is used to store information related to statistical tasks configured for the second cell, which is any cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0093] The statistical UE list is used to store the UEs that need to be statistically reported, and the statistical data register is used to store the statistical data during the execution of the statistical task.

[0094] It should be noted that in this embodiment, a statistical policy table is configured for each cell that needs to be monitored by the network. This cell can be an inactive cell or an activated cell.

[0095] In another possible implementation, the method may also include:

[0096] S105 (not shown in the figure): If the timer corresponding to the statistical period of any statistical item times out, the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE that needs to be statistically reported within that statistical period is encapsulated into a statistical message and reported to the HL module. After reporting, the statistical data in the statistical data register table is cleared. The statistical message carries second statistical information.

[0097] In other words, in this embodiment, when the statistical period timer corresponding to a certain statistical item times out, that is, when the statistical period ends, the statistical data in the storage and statistical data register table corresponding to each UE that needs to be statistically reported within the statistical period can be processed and encapsulated into a statistical message and reported to the HL module. After the statistical message is reported, the statistical data in the statistical data register table can be cleared.

[0098] The statistical data processing involves calculating the actual data required for each statistical item based on the data recorded in the statistical data storage table. Examples include: the average latency for transmitting a data packet and the packet loss rate. Specifically, the average latency for transmitting a data packet is obtained by dividing the total latency of all data packets transmitted within the statistical period by the number of packets; the packet loss rate is obtained by dividing the total number of successfully transmitted packets by the total number of received packets within the statistical period.

[0099] The following section uses the PDCP submodule as an example to explain in detail the execution process of the statistical task.

[0100] 1. The PDCP_Cell process receives the statistics task configuration message (the configuration message mentioned above) sent by the OMC;

[0101] 2. If the statistical task configuration message indicates that the statistical task is started and the statistical task has not been started before, or if the statistical task configuration message indicates that the statistical task is started and a statistical task has been started before, and if the statistical task configuration message only contains the statistical task configuration message of cells that have not yet established statistical tasks, then: in the PDCP_Cell process, a timer is started according to the statistical period of each statistical item configured for each cell, and the statistical task configuration message is forwarded to the PDCP_Main process to maintain the local statistical policy table.

[0102] 3. The PDCP_Cell process receives the UE notification message sent by the HL module and forwards the UE notification message to the PDCP_Main process where the UE entity is located. The PDCP_Main process maintains the list of statistical UEs that need to be reported.

[0103] 4. After the statistical period timer of a certain statistical item established by the PDCP_Cell process expires, the first message of the statistical period timer expiration for that statistical item will be sent to each PDCP_Main process.

[0104] 5. After receiving the first message, PDCP_Main processes and encapsulates the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE in the UE list that needs to be reported within the statistical period into a statistical message and reports it to the upper layer RLC_Main or HL_MSH. After reporting, the data in the statistical data register table is cleared.

[0105] In another possible implementation, the process of stopping the statistics task in S102 may specifically include:

[0106] If the switch for the statistics task in the configuration message is turned off, the following operations are performed through the respective sub-modules:

[0107] Stop the timers corresponding to the statistical periods of the statistical items in each community where statistical tasks have been started;

[0108] Stop all processes related to the statistical tasks of each cell that have started the statistical task;

[0109] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with each cell that has started statistical tasks.

[0110] In other words, in this embodiment, if the L2 module receives a statistical task configuration message indicating that the statistical switch is turned off, each module of the L2 stops the relevant periodic timers of each cell that has started the statistical task, stops executing all related statistical processes, and initializes the associated statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table, for example, setting the statistical data in these tables to invalid or null values.

[0111] In another possible implementation, the process of stopping the statistics task in S102 may specifically include:

[0112] If the first cell is deactivated, the following operations are performed through the various sub-modules:

[0113] Stop the timer corresponding to the statistical period of the statistical items in the first cell;

[0114] Stop all processes related to the statistical task of the first cell;

[0115] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with the first cell.

[0116] In other words, in this embodiment, when a cell that has started a statistical task is deactivated, each module of L2 stops the relevant periodic timer of the cell and stops executing all related statistical processes. At the same time, it initializes the associated statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table, for example, by setting the statistical data in these tables to invalid or null values, so as to release all statistical task-related resources under the cell.

[0117] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 3 The technical solution of a network performance monitoring method provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail. For example... Figure 3 As shown, this method can be executed by the base station, specifically by various sub-modules of the L2 module in the base station's BBU protocol stack, including: the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sub-module, the Radio Link Control (RLC) sub-module, and the Medium Access Control (MAC) sub-module. The method includes:

[0118] a) OMC sends statistical task configuration messages (O_OMRLC_NR_MDT_TASK_CFG) to each submodule (PDCP, RLC, MAC) of L2 according to the measurement strategy configured by the testers.

[0119] The statistical task configuration message includes information such as the on / off switch for the statistical task, the cells where the statistical task is enabled, the statistical items, and the corresponding statistical period. Testers can flexibly configure measurement strategies according to their needs. Each cell can be configured with different statistical item groups, and each statistical item can be configured with different statistical periods. Different cells can be configured with the same statistical items or different statistical items. Different cells with the same statistical items can be configured with the same statistical period or different statistical periods.

[0120] Testers can configure measurement policies for cells that have not yet been activated. When the cell is activated, the OMC will send a statistical task configuration message for that cell to L2.

[0121] b) After the statistical task is started in the cell, when the UE successfully accesses the cell, HL will determine whether to send a message based on the UE's capabilities to notify L2 to add the UE to the list of UEs that need to be statistically reported.

[0122] Specifically, if the UE supports this statistical function, the HL sends a UE notification message (O_RRCRLC_NR_MDT_UE_NOTIFY) to each submodule (PDCP, RLC, MAC) of L2; if it does not support it, the HL does not send a UE notification message.

[0123] c) After receiving the statistics task configuration message, each L2 submodule executes or stops the statistics task within the relevant process according to the instructions in the message. After receiving the UE notification message from HL, each L2 submodule adds the UE to the list of UEs that need to be statistically reported.

[0124] In this embodiment, if the statistical items include M1, M2 and M4, then each submodule in L2 can know its corresponding statistical items after receiving the statistical task configuration message. For example, the PDCP submodule counts M4 and the MAC submodule counts M2.

[0125] d) After the PDCP_Cell process receives the statistics task configuration message from the OMC, if this message indicates that the statistics task has started and the statistics task has not been started previously, the PDCP_Cell process starts a timer according to the statistics period of each statistics item configured for each cell, and forwards the statistics task configuration message to the PDCP_Main process to maintain the local statistics policy table. The content of the statistics policy table for any cell can be as follows: Figure 4 As shown.

[0126] e) If the L2 local statistics task is in the enabled state (i.e., a statistics task has been started in L2 before) and receives a statistics task configuration message from the OMC indicating that it is still enabled, then determine whether this message only contains statistics task configuration messages for cells that have not yet established statistics tasks. If so, then establish the statistics task for that cell in the manner described in d) above. If not, then this message is considered an invalid message.

[0127] Since modifying the statistical strategy during the execution of a statistical task may lead to changes in the statistical period, resulting in the inability to guarantee the accuracy of the statistical data at the time of strategy modification, and generally there are no test scenarios for modifying the statistical strategy during the execution of a statistical task, the solution in this application embodiment does not support dynamically modifying the measurement strategy of an established statistical task during the execution of a statistical task. If modification is required, the statistical task needs to be closed, reconfigured, and re-established.

[0128] It's important to note that this is done to limit dynamic modifications to the statistical strategy. Any modifications require the statistical task to be re-established. This restriction stems from the absence of a scenario where the statistical strategy can be easily modified mid-process. If necessary, it should be deleted and reconfigured. In actual configuration, if modifications are made, a notification message can be sent, such as "Statistical task has been established; please delete the task and reconfigure if modifications are required," thus preventing accidental operations. Therefore, theoretically, you will not receive statistical task configuration messages from cells that have already established statistical tasks; if such messages are received, they will be considered invalid.

[0129] f) After receiving the UE notification message from HL, the PDCP_Cell process directly forwards it to the PDCP_Main process where the UE entity is located, and maintains the list of statistical UEs that need to be reported in the PDCP_Main process.

[0130] The maintenance process for the UE statistics list may specifically include: if the UE entity exists in the PDCP_Main process and the UE does not exist in the UE statistics list, then the UE is added to the UE list that needs to be reported; otherwise, the UE notification message is invalid. If a UE entity is deleted, it is necessary to determine whether the UE exists in the UE list that needs to be reported; if it does, then it is removed from the list.

[0131] It should be noted that after a UE successfully accesses the gNB, the UE entity is established in the service processes of each sub-module of each L2. If the UE entity does not exist in the service processes of each sub-module of L2, it means that the UE has been deleted and therefore cannot be included in the statistics list.

[0132] When a UE loses its connection with the gNB due to various reasons (such as leaving the gNB signal range or activating airplane mode), the gNB will release all resources occupied by the UE and delete the UE. HL will then send a message to L2 to delete the entities established by the UE in each L2 submodule.

[0133] g) After the statistical task is configured and started in L2, for UEs in the statistical UE list that need to report statistics, during the service processing of these UEs, it is necessary to count the statistical items configured in each statistical policy table and accumulate the data in a file such as... Figure 5 The statistical data shown is stored in the table.

[0134] h) In step (d), after the statistical period timer of a certain statistical item established by the PDCP_Cell process expires, the first message of the statistical period timer expiration for that statistical item will be sent to each PDCP_Main process. After receiving the first message, PDCP_Main will process and encapsulate the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE in the UE list that needs to be statistically reported within the statistical period into a statistical message and report it to the upper layer (report to RLC_Main or HL_MSH (Measurement and Statistics Handler) according to the needs of different statistical items). After reporting, the data in the statistical data register table will be cleared.

[0135] In this embodiment, if there are multiple cells, the statistical data of each cell is encapsulated into a message, and the statistical report is reported in multiple messages. Considering the limitations of inter-process communication on the size of sent and received messages, each message can contain statistical content for a maximum of 100 UEs. When the number of UEs that need to be statistically reported in a cell exceeds 100, it is further divided into multiple messages for reporting.

[0136] It should be noted that since the statistical process involves multiple sub-modules, and each sub-module performs its services on a per-cell basis, with each cell having its own independent service process at the MAC level, the UE information for each cell needs to be encapsulated together for reporting. Because inter-process communication is based on message queues, there are limitations on the size of sent and received messages. For example, Linux defaults to a maximum of 2^16 bits (this may be increased in actual systems). Therefore, based on this, it can be estimated that each message can contain statistical information for a maximum of 100 UEs.

[0137] It should also be noted that, in this embodiment, the process of processing statistical data may include: calculating the actual data required for the statistical item based on the data of the statistical item recorded in the statistical data storage table, such as calculating the average transmission delay of a data packet, which is determined by the ratio of the total delay of all data packets transmitted within the statistical period to the number of packets, or calculating the packet loss rate, which is determined by the ratio of the total number of successfully sent packets to the number of received packets within the statistical period.

[0138] i) For RLC, since RLC and PDCP have the same architecture, the process of establishing and executing statistical tasks on the RLC side is basically the same as that on the PDCP side. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, it will not be explained again.

[0139] The difference from the PDCP side is that some statistical items (e.g., M6 and M7_DL) start timers on the PDCP side and report to the corresponding RLC_Main process to continue filling in statistical content and reporting to the MAC_CCM (Common Control Management) process. Therefore, it is not necessary to start the periodic timer for these statistical items on the RLC side.

[0140] For example, RLC and MAC only need to fill in the local statistical information and then report it as soon as they receive the M6 ​​statistical message from PDCP, so RLC does not need to start a timer.

[0141] j) For MAC, most statistical items only need to process the statistical messages reported by RLC_Main and fill in the local cumulative statistics. The only exception is item M2, which needs to establish a timer locally according to the statistical task configuration message issued by OMC, and report the terminal power transmit margin obtained from PL (Physical Layer) to HL after the timer expires.

[0142] In this embodiment of the application, the statistical reporting path for each statistical item with gNB as the statistical source can be shown in Table 2 below.

[0143]

[0144] Table 2

[0145] k) If a statistical task configuration message indicating that the statistical switch is turned off is received, each module of L2 stops the relevant periodic timers of each cell that has started the statistical task, stops executing all related statistical processes, and initializes the associated statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and statistical data in the relevant statistical data register table to invalid or empty values.

[0146] l) When a cell that has started a statistical task is deactivated, each module of L2 stops the relevant periodic timer of the cell and stops executing all related statistical processes. At the same time, it initializes the associated statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and statistical data in the relevant statistical data register table to invalid or null values ​​in order to release all statistical task-related resources under the cell.

[0147] Compared to existing solutions that monitor network performance using drive testing tools and gNB-side maintenance tools, the network performance monitoring method provided in this application does not require on-site deployment and testing of UEs. The gNB's TCE side automatically reports measurement reports to the designated path according to the set measurement strategy. The measurement reports include statistical data from both the UE side and the gNB side, supporting statistics down to the bearer level, thus improving flexibility, convenience, and comprehensiveness.

[0148] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a network performance monitoring device applied to a base station, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the device 30 includes: a Layer 2 protocol L2 module 301 and a higher layer protocol HL module 302. Among them,

[0149] The L2 module 301 is used to receive configuration messages, execute or stop the statistical task according to the configuration messages and the determined UEs that need to be statistically reported, and report the second statistical information to the HL module 302.

[0150] The HL module 302 is used to summarize and report the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module 301 according to the received configuration message.

[0151] The configuration message is related to statistical tasks used to monitor network performance.

[0152] The network performance monitoring device provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 1 to 3 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments are not described in detail here to avoid repetition.

[0153] The network performance monitoring device provided in this application can comprehensively and conveniently monitor network performance through joint measurement by the base station and the UE.

[0154] Optionally, the HL module 302 is further configured to: send a notification message to the L2 module 301 when it is determined that the first UE accessing the first cell has the ability to support statistics, wherein the first cell is any active cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance;

[0155] The L2 module 301 is further configured to: determine the first UE as a UE that needs to be statistically reported based on the notification message.

[0156] In the above embodiments, the L2 module includes multiple sub-modules, and the configuration message includes at least the following information: the on / off switch of the statistical task, the cell where the statistical task is enabled, the statistical items of each cell, and the statistical period corresponding to the statistical items.

[0157] Optionally, when the L2 module 301 performs the statistical task based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics, it is specifically used for:

[0158] If the statistics task switch in the configuration message is turned on, and the first or second condition is met, the following operations are performed through each submodule:

[0159] Based on the configuration message, determine the statistical items executed by each submodule;

[0160] Start the timer corresponding to the statistical item based on the statistical period corresponding to the statistical item;

[0161] Within the statistical period corresponding to the relevant statistical items, statistical tasks are performed for each cell based on all UEs that need to report statistics in that cell.

[0162] The first condition is that the statistics task was not started before the configuration message was received;

[0163] The second condition is that the statistical task has been started before the configuration message is received, and the configuration message only contains statistical task-related information configured for cells for which a statistical task has not yet been established.

[0164] Optionally, the L2 module 301 is further configured to:

[0165] Maintain the statistics policy table, the statistics UE list, and the statistics data register table;

[0166] The statistical strategy table is used to store information related to statistical tasks configured for the second cell, which is any cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0167] The statistical UE list is used to store the UEs that need to be statistically reported, and the statistical data register is used to store the statistical data during the execution of the statistical task.

[0168] Optionally, the L2 module 301 is further configured to:

[0169] If the timer corresponding to the statistical period of any statistical item times out, the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE that needs to be statistically reported within that statistical period is encapsulated into a statistical message and reported to the HL module. After reporting, the statistical data in the statistical data register table is cleared. The statistical message includes second statistical information.

[0170] Optionally, when the L2 module 301 stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics, it is specifically used to:

[0171] If the switch for the statistics task in the configuration message is turned off, the following operations are performed through the respective sub-modules:

[0172] Stop the timers corresponding to the statistical periods of the statistical items in each community where statistical tasks have been started;

[0173] Stop all processes related to the statistical tasks of each cell that have started the statistical task;

[0174] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with each cell that has started statistical tasks.

[0175] Optionally, when the L2 module 301 stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics, it is specifically used to:

[0176] If the first cell is deactivated, the following operations are performed through the various sub-modules:

[0177] Stop the timer corresponding to the statistical period of the statistical items in the first cell;

[0178] Stop all processes related to the statistical task of the first cell;

[0179] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with the first cell.

[0180] The network performance monitoring device of this application embodiment can execute the network performance monitoring method provided in this application embodiment. The implementation principle is similar. The actions performed by each module and unit in the network performance monitoring device in each embodiment of this application are corresponding to the steps in the network performance monitoring method in each embodiment of this application. For detailed functional descriptions of each module of the network performance monitoring device, please refer to the descriptions in the corresponding network performance monitoring methods shown above. They will not be repeated here.

[0181] It should be noted that the module (unit) division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0182] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a processor-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0183] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts that are the same as those in the method embodiment and the beneficial effects will not be described in detail.

[0184] Based on the same principle as the method provided in the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application provide a base station, which includes: a memory and a processor; at least one program, stored in the memory, for execution by the processor, which, compared with the prior art, enables comprehensive and convenient network performance monitoring through joint measurement by the base station and the UE.

[0185] One type of base station provided in the embodiments of this application is, such as Figure 7 The base station device 40 shown includes: a memory 401, a transceiver 402, and a processor 403, wherein,

[0186] Memory 401 is used to store computer programs;

[0187] Transceiver 402 is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor;

[0188] Processor 403 is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0189] Receive a configuration message, which is related to a statistical task used to monitor network performance;

[0190] Based on the configuration message and the identified UEs that need to report statistics, execute or stop the statistical task;

[0191] The first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information obtained from the base station are summarized and then reported.

[0192] Optionally, the processor 403 is further configured to: when it is determined that the first UE accessing the first cell has the ability to support statistics, determine the first UE as a UE that needs to report statistics, wherein the first cell is any active cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0193] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the configuration message includes at least the following information: the switch for the statistical task, the cell where the statistical task is enabled, the statistical items for each cell, and the statistical period corresponding to the statistical items.

[0194] Optionally, when the processor 403 executes the statistical task based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics, it specifically performs the following operations: if the switch for the statistical task in the configuration message is enabled, and the first condition or the second condition is met:

[0195] Based on the configuration message, determine the statistical items executed by each submodule;

[0196] Start the timer corresponding to the statistical item based on the statistical period corresponding to the statistical item;

[0197] Within the statistical period corresponding to the relevant statistical items, statistical tasks are performed for each cell based on all UEs that need to report statistics in that cell.

[0198] The first condition is that the statistics task was not started before the configuration message was received;

[0199] The second condition is that the statistical task has been started before the configuration message is received, and the configuration message only contains statistical task-related information configured for cells for which a statistical task has not yet been established.

[0200] Optionally, the processor 403, during the execution of the statistical task, is further configured to:

[0201] Maintain the statistics policy table, the statistics UE list, and the statistics data register table;

[0202] The statistical strategy table is used to store information related to statistical tasks configured for the second cell, which is any cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance.

[0203] The statistical UE list is used to store the UEs that need to be statistically reported, and the statistical data register is used to store the statistical data during the execution of the statistical task.

[0204] Optionally, the processor 403 is further configured to:

[0205] If the timer corresponding to the statistical period of any statistical item times out, the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE that needs to be reported within the statistical period will be encapsulated into a statistical message and reported. After the report is made, the statistical data in the statistical data register table will be cleared.

[0206] Optionally, when the processor 403 stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics, it specifically performs the following:

[0207] If the switch for the statistics task in the configuration message is turned off, perform the following operations:

[0208] Stop the timers corresponding to the statistical periods of the statistical items in each community where statistical tasks have been started;

[0209] Stop all processes related to the statistical tasks of each cell that have started the statistical task;

[0210] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with each cell that has started statistical tasks.

[0211] Optionally, when the processor 403 stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics, it specifically performs the following:

[0212] If the first cell is deactivated, perform the following operations:

[0213] Stop the timer corresponding to the statistical period of the statistical items in the first cell;

[0214] Stop all processes related to the statistical task of the first cell;

[0215] Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with the first cell.

[0216] Among them, Figure 7In this context, the bus architecture can include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits together, represented by one or more processors (processor 403) and memory (memory 401). The bus architecture can also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 402 can be multiple elements, including transmitters and receivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over transmission media, including wireless channels, wired channels, optical fibers, etc. The processor 403 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 401 can store data used by the processor 403 during operation.

[0217] The processor 403 can be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The processor 403 can also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0218] The processor 403 executes any of the methods described in the embodiments of this application by calling a computer program stored in the memory 401, according to the obtained executable instructions. The processor 403 and the memory 401 may also be physically separated.

[0219] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts that are the same as those in the method embodiment and the beneficial effects will not be described in detail.

[0220] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the corresponding content described in the aforementioned method embodiments. Compared with existing technologies, joint measurement by the base station and the UE enables comprehensive and convenient network performance monitoring.

[0221] The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that the processor can access, including but not limited to magnetic storage (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optical disk (MO)), optical storage (e.g., CD, DVD, BD, HVD), and semiconductor storage (e.g., ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile memory (NAND FLASH), solid-state drive (SSD)).

[0222] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement the steps and corresponding content of the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0223] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage and optical storage) containing computer-usable program code.

[0224] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0225] These processor-executable instructions may also be stored in a processor-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the processor-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0226] These processors can execute instructions that can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable device for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0227] The above description is only a partial embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A network performance monitoring method, characterized in that, Applied to a base station, the base station including a Layer 2 protocol L2 module and a Layer 1 High-Level protocol HL module, the method includes: Configuration messages are received through the L2 module and the HL module, and these configuration messages are related to statistical tasks used for monitoring network performance. The L2 module executes or stops the statistical task based on the configuration message and the identified UEs that need to report statistics. The HL module, based on the configuration message, summarizes and reports the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the HL module determines that the first UE accessing the first cell has the ability to support statistics, a notification message is sent to the L2 module, wherein the first cell is any active cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance; The L2 module determines the first UE as the UE that needs to be statistically reported based on the notification message.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The L2 module includes multiple sub-modules, and the configuration message includes at least the following information: the switch for the statistical task, the cell where the statistical task is enabled, the statistical items for each cell, and the statistical period corresponding to the statistical items; The step of executing the statistical task through the L2 module based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics includes: If the statistics task switch in the configuration message is turned on, and the first or second condition is met, the following operations are performed through each submodule: Based on the configuration message, determine the statistical items executed by each submodule; Start the timer corresponding to the statistical item based on the statistical period corresponding to the statistical item; Within the statistical period corresponding to the relevant statistical items, statistical tasks are performed for each cell based on all UEs that need to report statistics in that cell. The first condition is that the statistics task was not started before the configuration message was received; The second condition is that the statistical task has been started before the configuration message is received, and the configuration message only contains statistical task-related information configured for cells for which a statistical task has not yet been established.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process of performing the statistical task also includes: Maintain the statistics policy table, the statistics UE list, and the statistics data register table; The statistical strategy table is used to store information related to statistical tasks configured for the second cell, which is any cell configured with a statistical task for monitoring network performance. The statistical UE list is used to store the UEs that need to be statistically reported, and the statistical data register is used to store the statistical data during the execution of the statistical task.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the timer corresponding to the statistical period of any statistical item times out, the statistical data in the statistical data register table corresponding to each UE that needs to be reported within the statistical period is encapsulated into a statistical message and reported to the HL module, and the statistical data in the statistical data register table is cleared after the report is made.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The step of stopping the statistical task through the L2 module based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics includes: If the switch for the statistics task in the configuration message is turned off, the following operations are performed through the respective sub-modules: Stop the timers corresponding to the statistical periods of the statistical items in each community where statistical tasks have been started; Stop all processes related to the statistical tasks of each cell that have started the statistical task; Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with each cell that has started statistical tasks.

7. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The step of stopping the statistical task through the L2 module based on the configuration message and all UEs that need to report statistics includes: If the first cell is deactivated, the following operations are performed through the various sub-modules: Stop the timer corresponding to the statistical period of the statistical items in the first cell; Stop all processes related to the statistical task of the first cell; Initialize the statistical policy table, statistical UE list, and related statistical data register table associated with the first cell.

8. A network performance monitoring device, characterized in that, Applied to base stations, the device includes: a Layer 2 protocol L2 module and a Layer 1 protocol HL module, wherein, The L2 module is used to receive configuration messages, execute or stop statistical tasks according to the configuration messages and the identified UEs that need to report statistics, and report the second statistical information to the HL module. The HL module is used to summarize and report the first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information reported by the L2 module according to the received configuration message. The configuration message is related to statistical tasks used to monitor network performance.

9. A base station, characterized in that, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor. The processor is configured to read the computer program from the memory and perform the following operations: Receive a configuration message, which is related to a statistical task used to monitor network performance; Based on the configuration message and the identified UEs that need to report statistics, execute or stop the statistical task; The first statistical information reported by all UEs that need to be statistically reported and the second statistical information obtained from the base station are summarized and then reported.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that causes a processor to execute the network performance monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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