A network management method, device, apparatus and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a network management method and device, equipment and storage medium, relates to the Internet of Vehicles technical field, and the method can guarantee service continuity in the UE moving process. The method comprises the following steps: a first UPF network element receives notification information sent by an SMF network element; wherein the notification information is used for indicating that a second UPF network element for establishing a connection of a target UE is switched to the first UPF network element, and indicating that the first UPF network element and a target remote UPF network element establish a connection; the first UPF network element establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element in response to the notification information, so that the target UE accesses a central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element; wherein the first IP address used by the target UE for accessing the central network is the same as the second IP address. The application can be used in the process of network maintenance, and is used for solving the problem of poor service continuity or interruption in the UE moving process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle networking technology, and in particular to a network management method, apparatus, device and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) network includes user equipment (UE), access network (AN) equipment / radio access network (RAN) equipment, user plane function (UPF) entity, data network (DN), access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, session management function (SMF) entity, etc. Among them, the UPF entity is mainly responsible for routing and forwarding UE data and enforcing policies for packet data.

[0003] The 5G network architecture defines ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) scenarios, primarily encompassing services such as autonomous driving and industrial automation that require low-latency, highly reliable connections. To meet end-to-end latency requirements, servers must be deployed locally. High-speed UE mobility can lead to UPF and server handoffs, resulting in poor service continuity or even interruption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a network management method, apparatus, device and storage medium, which can ensure service continuity during UE mobility.

[0005] In the first aspect, the present application provides a network management method, which includes: a first UPF network element receives notification information sent by an SMF network element; wherein the notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element for establishing a connection with the target UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and to instruct the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; the first UPF network element is adjacent to the second UPF network element; the first UPF network element responds to the notification information and establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element; wherein the first IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element is the same as the second IP address; the first IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the first UPF network element; the second IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the second UPF network element.

[0006] The network management method provided in this application utilizes a first UPF network element to receive notification information sent by an SMF network element, instructing the second UPF network element to which the target UE is connected to switch to the first UPF network element, and instructing the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; further, the first UPF network element establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element in response to the notification information, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element, and the first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same. This method deploys the target remote UPF network element at the location of the central network, and the UE accesses the central network through the target remote UPF network element. The target remote UPF network element allocates an IP address to the UE, ensuring that the IP address remains unchanged when the UE switches the connected UPF network element, thereby solving the problem of poor service continuity or interruption during UE mobility and improving the user's network experience.

[0007] One possible implementation method is that the first UPF network element establishes a connection with the first edge UPF network element; the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first edge UPF network element, so that the first edge UPF network element forwards the uplink data to the first server; the first UPF network element sends the downlink data received from the first edge UPF network element to the target UE; the downlink data is sent by the first server to the first edge UPF network element and by the first edge UPF network element to the first UPF network element.

[0008] Another possible implementation method is that the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server; the first UPF network element sends the downlink data received from the first server to the target UE.

[0009] Another possible implementation method is that before the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server, the method also includes: the first UPF network element obtains the IP address of the source server; the source server is the server accessed by the target UE through the second UPF network element; the first UPF network element sends the IP address of the source server to the first server, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE according to the IP address of the source server.

[0010] Another possible implementation method is that the first UPF network element obtains the IP address of the source server, including: the first UPF network element determines the second UPF network element based on the notification information; the first UPF network element determines the unicast address of the server corresponding to the second UPF network element as the IP address of the source server based on a preset mapping relationship; the preset mapping relationship is used to indicate a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element and the unicast address of the server.

[0011] In another possible implementation, the preset mapping relationship includes a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element adjacent to the first UPF network element and the IP address of the server.

[0012] In another possible implementation, the first UPF network element receives synchronization status information sent by the first server; the synchronization status information is used to indicate whether synchronization of historical data is successful or failed.

[0013] When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that the synchronization of historical data is successful, the first UPF network element sends connection status information to the SMF network element; the connection status information is used to indicate that the first UPF network element is successfully connected to the target UE.

[0014] When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that synchronization of historical data has failed, the first UPF network element sends synchronization instructions to the first server multiple times, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE multiple times in response to the synchronization instructions.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a network management device, which includes: a receiving module and a processing module.

[0016] The receiving module is used for the first UPF network element to receive notification information sent by the SMF network element. The notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element for establishing a connection with the target UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and to instruct the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; the first UPF network element is adjacent to the second UPF network element.

[0017] The processing module is configured to, in response to the notification information, establish a connection between the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element. The first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same; the first IP address is assigned to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the first UPF network element; and the second IP address is assigned to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the second UPF network element.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a sending module. The sending module is configured to enable the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the first edge UPF network element; the first UPF network element to send uplink data received from the target UE to the first edge UPF network element, so that the first edge UPF network element forwards the uplink data to the first server; the first UPF network element to send downlink data received from the first edge UPF network element to the target UE; and the downlink data is sent by the first server to the first edge UPF network element and then by the first edge UPF network element to the first UPF network element.

[0019] In another possible implementation, the sending module is also used for the first UPF network element to send the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server; the first UPF network element to send the downlink data received from the first server to the target UE.

[0020] In another possible implementation, the device further includes an acquisition module. The acquisition module is configured to enable the first UPF network element to acquire an IP address of a source server, where the source server is a server accessed by the target UE through the second UPF network element.

[0021] In another possible implementation, the sending module is further used for the first UPF network element to send the IP address of the source server to the first server, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE according to the IP address of the source server.

[0022] Another possible implementation method is that the first UPF network element obtains the IP address of the source server, including: the first UPF network element determines the second UPF network element based on the notification information; the first UPF network element determines the unicast address of the server corresponding to the second UPF network element as the IP address of the source server based on a preset mapping relationship; the preset mapping relationship is used to indicate a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element and the unicast address of the server.

[0023] In another possible implementation, the preset mapping relationship includes a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element adjacent to the first UPF network element and the IP address of the server.

[0024] In another possible implementation, the receiving module is further used for the first UPF network element to receive synchronization status information sent by the first server; the synchronization status information is used to indicate the success or failure of synchronizing historical data.

[0025] When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that the synchronization of historical data is successful, the first UPF network element sends connection status information to the SMF network element; the connection status information is used to indicate that the first UPF network element is successfully connected to the target UE.

[0026] When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that synchronization of historical data has failed, the first UPF network element sends synchronization instructions to the first server multiple times, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE multiple times in response to the synchronization instructions.

[0027] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory stores instructions executable by the processor; when the processor is configured to execute the instructions, the electronic device implements the method of the first aspect above.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which includes: computer software instructions; when the computer software instructions are executed in an electronic device, the electronic device implements the method of the first aspect above.

[0029] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, it enables the computer to execute the steps of the relevant method described in the first aspect to implement the method of the first aspect.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above refer to the corresponding description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 Another structural diagram of the communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 A flowchart of a network management method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5Another flowchart of the network management method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the historical data synchronization process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 7 A flowchart of another network management method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the composition of a network management device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the composition of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described in the embodiments of this application as "exemplarily" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0042] In order to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order.

[0043] As described in the background technology, if the UE is in a high-speed mobile state, it will cause UPF switching and server switching. UPF is mainly responsible for the routing, forwarding and policy execution of UE data. If the UPF switches, the UE's IP address will change; if the UE's IP address changes, the UE's application session with the server will be disconnected and re-established. If the server switches, the destination server needs to synchronize the data required by the application from the source server. Session and service continuity mode 3 (SSC mode 3) will establish a connection through a new protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor before the connection between the UE and the previous protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor is released, thereby ensuring business continuity. During the switching process, when the UE finds that a new PDU session has been established, the application installed by the UE triggers a DNS query to obtain the destination server address. The UE's application sends the destination server address to the source server, notifying the source server to synchronize status with the destination server. After status synchronization, the UE starts sending requests to the destination server. SSC mode 3 is triggered by the UE to synchronize data with the source and destination servers, and the UE needs to adapt to SSC mode 3. Therefore, when the UE is in a mobile state, service continuity is often poor or interrupted.

[0044] In summary, there is an urgent need for a more intelligent network management method. Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a network management method, which uses a first UPF network element to receive notification information sent by an SMF network element, instructing the second UPF network element to establish a connection with the target UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and instructing the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; further, the first UPF network element responds to the notification information and establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element, and the first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same. This method deploys the target remote UPF network element at the location of the central network, and the UE accesses the central network through the target remote UPF network element. The target remote UPF network element allocates an IP address to the UE, ensuring that the IP address remains unchanged when the UE switches the connected UPF network element, thereby solving the problem of poor service continuity or interruption during UE mobility and improving the user's network experience.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1As shown, the communication system includes an uplink classifier (UL CL) UPF network element 101, a remote UPF network element 102, an edge UPF network element 103, a wireless base station 104, a UE 105, a server 106, a central network 107, an SMF network element 108 and an AMF network element 109.

[0046] UL CL UPF network element 101 is connected to remote UPF network element 102 and edge UPF network element 103. UL CL UPF network element 101 is connected to wireless base station 104. Wireless base station 104 and UE 105 can be connected via a wireless network. The wireless network can be supported by a router, a switch, or other device that facilitates communication between a base station and a terminal, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0047] For the Internet of Vehicles scenario, the services in the Internet of Vehicles scenario may include services of the central network (ie, the central network 107 mentioned above) and services of the local network (including the network of the server 106).

[0048] For the services of the central network, UE 105 may access the central network 107 through the wireless base station 104, the UL CL UPF network element 101, and the remote UPF network element 102 in sequence to carry out the services of the central network.

[0049] For services in the local network, UE 105 may access a server 106 in the local network through the wireless base station 104, the UL CL UPF network element 101, and the edge UPF network element 103 in sequence to carry out services in the local network.

[0050] Among them, UL CL UPF network element 101 can distinguish data accessing the local network from data for other services (such as data accessing the central network) based on user service flow characteristics. Remote UPF network element 102 is used to allocate IP addresses for accessing the central network 107 to all UEs. In other words, no matter which base station the same UE accesses during mobility, the remote UPF network element 102 will ultimately assign an IP address.

[0051] In some possible embodiments, Figure 2 Another structural diagram of the communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned wireless base station 104 may specifically include wireless base station 1041, wireless base station 1042, and wireless base station 1043, the above-mentioned ULCL UPF network element 101 may specifically include UL CL UPF network element 1011 and UL CL UPF network element 1012, the above-mentioned edge UPF network element 103 may specifically include edge UPF network element 1031 and edge UPF network element 1032, and the above-mentioned server 106 may specifically include server 1061 and server 1062.

[0052] Wireless base station 1041 and UL CL UPF network element 1011 can be connected via the N3 interface. Wireless base station 1042 and UL CL UPF network element 1011 can be connected via the N3 interface. UL CL UPF network element 1011 and remote UPF network element 102 can be connected via the N9 interface. UL CL UPF network element 1011 and edge UPF network element 1031 can be connected via the N9 interface. Remote UPF network element 102 can be connected to central network 107 via the N6 interface. Edge UPF network element 1031 can be connected to server 1061 via the N6 interface.

[0053] The wireless base station 1043 and the UL CL UPF network element 1012 can be connected via the N3 interface. The UL CL UPF network element 1012 and the remote UPF network element 102 can be connected via the N9 interface. The UL CL UPF network element 1012 and the edge UPF network element 1032 can be connected via the N9 interface. The edge UPF network element 1032 can be connected to the server 1062 via the N6 interface. Servers 1061 and 1062 can be connected via a wired network or a wireless network.

[0054] During the movement of UE105, the SMF network element 108 can decide to change the UL CL UPF network element 101 that accesses UE105 based on the wireless base station accessed by UE105 (or the location of UE105).

[0055] For example, after UE 105 moves to the coverage area of ​​wireless base station 1042, UE 105 can access wireless base station 1042, and SMF network element 108 can select UL CL UPF network element 1011 for UE 105 to access UE 105. At this time, if UE 105 needs to access the central network 107 of the Internet of Vehicles, the remote UPF network element 102 connected to the UL CL UPF network element 1011 can allocate a first IP address to UE 105, and UE 105 can access the central network 107 through the UL CL UPF network element 1011 and the remote UPF network element 102. At this time, if UE 105 needs to access the local network of the Internet of Vehicles, UE 105 can access the server 1061 in the local network through the UL CL UPF network element 1011 and the edge UPF network element 1031.

[0056] After UE 105 continues to move into the coverage area of ​​wireless base station 1043, the wireless base station accessible to UE 105 may be switched from wireless base station 1042 to wireless base station 1043, and SMF network element 108 may select UL CL UPF network element 1012 for UE 105 to access. At this time, if UE 105 needs to access the central network of the Internet of Vehicles, the remote UPF network element 102 connected to UL CL UPF network element 1012 may assign a second IP address to UE 105. The second IP address is the same as the first IP address. UE 105 can access the central network 107 through UL CL UPF network element 1012 and the remote UPF network element 102. At this time, if UE 105 needs to access the local network of the Internet of Vehicles, UE 105 can access server 1062 in the local network through UL CL UPF network element 1012 and edge UPF network element 1032.

[0057] Optionally, in the actual deployment process, the UL CL UPF network element and the corresponding edge UPF network element can also be integrated into one. In this case, Figure 3 Another structural diagram of the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows Figure 3 As shown, the UL CL UPF network element 1011 and the edge UPF network element 1031 can be combined into an edge UPF network element 301, and the UL CL UPF network element 1012 and the edge UPF network element 1032 can be combined into an edge UPF network element 302. The edge UPF network element 301 can be connected to the remote UPF network element 102. The edge UPF network element 301 can be connected to the server 1061. The edge UPF network element 302 can be connected to the remote UPF network element 102. The edge UPF network element 302 can be connected to the server 1062.

[0058] In some embodiments, wireless base stations 104 are used to provide wireless access services to terminals. Specifically, a base station provides a service coverage area (also known as a cell). Terminals entering this area can communicate with the base station via wireless signals to receive the wireless access services provided by the base station.

[0059] In some embodiments, the wireless base station 104 may be a millimeter wave base station, an evolution node B (eNB), a next generation node B (gNB), a transmission receive point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), or some other access node. Based on the size of the service coverage area provided, base stations can be further categorized as macro base stations for providing macro cells, micro base stations for providing pico cells, and femto base stations for providing femto cells. As wireless communication technology continues to evolve, future base stations may also adopt other names.

[0060] In some embodiments, UE 105 may be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a vehicle, a wearable device, an in-vehicle device, an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, a laptop computer, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the specific type of UE 105.

[0061] In some embodiments, server 106 can be used to store and calculate data. UL CL UPF network element 101 can route the uplink data of the target UE to server 106 and store it in server 106. When UE 105 switches servers, the source server can forward the stored data to the destination server to achieve data synchronization between the source and destination servers.

[0062] Among them, server 106 can be a single server, or it can be a server cluster composed of multiple servers. In some implementations, the server cluster can also be a distributed cluster. Optionally, the server can also be implemented on a cloud platform. For example, the cloud platform can include a private cloud, a public cloud, a hybrid cloud, a community cloud, a distributed cloud, an inter-cloud, and a multi-cloud, etc., or any combination thereof. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0063] In some embodiments, the central network 107 can route data traffic from one server to another to ensure that data can be transmitted quickly and reliably. In addition, the central network can also route data traffic from the server to different devices to ensure that the devices can receive timely updated data.

[0064] In some embodiments, the SMF network element 108 is primarily responsible for session management, including session establishment, modification, and release; allocation and management of UE IP addresses; selection and control of UPFs, and configuration of flow control in UPFs.

[0065] In some embodiments, the AMF network element 109 is responsible for handling the mobility management of the UE and the signaling interaction between the UE and the wireless base station, including establishing connections, switching and other operations, to assist in realizing the function of wireless communication.

[0066] In addition, the AMF network element 109 and the SMF network element 108 can exchange signaling and data, and can implement functions such as mobility management and session management. The AMF network element 109 can be connected to the UE 105 and the wireless base station 104 through a wireless network, the AMF network element 109 and the SMF network element 108 can be connected through a wired or wireless network, and the SMF network element 108 can be connected to the UL CL UPF network element 101, the remote UPF network element 102, and the edge UPF network element 103 through a wired or wireless network.

[0067] It should be understood that Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 is an exemplary structural diagram, Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The communication system shown includes an unlimited number of devices, for example, an unlimited number of wireless base stations 104 and an unlimited number of UEs 105. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 In addition to the equipment shown, Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The communication system shown may also include other devices, which is not limited thereto.

[0068] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the flow of the network management method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0069] S401. The first UPF network element receives notification information sent by the SMF network element.

[0070] The notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element for establishing a connection with the target UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and to instruct the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element.

[0071] It should be understood that the first UPF network element is adjacent to the second UPF network element.

[0072] It should be noted that the first UPF network element and the second UPF network element can be understood as the above Figure 1 or Figure 2 The UL CLUPF network element in Figure 3 The edge UPF network element in the network is connected to the remote UPF and edge UPF through the UL CL UPF network element, and can access the central network or the local network.

[0073] In some embodiments, a group of servers in the local network may be identified by an anycast address, and the address of the target UE requesting the application is the anycast address. The anycast address remains unchanged when the server is switched.

[0074] Anycast technology uses an anycast address to identify a group of servers providing a specific service on an IP network. The gateway then routes the terminal's uplink data packets to the nearest server. When anycast technology is used to implement server switching, the UE is unaware of the server switching.

[0075] It should be understood that since wireless base stations are range-restricted and each base station has limited coverage, when a UE moves out of the coverage area of ​​the current base station, it needs to select a new base station to provide service. During this process, if the original UPF network element cannot provide optimal service or is overloaded, the SMF will select a new UPF network element based on the UE's location to ensure network quality.

[0076] S402. The first UPF network element establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element in response to the notification information, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element.

[0077] Among them, the first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same.

[0078] It should be understood that the first IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after the target remote UPF network element establishes a connection with the first UPF network element; the second IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after the target remote UPF network element establishes a connection with the second UPF network element.

[0079] For example, Figure 2As shown, during the movement of the target UE, the SMF network element decides to change the UL CL UPF network element according to the location of the target UE. After the UL CL UPF network element is changed, the target remote UPF network element still provides the target UE with an anchor point for accessing the central network and allocates an IP address for the target UE. Moreover, the target remote UPF network element has not changed, so the IP address of the target UE remains unchanged.

[0080] The technical solutions provided by the above embodiments bring at least the following beneficial effects. The network management method provided by the present application utilizes the first UPF network element to receive the notification information sent by the SMF network element, instructing the second UPF network element to which the target UE is connected to switch to the first UPF network element, and instructing the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; further, the first UPF network element responds to the notification information and establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element, and the first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same. This method deploys the target remote UPF network element at the location of the central network, and the UE accesses the central network through the target remote UPF network element. The target remote UPF network element allocates an IP address to the UE, thereby ensuring that the IP address remains unchanged when the UE switches the connected UPF network element, thereby solving the problem of poor service continuity or interruption during UE mobility and improving the user's network experience.

[0081] In some embodiments, please refer to the above Figure 1 or Figure 2 , the UL CL UPF network element and the edge UPF network element can be set as independent UPF network elements. In this case, after the above S402, the method may further include: the first UPF network element establishes a connection with the first edge UPF network element; the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first edge UPF network element, so that the first edge UPF network element forwards the uplink data to the first server; the first UPF network element sends the downlink data received from the first edge UPF network element to the target UE; the downlink data is sent by the first server to the first edge UPF network element and by the first edge UPF network element to the first UPF network element.

[0082] In other embodiments, please refer to the above Figure 3 , the UL CL UPF network element and the edge UPF network element can be set together. In this case, after the above S402, the method may further include: the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server; the first UPF network element sends the downlink data received from the first server to the target UE.

[0083] In some possible embodiments, before the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server, the method may further include the following steps:

[0084] Step 1: The first UPF network element obtains the IP address of the source server.

[0085] Among them, the source server is the server accessed by the target UE through the second UPF network element.

[0086] Furthermore, the above step 1 may specifically include the following steps:

[0087] Step 1.1: The first UPF network element determines the second UPF network element based on the notification information.

[0088] Optionally, as described above, the notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element for establishing a connection with the target UE to be switched to the first UPF network element. In this case, the notification information may include an identifier of the second UPF network element, and the first UPF network element may determine the second UPF network element based on the identifier of the second UPF network element in the notification information.

[0089] Step 1.2: The first UPF network element determines the unicast address of the server corresponding to the second UPF network element as the IP address of the source server based on the preset mapping relationship.

[0090] Among them, the preset mapping relationship is used to indicate the one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element and the unicast address of the server.

[0091] Exemplarily, the preset mapping relationship may be as shown in Table 1 below.

[0092] Table 1

[0093] UPF network element Unicast address of the server UPF network element 1 Address 1 UPF network element 2 Address 2 UPF network element 3 Address 3

[0094] As shown in Table 1, the table may include UPF network element items and server unicast address items. The UPF network element items include UPF network element 1, UPF network element 2, and UPF network element 3. The server unicast address items include address 1, address 2, and address 3. There is a correspondence between UPF network element 1 and address 1; between UPF network element 2 and address 2; and between UPF network element 3 and address 3.

[0095] Optionally, the first UPF network element can use the first UPF network element as an index to traverse and search the preset mapping relationship, and use the unicast address of the server corresponding to the first UPF network element in the preset relationship as the IP address of the source server.

[0096] Optionally, the preset mapping relationship may include a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element adjacent to the first UPF network element and the IP address of the server.

[0097] It should be understood that the UPF network element will route the target UE's uplink data to the server. Since the target UE switches between adjacent UPFs when it moves and switches between UPF network elements, storing the mapping relationship between adjacent UPF network elements and the server's unicast address in each UPF network element is more consistent with the actual switching process. This can avoid the UPF network element from storing the mapping relationship between the unicast addresses of all UPF network elements and the server, reducing the amount of data stored in the UPF network element.

[0098] Step 2: The first UPF network element sends the IP address of the source server to the first server, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE according to the IP address of the source server.

[0099] In some embodiments, Figure 5 Another flow chart of the network management method provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the process of synchronizing the historical data of the target UE by the first server may include the following steps:

[0100] Step a: The first server receives a data synchronization notification from the first UPF network element.

[0101] The data synchronization notification may include the IP address of the source server, and the data synchronization notification may be used to instruct the first server to synchronize the historical data of the target UE with the source server.

[0102] Step b: In response to the data synchronization notification, the first server initiates a data synchronization request to the source server.

[0103] Step c: The first server receives historical data of the target UE from the source server.

[0104] Step d: After synchronization is completed, the first server notifies the first UPF that network element data synchronization has been completed.

[0105] The historical data of the target UE includes: location information, service data, network configuration information or other data.

[0106] It should be understood that the historical data can be the historical data of the target UE within a preset duration, or it can be the historical data of all the target UEs. For example, the source server can directly send the historical data of the target UE within a preset duration; or directly send the historical data of all the target UEs; or first send the historical data of the target UE within a preset duration to ensure service continuity, and then send the historical data of all the target UEs to ensure that all the historical data of the target UEs can be queried. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0107] Based on the understanding of the above embodiments, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the historical data synchronization process provided by the embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, after the SMF determines the switching edge UPF, it can notify the destination UPF to establish a connection with the UE. After receiving the notification from the SMF, the destination UPF can start to establish a connection with the UE, and at the same time, query the local table to obtain the address of the source service, notify the destination server, and trigger the destination server to synchronize data from the source server.

[0108] For example, the destination UPF can query the source server unicast address corresponding to the source UPF based on the locally stored mapping table of UPF and server unicast addresses, determine the unicast address of the source server, and send a data synchronization notification to the destination server, which may include the unicast address of the source server.

[0109] The destination UPF successfully establishes a connection with the UE, and the destination server successfully synchronizes data from the source server. The destination UPF can notify the SMF of the result, and then the SMF can notify the source UPF to disconnect from the UE.

[0110] The technical solution provided by the above embodiment brings at least the following beneficial effects: by triggering the source-destination server data synchronization operation at the moment when the first UPF network element establishes a connection with the target UE, the destination server synchronizes data from the source server, without the need for application layer adaptation or prediction of mobile handover time, thus avoiding problems such as handover time being too early, too late, or wrong handover object, and achieving data synchronization at a more precise time point, thereby ensuring business continuity.

[0111] In some possible embodiments, Figure 7 Another flow chart of the network management method provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, after S402, the method further includes the following S701-S702:

[0112] S701. The first UPF network element receives synchronization status information sent by the first server.

[0113] The synchronization status information is used to indicate whether the synchronization of historical data is successful or failed.

[0114] Based on the understanding of steps a to d above, in this application, the first server synchronizing the historical data of the target UE can also be understood as the first server obtaining the historical data of the target UE from the source server, for example, the first server receiving the historical data of the target UE sent by the source server. In this case, successful synchronization of historical data means that the first server receives the historical data of the target UE sent by the source server, and failure to synchronize historical data means that the first server does not receive the historical data of the target UE sent by the source server.

[0115] In some embodiments, the first server receives a data synchronization notification, initiates a data synchronization request to the source server according to the unicast address of the source server, and after the synchronization is completed, the first server notifies the first UPF network data synchronization has been completed.

[0116] S702. When historical data synchronization is successful, the first UPF network element sends connection status information to the SMF network element.

[0117] In some embodiments, when the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that the synchronization of historical data is successful, the first UPF network element sends connection status information to the SMF network element; if the synchronization status information indicates that the synchronization of historical data fails, the first UPF network element sends synchronization instructions to the first server multiple times, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE multiple times in response to the synchronization instructions.

[0118] Among them, the connection status information is used to indicate that the first UPF network element is successfully connected to the target UE.

[0119] After the SMF network element receives the message that the first UPF network element is successfully connected to the target UE, it notifies the second UPF network element to disconnect the connection between the second UPF network element and the target UE. The subsequent requests of the target UE are sent to the first server through the first UPF network element.

[0120] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the method. In order to realize the above functions, it includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be easy to realize that the technical goals in this field are combined with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, and the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technical goals can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0121] In an exemplary embodiment, the present application further provides a network management device, which may include one or more functional modules for implementing the network management method of the above method embodiment.

[0122] For example, Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the network management device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the network management device includes: a receiving module 801, a processing module 802, a sending module 803 and an acquiring module 804.

[0123] The receiving module 801 is configured to enable the first UPF network element to receive notification information sent by the SMF network element. The notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element for establishing a connection with the target UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and to instruct the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; the first UPF network element is adjacent to the second UPF network element.

[0124] Processing module 802 is configured to, in response to the notification information, establish a connection between the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element. The first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same; the first IP address is assigned to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the first UPF network element; and the second IP address is assigned to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the second UPF network element.

[0125] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a sending module 803. The sending module 803 is configured to enable the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the first edge UPF network element; the first UPF network element to send uplink data received from the target UE to the first edge UPF network element, so that the first edge UPF network element forwards the uplink data to the first server; the first UPF network element to send downlink data received from the first edge UPF network element to the target UE; and the downlink data is sent by the first server to the first edge UPF network element and then by the first edge UPF network element to the first UPF network element.

[0126] In other embodiments, the sending module 803 is also used for the first UPF network element to send the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server; the first UPF network element to send the downlink data received from the first server to the target UE.

[0127] In some further embodiments, the apparatus further includes an acquisition module 804. The acquisition module 804 is configured to enable the first UPF network element to acquire an IP address of a source server; the source server is a server accessed by the target UE through the second UPF network element.

[0128] In some further embodiments, the sending module 803 is further used for the first UPF network element to send the IP address of the source server to the first server, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE according to the IP address of the source server.

[0129] In some further embodiments, the first UPF network element obtains the IP address of the source server, including: the first UPF network element determines the second UPF network element based on the notification information; the first UPF network element determines the unicast address of the server corresponding to the second UPF network element as the IP address of the source server based on a preset mapping relationship; the preset mapping relationship is used to indicate a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element and the unicast address of the server.

[0130] In some further embodiments, the preset mapping relationship includes a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network elements adjacent to the first UPF network element and the IP address of the server.

[0131] In some further embodiments, the receiving module 801 is further used for the first UPF network element to receive synchronization status information sent by the first server; the synchronization status information is used to indicate the success or failure of synchronizing historical data.

[0132] When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that the synchronization of historical data is successful, the first UPF network element sends connection status information to the SMF network element; the connection status information is used to indicate that the first UPF network element is successfully connected to the target UE.

[0133] When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that synchronization of historical data has failed, the first UPF network element sends synchronization instructions to the first server multiple times, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE multiple times in response to the synchronization instructions.

[0134] In an exemplary embodiment, the present application also provides an electronic device, which may be the network management device in the above method embodiment. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device may include: a processor 901 and a memory 902; the memory 902 stores instructions executable by the processor 901; when the processor 901 is configured to execute the instructions, the electronic device or network device or manager implements the method described in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0135] In an exemplary embodiment, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon; when the computer program instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements the method described in the aforementioned embodiment. The computer-readable storage medium can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, for example, a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0136] In an exemplary embodiment, the embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the above-mentioned related method steps to implement the network management method in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0137] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A network management method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a first user plane function UPF network element; the method includes: The first UPF network element receives notification information sent by the session management function SMF network element; The notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element to establish a connection with the target user equipment UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and to instruct the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; the first UPF network element is adjacent to the second UPF network element; The first UPF network element establishes a connection with the target remote UPF network element in response to the notification information, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element; Among them, the first Internet Protocol IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element is the same as the second IP address; the first IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the first UPF network element; the second IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the second UPF network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first UPF network element establishes a connection with the first edge UPF network element; The first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first edge UPF network element, so that the first edge UPF network element forwards the uplink data to the first server; The first UPF network element sends the downlink data received from the first edge UPF network element to the target UE; the downlink data is sent by the first server to the first edge UPF network element and then by the first edge UPF network element to the first UPF network element.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server; The first UPF network element sends the downlink data received from the first server to the target UE.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Before the first UPF network element sends the uplink data received from the target UE to the first server, the method further includes: The first UPF network element obtains the IP address of a source server; the source server is a server accessed by the target UE through the second UPF network element; The first UPF network element sends the IP address of the source server to the first server, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE according to the IP address of the source server.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first UPF network element obtains the IP address of the source server, including: The first UPF network element determines the second UPF network element according to the notification information; The first UPF network element determines the unicast address of the server corresponding to the second UPF network element as the IP address of the source server based on a preset mapping relationship; the preset mapping relationship is used to indicate a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element and the unicast address of the server.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The preset mapping relationship includes a one-to-one correspondence between the UPF network element adjacent to the first UPF network element and the IP address of the server.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first UPF network element receives synchronization status information sent by the first server; the synchronization status information is used to indicate whether synchronization of the historical data is successful or failed; In the case where the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that the synchronization of the historical data is successful, the first UPF network element sends connection status information to the SMF network element; the connection status information is used to indicate that the first UPF network element is successfully connected to the target UE; When the first UPF network element successfully establishes a connection with the target UE, if the synchronization status information indicates that synchronization of the historical data has failed, the first UPF network element sends synchronization instructions to the first server multiple times, so that the first server synchronizes the historical data of the target UE multiple times in response to the synchronization instructions.

8. A network management device, characterized in that: The device includes: a receiving module and a processing module; The receiving module is used for the first UPF network element to receive notification information sent by the SMF network element; The notification information is used to instruct the second UPF network element to establish a connection with the target UE to switch to the first UPF network element, and to instruct the first UPF network element to establish a connection with the target remote UPF network element; the first UPF network element is adjacent to the second UPF network element; The processing module is configured to, in response to the notification information, establish a connection between the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element, so that the target UE accesses the central network of the Internet of Vehicles through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element; Among them, the first IP address and the second IP address used by the target UE to access the central network through the first UPF network element and the target remote UPF network element are the same; the first IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the first UPF network element; the second IP address is allocated to the target UE by the target remote UPF network element after establishing a connection with the second UPF network element.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device includes: a processor and a memory; The memory stores instructions executable by the processor; When the processor is configured to execute the instructions, the electronic device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium includes: computer software instructions; When the computer software instructions are executed in an electronic device, the electronic device is enabled to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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