Electronic device and method for network management, computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device, a method and a computer readable storage medium for network management, the electronic device comprising: processing circuitry configured to control operation of a network slice admission control function (NSACF) of a network slice in a mobile network based on a blockchain, wherein the NSACF is provided with a blockchain function.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202210355984.X, filed on April 6, 2022, entitled “Electronic Device and Method for Network Management, Computer-Readable Storage Medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication, specifically to the admission control of network slices in mobile networks, and more specifically, to an electronic device and method for network management, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] In TS 23.501 V17.3.0 Section 5.15.11, the Network Slice Admission Control Function (NSACF) is defined to monitor and control the number of registered users and PDU sessions per slice. The NSACF configures the maximum allowed number of registered users and PDU sessions for each slice requiring admission control (NSAC), as well as indications of available access types (3GPP access, non-3GPP access). The NSACF also provides event-based slice status notifications and reporting to other consumer networks. Current standards configure only one global maximum allowed value for admission control per slice, but a slice can be associated with multiple service areas, each with its own NSACF for admission control. In this scenario, how to coordinate admission control for a slice among multiple NSACFs remains unresolved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A brief overview of this disclosure is given below to provide a basic understanding of certain aspects of it. It should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive summary of this disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or essential parts of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit its scope. Its purpose is merely to present certain concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0005] According to one aspect of this application, an electronic device for network management is provided, comprising: a processing circuit configured to: control the operation of an NSACF (Network Slice Component Function) in a mobile network based on a blockchain, wherein the NSACF has blockchain functionality.

[0006] According to another aspect of this application, a method for network management is provided, comprising: controlling the operation of NSACF (Network Slice Function) in a mobile network based on blockchain, wherein the NSACF has blockchain functionality.

[0007] The electronic devices and methods according to the above aspects of this application utilize blockchain technology to coordinate admission control among different NSACFs of the same network slice and share the admission quota of that network slice.

[0008] According to one aspect of this application, an electronic device for network management is provided, comprising: a processing circuit configured to: acquire spectrum sensing information from a radio access network side; and dynamically update slice admission quotas for each network slice in a mobile network based on the spectrum sensing information.

[0009] According to another aspect of this application, a method for network management is provided, comprising: acquiring spectrum sensing information from a radio access network side; and dynamically updating slice admission quotas for each network slice in a mobile network based on the spectrum sensing information.

[0010] The electronic devices and methods according to the above aspects of this application can effectively optimize the spectrum utilization efficiency of wireless networks by dynamically updating the slice admission quota of each network slice based on spectrum sensing information.

[0011] In accordance with other aspects of this disclosure, computer program code and computer program products for implementing the above-described method for network management, as well as a computer-readable storage medium having the computer program code for implementing the above-described method for network management recorded thereon, are also provided.

[0012] These and other advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of this disclosure, a more detailed description of specific embodiments of this disclosure is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings, together with the following detailed description, are included in and form a part of this specification. Elements having the same function and structure are denoted by the same reference numerals. It should be understood that these drawings only depict typical examples of this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 A functional block diagram of an electronic device for network management according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0015] Figure 2 An example of a system scenario in which the technology of this embodiment is applied is shown;

[0016] Figure 3 An example of the relevant information flow for slice user number admission control is shown;

[0017] Figure 4 An example of the relevant information flow for Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session number admission control is shown;

[0018] Figure 5 A functional block diagram of an electronic device for network management according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0019] Figure 6 An example of the information flow for updating slice acceptance quotas is shown;

[0020] Figure 7 This illustrates another example of the information flow for updating slice acceptance quotas;

[0021] Figure 8 A flowchart of a method for network management according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0022] Figure 9 A flowchart of a method for network management according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0023] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the server; and

[0024] Figure 11 This is a block diagram of an exemplary structure of a general-purpose personal computer in which methods and / or apparatus and / or systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and brevity, not all features of actual implementations are described in the specification. However, it should be understood that many implementation-specific decisions must be made in the development of any such actual embodiment to achieve the developer’s specific goals, such as complying with constraints related to the system and business, and these constraints may vary from implementation to implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that while development work can be very complex and time-consuming, such development work is merely a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from the present disclosure.

[0026] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring this disclosure with unnecessary details, only the equipment structure and / or processing steps closely related to the solution according to this disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details that are not closely related to this disclosure are omitted.

[0027] <First Embodiment>

[0028] Figure 1A functional block diagram of an electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of this application is shown, such as Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 100 includes: a control unit 101 configured to control the operation of NSACFs in a mobile network based on blockchain, wherein the NSACFs have blockchain functionality.

[0029] The control unit 101 can be implemented by one or more processing circuits, such as chips or processors. Furthermore, it should be understood that... Figure 1 The functional units in the electronic devices shown are logical modules divided according to the specific functions they implement, rather than being used to restrict the specific implementation methods.

[0030] Electronic device 100 may be located, for example, on the core network side of the mobile network, specifically on a server on the core network side, or more specifically, as part of NSACF. Examples of mobile networks include, for example, Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs).

[0031] It should also be noted that the electronic device 100 can be implemented at the chip level or at the device level. For example, the electronic device 100 can function as a server itself and may also include external devices such as memory and transceivers (not shown in the figure). The memory can be used to store the programs and related data information that the electronic device needs to execute to perform various functions. The transceiver may include one or more communication interfaces to support communication with different devices (e.g., other servers, base stations, etc.), and there is no specific limitation on the implementation form of the transceiver.

[0032] Figure 2 An example system scenario applying the technology of this embodiment is illustrated. In this example, the mobile network is a PLMN, and a PLMN includes multiple network slices. The 5G core network of a network slice can deploy NSACF according to admission control needs to monitor and control the number of registered users and Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions in the network slice. In the case where a network slice serves multiple service areas, for example... Figure 2 Network slice 1 (indicated by S-NSSAI 1) corresponds to one NSACF per service area, thus one network slice can correspond to multiple NSACFs. In this case, it is expected that multiple NSACFs share the registered user quota and PDU session quota of network slice 1. The quota here can be understood as the maximum allowed or configured number.

[0033] In addition, each network slice can have independent Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), NSACF, and Sensing Plane Function (SPF). Each network slice can have independent Access and Mobility Function (AMF), or multiple network slices can share an AMF.

[0034] To coordinate admission control among multiple NSACFs in a network slice, this embodiment proposes a blockchain-based solution. This allows for real-time recording of information related to slice admission control and resource management for each NSACF using blockchain technology, thereby achieving coordination among multiple NSACFs.

[0035] The NSACFs of various network slices form a blockchain. For example, each NSACF has blockchain functionality, storing a local ledger, and can interact with each other through, for example, a P2P network. An illustrative example is shown below. Figure 2 As shown, this blockchain can record admission control information for each NSACF in each network slice. Examples of two types of admission control will be discussed primarily below: slice user count availability check and update processing, and PDU session count availability check and update processing. However, it should be understood that this is not limiting, and other types of admission control and associated admission control information are also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0036] For example, control unit 101 is configured to perform admission control of the current network slice corresponding to the first NSACF based on the blockchain in response to a predetermined triggering event for the first NSACF. Here, the term "first" is used only for ease of distinction and does not have any meaning such as order.

[0037] For example, electronic device 100 or control unit 101 can be arranged on or as part of NSACF. Figure 2 For example, if NSACF 1 of network slice S-NSSAI 1 receives a predetermined trigger event, then electronic device 100 or control unit 101 on NSACF 1 or NSACF 1 performs admission control of network slice S-NSSAI 1 based on the blockchain. In the following description of the process, electronic device 100 or control unit 101 and NSACF 1 will not be specifically distinguished.

[0038] For example, the control unit 101 can query the admission control information of other NSACFs (e.g., NSACF 2 and NSACF 3) corresponding to the current network slice (e.g., S-NSSAI 1) on the blockchain, and perform admission control of the current network slice based on the admission control information of the first NSACF and the admission control information of the other NSACFs.

[0039] As an example, admission control includes slice user number availability checks and update processing, i.e., slice user number admission control. One objective of this control is, for example, to ensure that the total number of registered users across all NSACFs in a network slice does not exceed its registered user quota. For ease of understanding, Figure 3 This illustrates an example of the information flow related to slice user number admission control. It should be noted that this is illustrative only and not restrictive.

[0040] At S0, the NSACFs of the network slices are assembled into a blockchain, and the admission control information of each NSACF is recorded on the blockchain. Figure 3 The diagram only shows examples of NSACFs. It should be understood that the number of NSACFs is not limited to those shown in the diagram, but can be any natural number.

[0041] At S1, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event causes the AMF to perform a slice user availability check and update process. Predetermined triggering events may include, for example, user registration, user deregistration, or user equipment configuration update. User registration refers to a new user equipment (UE) registering to the current network slice, which may increase the number of users; user deregistration refers to an existing UE deregistering from the current network slice, which may decrease the number of users; user equipment configuration updates may be caused, for example, by changes in Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization (NSSAA) or subscribed slices. The AMF performs slice user availability checks and updates only for network slices that require NSAC, and the AMF can configure which network slices require NSAC.

[0042] Next, at S2, the AMF selects NSACF 1, for example, based on the region where the relevant UE is located, and sends a user count update request message to NSACF 1, such as the Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request message. NSACF 1 responds to this message by performing a slice user count availability check and update processing. This message may include one or more of the following information: User Equipment ID (UE ID), Access Type, Current Network Slice ID (S-NSSAI), Network Function ID (NF ID), and Update Flag. Specifically, the Access Type may indicate whether it is 3GPP access or non-3GPP access; the Current Network Slice ID indicates which network slice is currently being used, and can be the S-NSSAI (Single Network Slice Selection Auxiliary Information) of the network slice, as shown in [reference]. Figure 2 For example, the current network slice number is S-NSSAI 1; the NF ID indicates the network function that initiated the message, which is AMF in this case; the update flag varies depending on the triggering event. For example, when a user registers, the update flag indicates an increase in the number of registered users, and when a user deregisters, the update flag indicates a decrease in the number of registered users. In addition, the update flag can also indicate that the UE's status in the current network slice is not updated.

[0043] Optionally, NSACF 1 may determine whether to perform admission control for the current network slice based on the access type or based on the access type and its own configuration information. If it is determined that admission control for the current network slice should be performed, the admission control information of NSACF 1 and / or other NSACFs shall be updated according to the update flag.

[0044] For example, at S3, NSACF 1 queries the blockchain for the relevant admission control information of the NSACFs (such as NSACF 2 and NSACF 3) corresponding to S-NSSAI 1, and in S4, performs a slice user availability check and update process based on the relevant admission control information of NSACF 1 to NSACF 3. In this example, the relevant admission control information of the NSACF may include one or more of the following: the number of registered users of the NSACF, and the user list of the NSACF.

[0045] The processing in S4 is described in detail below. When the update flag indicates an increase, it means that the user equipment (UE) corresponding to the UE identifier is requesting registration. NSACF 1 checks if the UE identifier is in the user list of NSACF 1 or another NSACF. If the UE identifier is in the user list of NSACF 1 or another NSACF, a new entry is created for the UE's registration, but the number of registered users in the current network slice is not changed; that is, the number of registered users in NSACF 1 is not increased. The new entry may include the network function identifier, so multiple entries for the same UE identifier can be distinguished based on the NFID that initiated the request. On the other hand, if the user equipment identifier is not in the user list of NSACF 1 or another NSACF, NSACF 1 can calculate the total number of registered users recorded by all NSACFs (e.g., NSACF 1 to NSACF 3) in the current network slice. If this total number of users does not reach the registered user quota of the current network slice, NSACF 1 adds the user equipment identifier to its user list, and correspondingly, the registered user count of NSACF 1 increases by 1. If the total number of users has reached the registered user quota of the current network slice, meaning that the current network slice can no longer accept new users, NSACF 1 returns information indicating that the current network slice has reached the registered user quota as a user count update response message. Figure 3 The Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response in S6 is shown.

[0046] When the update flag indicates a reduction, it means that the user equipment ID corresponding to the user equipment ID requests to register. If there is only one entry associated with the user equipment ID in NSACF 1 and other NSACFs, the entry is deleted, and the number of registered users for the corresponding NSACF is reduced; if there are multiple entries associated with the user equipment ID in NSACF 1 and other NSACFs, only the entry associated with the NF ID (i.e., AMF) is deleted, and the user equipment ID is still retained in the user list.

[0047] Next, in S5, NSACF 1 updates the relevant admission control information of NSACF 1 and / or other NSACFs on the blockchain, namely the number of registered users and the user list of the corresponding NSACF. For example, Proof of Stake (PoS) or Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) can be used to achieve consensus among blockchain nodes to improve processing efficiency, but this is not a limitation. By updating the admission control information on the blockchain, all NSACFs can obtain consistent admission control information for the same network slice, thereby achieving coordinated operation and sharing of slice admission quotas for the network slice.

[0048] In S6, NSACF 1 sends a user count update response, such as Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response, to the AMF to indicate whether the registered user quota for the current network slice has been reached.

[0049] As another example, admission control includes PDU session availability checks and update processing. One objective of this control is, for example, to ensure that the total number of PDU sessions for a network slice does not exceed its PDU session quota. For ease of understanding, Figure 4 This illustrates an example of the information flow related to PDU session admission control. It should be noted that this is illustrative only and not restrictive.

[0050] and Figure 3 The S0 in the original text is the same. At S0, the NSACFs of the network slices are assembled into a blockchain, and the admission control information of each NSACF is recorded on the blockchain. It can be understood that this blockchain can be compared with the reference... Figure 3 The blockchains mentioned are the same, jointly recording admission control information for both examples. When in use, NSACF queries the corresponding admission control information as needed.

[0051] At S1, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event causes the SMF to perform a slice PDU session availability check and update process. Predetermined triggering events may include, for example, one of the following: initiation of a new PDU session, completion of PDU session release, failure of PDU session establishment, or inter-access mobility. Specifically, initiation of a new PDU session indicates an increase in the number of PDU sessions in the network slice; completion of PDU session release and failure of PDU session establishment indicate a decrease in the number of PDU sessions in the network slice; and inter-access mobility indicates a change in the access type of an existing PDU session to a new access type.

[0052] Next, at S2, the SMF selects NSACF 1 based on the region where the relevant UE is located, and sends a PDU session count update request message to NSACF 1, such as the Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfPDUsUpdate_Request message. NSACF 1 responds to this message by performing a slice PDU session count availability check and update processing. This message may include one or more of the following information: UE identifier, access type, current network slice number, PDU session identifier, and update flag. Specifically, the access type may indicate whether it is 3GPP access or non-3GPP access; the current network slice number indicates which network slice is being used, and can be the S-NSSAI of the network slice, for example... Figure 2 The S-NSSAI 1 update flag varies depending on the triggering event. For example, when a new PDU session is started, the update flag indicates an increase in the number of PDU sessions. When a PDU session is released or a PDU session fails to be established, the update flag indicates a decrease in the number of PDU sessions. In the case of moving between access types, the update flag indicates a change in the access type of an existing PDU session.

[0053] At S3, NSACF 1 queries the blockchain for the relevant admission control information of the NSACF (such as NSACF 2 and NSACF 3) corresponding to S-NSSAI 1, and in S4, performs PDU session availability checks and updates based on the relevant admission control information of NSACF 1 to NSACF 3. In this example, the relevant admission control information of the NSACF may include one or more of the following: the number of PDU sessions of the NSACF, and a list of PDU session identifiers (IDs) of the NSACF.

[0054] In S4, NSACF 1 can update the admission control information of NSACF 1 and / or other NSACFs based on the update flag. The process in S4 is described in detail below.

[0055] When an update flag indicates an increase, and a predetermined triggering event is the initiation of a new PDU session, NSACF 1 calculates the total number of PDU sessions recorded by all NSACFs (e.g., NSACF1 to NSACF 3) in the current network slice. If this total number of sessions has reached the PDU session quota for the current network slice, NSACF 1 returns information indicating that the current network slice has reached its PDU session quota. If the total number of sessions has not reached the PDU session quota for the current network slice, NSACF 1 increases its PDU session count. Furthermore, if the user equipment identifier already exists in the PDU session ID list of NSACF 1 or another NSACF, NSACF 1 also stores the PDU session identifier and access type; if the user equipment identifier does not exist in the PDU session ID list of NSACF 1 or another NSACF, NSACF 1 creates a new entry to record the user equipment identifier, PDU session identifier, and access type in association.

[0056] When the update flag indicates a reduction, the pre-defined trigger event is either PDU session release completion or PDU session establishment failure. NSACF 1 reduces the number of PDU sessions in NSACF 1 and deletes the PDU session identifier. Furthermore, NSACF 1 checks if any PDU sessions associated with a user equipment identifier exist in other NSACFs. If no PDU session is associated with that user equipment identifier, the entry for that user equipment identifier is deleted.

[0057] When the update flag indicates an update, NSACF 1 updates the access type in the record associated with the PDU session identifier. In this case, the same user equipment identifier may be associated with entries with different access types. NSACF can maintain a record for each access type and return the corresponding indication separately.

[0058] Next, in S5, NSACF 1 updates the relevant admission control information of NSACF 1 and / or other NSACFs on the blockchain, namely the number of PDU sessions and / or the list of PDU session identifiers for the corresponding NSACF. For example, PoS or DPoS can be used to achieve consensus among blockchain nodes to improve processing efficiency, but this is not a limiting factor.

[0059] In S6, NSACF 1 sends a PDU session update response, such as Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfPDUsUpdate_Response, to the SMF to indicate the update result. For example, if a response indicating that the current network slice has reached its PDU session quota is returned, the SMF rejects new PDU session establishment requests.

[0060] Furthermore, even when the SMF agrees to a new PDU session establishment request based on the PDU session count update response, such as Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfPDUsUpdate_Response, there are still cases where PDU session establishment fails. In this case, the SMF will trigger a new slice PDU session count availability check and update process, where the update flag indicates a reduction in the PDU session count, thereby reducing the already increased NSACF PDU session count.

[0061] In summary, the electronic device 100 according to this embodiment can coordinate the admission control between different NSACFs in the same network slice and share the quota of the network slice by forming NSACFs into a blockchain.

[0062] Furthermore, the control circuit 101 can also be configured to dynamically update the slice admission quota of each network slice on the blockchain. In other words, the slice admission quota of each network slice can also be stored on the blockchain and thus dynamically updated.

[0063] For example, slice admission quotas may include registered user quotas and / or PDU session quotas. Control circuitry 101 may be dynamically updated, for example, based on instructions or spectrum-aware information provided by the Radio Access Network (RAN). A detailed description of the latter will be given in the second embodiment.

[0064] The electronic device 100 configured in this way can dynamically update the slice admission quota of each network slice according to the actual situation, thereby effectively optimizing the spectrum utilization efficiency of the wireless network.

[0065] <Second Embodiment>

[0066] Figure 5 A functional block diagram of an electronic device 200 according to another embodiment of this application is shown, such as Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device 200 includes: a communication unit 201 configured to acquire spectrum sensing information from the RAN side; and an update unit 202 configured to dynamically update the slice admission quota of each network slice in the mobile network based on the spectrum sensing information.

[0067] The communication unit 201 and the update unit 202 can be implemented by one or more processing circuits, such as chips or processors. Furthermore, it should be understood that... Figure 5 The functional units in the electronic devices shown are logical modules divided according to the specific functions they implement, rather than being used to restrict the specific implementation methods.

[0068] Electronic device 200 can be located, for example, on the core network side of the mobile network, specifically on a server on the core network side. Examples of mobile networks include, for example, a PLMN.

[0069] It should also be noted that the electronic device 200 can be implemented at the chip level or at the device level. For example, the electronic device 200 can function as a server itself and may also include external devices such as memory and transceivers (not shown in the figure). The memory can be used to store the programs and related data information that the electronic device needs to execute to perform various functions. The transceiver may include one or more communication interfaces to support communication with different devices (e.g., other servers, base stations, etc.), and there is no specific limitation on the implementation form of the transceiver.

[0070] Return to reference Figure 2 This disclosure proposes adding a Sensing Plane Function (SPF) to the core network. The SPF can be used for processing and reporting sensing information, providing sensing capabilities and information to third-party entities (e.g., spectrum management devices), and combining with the Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) for trading sliced ​​spectrum resources and updating slice admission quotas. The electronic device 200 in this embodiment can be implemented on or as part of the SPF. In the following description of the processing procedure, no particular distinction will be made between the electronic device 200 or its functional units and the SPF.

[0071] For ease of understanding, Figure 6 An example of the information flow for updating slice acceptance quotas is shown. It should be noted that this information flow is exemplary and not restrictive.

[0072] First, in S1, the RAN sends spectrum-aware information to the SPF. For example, the RAN can send this information periodically or in response to a specific triggering event. The spectrum-aware information may include one or more of the following: radio measurement information, non-3GPP type information, spectrum transaction information, etc. Radio measurement information includes, for example, the frequency band used, bandwidth, power, channel status, etc. Non-3GPP type information includes, for example, location information.

[0073] In S2, the SPF can send subscription analysis messages (such as the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSuscription_Subscribe message) to the NWDAF. These subscription analysis messages can include analysis identifiers and / or analysis filters. Various analysis functions can be performed in the NWDAF, such as slice load statistics and / or prediction, spectrum trading analysis, spectrum and load level analysis, etc. The analysis identifier indicates which analysis to subscribe to (or which NWDAF analysis function to invoke). Analysis filters are used to determine the objects to which the analysis function should be applied; analysis filters include, for example, one or more of the following: S-NSSAI, Network Slice Instance Identifier (NSI ID), and Region of Interest. Therefore, by sending a subscription analysis message to the NWDAF, the SPF can invoke the corresponding NWDAF analysis function to analyze the desired object data.

[0074] In S3, NWDAF subscribes to the SPF sensing information service, for example, by sending the Nspf_EventExposure_Subscribe message, in order to obtain spectrum sensing information.

[0075] In S4, SPF summarizes the received spectrum sensing information into a predetermined format and packages it according to a predetermined period. For example, SPF can summarize spectrum sensing information into a unified format according to slices, base stations, spectrum, etc.

[0076] In 55, the SPF responds to the subscription-aware information service in S3 by periodically providing packaged spectrum-aware information to the NWDAF, for example via the Nspf_EventExposure_Notify message.

[0077] In S6, NWDAF analyzes the spectrum-aware information, such as performing spectrum and slice load analysis. In S7, NWDAF provides the analysis results to SPF in response to the subscription analysis message in S2, for example via the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSuscription_Notify message. Exemplarily, the analysis results may include one or more of the following: load statistics for each network slice, future load forecasts for each network slice, load statistics for the service area of ​​the network slice, future load forecasts for the service area of ​​the network slice, the number of registered users and / or PDU sessions that each network slice can support. The specific content of the analysis results depends, for example, at least in part, on the subscription analysis message in S2.

[0078] In S8, SPF determines the slice admission quota for each network slice based on the received analysis results. As mentioned earlier, the slice admission quota may include the registered user quota and / or PDU session quota.

[0079] In S9, the SPF sends slice admission quota update instructions (e.g., NSQuota Update messages) to each NSACF. Note that if the slice admission quota of a network slice has not been updated in a certain processing cycle, the SPF may not send slice admission quota update instructions to its NSACF. Figure 6 The diagram only shows examples of NSACFs. It should be understood that the number of NSACFs is not limited to those shown in the diagram, but can be any natural number.

[0080] Figure 7 This shows another example of the information flow for updating slice acceptance quotas. Figure 7 Steps S1-S9 in the middle Figure 6 S1-S9 in the diagram are the same and will not be repeated here. In S10 of the diagram, the slice acceptance quota of each network slice is dynamically updated on the blockchain, where the NSACF of each network slice constitutes the blockchain.

[0081] In summary, the electronic device 200 according to this embodiment can effectively optimize the spectrum utilization efficiency of the wireless network by dynamically updating the slice admission quota of each network slice based on spectrum sensing information.

[0082] <Third Embodiment>

[0083] In the process of describing the electronic device for network management in the above embodiments, some processes or methods have obviously been disclosed. Hereinafter, without repeating some details already discussed above, a summary of these methods is given. However, it should be noted that although these methods are disclosed in the description of the electronic device for network management, they do not necessarily employ or are performed by the components described. For example, the implementation of the electronic device for network management can be implemented partially or entirely using hardware and / or firmware, while the methods for network management discussed below can be implemented entirely by computer-executable programs, although these methods may also employ the hardware and / or firmware of the electronic device for network management.

[0084] Figure 8 A flowchart of a method for network management according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The method includes: controlling the operation of NSACFs (Network Slices Functions Controllers) in a mobile network based on blockchain, wherein the NSACFs have blockchain functionality (S11). This method can be executed, for example, on the core network side.

[0085] For example, a network slice corresponds to one or more NSACFs. The blockchain records the admission control information for each NSACF in each network slice.

[0086] As an example, in step S11, in response to a predetermined triggering event for the first NSACF, admission control of the current network slice corresponding to the first NSACF is performed based on the blockchain.

[0087] For example, the admission control information of other NSACFs corresponding to the current network slice can be queried on the blockchain, and the admission control of the current network slice can be performed based on the admission control information of the first NSACF and the admission control information of other NSACFs.

[0088] Admission control includes, for example, slice user availability checks and update processing. Scheduled trigger events include one of the following: user registration, user deregistration, and user device configuration update. NSACF admission control information may include one or more of the following: the number of registered users of the NSACF, and the user list of the NSACF.

[0089] Step S11 includes: receiving a user count update request message for the first NSACF from the AMF, such as the Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request message, and performing a slice user count availability check and update process in response to the message. The message may include one or more of the following information: user equipment identifier, access type, current network slice number, network function identifier, and update flag.

[0090] Step S11 may further include: determining whether to perform admission control for the current network slice based on the access type, and if it is determined that admission control for the current network slice should be performed, updating the admission control information of the first NSACF and / or other NSACFs according to the update flag.

[0091] For example, when an update flag indicates an increase, if the user equipment (UE) corresponding to the UE identifier requests registration, the system checks whether the UE identifier is in the user list of the first NSACF or another NSACF. If the UE identifier is in the user list of the first NSACF or another NSACF, a new entry is created for the UE's registration, but the number of registered users in the current network slice is not changed. The new entry includes the network function identifier. If the UE identifier is not in the user list of the first NSACF or another NSACF, and the total number of users recorded by the first NSACF and other NSACFs has not reached the registered user quota of the current network slice, the UE identifier is added to the user list of the first NSACF. If the UE identifier is not in the user list of the first NSACF or another NSACF, and the total number of users recorded by the first NSACF and other NSACFs has reached the registered user quota of the current network slice, information indicating that the current network slice has reached the registered user quota is returned.

[0092] When the update flag indicates a reduction, if there is only one entry associated with a user equipment identifier in the first NSACF and other NSACFs, the entry is deleted and the number of registered users in the corresponding NSACF is reduced; and if there are multiple entries associated with user equipment identifiers in the first NSACF and other NSACFs, only the entry associated with the network function identifier is deleted and the user equipment identifier is retained in the user list.

[0093] On the other hand, admission control includes, for example, PDU session availability checks and update processing. Pre-defined triggering events include one of the following: initiation of a new PDU session, completion of PDU session release, PDU session establishment failure, and movement between access types. NSACF admission control information includes one or more of the following: the number of PDU sessions for the NSACF, and a list of PDU session identifiers for the NSACF.

[0094] Step S11 includes: receiving a PDU session update request message, such as Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfPDUsUpdate_Request message, from SMF for the first NSACF, and performing a slice PDU session availability check and update process in response to the message. The message includes one or more of the following information: user equipment identifier, access type, current network slice number, PDU session identifier, and update flag.

[0095] Step S11 also includes updating the admission control information of the first NSACF and / or other NSACFs according to the update flag.

[0096] For example, when the update flag indicates an increase, the predetermined trigger event is to start establishing a new PDU session. If the total number of sessions recorded by the first NSACF and other NSACFs has reached the PDU session quota of the current network slice, information indicating that the current network slice has reached the PDU session quota is returned. If the total number of sessions recorded by the first NSACF and other NSACFs has not reached the PDU session quota of the current network slice, the PDU session count of the first NSACF is increased. If the user equipment identifier already exists in the first NSACF or the PDU session ID list of the NSACF, the PDU session identifier and access type are also stored. If the user equipment identifier does not exist in the PDU session ID list of the first NSACF or other NSACFs, a new entry is created to record the user equipment identifier, PDU session identifier, and access type in association.

[0097] When the update flag indicates a reduction, the predetermined triggering event is either PDU session release completion or PDU session establishment failure. At this time, the number of PDU sessions in the first NSACF is reduced, the PDU session identifier is deleted, and it is checked whether there is a PDU session associated with the user equipment identifier in other NSACFs. If there is no PDU session associated with the user equipment identifier, the entry for the user equipment identifier is deleted.

[0098] When the update flag indicates an update, update the access type in the record associated with the PDU session identifier.

[0099] The above method also includes updating the admission control information of the first NSACF and / or other NSACFs on the blockchain.

[0100] As another example, in step S11, the slice admission quota for each network slice is dynamically updated on the blockchain. For example, the slice admission quota includes the registered user quota and / or PDU session quota. This dynamic update can be based on spectrum-aware information provided by the radio access network side.

[0101] The above method corresponds to the electronic device 100 in the first embodiment. For specific details, please refer to the first embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0102] Figure 9 A flowchart of a method for network management according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The method includes: acquiring spectrum-aware information from the radio access network side (S21); and dynamically updating slice admission quotas for each network slice in the mobile network based on the spectrum-aware information (S22). This method can be performed, for example, on the core network side.

[0103] For example, slice admission quotas include registered user quotas and / or PDU session quotas. Spectrum awareness information may include one or more of the following: radio measurement information, non-3GPP type information, and spectrum transaction information.

[0104] In step S22, the spectrum sensing information can be aggregated into a predetermined format, packaged according to a predetermined period, and provided to the Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF). Analysis results are obtained from the NWDAF and dynamically updated based on these results. The analysis results may include one or more of the following: load statistics for each network slice, future load prediction for each network slice, load statistics for the service area of ​​the network slice, future load prediction for the service area of ​​the network slice, and the number of registered users and / or PDU sessions that each network slice can support.

[0105] Step S22 further includes sending a subscription analysis message to NWDAF, the subscription analysis message including an analysis identifier and / or an analysis filter.

[0106] The above method may also include: dynamic updates on a blockchain, wherein the NSACFs of various network slices in the mobile network constitute the blockchain.

[0107] The above method corresponds to the electronic device 200 in the second embodiment. For specific details, please refer to the second embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0108] Note that the above methods can be used in combination or individually.

[0109] The technology disclosed herein can be applied to a variety of products. For example, electronic device 100 or 200 can be implemented as any type of server, such as tower server, rack server, and blade server. Electronic device 100 or 200 can be a control module (such as an integrated circuit module comprising a single chip, or a card or blade inserted into a slot in a blade server) installed on the server.

[0110] [Application examples of servers]

[0111] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a server 700 to which the technologies of this disclosure can be applied. The server 700 includes a processor 701, a memory 702, a storage device 703, a network interface 704, and a bus 706.

[0112] The processor 701 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP), and controls the functions of the server 700. The memory 702 includes random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM), and stores data and programs executed by the processor 701. The storage device 703 may include storage media such as semiconductor memory and hard disks.

[0113] Network interface 704 is a wired communication interface used to connect server 700 to wired communication network 705. Wired communication network 705 can be a core network such as an evolved packet core network (EPC) or a packet data network (PDN) such as the Internet.

[0114] Bus 706 connects processor 701, memory 702, storage device 703, and network interface 704 to each other. Bus 706 may include two or more buses (such as a high-speed bus and a low-speed bus) each with different speeds.

[0115] exist Figure 10 In the server 700 shown, refer to Figure 1 The described control unit 101 and reference Figure 5The described communication unit 201 and update unit 202 can be implemented by the processor 701. For example, the processor 701 can implement blockchain-based slice admission control by executing the functions of the control unit 101, and can implement dynamic updates of slice admission quotas based on spectrum sensing information by executing the functions of the communication unit 201 and update unit 202.

[0116] The basic principles of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that all or any step or component of the method and apparatus of the present invention can be implemented in any computing device (including processors, storage media, etc.) or network of computing devices, in the form of hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof. This can be achieved by those skilled in the art using their basic circuit design knowledge or basic programming skills after reading the description of the present invention.

[0117] Furthermore, the present invention also proposes a program product storing machine-readable instruction code. When the instruction code is read and executed by a machine, the method described above according to embodiments of the present invention can be performed.

[0118] Accordingly, the storage medium used to carry the program product storing machine-readable instruction code is also included in the disclosure of this invention. The storage medium includes, but is not limited to, floppy disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, memory cards, memory sticks, etc.

[0119] When the present invention is implemented via software or firmware, the transmission from a storage medium or network to a computer with a dedicated hardware architecture (e.g., Figure 11 The general-purpose computer 1100 shown is equipped with the programs that constitute the software, and when various programs are installed, the computer is able to perform various functions, etc.

[0120] exist Figure 11 In this configuration, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) 1101 performs various processes based on programs stored in the Read-Only Memory (ROM) 1102 or programs loaded into the Random Access Memory (RAM) 1103 from the Storage Section 1108. The RAM 1103 also stores data required as needed when the CPU 1101 performs various processes, etc. The CPU 1101, ROM 1102, and RAM 1103 are interconnected via a bus 1104. An Input / Output Interface 1105 is also connected to the bus 1104.

[0121] The following components are connected to input / output interface 1105: input section 1106 (including keyboard, mouse, etc.), output section 1107 (including display, such as cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and speakers, etc.), storage section 1108 (including hard disk, etc.), and communication section 1109 (including network interface card, such as LAN card, modem, etc.). Communication section 1109 performs communication processing via a network, such as the Internet. Drive 1110 may also be connected to input / output interface 1105 as needed. Removable media 1111, such as disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., are installed on drive 1110 as needed, so that computer programs read from them are installed into storage section 1108 as needed.

[0122] When the above series of processes are implemented through software, the program constituting the software is installed from a network such as the Internet or a storage medium such as removable media 1111.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will understand that such storage media are not limited to Figure 11 The illustration shows a removable medium 1111 that stores a program and is distributed separately from the device to provide the program to the user. Examples of removable media 1111 include disks (including floppy disks (registered trademark)), optical disks (including optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and digital versatile disks (DVD)), magneto-optical disks (including mini-discs (MD) (registered trademark)), and semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the storage medium may be ROM 1102, a hard disk included in storage section 1108, etc., containing programs and distributed to the user along with the device containing them.

[0124] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, method, and system of the present invention, the components or steps can be decomposed and / or recombined. These decompositions and / or recombinations should be considered equivalent solutions of the present invention. Furthermore, the steps performing the above series of processes can naturally be executed in the order described, but are not necessarily required to be executed in chronological order. Some steps can be performed in parallel or independently of each other.

[0125] Finally, it should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0126] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device for network management, comprising: The processing circuit is configured as follows: The operation of the Network Slice Admission Control Function (NSACF) based on blockchain technology in mobile networks. The NSACF features blockchain functionality. One network slice corresponds to one or more NSACFs, and The blockchain records the admission control information for each NSACF in each network slice.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to perform admission control of the current network slice corresponding to the first NSACF based on the blockchain in response to a predetermined triggering event for the first NSACF.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to query the admission control information of other NSACFs corresponding to the current network slice on the blockchain, and perform admission control of the current network slice based on the admission control information of the first NSACF and the admission control information of the other NSACFs.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, The admission control includes slice user availability checks and update processing, and the predetermined trigger events include one of the following: user registration, user deregistration, and user device configuration update.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein, The admission control information of an NSACF includes one or more of the following: the number of registered users of the NSACF, and the user list of the NSACF.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to receive a user count update request message for the first NSACF from the Access and Mobility Function (AMF), and to perform the slice user count availability check and update processing in response to the user count update request message. The user count update request message includes one or more of the following information: user equipment identifier, access type, current network slice number, network function identifier, and update flag.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein, The processing circuit is further configured to determine whether to perform admission control for the current network slice based on the access type, and if it is determined that admission control for the current network slice should be performed, to update the admission control information of the first NSACF and / or other NSACFs corresponding to the current network slice according to the update flag.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein, When the update flag indicates an increase, and the user equipment corresponding to the user equipment identifier requests registration, the processing circuit is configured to: Check whether the user equipment identifier is in the user list of the first NSACF or the other NSACF; If the user equipment identifier is in the user list of the first NSACF or the other NSACF, a new entry is created for the registration of the user equipment, but the number of registered users in the current network slice is not changed. The new entry includes the network function identifier. If the user equipment identifier is not in the user list of the first NSACF or the other NSACF, and the total number of users recorded by the first NSACF and the other NSACF has not reached the registered user quota of the current network slice, then the user equipment identifier is added to the user list of the first NSACF. as well as If the user equipment identifier is not in the user list of the first NSACF or the other NSACF, and the total number of users recorded by the first NSACF and the other NSACF has reached the registered user quota of the current network slice, then information indicating that the current network slice has reached the registered user quota is returned.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein, When the update flag indicates a decrease, the processing circuit is configured to: If there is only one entry associated with the user equipment identifier in the first NSACF and the other NSACFs, then delete that entry and reduce the number of registered users for the corresponding NSACF. as well as If there are multiple entries associated with the user equipment identifier in the first NSACF and the other NSACFs, only the entries associated with the network function identifier are deleted, and the user equipment identifier is retained in the user list.

10. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, The admission control includes availability checks and update processing for the number of PDU sessions. The predetermined triggering events include one of the following: starting to establish a new PDU session, completing the release of a PDU session, failing to establish a PDU session, or moving between access types.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein, The admission control information of an NSACF includes one or more of the following: the number of PDU sessions of the NSACF, and a list of PDU session identifiers of the NSACF.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to receive a PDU session count update request message for the first NSACF from the Session Management Function (SMF), and in response to the message, perform the slice PDU session count availability check and update processing. The PDU session count update request message includes one or more of the following information: User Equipment Identifier, Access Type, Current Network Slice Number, PDU Session Identifier, and Update Flag.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to update the admission control information of the first NSACF and / or other NSACFs corresponding to the current network slice according to the update flag.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein, When the update flag indicates an increase, and the predetermined trigger event is to initiate the establishment of a new PDU session, the processing circuitry is configured as follows: If the total number of sessions recorded by the first NSACF and the other NSACFs has reached the PDU session quota of the current network slice, then information indicating that the current network slice has reached the PDU session quota is returned. If the total number of sessions recorded by the first NSACF and the other NSACFs does not reach the PDU session quota of the current network slice, the PDU session count of the first NSACF is increased. If the user equipment identifier already exists in the PDU session ID list of the first NSACF or the other NSACFs, the PDU session identifier and the access type are also stored. If the user equipment identifier does not exist in the PDU session ID list of the first NSACF or the other NSACFs, a new entry is created to record the user equipment identifier, the PDU session identifier, and the access type in association.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein, When the update flag indicates a reduction, and the predetermined trigger event is either PDU session release completion or PDU session establishment failure, the processing circuit is configured to reduce the number of PDU sessions in the first NSACF and delete the PDU session identifier. The processing circuit is also configured to check whether there is a PDU session associated with the user equipment identifier in the other NSACFs, and delete the entry for the user equipment identifier if there is no PDU session associated with the user equipment identifier.

16. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein, When the update flag indicates an update, the processing circuitry is configured to update the access type in the record associated with the PDU session identifier.

17. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to update the admission control information of the first NSACF and / or the other NSACFs on the blockchain.

18. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The processing circuit is also configured to dynamically update the slice acceptance quota of each network slice on the blockchain.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, wherein, The slice admission quota includes the registered user quota and / or PDU session quota.

20. The electronic device according to claim 18, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to perform the dynamic update based on spectrum sensing information provided by the wireless access network side.

21. An electronic device for network management, comprising: The processing circuit is configured as follows: Obtain spectrum sensing information from the wireless access network side; as well as The slice admission quota of each network slice in the mobile network is dynamically updated based on the spectrum sensing information. The processing circuit is further configured to perform the dynamic updates on the blockchain, wherein the network slice admission control function (NSACF) of each network slice in the mobile network constitutes the blockchain. One network slice corresponds to one or more NSACFs, and The blockchain records the admission control information for each NSACF in each network slice.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein, The slice admission quota includes the registered user quota and / or PDU session quota.

23. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein, The spectrum sensing information includes one or more of the following: wireless measurement information, non-3GPP type information, and spectrum transaction information.

24. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein, The processing circuit is configured to aggregate the spectrum sensing information into a predetermined format, package it according to a predetermined period to provide it to the Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF), obtain analysis results from the NWDAF, and perform the dynamic update based on the analysis results.

25. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein, The processing circuit is also configured to send a subscription analysis message to the NWDAF, the subscription analysis message including an analysis identifier and / or an analysis filter.

26. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein, The analysis results include one or more of the following: load statistics for each network slice, future load prediction for each network slice, load statistics for the service area of ​​the network slice, future load prediction for the service area of ​​the network slice, and the number of registered users and / or PDU sessions that each network slice can support.

27. A method for network management, comprising: The operation of the Network Slice Admission Control Function (NSACF) based on blockchain technology in mobile networks. The NSACF features blockchain functionality. One network slice corresponds to one or more NSACFs, and The blockchain records the admission control information for each NSACF in each network slice.

28. A method for network management, comprising: Obtain spectrum sensing information from the wireless access network side; as well as The slice admission quota of each network slice in the mobile network is dynamically updated based on the spectrum sensing information. The method further includes performing the dynamic update on a blockchain, wherein the blockchain comprises the Network Slice Admission Control Functions (NSACFs) of each network slice in the mobile network. One network slice corresponds to one or more NSACFs, and The blockchain records the admission control information for each NSACF in each network slice.

29. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method for network management according to claim 27 or claim 28.

30. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions, wherein, When the computer program / instruction is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the method for network management as described in claim 27 or 28.

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