Data acquisition method, device and system

Abstract

The invention provides a data acquisition method, device and system, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining service flow characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, the service flow characteristic data is used for describing the transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network, and constructing or updating a network twinborn according to the service flow characteristic data, the network twins are digital expressions of the physical network and the communication traffic and are used for simulating transmission of data streams of the communication traffic in the physical network. Based on the above scheme, the existing network management data acquisition mechanism is enhanced, and the network twins are constructed or updated based on the service flow characteristic data, so that the transmission of the data flow of the analog communication service in the physical network is facilitated, and the service experience quality rapid evaluation and network management of the communication service in the physical network are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a data acquisition method, device and system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the communications industry is considering applying network twin technology to communications networks. The obtained network twin can simulate the physical network, reflect the operation of the physical network, and can be used for network performance prediction, fault detection, etc. In order to improve the consistency between the network twin and the physical network, the network twin management entity needs to build or update the network twin based on the network data of the physical network.

[0003] With the improvement of network intelligence and automation, new services such as virtual reality (VR), video surveillance, and remote control have emerged. In order to ensure the user experience of new services, it is necessary to conduct accurate and rapid service experience quality evaluation to timely discover situations where the service experience quality does not meet the requirements, and then trigger network optimization or expansion in time. However, how to better support service experience quality evaluation and network management is an issue that needs to be considered at present. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a data collection method, device and system, which can better support service experience quality evaluation and network management.

[0005] In a first aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a network twin management entity or by a component of the network twin management entity (such as a chip or circuit, etc.). For convenience, the execution of the network twin management entity is taken as an example for explanation.

[0006] The method includes: obtaining business traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, the business traffic characteristic data being used to describe the transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; constructing or updating a network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, the network twin being a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and being used to simulate the transmission of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0007] In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and then simulate the transmission of the communication service data flow in the physical network, enabling accurate and rapid service experience quality evaluation and network management.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the network twin includes a service model, which is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0009] Based on the above solution, the business model in the twin network is introduced, and the business model in the network twin is constructed or updated by collecting business traffic characteristic data, thereby simulating the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, that is, digitizing the physical network to achieve business experience quality evaluation, synchronous analysis and prediction, and improvement and optimization of the communication service of the physical network.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, obtaining service traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network includes: sending a first request message, the first request message includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to indicate the collection of service traffic characteristic data; and receiving service traffic characteristic data.

[0011] Optionally, the management system proactively reports business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, the network twin management entity obtains the business traffic characteristic data by sending the first request information, that is, the management system sends the business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity according to the trigger of the first request information, which is highly targeted and improves data collection efficiency.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a collection data name.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: receiving second request information, the second request information is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, the second request information including a service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service; and determining the requirements for collecting service traffic characteristic data based on the second request information.

[0015] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity triggers the collection of business traffic characteristic data based on the second request information sent by the network twin service consumer, thereby improving data collection efficiency.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, after building or updating the network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: sending configuration information, the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the business traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method and a reporting threshold.

[0017] Based on the above solution, by configuring the twin data collection strategy to the management system, adaptive reporting of business traffic feature data can be achieved, thereby improving the collection and modeling efficiency of business traffic feature data.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: receiving second request information, the second request information is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, the second request information including a service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service; based on the second request information, determining that a service model needs to be constructed.

[0020] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity triggers the collection of business traffic characteristic data based on the second request information sent by the network twin service consumer, thereby improving data collection efficiency.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, after constructing or updating the network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: sending configuration information, the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the business traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes a model category and static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information includes a model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication service.

[0022] Based on the above solution, by configuring the twin data collection strategy to the management system, adaptive reporting of business traffic feature data can be achieved, thereby improving the collection and modeling efficiency of business traffic feature data.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network is evaluated based on the network twin to obtain an evaluation result; wherein the evaluation result is used to indicate the value of the evaluation indicator of the communication service, or to indicate whether the evaluation indicator of the communication service meets the indicator requirements; and the evaluation result is sent in response to the second request information.

[0024] Optionally, the evaluation indicator may be actively reported by the network twin service consumer to the network twin management entity, and the evaluation indicator may be carried in the second request information. If the network twin service consumer does not specify the evaluation indicator, the network twin management entity may determine the evaluation indicator based on the service type carried in the second request information.

[0025] Based on the above scheme, the network twin management entity can build or update the business model of the network twin based on the acquired business traffic characteristic data, thereby realizing a rapid evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network and ensuring the user experience.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the indicator requirements and / or evaluation indicators are included in the second request information, and the method also includes: mapping the service type and / or evaluation indicator into network key performance indicator KPI data for evaluating the service experience quality of the communication service.

[0027] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity maps the service type and / or evaluation indicators to KPI data, so as to effectively evaluate the service experience quality of communication services.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the evaluation result indicates that the evaluation index of the communication service does not meet the index requirement, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network is optimized.

[0029] Based on the above scheme, when the evaluation indicators of the communication service do not meet the indicator requirements, the network twin management entity can further optimize the communication service in the physical network, thereby ensuring that the evaluation indicators of the communication service data flow meet the indicator requirements and guarantee the user experience.

[0030] In a second aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a management system or by a component of a management system (such as a chip or circuit, etc.), such as a network management system device (network management system, NMS) or an element management system device (element management system, EMS). For convenience, the execution of the management system is taken as an example for explanation.

[0031] The method includes: obtaining business traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, the business traffic characteristic data being used to describe the transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; sending the business traffic characteristic data, the business traffic characteristic data being used to construct or update a network twin, the network twin being a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and being used to simulate the transmission of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0032] In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and then simulate the transmission of the communication service data flow in the physical network, enabling accurate and rapid service experience quality evaluation and network management.

[0033] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the network twin includes a service model, which is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0034] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, before obtaining the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, the method also includes: receiving first request information, the first request information including data collection indication information, the data collection indication information being used to indicate the collection of service traffic characteristic data; determining a measurement task based on the first request information, the measurement task including a measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, a service flow identifier, a service traffic characteristic data type and a measurement period.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, obtaining service traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network includes: sending a third request message, the third request message is used to request collection of service traffic characteristic data, the third request message includes a measurement task; and receiving service traffic characteristic data.

[0036] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a collection data name.

[0037] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, after sending the service traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including the name of the collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information including the name of the collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method and a reporting threshold; determining the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data based on the configuration information.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

[0039] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, after sending the service traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a model category and a static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information including a model category, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method and a reporting threshold associated with the communication service; and determining a measurement period and reporting conditions for the service traffic characteristic data based on the configuration information.

[0040] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned second aspect and some implementation methods of the second aspect can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0041] In a third aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a network twin management entity or by a component of the network twin management entity (such as a chip or circuit, etc.). For convenience, the execution of the network twin management entity is taken as an example for explanation.

[0042] The method includes: obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network; constructing or updating a first model of a network twin based on the first data, wherein the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and is used to simulate the physical network, and the first data stream corresponds to the first model.

[0043] Exemplarily, the first model includes one or more of the following: a topology model, a channel model, a network element model, or a service model.

[0044] In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the first data of the first data stream in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and thus effectively collect twin data for network management.

[0045] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first model is a digital expression of the first data flow, used to simulate transmission of the first data flow in a physical network.

[0046] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network includes: sending first request information, the first request information including a collection data name or model category, a collection cycle, a collection strategy, and a collection area; and receiving the first data.

[0047] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: determining that the model to be constructed or updated is a first model; and / or determining that the data to be collected is first data.

[0048] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: receiving second request information, the second request information is used to build or update the network twin; determining, based on the second request information, that the model to be built or updated is the first model; and / or, based on the second request information, determining that the data to be collected is the first data.

[0049] The beneficial effects of the third aspect and certain implementation methods of the third aspect can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0050] In a fourth aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a management system or by a component of the management system (such as a chip or circuit, etc.). For convenience, the execution of the management system is taken as an example for description.

[0051] The method includes: obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network, the first data being used to construct or update a first model of a network twin, the network twin being a digital expression of a physical network and being used to simulate a physical network, the first data stream corresponding to the first model; and sending the first data.

[0052] Exemplarily, the first model includes one or more of the following: a topology model, a channel model, a network element model, or a service model.

[0053] In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the first data of the first data stream in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and thus effectively collect twin data for network management.

[0054] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first model is a digital expression of the first data flow, used to simulate transmission of the first data flow in a physical network.

[0055] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, before obtaining the first data of the first data stream in the physical network, the method also includes: receiving first request information, the first request information including the collection data name or model category, the collection cycle, the collection strategy and the collection area; determining a measurement task based on the first request information, the measurement task including a measurement object identifier, a measurement category list and a measurement cycle, the measurement category list is determined based on the collection data name or model category, and the measurement cycle is determined based on the collection cycle and the collection strategy.

[0056] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the method for obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network also includes: sending a second request information, the second request information is used to request collection of the first data, the second request information includes a measurement task; and receiving the first data.

[0057] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect and certain implementation methods of the fourth aspect can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module for obtaining service traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, the service traffic characteristic data being used to describe the transmission characteristics of a data flow of a communication service in a physical network; a processing module for constructing or updating a network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data, the network twin being a digital expression of a physical network and a communication service, and being used to simulate the transmission of a data flow of a communication service in a physical network.

[0059] The transceiver module can perform the reception and transmission processing in the aforementioned first aspect, and the processing module can perform other processing except reception and transmission in the aforementioned first aspect.

[0060] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module, used to obtain business traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, the business traffic characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; the transceiver module is also used to send business traffic characteristic data, the business traffic characteristic data is used to construct or update a network twin, the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0061] The transceiver module can perform the reception and transmission processing in the aforementioned second aspect. Optionally, the communication device also includes a processing module, which can perform other processing in the aforementioned second aspect except reception and transmission.

[0062] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module for obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network; a processing module for constructing or updating a first model in a network twin based on the first data, the network twin being a digital expression of a physical network and used to simulate a physical network, and the first data stream corresponds to the first model.

[0063] The transceiver module can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned third aspect, and the processing module can perform other processing except receiving and sending in the aforementioned third aspect.

[0064] In the eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module, used to obtain first data of a first data stream in a physical network, the first data is used to construct or update a first model in a network twin, the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and is used to simulate the physical network, and the first data stream corresponds to the first model; the transceiver module is also used to send the first data.

[0065] The transceiver module can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned fourth aspect, and the processing module can perform other processing except receiving and sending in the aforementioned fourth aspect.

[0066] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is used to call and run the computer program from a memory, so that the communication device executes the method in any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects above.

[0067] Optionally, there are one or more processors.

[0068] Optionally, the communication device further includes one or more memories, and the memories may be integrated with the processor, or the memories may be arranged separately from the processor.

[0069] Optionally, the communication device further includes a transmitter (transmitter) and a receiver (receiver).

[0070] In the tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a network twin management entity and a management system, the network twin management entity is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned first aspect or the third aspect, and the management system is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned second aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0071] Optionally, the communication system may also include a network twin service consumer entity and a functional network element / terminal device.

[0072] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or code, and when the computer program or code is run on a computer, the computer executes a method in any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects above.

[0073] In the twelfth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that a device equipped with the chip system executes a method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned first to sixth aspects.

[0074] The chip may include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data.

[0075] In the thirteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: computer program code or instructions, when the computer program code or the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method in any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the network architecture provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0077] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the physical network and twin network mapping relationship 300 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0078] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of the data collection method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0079] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of the data collection method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0080] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of the data collection method 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] Figure 7 It is a flowchart of the data collection method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] Figure 8 It is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] Fig. 9 It is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] Fig.10 It is a schematic block diagram of the chip system 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0086] A network twin refers to a digital image (or virtual entity) of a physical network established in a digital way. With the help of the historical network data, real-time network data and algorithm models of the physical network, the entire life cycle of the physical network is simulated, verified, predicted and controlled, and the physical network is digitized to achieve synchronous analysis, prediction and improvement of the physical network. In other words, a digital twin network is a network system composed of a physical network and its twin digital network, and the physical network and the digital network can be interactively mapped in real time. Among them, the physical network is a network formed by connecting various physical devices or network elements (such as hosts, routers, switches, etc.) and media (optical cables, cables, twisted pairs, etc.) in the network. The physical network can be a mobile access network, a transmission network, a mobile core network, a backbone network, etc. The physical network can also be a data center network, a campus network, an industrial Internet of Things, etc. Network data can also be called network operation data, which is used to indicate the operating status of the physical network. It can be configuration parameters, alarm data, performance data, etc. of physical devices or network elements. Optionally, the network twin may also be referred to as a digital twin, a network digital twin, or a network digital twin entity, which is not limited in this application.

[0087] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 The communication system 100 shown or Figure 2 In the communication system 200 shown, the physical network includes radio access network (RAN) network elements, user equipment (UE) and core network (CN) network elements. The network management system (NMS) and element management system (EMS) can manage the physical network. Among them, NMS is a cross-domain management system, and EMS is a single-domain management system. Therefore, the RAN domain and the CN domain correspond to different EMSs, which are represented by: EMS (RAN) and EMS (CN). Optionally, NMS and EMS can be collectively referred to as 3GPP management systems, or operations administration and maintenance (OAM) modules. The network twin management entity (NTME) provides a twin service interface to the outside world, which can be called by network twin service consumers. Among them, NTME interacts with the physical network through the management system. As Figure 1As shown in Figure 1, NTME interacts with the physical network through NMS. Figure 2 As shown, NTME interacts with the physical network through EMS. Optionally, NTME can be an independent module or a module jointly set up with NMS.

[0088] The following is a detailed description of the network elements or devices involved in the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0089] 1) NMS: Responsible for network operation, management and maintenance. NMS can also be called a cross-domain management system.

[0090] 2) EMS: used to manage one or more network elements of a certain category. EMS can also be called a domain management system or a single domain management system.

[0091] 3)RAN: Provides wireless access for user devices, allowing users to access the network.

[0092] 4) CN: Mainly provides user connection, user management and service carrying, and provides an interface to the external network as a bearer network.

[0093] 5) UE: User terminal equipment, a device that allows users to access the network.

[0094] 6) NTME: Responsible for the management of network twins, including the constructed twin networks / models and twin network management functions. Network twins can provide various services to the outside world, such as online simulation services, latency evaluation services, etc.

[0095] 7) Network twin service consumer: the caller of the network twin service.

[0096] Exemplarily, the "domain" mentioned above can be referred to as a network object, a network element, etc. A domain is used to indicate a physical or logical entity composed of network devices in the same network management scope. Among them, the domain can be a wireless domain, a core network domain, a transmission domain, and a mobile network end-to-end domain. The wireless domain can include base stations, cells, UEs, network devices in a wireless device management system, etc. The core network domain can include core network elements, such as SMF, NWDAF, AMF, network devices in a core network device management system, etc. The transmission domain can include switches, routers, network devices in a transmission network device management system, etc. The mobile network end-to-end domain includes a wireless domain, a core network domain, a transmission domain, and network devices in an NMS, etc., wherein the network management system NM is sometimes also referred to as an operations support system (OSS) / business support system (BSS). A network element is also called a network function. Each domain may include one or more network elements.

[0097] Figure 3 3 is a schematic diagram of a physical network and a twin network mapping relationship 300 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the physical network includes UE, RAN, transport network (transport network, TN), CN and network function (network function, NF). The air interface is used for transmission between UE and RAN, and the twin network includes topology model, channel model and network element model. Among them, the twin network needs to collect various modeling-related data from the physical network, such as network configuration, air interface perception, operation status, etc., to build various models mapped with the physical network, and then reconstruct the mapping body of the physical network in the twin network through topology model, channel model, network element model, etc. Among them, the network configuration refers to some configuration parameters or operations for the network, such as adjusting the base station antenna tilt angle to 30 degrees, turning on a certain algorithm switch of the base station, etc.

[0098] Among them, UE / RAN / TN / CN / App can correspond to terminal equipment, access network equipment, transmission network equipment, core network equipment, and application equipment, such as mobile phones, base stations, switches, routers, core network elements (such as session management function (SMF), access and mobility management function (AMF), network data analysis function (NWDAF), etc.), and various application servers (such as game web pages, video websites, etc.).

[0099] It should be understood that the above-mentioned network architecture applied to the embodiments of the present application is only an example, and any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application. That is, the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0100] It should be noted that the above-mentioned network elements can be network components in hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform. The above-mentioned network elements can be implemented by one device, or by multiple devices together.

[0101] It can be understood that the network elements or devices listed in the above network architecture are only exemplary, and the network architecture applicable to the present application may also include other network elements or devices, which are not limited in the present application. The naming of the above network elements or devices is only defined for the convenience of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation to the present application. The present application does not exclude the possibility of adopting other names in 4G networks, 5G networks and other networks in the future. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above network elements may use the terminology in 4G / 5G, or may use other names.

[0102] As the cost of data storage, computing, and transmission decreases, and data processing capabilities continue to improve, network twins have gradually entered people's field of vision and have been applied in many fields. At present, the communications industry is also considering applying network twin technology to communication networks, using network twins to simulate network data of physical networks, and conducting network performance prediction and fault detection, etc., and has carried out a lot of research and standardization work on the application of network twins in the network.

[0103] For example, new services such as virtual reality, video surveillance, and remote control have put forward higher requirements on the network. In order to ensure the user experience of new services, it is necessary to conduct accurate and rapid service experience quality evaluation. On the one hand, it allows service consumers to monitor the service experience quality of the service in real time. On the other hand, when the service experience quality does not meet the requirements, network optimization or expansion can be triggered in time. Rapid evaluation of service experience quality based on digital network twins is a feasible direction. The key lies in collecting relevant data of the service from the physical network to achieve accurate and rapid modeling and simulation, and support the simulation of the characteristics and changes of services in the physical network in the network twin.

[0104] However, the data collected by the existing solutions cannot achieve accurate and fast service experience quality evaluation. On the one hand, the existing solutions support the collection of standard defined data. Network twins cannot obtain service characteristics for accurate modeling by relying solely on these data. On the other hand, the data collected by the existing solutions are performance statistics at the granularity of network elements. There are multiple services in a network element, and the statistics at the granularity of network elements cannot reflect the real-time service characteristics. For example, suppose that there are two service data being transmitted in base station A. The first service is a video surveillance service with a packet rate of 10 per second, and the second service is a VR service with a packet rate of 1000 per second. When base station A counts the packet rate, assuming that the measurement period is 5 minutes, the total number of packets within 5 minutes is first counted as 300*1010=303000, then the packet rate reported by base station A is 303000 / 300=1010, that is, the packet rate reported by the base station is the total packet rate of all services, which cannot accurately reflect the actual traffic characteristics of each service in the base station.

[0105] In response to the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a data collection method and device, which enhances the existing network management data collection mechanism, that is, by obtaining the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, to construct or update the business model in the network twin, which is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network in the network twin, thereby supporting rapid evaluation of the service experience quality and network management of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin.

[0106] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are explained:

[0107] 1) In this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0108] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may not depend on other features in some scenarios, and may also be combined with other features in some scenarios, without limitation.

[0109] It can be understood that the schemes in the various embodiments of the present application can be used in combination, and the explanations or descriptions of the various terms, similar operations or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the various embodiments, and the present application does not limit this.

[0110] 2) In the present application, "first", "second" and various numerical references are used to distinguish for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, they are used to distinguish different messages, etc., rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so as to be able to describe solutions other than the embodiments of the present application.

[0111] 3) In this application, the terms "comprises" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or apparatuses.

[0112] 4) In this application, "used for indication" may include being used for direct indication and being used for indirect indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used for indicating A, it may include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but it does not mean that the indication information must carry A.

[0113] 5) In this application, "sending information to XX (device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the device. This can include sending information to the device directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from XX (device) or receiving information from XX (device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the device, which can include receiving information from the device directly or indirectly. The information may be processed as necessary between the source and destination of the information, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source.

[0114] 6) The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include a fifth generation (5G) network protocol, a new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in the sixth generation (6G) or future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0115] The data collection method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment provided by the present application can be applied to any communication scenario where a transmitting device and a receiving device communicate with each other, for example, it can be applied to the above Figure 1 or Figure 2 In order to achieve rapid evaluation of service experience quality, this application proposes the following Figures 4 to 7 In the method shown, the network twin management entity obtains service traffic characteristic data from the management system, and builds or updates the service model of the network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, thereby realizing the service experience quality evaluation of the communication service in the physical network. It should be understood that Figures 4 to 7 The method embodiments shown can be combined with each other. Figures 4 to 7 The steps in the method embodiments shown can refer to each other. For example, in the embodiments of the present application, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The method embodiments shown can be implemented respectively Figure 4 A way of implementing the functions of the method embodiment shown, Figure 7 The method embodiment shown may be Figure 4 The method embodiments shown are independent of each other in one implementation.

[0116] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a data collection method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to Figure 1 or Figure 2In the network architecture shown, the method flow can be executed by a network twin management entity (such as NTME) and a management system (such as NMS or EMS), or by modules and / or devices (such as chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the network twin management entity and the management system, which is not limited in this application. The following is an explanation with the network twin management entity and the management system as the execution subjects, such as Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps, and the incomplete parts can refer to the existing protocol.

[0117] S410, the management system obtains service flow characteristic data of communication services in the physical network.

[0118] Among them, the service traffic characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0119] In the first implementation, when the management system is an NMS, the NMS determines the measurement task, sends request information #1 (i.e., the third request information) to the EMS (RAN / CN), and receives the service traffic characteristic data from the EMS (RAN / CN). Correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the request information #1 from the NMS, requests the NF / UE to collect the service traffic characteristic data according to the request message #1, and reports the service traffic characteristic data to the NMS.

[0120] The request information #1 is used to request the collection of service flow characteristic data, and the request information #1 includes a measurement task, and the measurement task includes a measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, a service flow identifier, a service flow characteristic data type, and a measurement period. It should be understood that in the request information #1, the measurement data type is the name of the information element, and the measurement data type can be a variety of types of values. The measurement data type in the embodiment of the present application is a service flow characteristic data type, and the measurement data type here can be called a measurement data name.

[0121] Exemplarily, the NMS determines the measurement task, including: the NMS first determines the service flow identifier based on the service identifier carried in the request information #2 in step S402b, where the service flow identifier is used to identify the network identifier of the communication service (for example, the 5G quality of service indicator (5G quality of service identifier, 5QI)), and then the NMS determines the measurement task to be sent to EMS (RAN) or EMS (CN) based on the collection domain carried in the request information #2 in step S402b, that is, determines whether to send the measurement task to the EMS that manages the RAN domain or the EMS that manages the CN domain based on the collection domain, and then determines the network identifier of the measurement object (for example, a base station, a cell, etc.) in combination with the geographical location information of the collection area carried in the request information #2 in step S402b.

[0122] In the second implementation, when the management system is EMS (RAN / CN), EMS (RAN / CN) determines the measurement task, requests the NF / UE to collect service traffic characteristic data, and receives the service traffic characteristic data from the NF / UE.

[0123] Exemplarily, EMS (RAN / CN) determines the measurement task, including: EMS (RAN / CN) determines the service flow identifier based on the service identifier carried in the request information #2 in step S402b, where the service flow identifier is a network identifier used to identify the service (e.g., 5QI), and then EMS (RAN / CN) determines the measurement data type and measurement period based on the mapping relationship between the model category and the data, and determines the network identifier of the measurement object (e.g., base station, cell, etc.) based on the geographic location information of the collection area carried in the request information #2 in step S402b.

[0124] Optionally, the mapping relationship between the model category and the data includes the following implementation methods:

[0125] (1) The mapping relationship between model categories and data is preset in NMS by NTME;

[0126] (2) Sent by NTME to NMS. For example, when NTME sends a model data collection request to NMS, it also sends the mapping relationship to NMS. Optionally, the mapping relationship can be sent only once.

[0127] (3) The NMS queries the NTME to obtain the mapping relationship. Optionally, the mapping relationship may be queried only once.

[0128] Furthermore, the EMS (RAN / CN) sends a data collection request to the NF / UE, and correspondingly, the NF / UE receives the data collection request from the EMS (RAN / CN). The data collection request includes the measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, the service flow identifier, the service traffic characteristic data type and the measurement period, that is, the measurement task.

[0129] Optionally, the data collection request is subscription-based, and when the reporting conditions are met, the NF / UE reports the service traffic characteristic data to the EMS (RAN / CN) EMS (RAN / CN), for example, periodically reporting within a specific reporting time.

[0130] S420a, the management system sends business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity, and correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives business traffic characteristic data from the management system.

[0131] S420b, the network twin management entity obtains the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network.

[0132] In the first implementation, the management system proactively sends business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity.

[0133] In the second implementation, the network twin management entity sends a request message #2 (i.e., the first request message) to the management system (e.g., NMS or EMS), and the network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives the request message #2 from the network twin management entity, determines the measurement task according to the request message #2, sends a measurement task request to the NF / UE to collect the service traffic characteristic data, and reports the service traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity. Among them, the request message #2 includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to indicate the collection of service traffic characteristic data.

[0134] It should be understood that the above step S420a can be regarded as a specific implementation method of S420b.

[0135] In the first example, the request information #2 also includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a collection data name.

[0136] Optionally, before the network twin management entity sends the request information #2 to the management system, the method 400 further includes:

[0137] The network twin service consumer (NTME consumer) sends request information #3 (i.e., the second request information) to the network twin management entity. Correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives request information #3 from the network twin service consumer and determines the collection requirements of the service traffic feature data according to request information #3. Among them, the request information #3 is used to request the network twin management entity to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0138] Exemplarily, the network twin service consumer may be an operator's business support system (BSS), or a third-party application, etc.

[0139] The request information #3 includes the service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service.

[0140] (1) Service identification: used to identify the service to be evaluated. In the embodiment of the present application, the service can be understood as a collection of service data flows. The service identification can be a service data flow identification (SDFI) or a single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI).

[0141] (2) Deployment area: used to indicate the deployment area of ​​the service to be evaluated, which may also be called the evaluation area and may be described by a geographical location, for example.

[0142] (3) Service type: used for service type characteristics, which can be a coarse-grained service category description (for example, uplink video class, downlink control class, voice class, etc.), or a specific service name (for example, VR, remote office, video surveillance, remote control, etc.).

[0143] Optionally, the request information #3 also includes evaluation indicators and / or indicator requirements.

[0144] (4) Evaluation indicator: used to indicate the type of indicator to be evaluated, which can be a service-side indicator (for example, a key quality indicator (KQI) or quality of experience (QoE)) or a network-side indicator (for example, rate, latency, jitter, or access success rate).

[0145] (5) Index requirements: used to indicate the network twin service consumer's demand for specified communication services and specified indicators, such as requiring a latency of less than 20 milliseconds.

[0146] Optionally, the request information #2 may also include a collection domain and / or a collection direction. The collection domain and the collection direction may be included in the collection data name, and the collection domain and the collection direction are determined according to the service type in the request information #3.

[0147] (6) Collection domain: used to indicate the collection domain of service traffic characteristic data, such as EMS (RAN) or EMS (CN).

[0148] (7) Collection direction: used to indicate the collection direction of service traffic characteristic data, such as uplink or downlink.

[0149] Optionally, the evaluation indicator may be actively sent by the network twin service consumer to the network twin management entity, for example, the evaluation indicator may be carried in request information #3. If the request information #3 does not carry the evaluation indicator, the network twin management entity may determine the evaluation indicator based on the service type carried in request information #3.

[0150] Optionally, the indicator requirement can be actively sent by the network twin service consumer to the network twin management entity. For example, the indicator requirement can be carried in the request information #3. The network twin management entity can subsequently evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the constructed or updated network twin, and then judge whether the service experience quality of the current communication service in the physical network meets the requirements based on the indicator requirements. If not, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network can be optimized.

[0151] Optionally, if the request information #3 carries a service type or evaluation indicator (for example, a key quality indicator (KQI) or quality of experience (QoE)), the network twin management entity may map the service type and / or evaluation indicator to a network key performance indicator (KPI) data for evaluating the service experience quality of the communication service, that is, associating the corresponding KPI according to the service type, or converting the service indicator into the corresponding KPI. The mapping relationship is an internal algorithm or indication pre-configured in the network twin management entity. For example, assuming that the service type is video surveillance, the KPIs mapped by the network twin management entity are uplink rate and end-to-end delay.

[0152] Furthermore, the network twin management entity can determine the collection requirements of the service traffic characteristic data according to the request information #3. Exemplarily, the network twin management entity first determines that a service model needs to be established, and then determines the service traffic characteristic data and collection period that need to be collected to establish the service model according to the service type in the request information #3. For example, for the service experience quality evaluation of video surveillance, the collected data is end-to-end service traffic characteristic data, including packet interval, packet rate, packet size, frame rate, or bit rate, etc. The collection domain is UE / RAN / TN / CN, the collection direction is uplink, and the collection period is determined according to the typical change period of the video surveillance service.

[0153] Therefore, the service identifier and collection area carried in the request information #2 are carried in the request information #3, and the collection data name and collection period are determined according to the service type in the request information #3. For example, for the service experience quality evaluation of video surveillance, the collection data name can be understood as end-to-end service traffic characteristic data, which can be a list, such as {uplink RAN ​​side packet sending interval, uplink RAN ​​side packet sending rate, uplink RAN ​​side data packet size}, etc.

[0154] In the second example, the request information #2 also includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

[0155] The model category is used to indicate the model category to be constructed. For example, for the service experience quality evaluation of video surveillance, the model category can be an end-to-end service model or a single-domain service model, such as a RAN service model, a CN service model, and a TN service model. The specific interpretation of the service identifier and the collection area can be referred to the above related description, which will not be repeated here.

[0156] Compared with the first implementation method of sending the collection data name and collection period to the management system, the second implementation method can reduce the transmission overhead by sending the model to the management system.

[0157] Optionally, before the network twin management entity sends the request information #2 to the management system, the method 400 further includes:

[0158] The network twin service consumer sends request information #3 (i.e., the second request information) to the network twin management entity. Correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives request information #3 from the network twin service consumer, and determines the need to build the business model based on request information #3. Among them, the request information #3 is used to request the network twin management entity to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network. Among them, the request information #3 includes the service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service. For specific interpretations, please refer to the above-mentioned relevant descriptions, which will not be repeated here.

[0159] Optionally, the request information #2 may also include a collection domain and / or a collection direction, and the collection domain and the collection direction are determined according to the service type in the request information #3.

[0160] S430, the network twin management entity builds or updates the network twin according to the business traffic characteristic data.

[0161] Among them, the network twin is the digital representation of the physical network, which is used to simulate the physical network. The digital representation can also be called a digital mirror or digital twin.

[0162] Exemplarily, the network twin includes a service model corresponding to the communication service, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network. It should be understood that the service model is a digital expression of the communication service, which is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0163] The following describes how the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin based on business traffic characteristic data.

[0164] Exemplarily, the network twin management entity can be modeled based on the service traffic characteristic data and statistical probability model of each collection domain (such as RAN / CN / TN), such as extracting the transmission characteristics of the communication service flow between each node, respectively constructing the service traffic model corresponding to each collection domain, and then constructing an end-to-end complete service model according to a specific algorithm. Specifically, for each collection domain, first select a statistical probability model according to the service type, such as a Poisson distribution model or a multi-level Batch Deterministic model, and then estimate the parameters of the selected statistical probability model based on the service traffic characteristic data. For example, for a Poisson distribution model, the estimated parameter is the mean. After obtaining the service model of each collection domain, each distribution model is convolved to obtain a complete end-to-end service model.

[0165] In order to maintain the consistency between the twin network and the physical network, the network twin management entity may need to collect business traffic characteristic data from the management system multiple times.

[0166] Optionally, after the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method 400 further includes:

[0167] In the first example, the network twin management entity sends configuration information #1 to the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives configuration information #1 from the network twin management entity, and determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to configuration information #1, and then re-collects the service traffic characteristic data and sends it to the network twin management entity. Wherein, the configuration information #1 includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information #1 includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method, and a reporting threshold.

[0168] In the second example, the network twin management entity sends configuration information #2 to the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives configuration information #2 from the network twin management entity, and determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to configuration information #2, and then re-collects the service traffic characteristic data and sends it to the network twin management entity. Among them, the configuration information #2 is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data, and the configuration information #2 includes the model category and static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information #2 includes the model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication service.

[0169] Exemplarily, the reporting conditions include a reporting period and a reporting event.

[0170] Optionally, configuration information #1 and configuration information #2 may be sent simultaneously with request information #2, or may be sent separately, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0171] Among them, the static indication or dynamic indication is used to indicate whether the service traffic characteristic data is static data or dynamic data, and the data change frequency identification method indication is used to identify the cycle of dynamic data changes or measure the speed of dynamic data changes.

[0172] For example, if the service traffic characteristic data is static, it means that the service traffic characteristic data generally does not change frequently, so it does not need to be reported frequently. The measurement period can be set to be relatively large, such as measuring once a day, and the reporting event is the detection of data changes. It only needs to be reported when the service traffic characteristic data is detected to change. Such service traffic characteristic data can be, for example, antenna configuration, or UE capabilities. If the service traffic characteristic data is dynamic, it means that the service traffic characteristic data is in a state of continuous change, so it needs to be reported continuously. For example, the measurement period is the collection period specified by NTME, and the reporting event is the frequency of data changes exceeding the specified threshold. Such service traffic characteristic data can be, for example, user speed, or user location.

[0173] Furthermore, for dynamic business traffic characteristic data, the configuration information may also include: a data change frequency identification method and / or a reporting threshold. Among them, the data change frequency identification method indication may be a calculation formula or model, which can be used to identify the period of dynamic data changes, or to measure the speed of dynamic data changes. For example, for business traffic characteristic data with periodic dynamic changes, the identified change period can be used as the measurement and reporting period; for non-periodic dynamic changes in business traffic characteristic data, a reporting threshold can be set, and the data needs to be reported only when the frequency of change exceeds the specified threshold. Optionally, for non-periodic dynamic changes in business traffic characteristic data, periodic collection or measurement can be performed.

[0174] Optionally, based on the network twin obtained in the above step S430, the method 400 also includes step S440, that is, the network twin management entity can use the created or updated network twin to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, including synchronous analysis and prediction and improvement and optimization, such as network performance prediction, fault detection, etc., and then improve and optimize the physical network according to the prediction results (or evaluation results) or fault detection results. The specific implementation method can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S514 to S516, or S525 to S527 in the following method 500, or the specific implementation method can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S611 to S613, or S620 to S622 in the following method 600. For the sake of simplicity, no specific description is given here.

[0175] Optionally, after the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method 400 further includes:

[0176] Exemplarily, the network twin management entity evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network according to the service model and other basic models in the constructed or updated network twin, and obtains the evaluation result. For example, taking the evaluation of the uplink RAN ​​side delay as an example, the service model can be activated to simulate the transmission of the communication service in the physical network. The specific implementation can be that one parameter in the service model is used to maintain the number of packets of the RAN node, and another parameter is used to maintain the number of packets of the next node of the RAN node. At each packet sending moment, the number of data packets is reduced by 1, and the number of data packets of the next node is increased by 1. Among them, the packet sending moment is determined according to the packet sending interval in the service traffic characteristic data, and the packet sending moment of the RAN and the packet receiving moment of the next node are recorded. The difference is the transmission delay of a single packet. After a period of time, the average delay value is calculated, which is the uplink delay evaluation value on the RAN side.

[0177] Further, in response to the above-mentioned request information #3 received from the network twin service consumer, the network twin management entity sends the evaluation result to the network twin service consumer. The evaluation result is used to indicate the value of the evaluation index of the communication service, or to indicate whether the evaluation index of the communication service meets the index requirement.

[0178] Optionally, the value of the evaluation result can be YES or NO, where YES or NO is used to indicate that the current service experience quality meets the indicator requirements carried in the above request information #3; conversely, NO or NO is used to indicate that the current service experience quality does not meet the indicator requirements carried in the request information #3. At this time, the network twin management entity can optimize the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0179] Optionally, when the evaluation results indicate that the evaluation indicators of the communication service do not meet the indicator requirements, the network twin management entity can optimize the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network. For example, when the rate is lower than the service demand rate, the network twin management entity can use capacity expansion measures (for example, adding service sites in the network), first simulate to obtain the number and location of the newly deployed sites, and then instruct the management system to deploy the newly deployed sites.

[0180] Based on the above technical solution, the twin network is supported to collect business traffic characteristic data through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, a new interface for business experience quality assessment request (corresponding to the second request information) provided by the network twin management entity to the outside world is added, and twin-based business experience quality assessment is supported. A new management system is added to provide a business traffic characteristic data collection interface for the twin network, and the measurement task management interface of the management system is enhanced (corresponding to the third request information). New business models and business traffic characteristic data types in the network twin are added to support the collection of business traffic characteristic data, thereby supporting the rapid evaluation of business experience quality of communication services in the physical network.

[0181] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a data collection method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the method 500 is the method 400 applied to the above Figure 1 A possible implementation of the architecture shown is described by taking the network twin service consumer as NTME consumer, the network twin management entity as NTME, the network element management system device as NMS, the network element management system device as EMS, and the functional network element / communication device as NF / UE as an example. In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced to support service experience quality evaluation and network management based on network twins. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes the following steps, and the incomplete parts can refer to the existing protocol.

[0182] S501, the NTME consumer sends a second request message to the NTME, and correspondingly, the NTME receives the second request message from the NTME consumer.

[0183] The second request information includes a service identifier, a deployment area, a service type, a collection domain, and a collection direction associated with the communication service.

[0184] Optionally, the second request information also includes evaluation indicators and / or indicator requirements.

[0185] S502, optionally, the NTME determines the KPI to be evaluated according to the business type / evaluation indicator.

[0186] S503: NTME determines the collection requirement of the service flow characteristic data / constructs the service model according to the second request information.

[0187] S504, the NTME sends a first request message to the NMS, and correspondingly, the NMS receives the first request message from the NTME.

[0188] The first request information includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, a collection data name, a collection period, a collection domain, and a collection direction. Alternatively, the first request information includes a model category, a service identifier, a collection area, and a collection direction. Optionally, the collection domain and the collection direction are determined in step S503. Optionally, the collection domain and the collection direction are included in the collection data name.

[0189] S505: The NMS determines a measurement task according to the first request information.

[0190] The measurement tasks include: a measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, a service flow identifier, a service flow characteristic data type, and a measurement period.

[0191] Exemplarily, the NMS determines the measurement task according to the model category carried in the first request information and the mapping relationship between the model category and the service traffic characteristic data.

[0192] S506, the NMS sends a measurement task request to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the measurement task request from the NMS.

[0193] The request for creating a measurement task includes one or more of the following: an identifier of a measurement object, a service flow identifier, service flow characteristics, and a measurement period.

[0194] S508, the EMS (RAN / CN) sends a measurement task response to the NMS, and correspondingly, the NMS receives the measurement task response from the EMS (RAN / CN).

[0195] S507, EMS (RAN / CN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (RAN / CN), wherein the data collection request includes a measurement task.

[0196] Further, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0197] S509, the NMS sends a first request response to the NTME, and correspondingly, the NTME receives the first request response from the NMS. Optionally, in response to step S504, the first request response carries an identifier of the first request.

[0198] S510, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN / CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from NF / UE.

[0199] S511, EMS (RAN / CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from EMS (RAN / CN).

[0200] S512, the NMS sends the service traffic characteristic data #1 to the NTME, and correspondingly, the NTME receives the service traffic characteristic data #1 from the NMS.

[0201] S513, NTME builds or updates the business model of the network twin according to the business traffic characteristic data #1.

[0202] S514, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin and obtains evaluation result #1.

[0203] S515, NTME sends evaluation result #1 to NTME consumer, and correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result #1 from NTME.

[0204] S516, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #1.

[0205] Optionally, since the actual business and network are constantly changing, the business model needs to be updated regularly. In order to maintain the consistency between the twin network and the physical network, the network twin management entity may need to continuously collect business traffic characteristic data from the management system, that is, execute the following steps S517 to S527. It can be understood that in the above steps S501 to S516, the NMS performs periodic measurements and reports according to the collection period specified in the first request information sent by the NTME. The following steps S517 to S527 introduce an adaptive data collection strategy (i.e., configuration information), which can adjust the collection and reporting period of business traffic characteristic data according to data characteristics, thereby reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead.

[0206] S517, NTME sends configuration information to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives the configuration information from NTME.

[0207] The configuration information includes but is not limited to: collection data name, static or dynamic indication.

[0208] (1) Collection data name: similar to the collection data name specified in the first request information sent by the NTME to the NMS in the above step S504, such as the packet sending interval, packet sending rate, or data packet size.

[0209] (2) Static or dynamic indication: used to indicate whether the data to be collected is static or dynamic.

[0210] Optionally, the configuration information in step S517 can also be sent simultaneously with the first request information in step S504. Since the data change frequency needs to be determined based on historical change data, after step S504, at least one round of service flow characteristic data collection must be performed before determining whether the measurement task needs to be adjusted.

[0211] S518, the NMS determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to the configuration information.

[0212] Exemplarily, the NMS determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service flow characteristic data according to the configuration information and the historical data. It should be understood that the historical data here refers to the service flow characteristic data #1 obtained in the above step S511.

[0213] S519, the NMS sends a modification measurement task to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the modification measurement task from the NMS.

[0214] The modified measurement task is used to request the EMS (RAN / CN) to modify the measurement task on the EMS side, and the modified measurement task may include the identification of the measurement object, the service flow identification, the service flow characteristics, and the measurement period. The modified measurement task is different from the measurement task determined in the above step S505.

[0215] S520, EMS (RAN / CN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (RAN / CN), wherein the data collection request includes the modified measurement task, such as the required data type and the modified measurement period.

[0216] Further, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0217] Optionally, the data collection request is subscription-based, and when the reporting conditions are met, the NF / UE reports the data, for example, periodically reporting at a specific reporting time.

[0218] S521, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN / CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from NF / UE.

[0219] S522, EMS (RAN / CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from EMS (RAN / CN).

[0220] S523, the NMS sends the service traffic characteristic data #2 to the NTME, and correspondingly, the NTME receives the service traffic characteristic data #2 from the NMS.

[0221] S524, NTME builds or updates the business model of the network twin according to the business traffic characteristic data #2.

[0222] S525, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin and obtains evaluation result #2.

[0223] S526, NTME sends evaluation result #2 to the NTME consumer, and correspondingly, the NTME consumer receives evaluation result #2 from NTME.

[0224] S527, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #2.

[0225] It should be noted that the specific implementation methods of the above steps S501 to S512, S513 to S516, and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S410 to S420b and S430 of the above method 400, and the specific implementation methods of the above steps S518 to S527, and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant descriptions of the above steps S505 to S516. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0226] Based on the above scheme, the twin network is supported to collect business traffic characteristic data through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, and a new interface for the business experience quality assessment request (corresponding to the second request information) provided by the network twin management entity is added to support twin-based business experience quality assessment. A new management system is added to provide a business traffic characteristic data collection interface for the twin network, and the management system's measurement task management interface (corresponding to the third request information) is enhanced. The business model and business traffic characteristic data type in the network twin are added to support the collection of business traffic characteristic data, thereby supporting the rapid assessment of the business experience quality of communication services in the physical network. Furthermore, by introducing an adaptive data collection strategy, it supports adjusting the data collection and reporting cycle according to data characteristics, reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead.

[0227] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a data collection method 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 600 is the method 400 applied to the above Figure 2 A possible implementation of the architecture shown is described by taking the network twin service consumer as NTME consumer, the network twin management entity as NTME, the network element management system device as EMS, and the functional network element / communication device as NF / UE as an example. The difference from the above method 400 is that in this implementation, there is no need to forward the service traffic feature collection request through NMS. After the NTME determines the collection domain, it can send the service traffic feature collection request to the EMS of the corresponding domain. Figure 6 As shown, the method includes the following steps, and the incomplete parts can refer to the existing protocol.

[0228] S601, the NTME consumer sends a second request message to the NTME, and correspondingly, the NTME receives the second request message from the NTME consumer.

[0229] S602, optionally, the NTME determines the network performance KPI to be evaluated according to the service type / evaluation index.

[0230] S603: NTME determines the collection requirement of the service traffic characteristic data / constructs the service model according to the second request information.

[0231] The specific implementation of the above steps S601 to S603 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S501 to S503 of the above method 500, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0232] It should be noted that, after the NTME determines the collection domain in step S603, it can send a first request message to the EMS of the corresponding domain to request the collection of service traffic characteristic data. For example, when the collection domain determined in step S603 is RAN, the following steps S604A to S609A are executed, i.e., the process of NTME collecting RAN domain data from EMS (RAN); when the collection domain determined in step S603 is CN, the following steps S604B to S609B are executed, i.e., the process of NTME collecting CN domain data from EMS (CN).

[0233] S604A, NTME sends first request information to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives the first request information from NTME.

[0234] Among them, the service traffic characteristics collection request does not need to include collection domain information.

[0235] S605A, EMS (RAN) determines a measurement task according to the first request information.

[0236] The specific implementation of the above steps S604 and S605 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S505 and S505 of the above method 500, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0237] S606A, EMS (RAN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (RAN).

[0238] Further, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0239] S607A, EMS (RAN) sends a first request response to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives the first request response from EMS (RAN).

[0240] S608A, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from NF / UE.

[0241] S609A, EMS (RAN) sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from EMS (RAN).

[0242] Among them, the specific implementation of the above steps S606A to S608A and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S507, S509 and S510 of the above method 500, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0243] S604B, NTME sends the first request information to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives the first request information from NTME.

[0244] S605B, EMS (CN) determines the measurement task according to the first request information.

[0245] S606B, EMS (CN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (CN).

[0246] Further, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0247] S607B, EMS (CN) sends a first request response to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives the first request response from EMS (CN).

[0248] S608B, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from NF / UE.

[0249] S609B, EMS (CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from EMS (CN).

[0250] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S605B to S609B and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of the above steps S605A to S609A, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0251] S610, NTME builds or updates the service model of the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data #1.

[0252] S611, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin and obtains evaluation result #1.

[0253] S612, NTME sends evaluation result #1 to NTME consumer, and correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result #1 from NTME.

[0254] S613, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #1.

[0255] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the above steps S610 to S613 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S513 to S516 of the above method 500, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0256] Optionally, the network twin management entity may need to continuously collect service traffic characteristic data from the management system, that is, execute the following steps S614A to S622. It can be understood that in the above steps S601 to S613, the NMS performs periodic measurements and reports according to the collection period specified in the first request information sent by the NTME. The following steps S614A to S622 introduce an adaptive data collection strategy (i.e., configuration information), which can adjust the collection and reporting period of service traffic characteristic data according to data characteristics, thereby reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead. For example, based on the case where the collection domain is RAN in the above steps S604A to S609A, execute the following steps S614A to S618A; based on the case where the collection domain is CN in the above steps S604B to S609B, execute the following steps S614B to S618B.

[0257] S614A, NTME sends configuration information to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives the configuration information from NTME.

[0258] S615A, EMS (RAN) determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to the configuration information.

[0259] S616A, EMS (RAN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (RAN), wherein the data collection request includes the modified measurement task, such as the required data type and the modified measurement period.

[0260] Further, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0261] S617A, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from NF / UE.

[0262] S618A, EMS (RAN) sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from EMS (RAN).

[0263] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S615A to S618A and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant descriptions of the above steps S605A and S606A to S609A, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0264] S614B, NTME sends configuration information to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives the configuration information from NTME.

[0265] S615B, EMS (CN) determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to the configuration information.

[0266] S616B, EMS (CN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (CN), wherein the data collection request includes the modified measurement task, such as the required data type and the modified measurement period.

[0267] Further, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0268] S617B, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from NF / UE.

[0269] S618B, EMS (CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from EMS (CN).

[0270] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S614B to S618B and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of the above steps S614A to S618A, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0271] S619, NTME builds or updates the business model of the network twin according to the business traffic characteristic data #2.

[0272] S620, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin, and obtains evaluation result #2.

[0273] S621, NTME sends evaluation result #2 to NTME consumer, and correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result #2 from NTME.

[0274] S622, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #2.

[0275] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the above steps S619 to S622 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S524 to S527 of the above method 500, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0276] Based on the above scheme, the twin network is supported to collect business traffic characteristic data through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, and a new interface for the business experience quality assessment request (corresponding to the second request information) provided by the network twin management entity is added to support twin-based business experience quality assessment. A new management system is added to provide a business traffic characteristic data collection interface for the twin network, and the management system's measurement task management interface (corresponding to the third request information) is enhanced. The business model and business traffic characteristic data type in the network twin are added to support the collection of business traffic characteristic data, thereby supporting the rapid assessment of the business experience quality of communication services in the physical network. Furthermore, by introducing an adaptive data collection strategy, it supports adjusting the data collection and reporting cycle according to data characteristics, reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead.

[0277] It should be noted that the solutions of the above methods 400 to 600 mainly support the data collection required for building business models. In fact, the construction or update of other models / services in the twin also requires data collection. Therefore, this application provides the following Figure 7 This paper explains the common twin data collection scheme in twin networks.

[0278] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a data collection method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to Figure 1 or Figure 2 In the network architecture shown, the method flow can be executed by a network twin management entity (such as NTME) and a management system (such as NMS or EMS), or by modules and / or devices (such as chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the network twin management entity and the management system, which is not limited in this application. The following is an explanation with the network twin management entity and the management system as the execution subjects, such as Figure 7 As shown, the method includes the following steps, and the incomplete parts can refer to the existing protocol.

[0279] S710, the management system obtains first data of a first data flow in a physical network.

[0280] It should be understood that the first data refers to the data required by the network twin management entity to construct or update the first model of the network twin.

[0281] In the first implementation, when the management system is an NMS, the NMS determines the measurement task, sends a request message #a to the EMS (RAN / CN), and receives the first data from the EMS (RAN / CN). Correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the request message #a from the NMS, requests the NF / UE to collect the service traffic characteristic data according to the request message #a, and reports the first data to the NMS.

[0282] The request information #a is used to request the collection of the first data, and the request information #a includes a measurement task, and the measurement task includes a measurement object identifier associated with the first data stream, a data stream identifier, a first data type, and a measurement period. Optionally, the measurement task also includes a reporting condition, including a reporting period and a reporting event.

[0283] In a second implementation manner, when the management system is EMS (RAN / CN), the EMS (RAN / CN) determines a measurement task, requests the NF / UE to collect data, and receives first data from the NF / UE.

[0284] S720a, the management system sends first data to the network twin management entity, and correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives the first data from the management system.

[0285] S720b, the network twin management entity obtains the first data of the first data flow in the physical network.

[0286] In a first implementation manner, the management system proactively sends first data of the network twin management entity.

[0287] In the second implementation, the network twin management entity sends a request message #b to the management system, and the network twin management entity receives the first data from the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives the request message #b from the network twin management entity, determines the measurement task according to the request message #b, sends a measurement task request to the NF / UE to collect the first data, and reports the first data to the network twin management entity. Among them, the request message #b includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to indicate the collection of the first data.

[0288] It should be understood that the above step S720a can be regarded as a specific implementation method of S720b.

[0289] Exemplarily, the request information #b also includes the collection data name or model category, and the collection area.

[0290] Optionally, the request information #b also includes a collection domain, a collection cycle, and a collection strategy, wherein the collection strategy corresponds to the collection data name or model category.

[0291] Optionally, the collection strategy is not carried in the request information #b, that is, the collection strategy can be configured through a separate message. The parameters (such as static / dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method indication, or reporting threshold indication) included in the collection strategy and their interpretations can be referred to the relevant description of the above method 400, and for the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0292] Optionally, before the network twin management entity sends the request information #b to the management system, the method 700 further includes:

[0293] Exemplarily, the network twin service consumer sends a request message #c (e.g., twin service request information) to the network twin management entity. Correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives the request message #c from the network twin service consumer and determines the first data collection requirements and / or the first model that needs to be constructed based on the request message #c.

[0294] Optionally, the network twin management entity determines the first data collection requirements and / or the first model construction requirements by itself.

[0295] S730, the network twin management entity constructs or updates a first model of the network twin according to the first data.

[0296] The network twin is a digital expression of a physical network and is used to simulate a physical network. The digital expression can also be called a digital mirror. The first data stream corresponds to the first model, which is a digital expression of the first data stream and is used to simulate the transmission of the first data stream in the physical network.

[0297] Exemplarily, the first model includes one or more of the following: a topology model, a channel model, a network element model, or a service model.

[0298] Optionally, based on the first model of the network twin obtained in the above step S730, the method 700 also includes step S740, that is, the network twin management entity can use the created or updated first model of the network twin to simulate or emulate the transmission of the first data stream in the physical network, digitize the physical network, and realize synchronous analysis, prediction, improvement and optimization of the physical network, including evaluation of service experience quality, evaluation of channel transmission quality, etc., so as to achieve effective management of the physical network.

[0299] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S710 to S740 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S410 to S440 of the above method 400, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0300] Based on the above solution, by enhancing the management plane channel to collect the first data, the twin network can be supported for modeling and simulation. At the same time, a twin data collection interface provided by NMS to the network twin is added to enhance the measurement task management interface of NMS, thereby supporting the collection of the first data.

[0301] In summary, this application provides a twin data collection method that supports rapid evaluation of service experience quality, which is enhanced based on the existing network management data collection mechanism, so that the twin network can collect service traffic feature data of communication services through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, thereby supporting rapid and accurate evaluation of service experience quality and network management based on the twin network. In addition, by configuring the twin data collection strategy, adaptive reporting of service traffic feature data can be achieved, improving the efficiency of collecting and modeling service traffic feature data.

[0302] The method embodiment of the present application is described above in conjunction with the drawings, and the device embodiment of the present application is described below. It can be understood that the description of the method embodiment and the description of the device embodiment can correspond to each other, so the undescribed parts can refer to the previous method embodiment.

[0303] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the interaction between various network elements. It can be understood that each network element, such as a transmitting end device or a receiving end device, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to realize the above functions. Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this document, 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 and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of this application.

[0304] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the transmitting end device or the receiving end device according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module corresponding to each function.

[0305] Figure 8 1 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the device 1000 includes a transceiver module 1010 and / or a processing module 1020. The transceiver module 1010 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 1020 is used to perform data processing, or in other words, the transceiver module 1010 is used to perform operations related to receiving and sending, and the processing module 1020 is used to perform other operations besides receiving and sending. The transceiver module 1010 can also be called a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0306] Optionally, the device 1000 may also include a storage module 1030, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1020 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device implements the actions of the device or network element in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0307] In one design, the device 1000 may implement steps or processes executed by a network twin management entity (e.g., NTME) in the above method embodiment, or may be a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) of a network twin management entity.

[0308] The device 1000 can implement the steps or processes executed by the network twin management entity in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 1010 can be used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the network twin management entity in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 1020 can be used to execute the processing-related operations of the network twin management entity in the above method embodiment.

[0309] In another design, the device 1000 may implement the steps or processes executed by the management system (eg, NMS, EMS) in the above method embodiments, or may be a component (eg, a chip or circuit) of the management system.

[0310] The device 1000 can implement the steps or processes executed by the management system in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 1010 can be used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the management system in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 1020 can be used to execute the processing-related operations of the management system in the above method embodiment.

[0311] It should be understood that the specific process of each module executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0312] It should also be understood that the device 1000 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a proprietary processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a merged logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art may understand that the device 1000 may be specifically a communication device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the communication device in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 1000 may be specifically a network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0313] The device 1000 of each of the above-mentioned schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the equipment (such as a communication device, a network twin management entity, or a management system) in the above-mentioned method. This function can be implemented by hardware, or it can be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing modules, can be replaced by processors to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0314] In addition, the above-mentioned transceiver module 1010 can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, can include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing module can be a processing circuit.

[0315] Fig. 9 This embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of another communication device 2000. Fig. 9 As shown, the device 2000 includes a processor 2010 and a transceiver 2020. The processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 communicate with each other through an internal connection path, and the processor 2010 is used to execute instructions to control the transceiver 2020 to send signals and / or receive signals.

[0316] Optionally, the device 2000 may further include a memory 2030, and the memory 2030 communicates with the processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 through an internal connection path. The memory 2030 is used to store instructions, and the processor 2010 may execute the instructions stored in the memory 2030.

[0317] As a solution, the device 2000 is used to implement the operations performed by the network twin management entity (such as NTME) in the above various method embodiments.

[0318] As another solution, the device 2000 is used to implement the operations performed by the management system (eg, NMS, EMS) in the above method embodiments.

[0319] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0320] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0321] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0322] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0323] Fig.10 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.10 As shown, the chip system 3000 (or may also be called a processing system) includes a logic circuit 3010 and an input / output interface (input / output interface) 3020.

[0324] Among them, the logic circuit 3010 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 3000. The logic circuit 3010 can be coupled to the storage unit and call the instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 3000 can implement the methods and functions of each embodiment of the present application. The input / output interface 3020 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 3000, outputting information processed by the chip system 3000, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 3000 for processing.

[0325] As a solution, the chip system 3000 is used to implement the operations performed by the network twin management entity in the above method embodiments.

[0326] As another solution, the chip system 3000 is used to implement the operations performed by the management system in the above method embodiments.

[0327] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the device in the above-mentioned method embodiments are stored.

[0328] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0329] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, including the aforementioned network twin management entity and management system. Optionally, it also includes the aforementioned network twin service consumer entity and functional network element / terminal device.

[0330] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0331] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0332] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)). For example, the aforementioned available medium includes, but is not limited to, various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0333] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A data collection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire service flow characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, wherein the service flow characteristic data is used to describe transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; A network twin is constructed or updated according to the service traffic characteristic data. The network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The network twin includes a service model, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The obtaining of service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network includes: Sending first request information, where the first request information includes data collection indication information, where the data collection indication information is used to instruct collection of the service flow characteristic data; The service flow characteristic data is received.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier, a collection area, and a collection data name associated with the communication service.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: Before sending the first request information, the method further includes: Receive second request information, where the second request information is used to request evaluation of the service experience quality of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request information includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; According to the second request information, the collection requirements of the business traffic characteristic data are determined.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that After constructing or updating the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method further includes: Send configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the collection data name and static indication associated with the data flow of the communication service, or the configuration information includes the collection data name, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the data flow of the communication service.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

8. The method according to claim 3 or 7, characterized in that: Before sending the first request information, the method further includes: receiving second request information, where the second request information is used to request evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request information includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; According to the second request information, it is determined that the business model needs to be constructed.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7 or 8, characterized in that After constructing or updating the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method further includes: Send configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the model category and static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information includes the model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication service.

10. The method according to claim 5 or 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin to obtain an evaluation result; The evaluation result is used to indicate the value of the evaluation index of the communication service, or to indicate whether the evaluation index of the communication service meets the index requirement; In response to the second request information, the evaluation result is sent.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The indicator requirement and / or the evaluation indicator are included in the second request information, and the method further includes: The service type and / or the evaluation index are mapped into network key performance indicator KPI data for evaluating the service experience quality of the communication service.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the evaluation result indicates that the evaluation indicator of the communication service does not meet the indicator requirement, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network is optimized.

13. A data collection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire service flow characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, wherein the service flow characteristic data is used to describe transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; The business traffic characteristic data is sent, and the business traffic characteristic data is used to construct or update a network twin, wherein the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The network twin includes a service model, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that Before acquiring the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, the method further includes: Receiving first request information, wherein the first request information includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to instruct to collect the service flow characteristic data; A measurement task is determined according to the first request information, where the measurement task includes a measurement object identifier, a service flow identifier, a service traffic characteristic data type and a measurement period associated with the communication service.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The obtaining of service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network includes: Sending a third request message, where the third request message is used to request collection of the service traffic characteristic data, and the third request message includes the measurement task; The service flow characteristic data is received.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier, a collection area, and a collection data name associated with the communication service.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that After sending the service flow characteristic data, the method further includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a name of collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information including a name of collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method, and a reporting threshold; According to the configuration information, the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data are determined.

19. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16 or 19, characterized in that After sending the service flow characteristic data, the method further includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a model category and a static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information including a model category, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method, and a reporting threshold associated with the communication service; According to the configuration information, the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data are determined.

21. A data collection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The management system obtains service flow characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, wherein the service flow characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network; The management system sends the service traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system; The network twin management entity constructs or updates a network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data. The network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service and is used to simulate the transmission of the communication service data flow in the physical network.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The network twin includes a service model, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The management system obtains service flow characteristic data of communication services in the physical network, including: The management system sends third request information to the functional network element or the communication device, and the functional network element or the communication device receives the third request information from the management system, where the third request information is used to request collection of the service traffic characteristic data, and the third request information includes the measurement task; The functional network element or the communication device sends the service traffic characteristic data to the management system, and the management system receives the service traffic characteristic data from the functional network element or the communication device.

24. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system, including: The network twin management entity sends a first request message to the management system, and the management system receives the first request message from the network twin management entity, where the first request message includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to indicate the collection of the service traffic feature data; The management system sends the service traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that Before the network twin management entity sends the first request information to the management system, the method further includes: The network twin service consumer sends a second request message to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the second request message from the network twin service consumer, where the second request message is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request message includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; The network twin management entity determines the collection requirements of the business traffic characteristic data based on the second request information.

26. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that Before the network twin management entity sends the first request information to the management system, the method further includes: The network twin service consumer sends a second request message to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the second request message from the network twin service consumer, where the second request message is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request message includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; The network twin management entity determines that the business model needs to be constructed based on the second request information.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute a computer program stored in a memory, so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

29. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a communication device for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, and a communication device for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 20.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: include: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program; when the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or the computer executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

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