Upgrade management method, device, computer equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The present application relates to an upgrade management method, device, computer equipment and storage medium. The method includes: receiving a system upgrade request sent by a target object through a network public function NEF; in response to the system upgrade request, determining the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity of the target network element, the first network element load capacity characterizing the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity including the network element load capacity of the target network element at each moment in the future time period; according to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, determining the target update time information, and sending a system upgrade reply information to the target object through NEF, the system upgrade reply information including the target update time information, the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information. The use of this method can improve the efficiency of system upgrades, efficiently perform system upgrades, and improve driving safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to an upgrade management method, device, computer equipment and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing functions of vehicle hosts, the rapid development of intelligent driving and assisted driving, and the increasing demand for vehicle Internet access, the Internet of Vehicles business has gradually become an important part of the Internet of Things business. The Internet of Vehicles business can be further divided into a variety of business scenarios, among which the vehicle operating system upgrade (Over-the-Air upgrade, OTA upgrade) is a typical Internet of Vehicles business scenario. OTA upgrade has the characteristics of high bandwidth and high concurrency, and has certain requirements for the existing core network.

[0003] Currently, car companies usually need to communicate with operators in advance for OTA upgrades, and release upgrade patches for vehicle upgrades when the network is lightly loaded (such as in the early morning). However, if the vehicle is parked in an underground garage or other place with poor network signal, it may not be able to upgrade normally, affecting driving safety. The entire upgrade process requires coordination and cooperation from multiple parties, which is inefficient. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide an upgrade management method, apparatus, computer equipment and storage medium, which can improve the efficiency of system upgrades, efficiently perform system upgrades, and improve driving safety.

[0005] An upgrade management method, the method comprising:

[0006] Receiving a system upgrade request sent by a target object via a network public function NEF;

[0007] In response to the system upgrade request, determine a first network element load capacity and a second network element load capacity of a target network element, wherein the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each time in a future time period;

[0008] According to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, the target update time information is determined, and a system upgrade reply information is sent to the target object through the NEF, wherein the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information.

[0009] In one of the embodiments, determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element includes:

[0010] If the system upgrade request includes the update package size and the number of devices to be updated, the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated.

[0011] In one of the embodiments, the target network element includes at least one of UPF, AMF and SMF, the network element load capacity includes at least one of the network bandwidth share of the UPF, the number of registered users occupying the AMF, the number of sessions occupying the SMF, and the number of sessions occupying the UPF, and the network element load capacity includes the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity.

[0012] In one of the embodiments, determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated includes:

[0013] Obtain the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user in the target object, and determine the network bandwidth occupied by the UPF for updating according to the number of devices to be updated and the upper limit of the downlink rate of the single user;

[0014] Based on the number of UPFs, the bandwidth upper limit of the UPFs, and the network bandwidth occupied by the UPFs by the updates, the network bandwidth share of the UPFs is determined.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, the number of registered users occupying the AMF is the number of devices to be updated, and the number of sessions is the number of devices to be updated.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element includes:

[0017] If the update package size and / or the number of devices to be updated are missing in the system upgrade request, a first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined in response to an input operation of a network element load capacity of the target network element.

[0018] In one embodiment, determining the target update time information according to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity includes:

[0019] Determine the time required for the update based on the size of the update package and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user;

[0020] For any moment in the future time period, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, determining the moment as the update moment;

[0021] Determine an update period from each of the update moments, wherein each of the update moments in the update period is continuous and meets the duration required for the update;

[0022] The target update time information is determined according to the update period.

[0023] In one of the embodiments, determining the second network element load capacity of the target network element includes:

[0024] Acquire historical load data and load-related data of the target network element;

[0025] A second network element load capacity of the target network element is predicted based on the historical load data and the load association data.

[0026] An upgrade management device, the device comprising:

[0027] A receiving module, used for receiving a system upgrade request sent by a target object via a network public function NEF;

[0028] A first determination module is used to determine a first network element load capacity and a second network element load capacity of a target network element in response to the system upgrade request, wherein the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each time in a future time period;

[0029] The second determination module is used to determine the target update time information according to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, and send system upgrade reply information to the target object through the NEF, the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information.

[0030] In one embodiment, the first determining module is further configured to:

[0031] If the system upgrade request includes the update package size and the number of devices to be updated, the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated.

[0032] In one of the embodiments, the target network element includes at least one of UPF, AMF and SMF, the network element load capacity includes at least one of the network bandwidth share of the UPF, the number of registered users occupying the AMF, the number of sessions occupying the SMF, and the number of sessions occupying the UPF, and the network element load capacity includes the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity.

[0033] In one embodiment, the first determining module is further configured to:

[0034] Obtain the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user in the target object, and determine the network bandwidth occupied by the UPF for updating according to the number of devices to be updated and the upper limit of the downlink rate of the single user;

[0035] Based on the number of UPFs, the bandwidth upper limit of the UPFs, and the network bandwidth occupied by the UPFs by the updates, the network bandwidth share of the UPFs is determined.

[0036] In one of the embodiments, the number of registered users occupying the AMF is the number of devices to be updated, and the number of sessions is the number of devices to be updated.

[0037] In one embodiment, the first determining module is further configured to:

[0038] If the update package size and / or the number of devices to be updated are missing in the system upgrade request, a first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined in response to an input operation of a network element load capacity of the target network element.

[0039] In one embodiment, the second determining module is further configured to:

[0040] Determine the time required for the update based on the size of the update package and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user;

[0041] For any moment in the future time period, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, determining the moment as the update moment;

[0042] Determine an update period from each of the update moments, wherein each of the update moments in the update period is continuous and meets the duration required for the update;

[0043] The target update time information is determined according to the update period.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first determining module is further configured to:

[0045] Acquire historical load data and load-related data of the target network element;

[0046] A second network element load capacity of the target network element is predicted based on the historical load data and the load association data.

[0047] A computer device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor implements any one of the above upgrade management methods when executing the computer program.

[0048] A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program implements any of the above upgrade management methods when executed by a processor.

[0049] A computer program product comprises a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, any one of the above upgrade management methods is implemented.

[0050] In the above-mentioned upgrade management method, device, computer equipment and storage medium, NWDAF receives a system upgrade request sent by the target object through the network public function NEF, and in response to the system upgrade request, determines the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity of the target network element, wherein the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each moment in the future time period. Further, based on the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, the target update time information is determined, and the system upgrade reply information is sent to the target object through NEF, the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information. Based on the upgrade management method, device, computer equipment and storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, NWDAF can determine the first network element load capacity required for the target network element upgrade and predict the second network element load capacity in the future time period of the target network element based on the system upgrade request, and determine the target update time information suitable for the upgrade based on the analysis of the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, and feed it back to the target object, so that the target object performs the system upgrade based on the target update time information, which can greatly improve the system upgrade efficiency and system upgrade effect, and improve driving safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of an upgrade management method in one embodiment;

[0052] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a process of determining a load capacity of a first network element in an embodiment;

[0053] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process for determining a load capacity of a second network element in an embodiment;

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a process for determining target update time information in one embodiment;

[0055] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an upgrade management method in one embodiment;

[0056] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of signaling interaction of an upgrade management method in an embodiment;

[0057] Figure 7 A structural block diagram of an upgrade management device in an embodiment;

[0058] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a computer device in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0060] The technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0061] In order to more clearly understand the embodiments of the present application, before introducing the embodiments of the present application, the terms involved are explained first:

[0062] NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function): An intelligent analysis network element introduced in the core network after 3GPP R16. It can collect data from OAM (Operation Administration and Maintenance), NRF (Network Repository Function), other network elements themselves, and perform corresponding predictions and analysis.

[0063] SMF (Session Management Function): responsible for interacting with the separated user plane, establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions, and allocating and managing IP (Internet Protocol Address) addresses.

[0064] UPF (User plane Function): includes routing and forwarding of user data packets, data interaction with the external data network DN (Data Network), QoS (Quality of Service) processing of the user plane, implementation of flow control rules (such as gating, redirection, and traffic steering), etc.

[0065] NEF (Network Exposure Function): A network functional entity responsible for opening the network capabilities of the 5G core network to third parties or non-3GPP environments.

[0066] AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) is a key component in the 5G network architecture, which is mainly responsible for handling user access control, mobility management, user authentication and session management.

[0067] AF (Application Function): AF is similar to an application server, which interacts with other 5G core network control plane NF (Network Function) and provides business services. AF can exist for different application services and can be owned by operators or trusted third parties.

[0068] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, an upgrade management method is provided. This embodiment takes the method applied to NWDAF as an example. The method includes the following steps 102 to 106, wherein:

[0069] Step 102: receiving a system upgrade request sent by a target object via a network public function NEF.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present application, the target object may be an enterprise to be upgraded in the system, such as a car company to be upgraded in OTA. The target object may send a system upgrade request to NEF based on the upgrade requirements, and the system upgrade request is used to describe the upgrade requirements of the target object. For example, taking OTA upgrade as an example, the system upgrade request may include the update package size of the system to be updated, the number of devices to be updated, the DNN (Data Network Name) to which the vehicle belongs, the slice, the vehicle location and other information. NEF may send the system upgrade request of the target object to NWDAF.

[0071] Step 104, in response to the system upgrade request, determine the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity of the target network element, the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each moment in a future time period.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present application, NWDAF can determine the target network element involved in this upgrade based on the system upgrade request, and determine the first network element load capacity that the target network element needs to occupy in this upgrade, and the second network element load capacity corresponding to the target network element in the future time period. The target network element may include but is not limited to network elements such as UPF, AMF, SMF, etc., and the network element load capacity (first network element load capacity and second network element load capacity) includes at least one of the network bandwidth share of UPF, the number of registered users occupying AMF, the number of sessions occupying SMF, and the number of sessions occupying UPF.

[0073] Step 106, determine the target update time information based on the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, and send system upgrade reply information to the target object through NEF, the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present application, after determining the load capacity of the first network element and the load capacity of the second network element, the target update time information corresponding to the target object can be determined based on the load capacity of the first network element and the load capacity of the second network element. Exemplarily, the low load time of the target network element can be determined based on the load capacity of the second network element, and then the time that satisfies the load capacity of the first network element and the update time restriction condition is determined from the low load time, and the time is used as the target update time, wherein the update time restriction condition may include the non-upgrade time period set by the target object. For example: in order to alleviate the problem that the vehicle is parked in the underground garage in the early morning and cannot be upgraded due to poor signal, the car company can pre-set the early morning as the non-upgrade time period, and then select the time that satisfies the load capacity of the first network element and does not overlap with the non-upgrade time period from the low load time as the target update time to obtain the target update time information.

[0075] After obtaining the target update time information, a system upgrade reply message can be sent to NEF based on the target update time information. NEF can forward the system upgrade reply message to the target object, and then the target object can perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information carried in the system upgrade reply message.

[0076] In the above upgrade management method, NWDAF receives a system upgrade request sent by the target object through the network public function NEF, and in response to the system upgrade request, determines the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity of the target network element, the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each time in the future time period. Further, according to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, the target update time information is determined, and the system upgrade reply information is sent to the target object through NEF, the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to indicate that the target object performs a system upgrade based on the target update time information. Based on the upgrade management method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, NWDAF can determine the first network element load capacity required for the target network element upgrade and predict the second network element load capacity of the target network element in the future time period based on the system upgrade request, and determine the target update time information suitable for the upgrade based on the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity analysis and feedback to the target object, so that the target object performs a system upgrade based on the target update time information, which can greatly improve the system upgrade efficiency and system upgrade effect, and improve driving safety.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, in step 104, determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element may include the following steps:

[0078] If the system upgrade request includes the update package size and the number of devices to be updated, the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present application, in the process of determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element, if the system upgrade request includes the update package size and the number of devices to be updated, the first network element load capacity of the target network element can be calculated based on the update package size and the number of devices to be updated.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the network element load capacity includes the network bandwidth proportion of UPF, the number of registered users occupying AMF, the number of sessions occupying SMF, and the number of sessions occupying UPF. Figure 2 As shown, determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated may include the following steps 202 to 204, wherein:

[0081] In step 202, the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user in the target object is obtained, and the network bandwidth occupied by the UPF is determined based on the number of devices to be updated and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user;

[0082] In step 204, based on the number of UPFs, the bandwidth upper limit of the UPFs, and the updated network bandwidth occupied by the UPFs, the network bandwidth share of the UPFs is determined.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the downlink rate limit of a single user can be carried in the system upgrade request, or obtained by NWDAF from UDM (Unified Data Management, user data management function), which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application. The downlink rate limits of each user in the same target object can be the same or different. When the downlink rate limits corresponding to different users are different, the minimum value can be used as the downlink rate limit of a single user.

[0084] The network bandwidth occupied by UPF is positively correlated with the number of devices to be updated. For example, the network bandwidth occupied by UPF = the number of devices to be updated × the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user. Since UPF also has a bandwidth upper limit, the total bandwidth of UPF can be calculated based on the bandwidth upper limit of UPF and the number of deployed UPFs. For example, the bandwidth upper limit of a single UPF is 200Gbps. If a total of 8 UPFs are deployed in the province, there is a total bandwidth of 1600Gbps. The network bandwidth occupied by UPF / the total bandwidth of UPF can be calculated to calculate the network bandwidth ratio of UPF.

[0085] The number of registered users occupying AMF is the number of devices to be updated, and the number of sessions occupying SMF and the number of sessions occupying UPF are both the number of devices to be updated.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, determining a first network element load capacity of a target network element includes:

[0087] If the update package size and / or the number of devices to be updated are missing in the system upgrade request, a first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined in response to an input operation for a network element load capacity of the target network element.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present application, if the update package size and / or the number of devices to be updated are missing in the system upgrade request, that is, the data currently carried is insufficient to calculate the first network element load capacity of the target network element, the first network element load capacity can be manually entered, or the missing information can be entered, and the NWDAF will calculate the first network element load capacity of the target network element (the calculation process is the same as the aforementioned embodiment, and the embodiment of the present application will not be repeated here).

[0089] In an exemplary embodiment, referring to Figure 3 As shown, determining the second network element load capacity of the target network element in step 104 may include the following steps 302 to 304, wherein:

[0090] Step 302, obtaining historical load data and load-related data of the target network element;

[0091] Step 304: predict the second network element load capacity of the target network element according to the historical load data and the load association data.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present application, NWDAF can obtain historical load data of the target network element and other load-related data related to analyzing and predicting the load capacity of the second network element from OAM, NRF and the target network element, and can predict the load capacity of the target network element based on the historical load data and load-related data of the target network element.

[0093] For example, NWDAF can first collect historical load data, which may include CPU usage, memory usage, network bandwidth usage, number of user requests, etc. In addition to historical load data, NWDAF also needs to collect other data related to network element load, such as user location information, user behavior patterns, network topology, wireless resource usage, etc. These data can help more accurately analyze and predict network element load.

[0094] NWDAF may collect some incomplete, inconsistent or abnormal data. NWDAF will clean these data, remove invalid data and ensure the accuracy of analysis. It can also aggregate the collected historical load data and load-related data to extract key features. For example, the average or maximum value of the aggregated data is taken according to the time window to extract the key features related to the network element load capacity. NWDAF will select the appropriate machine learning or deep learning model according to the specific load prediction task. Commonly used models include time series models (such as ARIMA (ARIMA, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model, autoregressive moving average model), LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory, long short-term memory network)), regression models, classification models, etc. The model training process is to let the model learn the patterns and rules in the historical load data, so that it can predict the future network element load capacity.

[0095] Using the trained model, NWDAF can predict the network element load capacity for a certain time period in the future. For example, it can predict the network element load capacity in the next hour, day, or week. When predicting the network element load capacity, in addition to using historical load data, the influence of other related factors will also be considered. For example, if it is predicted that a large number of users will gather in a certain area (such as a sports event), NWDAF can combine this information to predict that the network element load capacity of the network element in the area will increase significantly, and then predict the second network element load capacity of the target network element.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, referring to Figure 4 As shown, in step 106, determining the target update time information according to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity may include the following steps 402 to 408, wherein:

[0097] Step 402, determining the time required for the update according to the update package size and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user;

[0098] Step 404, for any moment in the future time period, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, then determine the moment as the update moment;

[0099] Step 406, determining an update period from each update moment, wherein each update moment in the update period is continuous and meets the required time for the update;

[0100] Step 408, determining target update time information according to the update period.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present application, the time required for updating is positively correlated with the update package size and negatively correlated with the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user. Exemplarily, the time required for updating = update package size / upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user.

[0102] The second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity corresponding to each moment in the future time period. For any moment, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, the moment is determined to be the update moment. It should be noted that when the network element load capacity includes multiple categories or the target network element includes multiple network elements, the sum of the first network element load capacity of each target network element corresponding to the update moment and the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment are both less than their own total network element capacity. In one example, the update moment also needs to meet the update time restriction condition (refer to the aforementioned embodiment for details, which will not be repeated in the embodiments of the present application).

[0103] In this way, multiple update moments can be determined from the future time period. Further, multiple consecutive update moments can be taken as a time period, thereby obtaining multiple time periods. A time period greater than or equal to the time required for the update can be selected from the multiple time periods as the update time period, and the target update time information can be determined based on the update time period.

[0104] Exemplarily, if there is one update period, the update period can be directly used as the target update time information, or a moment can be selected from the update period as the start moment of the system upgrade, and the start moment can be used as the target update time information. Alternatively, if there are multiple update periods, one update period can be randomly selected from the multiple update periods, and the update period can be directly used as the target update time information, or a moment can be selected from the update period as the start moment of the system upgrade, and the start moment can be used as the target update time information; or, it can be determined whether the multiple update periods overlap with the system upgrade periods of other objects, and the update period without overlap can be used as the final update period, and the update period can be directly used as the target update time information, or a moment can be selected from the update period as the start moment of the system upgrade, and the start moment can be used as the target update time information.

[0105] In one example, if there is no time period that meets the time required for the update, the number of devices to be updated can be divided into multiple sub-numbers, and the first network element load capacity of the target network element can be determined based on the update package size and each sub-number, respectively, and the target update time information corresponding to each sub-number can be determined based on each first network element load capacity and second network element load capacity, respectively, and a system upgrade reply message is sent to the NEF. The system upgrade reply message may include each sub-number and the target update time information corresponding to each sub-number, so that when the target object is updated, the devices to be updated can be upgraded in batches according to the sub-number and the target update time information corresponding to the sub-number.

[0106] For example, the number of devices to be updated is divided into a first sub-number and a second sub-number, and the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined based on the update package size and the first sub-number (hereinafter described as the first capacity for clarity of description), and the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined based on the update package size and the second sub-number (hereinafter described as the second capacity for clarity of description). After obtaining the first capacity and the second capacity, the first target update time information can be determined based on the first capacity and the second network element load capacity, and the second target update time information can be determined based on the second capacity and the second network element load capacity. A system upgrade reply message is sent to the NEF, and the system upgrade reply message includes: (first sub-number, first target update time information), (second sub-number, second target update time information).

[0107] In the process of determining the first target update time information and the second target update time information, if the interval between the update period corresponding to the first target update time information and the update period corresponding to the second target update time information is greater than the interval threshold, the number of devices to be updated can continue to be divided into a first sub-number, a second sub-number and a third sub-number, and the target update time information corresponding to each sub-number can be re-determined until the maximum interval of the update period corresponding to each target update time information is less than or equal to the interval threshold.

[0108] In this way, if the target object cannot be fully upgraded at the right time, it can be upgraded in batches, which can ensure that the full upgrade is completed within the specified time and alleviate the impact of the upgrade on the core network.

[0109] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described below through specific examples.

[0110] This example takes the OTA upgrade of a car company as an example. The vehicle OTA upgrade process may have an impact on the core network, requiring human communication, and the process is relatively cumbersome. Using the upgrade management method provided in the embodiment of this application, the car company OTA can complete the upgrade without affecting the core network. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the specific implementation method includes:

[0111] The AF on the car manufacturer's side sends a vehicle OTA system upgrade request to the operator NEF. The request may include information such as the update package size, the number of vehicles to be updated (the number of devices to be updated), the DNN to which the vehicle belongs, the slice, and the vehicle location.

[0112] NEF can send the OTA system upgrade request to NWDAF. NWDAF determines the first network element load capacity of the target network element that needs to be occupied by this upgrade based on the parameters carried in the OTA system upgrade request. If the request does not contain the required parameters, the first network element load capacity required for the OTA upgrade can also be manually configured in NWDAF.

[0113] NWDAF obtains the historical load data and other necessary data of the network element from OAM or NRF or directly from the target network element, determines the network element load capacity of the target network element in each period in the future time period, and obtains the second network element load capacity. After NWDAF predicts the target update time information of the first network element load capacity required to meet the OTA system upgrade request based on the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, it sends the target update time information to NEF through the system upgrade reply information, and NEF forwards the target update time information to the car manufacturer AF, and the car manufacturer AF can perform OTA system upgrade based on the target update time.

[0114] During the implementation process, NWDAF can add an input parameter and an output parameter for the analysis ID of the network element load. That is, when an expected network element load value (the second network element load capacity) is input, NWDAF can output a time that meets the expectation (the expected network element load value ≥ the total network element capacity - the first network element load capacity required for the OTA upgrade).

[0115] By adopting the upgrade management method provided in the embodiment of the present application, NWDAF can realize efficient execution of OTA upgrades of automobile companies based on network element load prediction while ensuring that ordinary 2C users are not affected. There is no need for multiple parties to communicate during the process, which can reduce communication costs. NWDAF can directly predict the time when OTA upgrades can be performed, thereby improving business efficiency. In addition, this method only requires enhancement of NWDAF, and other network elements or network management and NWDAF use standard interface communication, avoiding customized development and upgrades of other core network elements and network management, and there is no need to change other peripheral network elements.

[0116] In the OTA upgrade scenario, the upgrade management method provided in the embodiment of the present application can quickly and efficiently calculate the time when OTA upgrades can be performed, reducing the communication costs between car companies and operators. At the same time, it reduces the situation where vehicles can only be upgraded late at night, and reduces the situation where vehicles cannot update the system in time due to being parked in places without network signals, thereby improving the service experience of vehicle users.

[0117] It should be understood that although Figure 1-6 The steps in the flowchart are shown in sequence as indicated by the arrows, but these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified in this document, there is no strict order restriction for the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, Figure 1-6 At least part of the steps may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily performed at the same time, but can be performed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least part of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0118] In one embodiment, Figure 7 As shown, an upgrade management device 700 is provided, including: a receiving module 702, a first determining module 704 and a second determining module 706, wherein:

[0119] The receiving module 702 is used to receive a system upgrade request sent by a target object via a network public function NEF;

[0120] A first determining module 704 is configured to determine a first network element load capacity and a second network element load capacity of a target network element in response to the system upgrade request, wherein the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each time in a future time period;

[0121] The second determination module 706 is used to determine the target update time information according to the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, and send system upgrade reply information to the target object through the NEF, wherein the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information.

[0122] Based on the upgrade management device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, NWDAF can determine the first network element load capacity required for the target network element upgrade and predict the second network element load capacity in the future time period of the target network element based on the system upgrade request, and determine the target update time information suitable for the upgrade based on the analysis of the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity, and feed it back to the target object, so that the target object performs the system upgrade based on the target update time information, which can greatly improve the system upgrade efficiency and system upgrade effect, and improve driving safety.

[0123] In one embodiment, the first determining module 704 is further configured to:

[0124] If the system upgrade request includes the update package size and the number of devices to be updated, the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated.

[0125] In one of the embodiments, the target network element includes at least one of UPF, AMF and SMF, the network element load capacity includes at least one of the network bandwidth share of the UPF, the number of registered users occupying the AMF, the number of sessions occupying the SMF, and the number of sessions occupying the UPF, and the network element load capacity includes the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity.

[0126] In one embodiment, the first determining module 704 is further configured to:

[0127] Obtain the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user in the target object, and determine the network bandwidth occupied by the UPF for updating according to the number of devices to be updated and the upper limit of the downlink rate of the single user;

[0128] Based on the number of UPFs, the bandwidth upper limit of the UPFs, and the network bandwidth occupied by the UPFs by the updates, the network bandwidth share of the UPFs is determined.

[0129] In one of the embodiments, the number of registered users occupying the AMF is the number of devices to be updated, and the number of sessions is the number of devices to be updated.

[0130] In one embodiment, the first determining module 704 is further configured to:

[0131] If the update package size and / or the number of devices to be updated are missing in the system upgrade request, a first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined in response to an input operation of a network element load capacity of the target network element.

[0132] In one embodiment, the second determining module 706 is further configured to:

[0133] Determine the time required for the update based on the size of the update package and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user;

[0134] For any moment in the future time period, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, determining the moment as the update moment;

[0135] Determine an update period from each of the update moments, wherein each of the update moments in the update period is continuous and meets the duration required for the update;

[0136] The target update time information is determined according to the update period.

[0137] In one embodiment, the first determining module 704 is further configured to:

[0138] Acquire historical load data and load-related data of the target network element;

[0139] A second network element load capacity of the target network element is predicted based on the historical load data and the load association data.

[0140] For the specific definition of the upgrade management device, please refer to the definition of the upgrade management method above, which will not be repeated here. Each module in the above-mentioned upgrade management device can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware and a combination thereof. Each of the above-mentioned modules can be embedded in or independent of the processor in the computer device in the form of hardware, or can be stored in the memory of the computer device in the form of software, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each of the above modules.

[0141] In one embodiment, a computer device is provided. The computer device may be a terminal, and its internal structure diagram may be as follows: Figure 8As shown. The computer device includes a processor, a memory, a communication interface, a display screen and an input device connected through a system bus. Among them, the processor of the computer device is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the computer device includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system and a computer program. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and the computer program in the non-volatile storage medium. The communication interface of the computer device is used to communicate with an external terminal in a wired or wireless manner, and the wireless manner can be achieved through WIFI, a mobile cellular network, NFC (near field communication) or other technologies. When the computer program is executed by the processor, an upgrade management method is implemented. The display screen of the computer device can be a liquid crystal display screen or an electronic ink display screen, and the input device of the computer device can be a touch layer covered on the display screen, or a key, trackball or touchpad set on the computer device shell, or an external keyboard, touchpad or mouse, etc.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 8 The structure shown in the figure is only a block diagram of a part of the structure related to the solution of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the solution of the present application is applied. The specific computer device may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different arrangement of components.

[0143] In one embodiment, a computer device is further provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor implements the steps in the above method embodiments when executing the computer program.

[0144] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented.

[0145] In one embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program, which implements the steps in the above method embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0146] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties.

[0147] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to the memory, database or other medium used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. As an illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The database involved in each embodiment provided in this application may include at least one of a relational database and a non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include distributed databases based on blockchains, etc., but are not limited to this. The processor involved in each embodiment provided in this application may be a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device, a data processing logic device based on quantum computing, etc., but are not limited to this.

[0148] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0149] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An upgrade management method, characterized in that: Applied to NWDAF, the method comprises: Receiving a system upgrade request sent by a target object via a network public function NEF; In response to the system upgrade request, determine a first network element load capacity and a second network element load capacity of the target network element, wherein the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each time in a future time period; wherein, if the system upgrade request includes an update package size and a number of devices to be updated, determine the first network element load capacity of the target network element according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated; Determine the time required for the update based on the size of the update package and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user; For any moment in the future time period, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, determining the moment as the update moment; Determine an update period from each of the update moments, and if the update period exists, determine target update time information according to the update period, wherein each of the update moments in the update period is continuous and meets the required duration for the update; or, In the absence of the update period, the number of devices to be updated is divided into a plurality of sub-numbers, and the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined based on the update package size and each sub-number respectively, and the target update time information corresponding to each sub-number is determined based on each first network element load capacity and second network element load capacity respectively, and if the interval between the update periods corresponding to the target update time information of any two of the sub-numbers is greater than the interval threshold, the sub-numbers are divided again and the target update time information is determined again until the interval between the update periods corresponding to any two of the target update time information is less than or equal to the interval threshold; The NEF sends system upgrade reply information to the target object, wherein the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The target network element includes at least one of UPF, AMF and SMF, and the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity include at least one of the network bandwidth proportion of the UPF, the number of registered users occupying the AMF, the number of sessions occupying the SMF, and the number of sessions occupying the UPF.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The determining, according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated, a first network element load capacity of the target network element includes: Obtain the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user in the target object, and determine the network bandwidth occupied by the UPF for updating according to the number of devices to be updated and the upper limit of the downlink rate of the single user; Based on the number of UPFs, the bandwidth upper limit of the UPFs, and the network bandwidth occupied by the UPFs by the updates, the network bandwidth share of the UPFs is determined.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of registered users occupying the AMF is the number of devices to be updated, and the number of sessions is the number of devices to be updated.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining the first network element load capacity of the target network element includes: If the update package size and / or the number of devices to be updated are missing in the system upgrade request, a first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined in response to an input operation of a network element load capacity of the target network element.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that Determining a second network element load capacity of the target network element includes: Acquire historical load data and load-related data of the target network element; A second network element load capacity of the target network element is predicted based on the historical load data and the load association data.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In the case where there are multiple update periods, determining the target update time information according to the update period includes: Determine a target update period from each of the update periods, wherein the target update period is an update period that does not overlap with update periods corresponding to other objects; The target update time information is determined according to the target update period.

8. An upgrade management device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A receiving module, used for receiving a system upgrade request sent by a target object via a network public function NEF; A first determination module is configured to determine a first network element load capacity and a second network element load capacity of a target network element in response to the system upgrade request, wherein the first network element load capacity represents the network element load capacity required for the upgrade, and the second network element load capacity includes the network element load capacity of the target network element at each time in a future time period; wherein if the system upgrade request includes an update package size and a number of devices to be updated, the first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined according to the update package size and the number of devices to be updated; The second determination module is used to determine the time required for the update according to the update package size and the upper limit of the downlink rate of a single user; for any moment in the future time period, if the sum of the network element load capacity corresponding to the moment and the first network element load capacity is less than the total network element capacity of the target network element, then determine the moment as the update moment; determine the update time period from each of the update moments, and if the update time period exists, determine the target update time information according to the update time period, and each of the update moments in the update time period is continuous and meets the time required for the update; or if the update time period does not exist, divide the number of devices to be updated into multiple sub-numbers, and determine the target number based on the update package size and each sub-number respectively. The first network element load capacity of the target network element is determined, and the target update time information corresponding to each sub-quantity is determined based on the first network element load capacity and the second network element load capacity respectively; if the interval between the update time periods corresponding to the target update time information of any two sub-quantities is greater than the interval threshold, the sub-quantities are divided again and the target update time information is determined again until the interval between the update time periods corresponding to any two target update time information is less than or equal to the interval threshold; system upgrade reply information is sent to the target object through the NEF, the system upgrade reply information includes the target update time information, and the system upgrade reply information is used to instruct the target object to perform a system upgrade based on the target update time information.

9. A computer device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, wherein: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented.

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