Customized network service flow control method and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a customized network service flow control method and related equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication. A mobile core network receives SRv6 contract signing strategy related information sent by a PCF network element through an SMF network element, constructs header information of an IPv6 message according to the SRv6 contract signing strategy related information, and sends the header information of the IPv6 message to an IP bearer network through a UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes a user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards the user message to a corresponding customized network, and a user SRv6 attribute signing function is configured on the PCF network element. According to the invention, real-time transmission of the signing strategy attribute of the 5G user service from the mobile core network to the IP bearer network is realized, and the mobile core network and the IP bearer network cooperatively provide the network capability required by the service, so that the deployment of the service is more flexible and simpler, the service differentiation capability is enriched, the flow revolution is reduced, and the network efficiency is improved.

Description

Background Art

[0002] 5G (fifth generation mobile communication technology) customized network refers to the network architecture and services tailored to the needs of specific users or organizations. With the diversification of user or organizational needs, the services of 5G customized network have also become more complex and diverse, which puts forward higher requirements on the network's business diversion, flexible control and service level agreement (SLA) capabilities.

[0003] However, the existing mobile core network has problems such as cumbersome signaling interaction, insufficient functions and complex business logic in service implementation, and usually requires major network transformation. This makes it difficult for the existing network to meet the needs of 5G customized networks in product innovation and service promotion.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a customized network service flow control method, device, electronic device, computer-readable storage medium and computer program product, which, at least to a certain extent, make the deployment of services more flexible and simple, enrich the service differentiation capabilities, and also reduce traffic detours and improve network efficiency.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by the practice of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a customized network service flow control method is provided, which is applied to a mobile core network, wherein the mobile core network includes a policy control function PCF network element, a session management function SMF network element and a user plane function UPF network element, and the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function, including: receiving SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element; constructing IPv6 message header information according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information; sending the IPv6 message header information to an IP bearer network through the UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the IPv6 message header information and forwards it to the corresponding customized network.

[0008] In some embodiments, the SRv6 subscription policy related information includes a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be visited, and a control policy; the SMF network element and the UPF network element both support SRv6 functions; wherein, constructing the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information includes: constructing the header information of the IPv6 message based on the SRH, the destination network segment, and the control policy by the SMF network element; sending the header information of the IPv6 message to the UPF network element by the SMF network element; or, sending the SRH, the destination network segment, and the control policy to the UPF network element by the SMF network element; constructing the header information of the IPv6 message based on the SRH, the destination network segment, and the control policy by the UPF network element.

[0009] In some embodiments, an extension field is newly added to the N7 interface, and the N7 interface is used to implement communication between the PCF network element and the SMF network element, and the extension field is used to send the SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

[0010] In some embodiments, before receiving the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element, the method also includes: in response to the customized network user going online and completing the authentication registration, initiating a user subscription policy request to the PCF network element through the SMF network element; determining the SRv6 subscription policy related information according to the user subscription policy request through the PCF network element.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to a change request, changing the SRv6 subscription policy related information through the PCF network element, and sending the changed SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a customized network service flow control method is also provided, which is applied to an IP bearer network, including: receiving header information of an IPv6 message sent by a user plane function UPF network element, the header information of the IPv6 message including a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be visited, and a control policy; forwarding the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and processing the user message according to the control policy.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a customized network service flow control device is also provided, which is applied to a mobile core network, including: a first receiving module, used to receive SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by a policy control function PCF network element through a session management function SMF network element, wherein the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function; a construction module, used to construct the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information; a sending module, used to send the header information of the IPv6 message to the IP bearer network through the user plane function UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a customized network service flow control device is also provided, which is applied to an IP bearer network, including: a second receiving module, used to receive header information of an IPv6 message sent by a user plane function UPF network element, the header information of the IPv6 message including a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be visited and a control policy; a forwarding processing module, used to forward the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and process the user message according to the control policy.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, which includes: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the above-mentioned customized network service flow control methods by executing the executable instructions.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the customized network service flow control method described in any one of the above is implemented.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including: a computer program or instructions, wherein when the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, any one of the above-mentioned customized network service flow control methods is implemented.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile core network receives the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element, and constructs the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information, and then sends the header information of the IPv6 message to the IP bearer network through the UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network, wherein the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function. The present disclosure realizes the real-time transmission of the subscription policy attributes of 5G user services from the mobile core network to the IP bearer network, and the mobile core network and the IP bearer network cooperate to provide the network capabilities required for the service, making the deployment of the service more flexible and simple, enriching the service differentiation capability, while also reducing traffic detours and improving network efficiency.

[0019] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a customized network service flow control system in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a customized network service flow control system in another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 A flow chart of a customized network service flow control method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 4 A flow chart of a customized network service flow control method in another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 5 A flow chart of a customized network service flow control method in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a customized network service flow control device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a customized network service flow control device in another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 8A schematic diagram of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0030] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and their repeated description will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0031] For ease of understanding, before introducing the embodiments of the present disclosure, several terms involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are first explained as follows:

[0032] SRH (Segment Routing Header): used to control the behavior of SRv6 routers in forwarding user data packets.

[0033] DNN (Data Network Name): Equivalent to the APN (Access Point Name) of the 4G (fourth generation mobile communication technology) network, it can be used to select SMF and UPF for PDU (Protocol Data Unit) sessions, select the N6 interface for the PDU session, and determine the policy to be applied to this PDU session.

[0034] PCF (Policy Control Function): A 5G core network control plane function responsible for policy control, mainly managing the QoS of each service data flow in the 5G core network.

[0035] UDM (Unified Data Management): stores information such as user data, network service configuration files, and network access policies.

[0036] AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function): responsible for UE identity authentication, authorization, registration, mobility management and connection management.

[0037] SMF (Session Management Function): responsible for managing user sessions and related resources.

[0038] UPF (User Plane Function) is a key component in the 5G network architecture. It is mainly responsible for forwarding and processing user data.

[0039] IP (Internet Protocol) is a protocol for transmitting data in a network, which can be used for address allocation. For example, each device connected to the network is assigned a unique IP address for identifying and locating the device. IP addresses can be in IPv4 (for example: 192.168.0.1) or IPv6 (for example: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334) format.

[0040] IP Backbone Network refers to a network architecture based on the Internet Protocol (IP) that carries various data traffic and services.

[0041] SRv6 (Segment Routing over IPv6) is an IPv6-based network architecture that combines segment routing technology with IPv6 to provide more flexible and efficient network traffic engineering and management.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the system architecture includes a terminal device 101, an access network device 102, a mobile core network 103 and an IP bearer network 104; wherein the terminal device 101, the access network device 102, the mobile core network 103 and the IP bearer network 104 communicate through a network, and the network can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0043] Optionally, the wireless network or wired network described above uses standard communication technology and / or protocol. The network is usually the Internet, but it can also be any network, including but not limited to a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile, wired or wireless network, a dedicated network or any combination of a virtual private network). In some embodiments, the data exchanged through the network is represented by technologies and / or formats including Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), etc. In addition, conventional encryption technologies such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Network (VPN), Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) can also be used to encrypt all or some links. In other embodiments, customized and / or dedicated data communication technologies can also be used to replace or supplement the above data communication technologies.

[0044] Optionally, the terminal device 101 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may also be referred to as UE (User Equipment). In a specific implementation, the terminal device 101 may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Tablet Personal Computer), a laptop computer (Laptop Computer), a personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA), a mobile Internet device (Mobile Internet Device, MID), a wearable device (Wearable Device) or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of the terminal device 101 is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] The access network device 102 may be a base station, a relay or an access point, etc. The base station may be a base station of 5G or later versions (e.g., 5G NR NB), or a base station in other communication systems (e.g., an eNB base station). It should be noted that the specific type of the network side device is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] The mobile core network 103 may be a 5G core network, which mainly includes network elements such as a user plane function (UPF), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a network slice selection function (NSSF), a policy control function (PCF), and a user data management function (UDM). These network elements work together to achieve efficient management of user data flows, flexible configuration of network slices, support for mobility, and guarantee of service quality, thereby meeting diverse application scenarios and user needs.

[0047] The IP bearer network 104 is a network used to provide customized services to users. In response to the online authentication and registration of the customized network user, the user completes the user contract on the mobile core network 103, and the contract policy attributes of the 5G user service are transmitted from the mobile core network to the IP bearer network in real time, and the mobile core network and the IP bearer network collaborate to provide the network capabilities required for the service.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 1 The number of terminal devices and access network devices in the example is only illustrative, and any number of terminal devices and access network devices may be provided according to actual needs. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0049] For example, Figure 2 As shown, the user UE accesses the mobile core network through a base station (e.g., Next Generation Node B, gNB), and completes the user subscription related to the SRv6-related policy on the PCF of the mobile core network, so that the IP bearer network processes the user's message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information. For example, the IP bearer network forwards the message to the corresponding destination network (e.g., private network 1) according to the SRH decision.

[0050] Under the above system architecture, a customized network service flow control method is provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method can be executed by a mobile core network or other devices with computing capabilities.

[0051] Figure 3 A flow chart of a customized network service flow control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the present disclosure is applied to a mobile core network, which includes a policy control function PCF network element, a session management function SMF network element and a user plane function UPF network element. The PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute signing function. The customized network service flow control method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following S301 to S303.

[0052] S301, receiving SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the SRv6 subscription policy related information is information related to the SRv6 subscription. For example, the SRv6 subscription policy related information may include a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be accessed, and a control policy, wherein the control policy may be a priority, a flow label, a jump limit, and the like, and the control policy may also be a QOS (Quality of Service) policy.

[0054] In the disclosed embodiment, since a new user SRv6 attribute signing function is added to the PCF network element, it can provide higher flexibility and controllability for the network, and can better meet the ever-changing application and service requirements in modern networks.

[0055] In one embodiment, before receiving the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element, the method may further include the following steps A1 and A2.

[0056] Step A1, in response to the customized network user completing the authentication registration online, a user subscription policy request is initiated to the PCF network element through the SMF network element. The customized network user is a user to be assigned a customized network.

[0057] Exemplarily, a customized network user accesses the AMF network element of the mobile core network through a base station for authentication and registration for the user to be assigned a customized network. After the SMF network element receives the authentication and registration completion response, the SMF network element initiates a user contract policy request to the PCF network element. Among them, the user contract policy request carries one or more of the control policy, the destination network segment to be accessed, user information (such as user mobile phone number, device name, UUID (universally unique identifier), etc.) and forwarding path (such as SRH). For example, the user contract policy request carries the destination network segment to be accessed, user information (such as user mobile phone number, device name, UUID (universally unique identifier), etc.).

[0058] It should be noted that the present disclosure can add new fields through the SRH to flexibly adjust the network traffic path without reconstructing the entire network.

[0059] Step A2: Determine SRv6 subscription policy related information according to the user subscription policy request through the PCF network element.

[0060] In the disclosed embodiment, the PCF network element can search and obtain SRv6 subscription policy related information from the user subscription policy request, thereby facilitating the encapsulation of the SRv6 subscription policy related information into a message and transmitting it to the IP bearer network through the SMF network element or the UPF network element.

[0061] It should be noted that the PCF network element can issue the corresponding control policy according to the user subscription policy request. The PCF network element can also obtain the control policy from the user subscription policy. The embodiment of the present disclosure can be selected according to the actual application scenario.

[0062] The disclosed implementation completes authentication registration in response to the online user of the customized network, initiates a user signing policy request to the PCF network element through the SMF network element, and the PCF network element determines the SRv6 signing policy-related information based on the user signing policy request and completes the user signing function, which can greatly simplify the business network implementation logic of the existing 5G customized network.

[0063] S302: Construct header information of an IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information.

[0064] The disclosed embodiment encapsulates the SRv6 subscription policy related information into the header information of the IPv6 message, so as to facilitate the transmission of the SRv6 subscription policy related information to the IP bearer network.

[0065] S303: Send the header information of the IPv6 message to the IP bearer network through the UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network.

[0066] The disclosed embodiment receives SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by PCF network element through SMF network element, constructs header information of IPv6 message according to SRv6 subscription policy related information, and then sends header information of IPv6 message to IP bearer network through UPF network element, so that IP bearer network processes user message according to header information of IPv6 message and forwards it to corresponding customized network. The PCF network element is configured with user SRv6 attribute subscription function, so as to realize real-time transmission of subscription policy attributes of 5G user service from mobile core network to IP bearer network. The mobile core network and IP bearer network cooperate to provide network capabilities required for service, so as to make service deployment more flexible and simple, enrich service differentiation capability, reduce traffic detour and improve network efficiency.

[0067] In addition, the disclosed service is flexible and simple to implement, with less signaling interaction.

[0068] It should be noted that the present disclosure can be applied to the deployment of 5G customized network services such as education private networks and government networks. In addition, the deployment of the present disclosure in 5G 2B networks (5G To Business) can promote the rapid development of the scale of 5G customized network services. Compared with 5G 2C (To Consumer) networks, 5G 2B networks focus more on meeting the specific needs of enterprises.

[0069] The present disclosure is further described below through several exemplary embodiments.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the SRv6 subscription policy related information includes a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be accessed, and a control policy; both the SMF network element and the UPF network element support the SRv6 function. Among them, constructing the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information can be implemented through the following four embodiments.

[0071] In one embodiment, the header information of the IPv6 message is constructed based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy by the SMF network element; and the header information of the IPv6 message is sent to the UPF network element by the SMF network element.

[0072] In another embodiment, the SRH, destination network segment and control policy are sent to the UPF network element through the SMF network element; the UPF network element constructs the header information of the IPv6 message based on the SRH, destination network segment and control policy.

[0073] In another embodiment, the header information of the IPv6 message is constructed by the SMF network element based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy.

[0074] In yet another embodiment, the header information of the IPv6 message is constructed by the UPF network element based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy.

[0075] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, since both the SMF network element and the UPF network element support the SRv6 function, both can construct the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy, thereby transmitting the SRv6 subscription policy related information to the IP bearer network, thereby realizing the control of the customized network service flow.

[0076] In another exemplary embodiment, an extension field is added to the N7 interface, and the N7 interface is used to realize communication between the PCF network element and the SMF network element. The extension field is used to send SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to send the SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element or the UPF network element, an extension field is added to the N7 interface. Exemplarily, an extension field is added to the N7 interface new extension field table: SRv6Rules, which is used to transmit the destination network segment accessed by the user and the corresponding SRv6 attributes such as SRH, for example, the SRv6 subscription policy related information is sent to the SMF network element or the UPF network element through the extension field.

[0078] In the disclosed embodiment, the IP bearer network may be an SRv6 bearer network.

[0079] The disclosed embodiment adds an SRv6 policy signing function and an N7 interface extension field to the PCF network element to transmit user service policy attributes to the SRv6 bearer network in real time, thereby realizing network-wide perception of user attributes, flexible and simple service implementation, and less signaling interaction.

[0080] In another exemplary embodiment, the method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may also include: in response to a change request, changing the SRv6 subscription policy related information through the PCF network element, and sending the changed SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the change request may be a request sent by a user to change information related to an SRv6 subscription policy, or may be a request sent by an operator to change information related to an SRv6 subscription policy, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0082] Exemplarily, the user of the customized network sends a change request to the mobile core network through the base station, and the AMF network element on the mobile core network performs identity authentication. If the authentication is passed, the change information carried in the change request is sent to the PCF network element, and the PCF network element changes the SRv6 subscription policy related information and sends the changed SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element. For example, the change information is to change private network 1 to private network 2.

[0083] The disclosed embodiment modifies the SRv6 subscription policy related information through the PCF network element, further making the service deployment more flexible and simple, enriching the service differentiation capability, while also reducing traffic detours and improving network efficiency.

[0084] In summary, the disclosed embodiment adds a user SRv6 attribute signing function to the PCF network element, and adds a new N7 interface extension field for transmitting user SRv6 related policies (for example, SRv6 signing policy related information). The SMF network element / UPF network element constructs the information of the IPv6 message header such as the SRH of the user data message based on the SRv6 signing policy related information issued by the PCF network element, and forwards it to the SRv6 bearer network for processing. The SRv6 bearer network perceives the policy attributes of the mobile user based on the information such as the SRH of the user IPv6 message header, and processes and forwards the user message accordingly.

[0085] The present disclosure realizes the seamless transmission of mobile user policy attributes between the mobile core network and the IP bearer network, and realizes the differentiated bearing and flexible control of 5G customized network service traffic based on the collaborative processing of the mobile core network and the IP bearer network, which greatly simplifies the service network implementation logic of the existing 5G customized network and effectively reduces the load on the backbone bearer network.

[0086] Based on the same inventive concept, another customized network service flow control method is also provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, as described in the following embodiment. Since the principle of solving the problem in the embodiment of the method is similar to that in the above embodiment of the method, the implementation of the embodiment of the method can refer to the implementation of the above embodiment of the method, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0087] Figure 4 A flow chart of a customized network service flow control method in another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as follows: Figure 4 As shown, applied to an IP bearer network, the customized network service flow control method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following S401 and S402.

[0088] S401, receiving the header information of the IPv6 message sent by the user plane function UPF network element, the header information of the IPv6 message includes the segment routing header SRH, the destination network segment to be visited and the control policy.

[0089] S402: forward the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and process the user message according to the control policy.

[0090] The IP bearer network of the disclosed embodiment receives the header information of the IPv6 message sent by the user plane function UPF network element, forwards the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and processes the user message according to the control strategy, thereby realizing flexible deployment of services and effectively reducing the load of the backbone bearer network.

[0091] The present disclosure is further described below through examples.

[0092] Figure 5 A flow chart of a customized network service flow control method in another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as follows: Figure 5 It is shown that the customized network service flow control method includes S501 to S505.

[0093] S501, 5G customized network user goes online and completes authentication and registration.

[0094] S502, the SMF network element initiates a user subscription policy request to the PCF network element.

[0095] S503, the PCF network element queries and obtains the SRH, the destination network segment to be accessed and the control policy, and returns it to the SMF network element through the extended field SRv6Rules newly added to the N7 interface. The extended field includes the destination network segment accessed by the user, the corresponding SRH information and the control policy.

[0096] S504, the SMF network element / UPF network element encapsulates the IPv6 message according to the content of the SRv6Rules field returned by the PCF network element. The header information of the IPv6 message includes the SRH and the destination network segment, and forwards the user data message to the corresponding network element of the SRv6 bearer network for processing. It should be noted that the destination network segment can be represented by DNN.

[0097] S505, the SRv6 bearer network processes the message according to the header information of the IPv6 message, for example, forwarding the message to the corresponding destination network according to the SRH decision.

[0098] The disclosed embodiment adds a user SRv6 attribute signing function and an N7 interface extension field in the PCF network element to transmit user service policy attributes to the SRv6 presence network in real time. The mobile core network and the bearer network collaborate to implement service control of the 5G customized network. The service implementation is flexible and simple, with less signaling interaction.

[0099] It should be noted that, since the IP bearer network cannot perceive the service policies and attributes of mobile users, the control of the diversion of 5G customized network service traffic can only be completed through the core network, which has many problems such as numerous interactive signaling, traffic detour, and frequent network element upgrades. This disclosure adds a user SRv6 attribute signing function and an N7 interface extension field to the PCF network element to pass the user service policy attributes to the SRv6 network in real time. The mobile core network and the bearer network work together to realize the service control of the 5G customized network, making the service deployment more flexible and simple, enriching the service differentiation capability, while also reducing traffic detours, improving network efficiency, and reducing signaling interactions.

[0100] Based on the same inventive concept, the disclosed embodiment also provides a customized network service flow control device, as described in the following embodiment. Since the principle of solving the problem in the device embodiment is similar to that in the above method embodiment, the implementation of the device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0101] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a customized network service flow control device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6As shown, the device is applied to a mobile core network, and includes: a first receiving module 61, a construction module 62, and a sending module 63. The first receiving module 61 can be used to receive SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by a policy control function PCF network element through a session management function SMF network element, wherein the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function; the construction module 62 can be used to construct the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information; the sending module 63 can be used to send the header information of the IPv6 message to the IP bearer network through the user plane function UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network.

[0102] In one embodiment, the SRv6 subscription policy related information includes the segment routing header SRH, the destination network segment to be visited and the control policy; both the SMF network element and the UPF network element support the SRv6 function; the construction module 62 can also be used to construct the header information of the IPv6 message based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy through the SMF network element; send the header information of the IPv6 message to the UPF network element through the SMF network element; or, send the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy to the UPF network element through the SMF network element; construct the header information of the IPv6 message based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy through the UPF network element.

[0103] In one embodiment, an extension field is added to the N7 interface, and the N7 interface is used to implement communication between the PCF network element and the SMF network element. The extension field is used to send SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

[0104] In one embodiment, before receiving the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element, the first receiving module 61 can also be used to respond to the customized network user going online to complete the authentication registration, and initiate a user subscription policy request to the PCF network element through the SMF network element; determine the SRv6 subscription policy related information according to the user subscription policy request through the PCF network element.

[0105] In one embodiment, the first receiving module 61 can also be used to respond to a change request, change the SRv6 subscription policy related information through the PCF network element, and send the changed SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

[0106] The customized network service flow control device disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure can realize the real-time transmission of the contract policy attributes of 5G user services from the mobile core network to the IP bearer network. The mobile core network and the IP bearer network collaborate to provide the network capabilities required for the services, making the deployment of services more flexible and simple, enriching the service differentiation capabilities, while also reducing traffic detours and improving network efficiency.

[0107] It should be noted that the examples and application scenarios implemented by the modules in the above-mentioned device embodiment are the same as those of the corresponding steps in the method embodiment, but are not limited to the contents disclosed in the above-mentioned method embodiment. It should be noted that the above-mentioned modules as part of the device can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer executable instructions.

[0108] Based on the same inventive concept, the disclosed embodiment also provides a customized network service flow control device, as described in the following embodiment. Since the principle of solving the problem in the device embodiment is similar to that in the above method embodiment, the implementation of the device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0109] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a customized network service flow control device in another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the device is applied to an IP bearer network, and includes: a second receiving module 71 and a forwarding processing module 72. The second receiving module 71 can be used to receive the header information of the IPv6 message sent by the user plane function UPF network element, and the header information of the IPv6 message includes the segment routing header SRH, the destination network segment to be visited and the control policy; the forwarding processing module 72 can be used to forward the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and process the user message according to the control policy.

[0110] The customized network service flow control device disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure can realize flexible deployment of services and can also effectively reduce the load of the backbone bearer network.

[0111] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure may be specifically implemented in the following forms, namely: a complete hardware implementation, a complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an implementation that combines hardware and software aspects, which may be collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0112] Based on the same inventive concept, an electronic device is also provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the above-mentioned customized network service flow control methods by executing the executable instructions. Since the principle of solving the problem in the electronic device embodiment is similar to that in the above-mentioned method embodiment, the implementation of the electronic device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above-mentioned method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0113] Refer to the following Figure 8 The electronic device 800 according to this embodiment of the present disclosure is described. Figure 8 The electronic device 800 shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0114] like Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 800 is in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 800 may include but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 810, at least one storage unit 820, and a bus 830 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 820 and the processing unit 810).

[0115] The storage unit stores a program code, and the program code can be executed by the processing unit 810, so that the processing unit 810 executes the steps described in the above "Exemplary Method" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the processing unit 810 can execute the following steps of the above method embodiment: the mobile core network receives the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element through the SMF network element; constructs the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information; sends the header information of the IPv6 message to the IP bearer network through the UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network, wherein the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function. Or, the IP bearer network receives the header information of the IPv6 message sent by the user plane function UPF network element, and the header information of the IPv6 message includes the segment routing header SRH, the destination network segment to be visited, and the control policy; forwards the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and processes the user message according to the control policy.

[0116] The storage unit 820 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access memory unit (RAM) 8201 and / or a cache memory unit 8202 , and may further include a read-only memory unit (ROM) 8203 .

[0117] The storage unit 820 may also include a program / utility 8204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 8205, such program modules 8205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0118] Bus 830 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory unit bus or memory unit controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0119] The electronic device 800 may also communicate with one or more external devices 840 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.), may also communicate with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 800, and / or communicate with any device that enables the electronic device 800 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., routers, modems, etc.). Such communication may be performed via an input / output (I / O) interface 850. Furthermore, the electronic device 800 may also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via a network adapter 860. As shown, the network adapter 860 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 800 via a bus 830. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with the electronic device 800, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems, etc.

[0120] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0121] Based on the same inventive concept, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, any one of the above-mentioned customized network service flow control methods is implemented. Since the principle of solving the problem in the embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium is similar to that in the above-mentioned method embodiment, the implementation of the embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium can refer to the implementation of the above-mentioned method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0122] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in the present disclosure may include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more conductors, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0123] In the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, wherein a readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0124] Alternatively, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0125] In a specific implementation, the program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a separate software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0126] Based on the same inventive concept, a computer program product is also provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, including a computer program product, including: a computer program or an instruction, wherein when the computer program or the instruction is executed by a processor, the customized network service flow control method of any one of the above method embodiments is implemented. Since the principle of solving the problem in the computer program product embodiment is similar to that in the above method embodiment, the implementation of the computer program product embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0127] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units to be embodied.

[0128] In addition, although the steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in this specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired results. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps, etc.

[0129] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The description and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A customized network service flow control method, characterized in that: Applied to a mobile core network, the mobile core network includes a policy control function PCF network element, a session management function SMF network element and a user plane function UPF network element, and the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function, including: Receiving, through the SMF network element, the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element; Constructing the header information of the IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information; The header information of the IPv6 message is sent to the IP bearer network through the UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network.

2. The customized network service flow control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The SRv6 subscription policy related information includes a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be accessed, and a control policy; both the SMF network element and the UPF network element support the SRv6 function; The header information of the IPv6 message is constructed according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information, including: Constructing the header information of the IPv6 message based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control strategy through the SMF network element; sending the header information of the IPv6 message to the UPF network element through the SMF network element; or, The SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy are sent to the UPF network element through the SMF network element; and the header information of the IPv6 message is constructed based on the SRH, the destination network segment and the control policy through the UPF network element.

3. The customized network service flow control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: A new extension field is added to the N7 interface, and the N7 interface is used to realize communication between the PCF network element and the SMF network element. The extension field is used to send the SRv6 subscription policy related information to the SMF network element.

4. The customized network service flow control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before receiving, through the SMF network element, the SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by the PCF network element, the method further includes: In response to the customized network user going online and completing the authentication registration, a user subscription policy request is initiated to the PCF network element through the SMF network element; The PCF network element determines the SRv6 subscription policy related information according to the user subscription policy request.

5. The customized network service flow control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: In response to the change request, the SRv6 subscription policy related information is changed through the PCF network element, and the changed SRv6 subscription policy related information is sent to the SMF network element.

6. A customized network service flow control method, characterized in that: Applied to IP bearer networks, including: Receive the header information of the IPv6 message sent by the user plane function UPF network element, where the header information of the IPv6 message includes the segment routing header SRH, the destination network segment to be visited and the control policy; The user message is forwarded to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and the user message is processed according to the control strategy.

7. A customized network service flow control device, characterized in that: Applied to mobile core networks, including: A first receiving module is used to receive SRv6 subscription policy related information sent by a policy control function PCF network element through a session management function SMF network element, wherein the PCF network element is configured with a user SRv6 attribute subscription function; A construction module, used to construct header information of an IPv6 message according to the SRv6 subscription policy related information; The sending module is used to send the header information of the IPv6 message to the IP bearer network through the user plane function UPF network element, so that the IP bearer network processes the user message according to the header information of the IPv6 message and forwards it to the corresponding customized network.

8. A customized network service flow control device, characterized in that: Applied to IP bearer networks, including: A second receiving module is used to receive header information of an IPv6 message sent by a user plane function UPF network element, wherein the header information of the IPv6 message includes a segment routing header SRH, a destination network segment to be accessed, and a control policy; A forwarding processing module is used to forward the user message to the customized network corresponding to the destination network segment according to the SRH, and process the user message according to the control strategy.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the customized network service flow control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by executing the executable instructions.

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 customized network service flow control method described in any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

11. A computer program product comprising: A computer program or instruction, characterized in that when the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, it implements the customized network service flow control method described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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