Method and apparatus for offloading traffic in wireless communications

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting data rates beyond 4G communication systems, such as LTE. In particular, disclosed is a method executed by a first device in a communication system, comprising: detecting that a traffic processing rule in a second device that processes traffic together with the first device needs to be updated; determining whether to update a traffic processing rule to be used in the second device based on the performance information of the first device and performance summary information of the second device; and communicating information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the second device based on the determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for implementing efficient data transmission and reception between a base station and a terminal by offloading traffic in the communication system. Background Art

[0002] Considering the development of wireless communications in recent years, the development of technology has been mainly for human services, such as voice calls, multimedia services, and data services. However, with the commercialization of the fifth generation (5G) communication system, it is expected that an exponentially increasing number of connected devices will be connected to the communication network. Examples of connected things include vehicles, robots, drones, home appliances, displays, smart sensors connected to various infrastructures, construction machinery, and factory equipment. Mobile devices are expected to evolve into various forms, such as augmented reality glasses, virtual reality headsets, and holographic devices. In order to provide various services by connecting hundreds of billions of devices and things in the sixth generation (6G) era, efforts have been made to develop an improved version of the 6G communication system. The 6G communication system can be called a super 5G system.

[0003] The 6G communication system, which is expected to be commercialized around 2030, will have a peak data rate of terabit (1000G) bps and a wireless delay of less than 100 microseconds, which will be 50 times faster than the 5G communication system, and its wireless delay will be one-tenth of that of the 5G communication system.

[0004] In order to achieve such high data rates and ultra-low latency, the implementation of 6G communication systems in the terahertz band (e.g., 95 GHz to 3 THz band) has been considered. It is expected that since the path loss and atmospheric absorption in the terahertz band are more serious than the millimeter wave band introduced by 5G, the technology that can ensure the signal transmission distance (i.e., coverage) will become more critical. Therefore, as the main technologies for ensuring coverage, radio frequency (RF) components, antennas, new waveforms with better coverage than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), beamforming and massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), full-dimensional (FD)-MIMO, array antennas, and multi-antenna transmission technologies such as massive antennas are suitable for development. In addition, discussions on new technologies for improving the coverage of terahertz band signals have been ongoing, such as lenses and antennas based on metamaterials, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using orbital angular momentum (OAM), and reconfigurable smart surfaces (RIS).

[0005] In order to improve spectrum efficiency and overall network performance, the following technologies have been developed for 6G communication systems: full-duplex technology, which allows uplink (UL) transmission and downlink (DL) transmission to use the same frequency resources at the same time; network technology that utilizes satellites, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), etc. in an integrated manner; improved network structure that supports mobile base stations, etc. and allows network operation optimization and automation, etc.; dynamic spectrum sharing technology through collision avoidance based on spectrum usage prediction; artificial intelligence (AI)-based communication technology, which utilizes AI from the design stage and internalizes end-to-end AI support functions to achieve system optimization; and, next-generation distributed computing technology, which realizes complex services beyond the computing power limitations of terminals by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources such as mobile edge computing (MEC), cloud, etc. In addition, efforts continue to be made to strengthen connectivity between devices, optimize networks, promote softwareization of network entities, and increase openness of wireless communications by designing new protocols to be used in 6G communication systems, developing hardware-based security environments and data security usage mechanisms, and developing technologies to maintain privacy.

[0006] 6G communication systems are expected to realize the next generation of hyper-connected experiences in research and development in the field of hyper-connectivity, including human-machine and machine-to-machine. In particular, services such as truly immersive extended reality (XR), high-fidelity mobile holograms, and digital replicas are expected to be provided through 6G communication systems. In addition, services such as remote surgery, industrial automation, and emergency response for enhanced safety and reliability will also be provided through 6G communication systems, allowing these technologies to be applied in various fields such as industry, medical care, automobiles, and home appliances.

[0007] On the other hand, with the development of communication systems, traffic throughput has increased rapidly. For example, in the case of a user gateway (e.g., 5G user plane function (UPF)) where session information changes frequently due to the high mobility of terminals in a mobile communication system, or a front-end gateway that processes multi-user traffic flows in a cloud system, traffic processing rules may change frequently.

[0008] In addition, specific flows and sessions may change from an idle state to an active state, or vice versa. In this case, traffic processing rules need to be added to or removed from the cache of the network hardware device immediately based on the change of state.

[0009] Therefore, it is necessary to study methods and devices for improving traffic processing performance by using network hardware devices. Summary of the invention

[0010] Technical issues

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for dynamically updating traffic processing rules to be used by a network hardware device so that part of the traffic to be processed by a host device can be offloaded to the network hardware device.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for updating traffic processing rules in real time while taking into account the performance of network hardware devices.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for updating traffic processing rules in consideration of state changes of flows and sessions, to solve the problem of traffic processing performance degradation in a mobile communication system where the states of flows and sessions change frequently due to terminal mobility.

[0014] Solution to the problem

[0015] According to the above aspects, a method performed by a first device in a communication system includes: detecting the need to update a traffic processing rule in a second device, which processes traffic together with the first device; determining whether to update the traffic processing rule to be used in the second device based on performance information of the first device and performance profile information of the second device; and based on the determination, transmitting information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the second device.

[0016] According to the above aspects, a method performed by a second device in a communication system that processes traffic together with a first device includes: measuring a packet transmission rate and a packet transmission delay time of the second device within a unit time; and transmitting measurement information including the measured values ​​of the packet transmission rate and the packet transmission delay time measured within the unit time to the first device, wherein the measurement information is used to determine whether the first device updates the traffic processing rules to the second device.

[0017] According to the above aspects, a first device in a communication system includes: a transceiver for sending and receiving signals; and a controller connected to the transceiver, wherein the controller detects that a traffic processing rule in a second device that processes traffic together with the first device needs to be updated, determines whether to update the traffic processing rule to be used in the second device based on performance information of the first device and performance profile information of the second device, and based on the determination, transmits information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the second device.

[0018] According to the above aspects, a second device for processing traffic together with a first device in a communication system includes: a transceiver for sending and receiving signals; and a controller connected to the transceiver, wherein the controller measures a packet transmission rate and a packet transmission delay time of the second device within a unit time, and transmits measurement information including the measured values ​​of the packet transmission rate and the packet transmission delay time measured within the unit time to the first device, wherein the measurement information is used to determine whether the first device updates the traffic processing rules to the second device.

[0019] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the embodiment, the traffic processing function of the host device may be improved by having the network hardware device perform part of the traffic processing function of the host device.

[0021] According to an embodiment, by offloading traffic to a network hardware device in consideration of the performance of the network hardware device, the host device may improve the traffic processing and transmission performance of the network hardware device.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the amount of traffic that can be processed in the network hardware device can be increased by removing traffic processing rules related to flows and sessions in an idle state and adding traffic processing rules related to flows and sessions in an active state to the cache of the network hardware device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and other aspects, features and effects will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 The structures of and associations between host devices and network hardware devices are shown as examples for explaining the concepts of the present disclosure; Figure 2A The processors of the host device and the network hardware device divided by functions used in the present disclosure are shown; Figure 2B Shown are host devices and network hardware devices implemented in the same server and in different servers according to an embodiment; Figure 3A Traffic handling rules and flow and session tables according to an embodiment are shown; Figure 3B Traffic handling rules and flow and session tables according to an embodiment are shown; Figure 4 A flow chart of updating traffic processing rules from a host device to a network hardware device according to an embodiment is shown; Figure 5A A flow chart showing a flow processing process of a network hardware device when a flow processing rule is updated according to an embodiment; Figure 5B The flow processing process of the network hardware device when the flow processing rule is updated according to the embodiment is shown; Figure 6 A flow chart showing a situation where a host device detects a need to change a traffic processing rule according to an embodiment; Figure 7 A specific example of applying the present disclosure to a communication system according to an embodiment is shown; Figure 8 A flowchart showing a process of determining whether to update a traffic processing rule based on performance summary information of a network hardware device according to an embodiment; Fig. 9 A method is shown in which a hardware offload controller receives information from a network hardware device to obtain performance summary information of the network hardware device according to an embodiment; Fig.10 A method for obtaining performance summary information of network hardware from an external host device according to an embodiment is shown; Fig.11 A flow chart showing a case where information related to a traffic handling rule is stored in a waiting list of a hardware offload controller when the traffic handling rule cannot be updated; Fig.12 shows the structure of a host device according to an embodiment; and Fig.13 The structure of a network hardware device according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] When describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, explanations of technical contents that are known in the art and are not directly related to the present disclosure will be omitted to avoid confusing the subject matter of the present disclosure and to convey the same content more accurately.

[0025] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some components are exaggerated, omitted or roughly shown. In addition, the sizes of some components may not fully reflect their actual sizes. In each figure, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same parts.

[0026] The aspects and features of the present disclosure and methods of achieving these aspects and features will become apparent through the embodiments described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure should not be limited to or restricted thereto, but may be implemented in various forms. Matters defined in the specification, such as detailed construction and components, are merely specific details intended to assist those of ordinary skill in the art in fully understanding the present disclosure, which is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

[0027] In this case, it is understood that each block in the flowchart representation and the combination of blocks in the flowchart representation can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a method for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or block. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory, which can instruct the computer or other programmable data processing device to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory produce an industrial product including an instruction method for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or block. The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a process implemented by a computer, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or block.

[0028] In addition, each block in the flow chart can represent a code module, a code segment or a code portion, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions noted in the blocks can occur in different orders. For example, two consecutively displayed blocks can actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these blocks can sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved.

[0029] The term "unit", as used in the embodiments, represents but is not limited to software or hardware components, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for performing certain tasks. However, the term "unit" does not mean that it is limited to software or hardware. The unit can be advantageously configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and be configured to execute on one or more processors. Therefore, the unit can include, for example, components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. The functions provided in components and units can be combined into fewer components and units, or further separated into more components and units. In addition, components and units can be implemented as duplicating one or more CPUs in a device or a secure multimedia card.

[0030] Recently, in communication systems including base stations and core networks, softwareization and virtualization of network functions have become a trend. This brings advantages of horizontal scalability according to traffic load, resource efficiency, reduced time required to add new functions, and upgrades, but on the contrary, traffic has increased rapidly, and limitations have emerged in terms of performance and energy consumption. Therefore, considering the network bandwidth and traffic requirements when 6G is commercialized, a new technology is needed to efficiently process traffic. The following describes a method and apparatus for improving the operational performance of network functions that process traffic.

[0031] Figure 1 The structures of and association between the host device 100 and the network hardware device 150 are shown as an example for explaining the concept of the present disclosure.

[0032] The host device 100 may be various electronic devices connected to a network, such as a computer, a laptop, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc. The host device 100 may include one or more processors 110 , a memory 120 , a storage 130 , and an input / output (I / O) 140 .

[0033] The processor 110 interprets commands of a program and executes the commands, and may include a central processing unit (CPU).

[0034] The memory 120 temporarily stores data to be processed by the processor 110 so that the processor can quickly access the data. The memory 120 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0035] The memory 130 stores a program, which is a set of commands to operate on the processor 110. As an example, the memory 130 may include a solid state drive (SSD) and a non-volatile memory host controller interface specification (NVMe).

[0036] Input / output (I / O) 140 allows information to be exchanged between the processor and memory and external devices, and may include Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe), Direct Memory Access (DMA), Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), and Ethernet.

[0037] The network hardware device 150 may include a device for supplementing the performance of the host device 100 by performing all or part of the functions of the host device 100. The network hardware device 150 may include programmable hardware such as a SmartNIC and a programmable switch.

[0038] The network hardware device 150 can be connected to an external network and forward traffic sent by the network to the host device 100. The network hardware device 150 can forward traffic incoming to a network port (Ethernet) to another network port (Ethernet) according to traffic processing rules after partially modifying the header or content of the packet, and can forward traffic incoming to the network port (Ethernet) to the host device 100 through a PCIe port. Alternatively, the network hardware device 150 can forward traffic incoming to the host device 100 through a PCIe port to another network port (Ethernet).

[0039] Network hardware device 150 may include one or more processors 160 , memory 170 , and input / output 180 .

[0040] The processor 160 may interpret commands of the program and execute the commands. The processor 160 includes a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) capable of processing packets of traffic and performing arbitrary operations, and may supplement the performance of the host device 100.

[0041] Memory 170 temporarily stores data to be processed by processor 160 so that processor 160 can quickly access the data. Memory 170 may include a memory having a high access speed but a small size, such as ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0042] Input / output 180 allows information to be exchanged between the CPU / memory and external devices and may include PCIe, DMA, RDMA, and Ethernet.

[0043] The process of the network hardware device 150 supplementing the functions of the host device 100 may be as follows.

[0044] The program may be stored in the memory 130 of the host device 100. When the program is started, the processor 110 of the host device 100 may access the memory 130 and convert part of the program stored in the host device into usable data that can be accessed through the memory 120. Thereafter, the processor 110 may access the data in the memory 120 and execute commands such as packet processing.

[0045] Meanwhile, in order for the network hardware device 150 to supplement the functions of the host device 100, the processor 160 of the network hardware device 150 may execute part of the commands executed by the processor 110 of the host device 100. Accordingly, the program stored in the memory 130 of the host device 100 is transferred to the memory 170 of the network hardware in the form of firmware, and the memory 170 of the network hardware may execute the corresponding program. Thereafter, the processor 160 of the network hardware accesses the memory 170 of the network hardware and executes the command, thereby partially supplementing the functions of the host device 100.

[0046] As described below, the phrase "flow and session" may refer to a group of traffic with the same characteristics. For example, a protocol data unit (PDU) session connected between a terminal and a core network (eg, UPF) to send and receive traffic in a communication system may be included. Alternatively, a quality of service (QoS) flow may also be included, which is the smallest unit for identifying QoS in a PDU session.

[0047] In the present disclosure, a "traffic processing rule" may refer to a standard determined to classify traffic delivered to a host device through a network into corresponding flows and sessions and to perform specific actions on the traffic according to the classification results. For example, a traffic processing rule may include a traffic classification standard and an action to process the classified traffic.

[0048] In the present disclosure, the term "offloading" may mean that the network hardware device performs some functions of the host device to improve the performance of the host device. Alternatively, it may mean that part of the functions of the host device 100 are passed to the network hardware device 150, and the traffic to be processed by the host device 100 is passed to the network hardware device 150. The present disclosure will be described based on the following situation: one or more of the traffic processing rules stored in the host device 100 are updated to the network hardware device 150, so that the network hardware device 150 performs part of the traffic processing functions of the host device 100, but is not limited to this.

[0049] In the present disclosure, “updating” a traffic processing rule may include adding, deleting, or modifying one or more traffic processing rules among the traffic processing rules stored in the host device 100 and transmitting to the network hardware device 150 .

[0050] Figure 2A The processors of the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 are shown divided by function. Figure 2B The situations where the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 are implemented in the same server and in different servers are shown.

[0051] Figure 2AThe processors in the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 are shown divided by function. The host device 201 may include a network function 220, a hardware offload controller 230, and a hardware driver 240.

[0052] The network function 220 may perform a function of processing data in order to send and receive data. The network function 220 may perform the following operations to process data.

[0053] Specifically, the network function 220 may modify all or part of the received data to change the information to be used for the transmission protocol (e.g., the data transmission path), or may perform an operation of adding or deleting all or part of the received data. In addition, the network function 220 may also perform a series of processes including passing data from an upper layer to a lower layer for data transmission, or passing data to an upper layer for data reception. However, the operations performed by the network function 220 are not limited to the above embodiments.

[0054] The network function 220 may modify the packet header fields included in the data traffic, or add or delete a protocol header, and the operations performed may differ depending on the information in the modified packet header.

[0055] The network function 220 may include a flow and session table 250 for processing traffic delivered to it. The flow and session table 250 may include flow and session match filters 260, which define conditions for classifying traffic based on features, and flow and session actions 270, which define actions to be performed on each corresponding flow and session. Specific examples will be referred to in Figure 3A and 3B Give a description.

[0056] The hardware offload controller 230 may control all operations related to traffic offloading. The hardware offload controller 230 may determine whether to update the traffic processing rules of the network hardware device 204. The hardware offload controller 230 according to an embodiment may determine whether to update the traffic processing rules based on the performance profile information of the network hardware device including one or more performance information of the network hardware device 204. In addition, the hardware offload controller 230 may immediately determine whether to update the traffic processing rules upon receiving a control message from any external host device 210. The hardware offload controller 230 may be run at the stage of the network function 220 or the hardware driver 240.

[0057] The hardware driver 240 may update the traffic processing rules in the network hardware device 204 according to the decision of the hardware offload controller 230. For example, part of the traffic processing rules defined in the flow and session table 250 in the host device 201 may be transferred to the network hardware device 204 via the host-device interface 290.

[0058] The network hardware device 204 may include a network function 221 for data processing and a hardware performance analyzer 280 .

[0059] The network function 221 of the network hardware device 204 may include a flow and session table cache 251. The flow and session table cache 251 may include a flow and session matching filter cache 261 and a flow and session action cache 271, respectively, and each of the flow and session table caches 251 may include some entries in the flow and session table 250, the flow and session matching filter 260, and the flow and session action 270.

[0060] The hardware performance analyzer 280 may measure the performance of the network hardware device 204 and report the measurement information to the host device 201 .

[0061] The host-device interface 290 may include a path through which information is passed between the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 .

[0062] The external host device (remote node) 210 may share the performance profile information of the network hardware and provide the performance profile information of the network hardware to the hardware offload controller 230 if one or more servers are connected to the same network hardware device 204 .

[0063] Figure 2B It shows the case where the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 are implemented on the same server and the case where the host device 202 and the network hardware device 204 are implemented on different servers.

[0064] The host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 may be implemented on the same server. In the case where the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 are implemented on the same server, information may be transferred in the form of PCI messages via a PCI channel. Alternatively, information may be transferred via DMA 291.

[0065] The host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 can be implemented on different servers. In the case where the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 are implemented on different servers, information can be transmitted via Ethernet or RDMA channel 292.

[0066] Figure 3A and 3B Traffic handling rules and flow and session tables are shown.

[0067] The flow and session table may refer to a set of traffic processing rules. The traffic processing rules may include conditions (matches) 300 for determining which flow and session the traffic delivered to the host device and the network hardware device (hereinafter referred to as "incoming traffic") corresponds to and actions 310 to be performed for each corresponding flow and session.

[0068] Figure 3A Examples of traffic processing rules for UPF, L4 load balancer, and firewall are shown.

[0069] according to Figure 3A According to the traffic processing rules, upon receiving new UPF traffic, UPF can determine which flow the new traffic corresponds to. As a result of the determination, if the Dst IP address of the traffic corresponds to 10.23.0.45 (match), information such as Src IP address = 10.23.0.45, UDP port = 2000, Dest IP address - 10.0.125.1, UDP port = 3000, GTP-U TEID = 0x043512 is added to the header of the corresponding traffic for encapsulation, and the length of the packet is added to the counter ID = 342 (action).

[0070] Figure 3B Shown are flow and session tables, which are collections of traffic handling rules.

[0071] Traffic delivered to the UPF can be processed as follows based on the flow and session tables. Action type 1 described in the table indicates that the encapsulation of the GTP-U packet is performed and the length value of the packet is added to the corresponding counter. Action type 2 indicates that the decapsulation of the GTP-U packet is performed and the length value of the packet is added to the corresponding counter.

[0072] Specifically, the UPF may receive DL traffic to be delivered to the UE via the gNB. The UPF may determine to which flow and session the received traffic corresponds. Upon determining that the GTP-U value of the traffic is 0 and the Dst IP value corresponds to 10.23.0.45 (match), action type 1 is performed. That is, a header value indicating that the Src IP value is 10.0.96.4, the Src UPD port value is 2000, the Dst IP value is 10.0.125.1, the Dst UDP port value is 3000, and the GTP-U TEID value is 0x043F12 is added, and the length value of the packet is added to the counter ID 342.

[0073] In the same manner, the process of handling UL traffic delivered from the UE to the UPF through the gNB may be as follows: upon determining that the GTP-U value of the received traffic is 1, the Src IP value is 10.0.96.4, the Src UPD port value is 2000, the Dst IP value is 10.0.125.1, the Dst UDP port value is 3000, and the GTP-U TEID value is 0x043F12 (match), action type 2 is performed. That is, the header of the GTP-U packet is removed, and the traffic is delivered to the upper layer in order, and information about the packet length is added to the value corresponding to the counter ID 342.

[0074] In the case where traffic (or packets) reaches the firewall and L4 load balancer, the process can be as follows: Action type 1 described in the table indicates discarding the corresponding packet, and action type 2 indicates updating the Dst IP address value and sending the packet.

[0075] Specifically, if the Src IP address of the new traffic delivered to the firewall and L4 load balancer is 196.0.83.0 / 24 (match), the corresponding traffic is dropped (action type 2). At the same time, if the Src IP address of the new traffic is 143.0.1.3, the Dst IP address is 176.0.2.1, and the Dst TCP port value is 80 (match), the Dst IP address is updated to 10.0.1.5, and the traffic is sent to the corresponding address (action).

[0076] Figure 4 A flow chart of updating traffic processing rules from a host device 201 to a network hardware device 204 according to an embodiment is shown.

[0077] Reference Figure 2A , the host device 201 may update one or more traffic processing rules stored in the flow and session table 250 of the host device 201 to the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204. Updating the traffic processing rules may include adding new traffic processing rules to the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204, or may include modifying or deleting previously existing traffic processing rules.

[0078] In step S410 , the host device 201 may detect that a traffic processing rule stored in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 needs to be updated.

[0079] The situations where the traffic processing rules need to be updated may include the following: the situation where the traffic corresponding to the new flow and session is delivered to the host device 201, the situation where a control message is received from the external host device 210, or the situation where the timer expires, etc. The specific process will be referred to Figure 6 and Figure 7 Give a description.

[0080] In step S420 , the host device 201 may determine whether to update the traffic processing rule based on the performance summary information of the network hardware device 204 .

[0081] In the process of determining whether to update the traffic processing rules, the host device 201 may consider the update rate threshold of the traffic processing rules based on the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204. The process of considering the threshold to determine whether to update the traffic processing rules (hereinafter referred to as the "control mechanism of the update rate of the traffic processing rules") will be referred to in detail. Figure 8 describe.

[0082] The performance summary information of the network hardware device 204 can be determined by receiving the measurement information of the network hardware device 204 from the hardware performance analyzer 280 of the network hardware device 204. It can also be obtained by the external host device 210. The process of obtaining the hardware performance summary information will be referred to in Fig. 9 and Fig.10 Describe in detail.

[0083] In step S430 , when it is determined that the traffic processing rule can be updated in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 , the host device 201 can transmit information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the network hardware device 204 .

[0084] In the case where the traffic processing rule cannot be updated, the host device 201 may not transmit the information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the network hardware device 204, or may store the information related to the update of the traffic processing rule in the update waiting list existing in the hardware offload controller 230. The case where the traffic processing rule cannot be updated will be referred to in Fig.11 Describe in detail.

[0085] According to an embodiment, the update rate of the traffic processing rules may be adjusted considering the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204. In this way, the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 may efficiently process traffic even when the traffic processing rules change frequently.

[0086] Figure 5A A flow chart of a traffic processing process of a network hardware device when a traffic processing rule is updated according to an embodiment is shown.

[0087] according to Figure 4 According to the process described in , the host device 201 can determine whether to update the traffic processing rules to the network hardware device 204. Based on the above determination, the host device 201 can transmit information related to the update of the traffic processing rules to the network hardware device 204. Figure 5A A process is shown that is performed in the network hardware device 204 that receives information related to an update to a traffic handling rule.

[0088] In step S510, the network hardware device 204 may update the new traffic processing rule to the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 based on the information related to the update of the traffic processing rule transmitted from the host device 201. The host device 201 may consider the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204 to determine whether to update the traffic processing rule.

[0089] In step S520 , upon receiving traffic from network 200 , network hardware device 204 may determine to which flow and session the received traffic corresponds.

[0090] In step S530 , the network hardware device 204 may determine whether the flow and session related information of the received traffic is stored in the updated flow and session table cache 251 .

[0091] If the information corresponding to the received traffic exists in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 ("Yes" in step S530), an action corresponding to the corresponding flow and session may be performed. That is, the network hardware device 204 may process the corresponding traffic in step S540.

[0092] In the case that the information corresponding to the received traffic does not exist in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 (“No” in step S530), the received traffic may be delivered to the host device 201. That is, the host device 201 may process the corresponding traffic in step S550.

[0093] Here, it may be determined for each flow and session whether a traffic processing rule corresponding to a specific flow and session exists in the flow and session table cache 251. This determination may be made at the initial startup time of the network function or dynamically during operation of the network function.

[0094] Figure 5B The flow processing process of the network hardware device when the flow processing rule is updated according to the embodiment is shown.

[0095] For example, the flow and session table 250 of the host device 201 may store conditions for determining that the flow and session are A, B, C, D, and E, respectively, and action information corresponding to each condition. The conditions for determining that the flow and session correspond to B and D, respectively, and the corresponding actions at this time may be received from the host device 201 and stored in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204.

[0096] When receiving flow 1, network hardware device 204 can determine which flow and session flow 1 corresponds to. When flow 1 corresponds to flow A, since the information of flow A is not stored in flow and session table cache 251 of network hardware device 204, flow 1 is passed to host device 201.

[0097] Meanwhile, in the case of receiving Traffic 2, the network hardware device 204 can determine which flow and session Traffic 2 corresponds to. As a result of the determination, Traffic 2 corresponds to Flow B, and since the action to be performed in the case of Flow B is stored in the Flow and Session Table Cache 251, the network hardware device 204 can process Traffic 2.

[0098] Figure 6 A flow chart is shown in which the host device 201 detects a situation where a traffic processing rule needs to be changed according to an embodiment.

[0099] When traffic processing rules need to be updated (see Figure 4 The step S410 in the example may include: delivering traffic corresponding to a new flow and session to the host device (in step S600), and receiving a control message from any external host device (in step S650). Alternatively, the step S410 may include a timer expiration (in step S690).

[0100] The following will describe the process of updating the traffic processing rules for each condition. In the case where it is detected that the traffic processing rules need to be updated, it can be determined whether to update the traffic processing rules according to the control mechanism of the update rate of the traffic processing rules. The control mechanism of the update rate of the traffic processing rules will be described below. Figure 8 Give a description.

[0101] First, in the case where the host device 201 receives traffic corresponding to a new flow and session, it may be determined that a need to update the traffic processing rules is detected.

[0102] In step S600, the network function 220 of the host device 201 may receive traffic, and the flow and session related information corresponding to the traffic is not stored in the flow and session table 250 of the host device 201. The network function 220 that receives the traffic may determine a traffic processing rule for the received traffic. The network function 220 of the host device 201 may pass the determined traffic processing rule to the hardware offload controller 230.

[0103] In step S610 , the hardware offload controller 230 may identify whether there are resources (which may be used synonymously with “location” or “space”) for updating the determined traffic processing rule in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 .

[0104] In the case where there is no free resource (or location, space) in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204, the hardware offload controller 230 may determine not to update the determined traffic processing rule. Alternatively, information related to the determined traffic processing rule may be stored in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 in step S640.

[0105] In the case where there are free resources (location, space) in the flow and session table cache 251 in the network hardware device 204 , the hardware offload controller 230 may calculate the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule in step S620 .

[0106] In the case that the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the threshold, information related to the update of the determined traffic processing rule may be transmitted to the network hardware device in step S650.

[0107] In case the update rate of the previous traffic handling rule exceeds the threshold, in step S640 , it is determined not to update the determined traffic handling rule, or information related to the determined traffic handling rule may be stored in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0108] In another embodiment, when the host device 201 receives a control message related to a change in the state of a specific flow and session, it may be determined that a need to update the traffic processing rules is detected.

[0109] In step S650, the host device 201 may receive a control message related to a state change of a specific flow and session. For example, the network hardware device 204 may receive a control message from the external host device 210 and pass it to the network function 220 of the host device 201. In response to receiving the control message, the network function 220 may pass information related to the state change of the specific flow and session to the hardware offload controller 230 based on the control message.

[0110] In step S660 , the hardware offload controller 230 may select a traffic handling rule related to a state change corresponding to a specific flow and session based on the control message received from the external host device 210 .

[0111] In step S670, the hardware offload controller 230 may determine whether the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the threshold. If the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the threshold, information related to the update of the determined traffic processing rule may be transmitted to the network hardware device 204 in step S680.

[0112] In case the update rate of the previous traffic handling rule exceeds the threshold, in step S640 , it is determined not to update the determined traffic handling rule, or information related to the determined traffic handling rule may be stored in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0113] According to the above process, the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 can efficiently process traffic by receiving the control message and immediately determining whether to update the traffic processing rule, thereby increasing the proportion of traffic processed by the network hardware device.

[0114] In another embodiment, upon expiration of a periodically running timer, it may be determined that a need to update the traffic handling rules has been detected.

[0115] In step S690, the host device 201 may detect that the running timer has expired.

[0116] In step S660, the hardware offload controller 230 of the host device 201 may select traffic processing rules that need to be updated. The traffic processing rules that need to be updated may include traffic processing rules that are not frequently used or have not been used for a long time, or traffic processing rules stored in the update waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230.

[0117] In step S670, it can be determined whether the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the threshold. If the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the threshold, information related to the traffic processing rule selected for update can be transmitted to the network hardware device 204 in step S680.

[0118] In the case that the update rate of the previous traffic handling rule exceeds the threshold, it is determined not to update the selected traffic handling rule in step S640 , or information related to the selected traffic handling rule may be stored in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0119] Figure 7 A specific example when the present disclosure is applied to a communication system according to the embodiment is shown.

[0120] Specifically, Figure 7 It shows a situation where the host device 201 applied in the communication system receives a control message related to the state change of a specific flow and session.

[0121] exist Figure 7In the embodiment, the UPF 701 may include a host device 201 and a network hardware device 204. In this case, the UPF 701 may include a hardware offload controller 230 and a hardware driver 240 of the host device, and may include a flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204. The session management function (SMF) 700 may correspond to the external host device 210, and the SMF may deliver information related to the PDU session to the network components (UPF, policy control function (PCF), user data management (UDM)).

[0122] The control message received from SMF 700 may include information related to the state transition of a specific flow and session. The state transition may include the transition between the idle state and the active state of a specific PDU session. Figure 7 A case where a specific PDU session transitions to an idle state is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0123] During the access network (AN) release process due to terminal deactivation or connection loss, the process of deleting the traffic processing rules of the PDU session related to the terminal to be deactivated from the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 can be as follows.

[0124] At S710, UPF 701 may receive an NR session change request message from SMF 700. The NR session change request message may include information related to the terminal becoming idle.

[0125] At S720 , the network function 220 may transfer information related to the fact that the specific PDU session is in an idle state with respect to the terminal to the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0126] At S730 , the hardware offload controller 230 may determine whether a traffic processing rule related to a specific PDU session is stored in the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device.

[0127] At S740 , when the traffic processing rules related to the corresponding PDU session are stored in the flow and session table cache 251 , the hardware offload controller 230 may request the hardware driver 240 to delete the traffic processing rules related to the PDU session from the flow and session table cache 251 of the network hardware device 204 .

[0128] At S750 , the hardware driver 240 may transmit information related to deleting the traffic processing rule of the PDU session in the idle state from the flow and session cache table cache 251 .

[0129] Likewise, in the event that a control message notifying that a specific PDU session is activated arrives, the network function 220 may request that a traffic processing rule related to the specific PDU session be added to the flow and session table cache 251 through the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0130] In the case of following the above process, in a business environment where traffic processing rules are frequently changed according to the mobility of the terminal, thousands of idle sessions can be generated per second during busy hours. In this case, traffic processing efficiency can be improved by deleting traffic processing rules with low usage frequency and immediately determining whether to update traffic processing rules with high usage frequency.

[0131] Figure 8 A flowchart of a process for determining whether to update a traffic processing rule based on performance summary information of a network hardware device 204 according to an embodiment is shown.

[0132] Specifically, after the host device detects that the traffic processing rules need to be updated ( Figure 4 In step S410 of the present invention, the update rate of the traffic processing rule may be considered based on the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204. The flowchart shows the process of determining whether to update the traffic processing rule in consideration of the update rate of the traffic processing rule. In this case, the hardware offload controller 230 may control the update rate of the traffic processing rule to be less than or equal to the threshold value T_R.

[0133] In step S800 , the hardware offload controller 230 may calculate an update rate of a previous traffic processing rule by dividing the number of updates of the traffic processing rule in a previous unit time (eg, every 1 second) by a value obtained by the unit time.

[0134] In S810, the host device 201 may determine a threshold value of an update rate of a traffic processing rule based on performance summary information of the network hardware device. The specific process is as follows.

[0135] Performance summary of network hardware devices: In step S820, the hardware offload controller 230 may obtain performance summary information of the network hardware device. The performance summary information of the network hardware device includes indicators that affect system performance when determining whether to update the traffic processing rules, and may include the following information: 1) Total transmission capacity based on the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time 2) Transmission delay time according to the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time That is, the performance summary information of the network hardware device 204 may include information about the total transmission capacity and transmission delay time of traffic (or packets) in the network hardware device 204 according to the number of traffic processing rules updated from the host device 201 to the network hardware device 204 .

[0136] The performance summary information of the network hardware device can be obtained by receiving relevant measurement values ​​from the hardware performance analyzer 280, or can be obtained directly from the external host device 210. The process of receiving relevant measurement values ​​from the hardware performance analyzer 280 will be referred to in Fig. 9 The process of obtaining the performance summary information of the network hardware device 204 from the external host device 210 will be referred to in detail. Fig.10 Describe in detail.

[0137] The calculation method of the threshold is: In step S830, the hardware offload controller 230 may determine a threshold value for the update rate of the traffic processing rule. The threshold value may be determined based on the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204 and the packet transmission rate and transmission delay requirements required by the network operator. Whenever the traffic processing rule needs to be updated, the threshold value may be triggered and recalculated. However, the process of calculating the threshold value is not limited thereto, and the threshold value may also be calculated in other ways. The threshold value calculation process is as follows: 1. Consider the packet transmission rate requirements of the network hardware device 204 In the case where there is a requirement (e.g., X Gbps or higher) on the traffic (or packet) transmission rate of the network hardware device 204 defined by the network operator, the hardware offload controller 230 may configure the maximum value of the update rate of the traffic processing rule as the threshold value T_R1 within the range that can satisfy the above conditions. In the case where there is no separate requirement on the transmission rate defined by the network operator, the hardware offload controller 230 may configure the maximum value of the update rate of the traffic processing as the threshold value T_R1 within the range that can maintain the maximum transmission rate of the traffic (or packet) of the network hardware device 204.

[0138] 2. Consider the packet transmission delay time requirements of the network hardware device 204

[0139] In the case where there is a transmission delay time requirement (e.g., Y μs or less) for traffic (or packets) of the network hardware device 204 defined by the network operator, the hardware offload controller 230 may configure the maximum value of the update rate of the traffic processing rule as the threshold value T_R2 within the range that satisfies the condition. In the case where there is no transmission delay time requirement defined by the network operator, the hardware offload controller 230 may configure T_R2 to be an infinite value.

[0140] 3. Determination of the final threshold

[0141] Then, the hardware offload controller 230 may configure the smaller of the thresholds T_R1 and T_R2 as T_R corresponding to the final threshold.

[0142] Thereafter, the hardware offload controller 230 may adjust the update rate of the traffic processing rule so that it does not exceed the threshold T_R.

[0143] although Figure 8 FIG. 2 shows that the operation of calculating the update rate threshold of the traffic processing rule (operation S810) is performed after the operation of calculating the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule (step S800), but Figure 8 The order shown is not necessarily followed. The operation of calculating the threshold (operation S810) may also be performed before or simultaneously with the operation of calculating the update rate of the traffic processing rule (step S800).

[0144] In step S840 , it may be determined whether the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to a threshold value T_R.

[0145] In the case where the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule calculated in step S840 is less than or equal to the threshold value T_R, the host device 201 may transmit information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the network hardware device 204 in step S850.

[0146] In step S860 , if the calculated update rate of the previous traffic handling rule exceeds the threshold T_R, it may be determined not to update the traffic handling rule. Alternatively, the information related to the traffic handling rule may be stored in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0147] Fig. 9 A method in which the hardware offload controller 230 receives measurement information from the network hardware device 204 to derive performance summary information of the network hardware device 204 according to an embodiment is shown.

[0148] A performance summary of your network hardware can include the following information: 1) Total transmission capacity based on the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time 2) Transmission delay time according to the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time The method by which the hardware offload controller 230 receives measurement information from the network hardware device 204 to obtain performance summary information of the network hardware device may be as follows: 1. Measurements performed by the hardware offload controller 230 In operation S910 , the hardware offload controller 230 may measure the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time (eg, per 1 second).

[0149] 2. Receive information including measurements from hardware performance analyzer 280

[0150] The network hardware device 204 may support its own hardware performance analyzer module. Alternatively, the user may implement and add the hardware performance analyzer 280 directly.

[0151] The hardware performance analyzer 280 may exist in the host device 201, and may exist in a server different from the network hardware device 204. Hereinafter, description will be made based on an embodiment in which the hardware performance analyzer 280 exists in the network hardware device 204, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0152] (1) Measurements performed by the hardware performance analyzer 280

[0153] The hardware performance analyzer 280 can measure the flow (or packet) transmission rate (or average transmission capacity) and the delay time value per average flow (or packet) of the network hardware device 204. The measurement can be performed during the process of updating the flow processing rules for the purpose of testing at the initial stage of the connection between the host device 201 and the external host device 210. Alternatively, the measurement can also be performed during the operation of the network function processing the flow.

[0154] (2) Receive relevant information from the hardware performance analyzer 280

[0155] In operation S920, the hardware offload controller 230 may receive a measurement value from the hardware performance analyzer 280. In addition, a timestamp value regarding a current time of the network hardware device 204 may also be received.

[0156] The reception may be performed through a host-device interface, and the interface may be as follows. The hardware performance analyzer 280 may be present in the network hardware device 204. In the case where the network hardware device 204 including the hardware performance analyzer 280 and the host device 201 are located in the same server, the network hardware device 204 and the host device 201 may send and receive messages including the above information through a PCIe or DMA channel. Alternatively, in the case where the network hardware device 204 including the hardware performance analyzer 280 and the host device 201 are located in different servers, the network hardware device 204 and the host device 201 may send and receive messages including the above information through an Ethernet or RDMA channel. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and messages may also be sent and received through various methods.

[0157] The process of sending and receiving information between the host device 201 and the network hardware device 204 is not limited to a specific type of protocol or message. In addition, the information can be sent once per unit time. Alternatively, the information within several unit times can be collected and the collected information can be sent.

[0158] 3. Get performance summary information of network hardware devices

[0159] The hardware performance analyzer 280 running in the network hardware device 204 and the hardware offload controller 230 running in the host device 201 may synchronize values ​​to be used as a unit time (eg, 1 second) in advance and maintain the values ​​as the same value.

[0160] The hardware offload controller 230 may repeat the above process per unit time to accumulate and store the maximum transmission capacity value information according to the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time. In addition, the hardware offload controller 230 may also accumulate and store the average delay time value information according to the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time. Through the above information, a relationship function between the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time, the maximum transmission capacity of the packet, and the average delay time may be derived, that is, the performance summary information of the network hardware device.

[0161] Fig.10 A method for acquiring performance summary information of a network hardware device from an external host device according to an embodiment is shown.

[0162] exist Fig.10 In the embodiment, the UPF 1000 may include a host device 201 and a network hardware device 204. The UPF 1000 may include a hardware offload controller 230 and a hardware driver 240 of the host device 201, and a hardware performance analyzer 280 of the network hardware device 204. The external host device 210 may run a network data analysis function (NWDAF) 1010, and the NWDAF may provide a data analysis function for network automation in a 5G communication system. Fig.10 The description is made based on UPF and NWDAF, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0163] The network function of the same network hardware device 204 and the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204 may be shared by the external host device 210. Therefore, the hardware offload controller 230 may receive the performance profile information of the network hardware device 204 from the external host device 210.

[0164] Network hardware performance summary information can include the following information: 1) Total transmission capacity according to the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time 2) Transmission delay time based on the number of traffic processing rules updated per unit time In operation S1020, the hardware offload controller 230 may obtain the model name of the network hardware device 204 connected to the current network interface from the hardware driver 240 of the UPF 1000. The hardware offload controller 230 may obtain the model name when the network function is started.

[0165] After the network function is started, the hardware offload controller 230 may identify whether there is an NWDAF 1010 running in the external host device 210 in the same network. In the case of the running NWDAF 1010, the hardware offload controller 230 may perform a connection with the NWDAF 1010. The messages exchanged through the connection may be delivered through an HTTP REST API based on an SBI (service-based interface). Alternatively, communication may be performed through any defined interface (e.g., a remote procedure call (RPC)) as required.

[0166] In operation S1030 , the hardware offload controller 230 may communicate its current network function identifier (eg, UPFID) and the model name of the installed network hardware device 204 to the external host device 210 running the NWDAF 1010 .

[0167] In operation S1040 , the NWDAF 1010 may identify, through the received model name of the network hardware device 204 , whether there is performance summary information of the network hardware device received from a network function previously connected to the same network hardware device.

[0168] In operation S1050 , if there is performance summary information of the network hardware device, the hardware offload controller 230 may receive the performance summary information of the network hardware device from the NWDAF 1010 , store it as an initial value, and use it to adjust the update rate of the traffic processing rule.

[0169] In operation S1060, the hardware offload controller 230 may periodically receive measurement values ​​from the hardware performance profiler 280 even after receiving the initial values ​​from the NWDAF 1010, and the hardware offload controller 230 may continuously correct the performance profile information of the network hardware device according to the above process.

[0170] In operation S1070 , the NWDAF 1010 may receive the updated number of traffic processing rules of the network hardware device 204 per unit time, and the measured values ​​of the traffic transmission rate and the transmission delay time per packet from the hardware offload controller 230 .

[0171] In operation S1080, the NWDAF 1010 may continuously derive and correct the performance summary information of each network hardware device through the above process.

[0172] Fig.11 A flowchart is shown for storing information related to a traffic processing rule in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 when the traffic processing rule cannot be updated according to an embodiment.

[0173] As a result of determining whether to update the traffic processing rules of the hardware offload controller 230 ( Figure 4 In step S420), if it is determined that the traffic processing rule cannot be updated, information related to the update of the traffic processing rule can be stored in a waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230 and can be updated later.

[0174] Specifically, the situation where it is determined that the traffic processing rule cannot be updated may include the situation where there is no idle resource of the flow and session table cache 251 in the network hardware device 204. Alternatively, it may include the situation where the update rate of the traffic processing rule exceeds a threshold.

[0175] In the case where the traffic processing rule cannot be updated, in step S1110, the hardware offload controller 230 may store information related to the update of the traffic processing rule in an update waiting list of the hardware offload controller 230. The information related to the update of the traffic processing rule may include: flow and session information, whether the corresponding traffic processing rule is added, deleted and modified, or information related to the traffic processing rule to be added in the case of adding a traffic processing rule.

[0176] In step S1120 , the hardware offload controller 230 may periodically obtain information related to the update of the traffic processing rule from the update waiting list.

[0177] In step S1130, the hardware offload controller 230 can determine whether there are updateable traffic processing rules based on the obtained information, and if update is possible, in step S1140, the hardware offload controller 230 can determine whether the update rate of the previous traffic processing rules is less than or equal to the threshold.

[0178] In step S1150 , in a case where the update rate of the previous traffic handling rule is less than or equal to the threshold, the hardware offload controller 230 may determine to update the traffic handling rule.

[0179] In the event that the previous update rate of the cache exceeds the threshold in step S1140 , the hardware offload controller 230 may maintain or delete the information currently stored in the waiting list in step S1110 .

[0180] Fig.12 The structure of the host device is shown.

[0181] Reference Fig.12, the host device may include a transceiver 1210, a controller 1220, and a memory 1230. In the present disclosure, a controller may be defined as a circuit, an application specific integrated circuit, or at least one processor.

[0182] The transceiver 1210 may transmit or receive signals to other network entities. The transceiver 1210 may receive, for example, a synchronization signal or a reference signal.

[0183] The controller 1220 may control the overall operation of the electronic device according to the embodiment. For example, the controller 1220 may control the signal flow between the functional blocks to complete the operations in the flowchart described herein.

[0184] The memory 1230 may store at least one of information transmitted and received by the transceiver 1210 and information generated by the controller 1220 .

[0185] Fig.13 Shows the structure of network hardware devices.

[0186] Reference Fig.13 , the network hardware device may include a transceiver 1310, a controller 1320, and a memory 1330. In the present disclosure, the controller 1320 may be defined as a circuit, an application specific integrated circuit, or at least one processor.

[0187] The transceiver 1310 may transmit or receive signals to other network entities.

[0188] The controller 1320 may control the overall operation of the network hardware device according to the embodiment. For example, the controller 1320 may control the flow between the blocks to complete the operations in the flowchart described herein.

[0189] The memory 1330 may store at least one of information transmitted and received by the transceiver 1310 and information generated by the controller 1320 .

[0190] According to an embodiment, the traffic processing function of the host device may be improved by executing part of the traffic processing function of the host device through a network hardware device.

[0191] According to an embodiment, the host device may improve the traffic processing and transmission performance of the network hardware device by offloading the traffic on the network hardware device while taking into account the performance of the network hardware device.

[0192] According to another embodiment, the amount of traffic that can be processed in the network hardware device can be increased by removing traffic processing rules related to flows and sessions in an idle state and adding traffic processing rules related to flows and sessions in an active state to the cache of the network hardware device.

[0193] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and the accompanying drawings are provided only as examples to easily describe the technical details of the present disclosure and help understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, for those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, other modifications based on the technical ideas of the present disclosure will be obvious.

[0194] While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first device in a communication system, comprising: detecting that a traffic processing rule in a second device needs to be updated, the second device processing traffic together with the first device; determining whether to update the traffic processing rule to be used in the second device based on the performance information of the first device and the performance summary information of the second device; as well as Based on the determination, information related to the update of the traffic handling rule is communicated to the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, The performance summary information of the second device includes: a maximum packet transmission capacity of the second device according to the number of traffic processing rules transmitted from the first device to the second device per unit time; and an average packet transmission delay time of the second device according to the number of traffic processing rules transmitted from the first device to the second device per unit time, The performance summary information of the second device is determined based on measurement information of the second device received from the second device, The measurement information of the second device includes the measured values ​​of the packet transmission rate and the packet transmission delay time of the second device per unit time, and The performance summary information of the second device is received from a third device, and the third device runs a module that provides a data analysis function.

3. The method according to claim 1, in, determining whether to update the traffic processing rule is determined based on first information and second information, the first information being determined based on the performance profile information of the second device, the second information being related to a packet transmission rate requirement of the second device and a transmission delay time requirement of each packet of the second device, and The second information is defined by a network operator.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: Determining whether to update the traffic processing rule includes: comparing an update rate threshold of a traffic processing rule determined based on the first information and the second information with an update rate of a previous traffic processing rule; and In a case where the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the update rate threshold of the traffic processing rule, it is determined to update the traffic processing rule.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: In the case where the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule exceeds the threshold, information related to the traffic processing rule to be updated is stored in the second device.

6. The method according to claim 1, in, Detecting that a traffic processing rule in the second device needs to be updated is determined by receiving a control message from a fourth device, and The control message includes information related to whether a protocol data unit PDU session corresponding to a specific flow and session is converted to an idle state.

7. A method performed by a second device in a communication system that processes traffic together with a first device, comprising: measuring a packet transmission rate and a packet transmission delay time of the second device per unit time; as well as transmitting measurement information including measured values ​​of the packet transmission rate and the packet transmission delay time measured within the unit time to the first device, The measurement information is used to determine whether the first device updates the traffic processing rule to the second device.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: receiving information related to traffic processing rules from the first device; updating the traffic processing rule based on the information related to the traffic processing rule; as well as upon receiving first traffic related to the updated traffic processing rule, processing the first traffic, and upon receiving second traffic not related to the updated traffic processing rule, passing the second traffic to the first device, The information related to the traffic processing rule is determined based on the measurement information.

9. A first device in a communication system, comprising: transceiver, used to send and receive signals; as well as a controller connected to the transceiver, The controller detects that a traffic processing rule in a second device that processes traffic together with the first device needs to be updated, determines whether to update the traffic processing rule to be used in the second device based on performance information of the first device and performance profile information of the second device, and transmits information related to the update of the traffic processing rule to the second device based on the determination.

10. The first device according to claim 9, in, The performance summary information of the second device includes: a maximum packet transmission capacity of the second device according to the number of traffic processing rules transmitted from the first device to the second device per unit time; and an average packet transmission delay time of the second device according to the number of traffic processing rules transmitted from the first device to the second device per unit time, The performance summary information of the second device is determined based on measurement information of the second device received from the second device, The measurement information of the second device includes the measured values ​​of the packet transmission rate and the packet transmission delay time of the second device per unit time, and The performance summary information of the second device is received from a third device, and the third device runs a module that provides a data analysis function.

11. The first device according to claim 9, in, The controller determines whether to update the traffic processing rule based on first information and second information, compares a threshold of an update rate of the traffic processing rule determined based on the first information and the second information with an update rate of a previous traffic processing rule, determines to update the traffic processing rule if the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule is less than or equal to the threshold of the update rate of the traffic processing rule, and stores information related to the traffic processing rule to be updated in the second device if the update rate of the previous traffic processing rule exceeds the threshold, wherein the first information is determined based on the performance profile information of the second device, the second information is related to a packet transmission rate requirement of the second device and a transmission delay time requirement of each packet of the second device, and The second information is defined by a network operator.

12. The first device according to claim 9, in, The controller receives a control message from the fourth device and detects that the traffic processing rule in the second device needs to be updated.

13. The first device according to claim 12, in, The control message includes information on whether a protocol data unit (PDU) session corresponding to a specific flow and session is transitioned to an idle state.

14. A second device for processing traffic together with a first device in a communication system, comprising: transceiver, used to send and receive signals; as well as A controller connected to the transceiver, wherein the controller measures a packet transmission rate and a packet transmission delay time of the second device within a unit time, and transmits measurement information including the measured values ​​of the packet transmission rate and the packet transmission delay time within the unit time to the first device, The measurement information is used to determine whether the first device updates the traffic processing rule to the second device.

15. The second device according to claim 14, wherein the controller receives information related to the traffic processing rule from the first device, updates the traffic processing rule based on the information related to the traffic processing rule, processes the first traffic when first traffic related to the updated traffic processing rule is received, and delivers the second traffic to the first device when second traffic not related to the updated traffic processing rule is received. in, The information related to the traffic handling rule is determined based on the measurement information.

Images