Network slice establishment method and system and core network

Abstract

The invention discloses a network slice establishment method, a network slice establishment system and a core network. The method comprises the following steps that: a communication service management function (CSMF) receives a slice establishment request initiated by an access and mobility management function (AMF); and the CSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request. According to the network slice establishment method disclosed by the technical scheme of the invention, the AMF proxy terminal equipment is allowed to directly initiate the slice establishment request to the CSMF or the NSMF, so that the establishment of the network slice based on the guidance of the user demand is realized, and the flexibility, the dynamicity and the rapidity of the establishment of the network slice are remarkably improved. Besides, the direct communication mechanism simplifies the slice creation process, so that the response speed of the network to different terminal devices and application requirements is accelerated, more efficient resource allocation and network management are realized, and diversified and high-requirement modern communication services are effectively supported.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of network slicing, and in particular, to a method and system for establishing a network slice and a core network. Background Art

[0002] Vertical industries are important service scenarios in the 5G era, expanding from traditional human-centered services to thing-centered services. This is not only the new value of the development of the telecommunications industry, but also a new engine for economic growth and social development.

[0003] In response to the needs of vertical industries, the concept of network slicing has been proposed: it can ensure network service quality, provide different, isolated, and customizable network services for different vertical industries, and can provide services at multiple levels including basic communication, resources, customization functions, and network formation.

[0004] In the prior art, the network slice generation process is as follows: when a tenant in a certain industry has a need to build a network slice, through the communication service management function CSMF of the operator (the operator's operation and maintenance personnel operate the CSMF), the network slice SLA requirements are sent to the network slice management function NSMF, and then the NSMF completes the creation and life cycle management of the network slice instance that meets the SLA requirements. If the operator does not deploy the CSMF, the operator's operation and maintenance personnel need to operate the NSMF.

[0005] However, in the existing solutions, slice generation and activation are both completed by the slice network management system, which is relatively heavy and has a long cycle, and cannot support the requirements for user-centered dynamic network slice establishment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a method, system, and core network for establishing a network slice that can quickly and dynamically create a network slice based on user requirements.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention discloses a method for establishing a network slice, which includes:

[0008] The communication service management function CSMF receives a slice creation request initiated by the access and mobility management function AMF;

[0009] The CSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request.

[0010] Preferably, when the AMF sends the slice creation request to the CSMF, it also sends a rejection message related to the specific slice registration to the terminal device. The rejection message carries a first message and a fallback timer. The first message is used to indicate that the specific slice currently requested by the terminal device is not created at the current moment, and the fallback timer is used to indicate the time for the terminal device to initiate a request to access the specific slice again.

[0011] Preferably, the slice creation request received by the CSMF carries any one or more of the following information:

[0012] The slice identifier of the specific slice, the priority of the specific slice, the specified customer type, the customer information, and the requirement information for the capabilities of the specific slice.

[0013] Preferably, the requirement information for the capabilities of the specific slice includes any one or more of the following information:

[0014] The number of terminal devices that can be served simultaneously, the maximum network bandwidth, the slice type, the number of terminal devices online simultaneously, the validity period of the slice, and the service area.

[0015] Preferably, the CSMF feeds back a slice creation success message for the specific slice to the AMF. The AMF initiates a paging for the specific slice registration to the terminal device according to the cached context information of the terminal device, or waits for the terminal device to initiate a request for the specific slice registration actively.

[0016] The present invention also discloses another network slice establishment method, which includes:

[0017] The network slice management function NSMF receives a slice creation request initiated by the access and mobility management function AMF;

[0018] The NSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request.

[0019] Preferably, when the AMF sends the slice creation request to the NSMF, it also sends a rejection message related to the specific slice registration to the terminal device. The rejection message carries a first message and a fallback timer. The first message is used to indicate that the specific slice currently requested by the terminal device is not created at the current moment, and the fallback timer is used to indicate the time for the terminal device to initiate a request to access the specific slice again.

[0020] Preferably, the slice creation request received by the NSMF carries any one or more of the following information:

[0021] The slice identifier of the specific slice, the priority of the specific slice, the specified customer type, the customer information, and the demand information for the capabilities of the specific slice.

[0022] Preferably, the demand information for the capabilities of the specific slice includes any one or more of the following information:

[0023] The number of terminal devices that can be served simultaneously, the maximum network bandwidth, the slice type, the number of terminal devices online simultaneously, the validity period of the slice, and the service area.

[0024] Preferably, the NSMF feeds back the slice creation success message of the specific slice to the AMF, and the AMF actively initiates paging for the registration of the specific slice to the terminal device according to the cached context information of the terminal device, or waits for the terminal device to actively initiate a request for the registration of the specific slice.

[0025] The present invention also discloses a core network, which can create network slices based on the network slice establishment method as described above.

[0026] The present invention also discloses a network slice establishment system, which includes:

[0027] One or more processors;

[0028] A memory;

[0029] And one or more programs, where one or more programs are stored in the memory and are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and the programs include instructions for executing the network slice establishment method as described above.

[0030] The present invention also discloses a computer-readable storage medium, which includes a computer program that can be executed by a processor to complete the network slice establishment method as described above.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the network slice establishment method disclosed in the above technical solution of the present invention allows the AMF to proxy the terminal device to directly initiate a slice creation request to the CSMF or NSMF, realizes the creation of network slices guided by user needs, and significantly improves the flexibility, dynamics, and rapidity of network slice creation. In addition, this direct communication mechanism simplifies the slice creation process, thereby accelerating the network's response speed to different terminal device and application requirements, realizes more efficient resource allocation and network management, and effectively supports diverse and high-demand modern communication services. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation of network elements in the network slice establishment process in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 The signaling flow chart of the network slice establishment process in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 It is the schematic diagram of the cooperation of network elements in the network slice establishment process in the prior art. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] To describe in detail the technical content, structural features, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention, the following will be described in detail in conjunction with the implementation manners and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] This embodiment discloses a network slice establishment method for flexibly creating network slices according to user requirements. In addition, it should be noted that the network in this embodiment is a 5G network or the next-generation evolved network compatible with the 5G network.

[0037] To facilitate the description of the network slice establishment method in this embodiment, first, the establishment process of slices in the prior art will be described.

[0038] Slice generation needs to use the network slice management system proposed by 3GPP SA5 in TR28.801. For example, Figure 3 , the slice management system includes a communication service management function CSMF, a network slice management function NSMF, and a network slice subnet management function NSSMF. Among them, the CSMF is responsible for converting relevant service requirements into slice-related requirements (such as service level agreement SLA), and then sending them to the NSMF; the NSMF is responsible for the management and orchestration of slice instances (NSI), and deriving slice subnet instance-related requirements from the slice instance-related requirements, and then sending the slice subnet instance requirements to the NSSMF; the NSSMF is responsible for the management and orchestration of network slice subnet instances, including a core network sub-slice management function CN-NSSMF, a transport network sub-slice management function TN-NSSMF, and a radio network sub-slice management function AN-NSSMF.

[0039] Based on this, for example, Figure 1 the network slice establishment method disclosed in this embodiment is:

[0040] S1: The communication service management function CSMF receives a slice creation request initiated by the access and mobility management function AMF;

[0041] S2: The CSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request.

[0042] Since the CSMF creates a network slice through the network slice management function NSMF, therefore, the NSMF can also receive the slice creation request initiated by the access and mobility management function AMF, and then the NSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request.

[0043] Based on this network slice establishment method, when a user initiates a registration process and is ready to access a certain slice instance, the AMF queries in the network slice selection function NSSF according to the requested slice ID (i.e., NSSAI). After the AMF receives the query response, if it is found that the slice has not been created (there is no such slice instance in the network), the AMF rejects the access of the terminal. At the same time, the AMF acts as an agent and initiates a slice establishment request to the CSMF.

[0044] It can be seen from this that this network slice establishment method allows the AMF to act as an agent for the terminal device to directly initiate a slice creation request to the CSMF or NSMF, realizing the creation of network slices guided by user needs, and significantly improving the flexibility, dynamics, and speed of network slice creation. In addition, this direct communication mechanism simplifies the slice creation process, thereby accelerating the network's response speed to different terminal device and application requirements, realizing more efficient resource allocation and network management, and effectively supporting diverse and high-demand modern communication services.

[0045] On the other hand, when the AMF sends a slice creation request to the CSMF or NSMF, it also sends a rejection message related to specific slice registration to the terminal device. The rejection message carries a first message and a fallback timer. The first message is used to indicate that the specific slice currently requested by the terminal device is not created at the current moment. The fallback timer is used to indicate the time for the terminal device to initiate a request to access the specific slice again, that is, when the fallback timer overflows, the terminal device initiates the registration process for the specific slice again. In this embodiment, by providing clear feedback and an indication of the time for re-attempting, the terminal device can avoid frequently attempting to access when the slice is not ready, thereby reducing unnecessary communication attempts and network burden, and at the same time ensuring that it can connect in a timely and effective manner when the slice is ready.

[0046] On the other hand, the slice creation request received by the CSMF or NSMF carries any one or more of the following information:

[0047] The slice identifier (NSSAI) of the specific slice, the priority of the specific slice (generally specified as high), the specified customer type, customer information, and the demand information for the capabilities of the specific slice. In this embodiment, the specified customer type is the network function (NF) type of the AMF. The AMF is not only the entity that sends the network slice creation request but also the "customer type" specified in the request. This design allows the network slice management system to more accurately identify and process requests from different network functions. The customer information refers to the ID of the AMF.

[0048] Furthermore, the demand information for the capabilities of the specific slice includes any one or more of the following information:

[0049] The number of terminal devices that can be served simultaneously, the maximum network bandwidth, slice types (such as enhanced mobile broadband eMBB for high-speed mobile, ultra-reliable low-latency communication uRLLC, massive machine-type communication mMTC, etc.), the number of simultaneously online terminal devices, the validity period of the slice, and the service area.

[0050] On the other hand, the CSMF or NSMF feeds back the successful slice creation message of a specific slice to the AMF. The AMF actively initiates a paging for specific slice registration to the terminal device based on the cached context information of the terminal device, or waits for the terminal device to actively initiate a request for specific slice registration.

[0051] In this embodiment, by allowing the AMF to actively trigger the registration process when the slice is ready, the terminal device can be connected to the required slice more quickly, and at the same time, it also supports the terminal device to select the best registration timing according to its own situation, thereby optimizing the use and management of the overall network resources and enhancing the user experience.

[0052] In summary, as Figure 2 , the working process of the core network based on the network slice establishment method in the above embodiment is as follows:

[0053] 1. User registration request: The user sends a registration request to the AMF through the radio access network (R)AN to access a certain slice in the network. The request includes parameters such as the request type, user identifier, and slice identifier (NSSAI). The AMF, the authentication server function AUSF, and the terminal device UE jointly complete the authentication and other processes.

[0054] 2. User data acquisition: If the AMF does not have the subscribed data information of the user, the AMF will carry the user identifier (such as SUPI) and request to discover the user data management function UDM, and initiate a service registration process to the UDM. The AMF calls the Nudm_SDM_Get service of the UDM to obtain the subscribed data. The response message of the UDM contains the subscribed data of the UE, such as information about the S-NSSAIs subscribed by the user, etc.

[0055] 3. Slice service judgment: The AMF determines whether it can provide slice services for the UE based on the subscribed data of the UE, the requested NSSAI of the UE, and the slice information supported by the AMF. If the AMF to which the user connects cannot provide a slice that meets the requirements for the UE, the AMF will call the Nnssf_NSSelection_Get service of the network slice selection function NSSF, carrying parameters such as the requested slice ID and the subscribed slice ID.

[0056] 4. Slice query: If no suitable slice is found, the AMF receives a notification from the NSSF indicating that no network slice has been found.

[0057] 5a. Registration Rejection and Caching: If the AMF discovers that there is no slice in the network that meets the UE's requirements, the AMF will cache the UE's context information (such as the UE's ID, etc.) and reject the UE's access. The AMF sends a registration rejection message to the UE through the base station, and this message contains the first message and a fallback timer. After receiving this message, the UE starts the fallback timer and reinitiates a registration request for a specific slice to the network after the fallback timer expires.

[0058] 5b. Slice Creation Request: The AMF sends a slice creation request to the CSMF or NSMF to request the activation of a slice. The request contains the requested slice identifier (NSSAI), priority (such as high), customer information (such as the ID of the AMF), customer type (such as the network function type of the AMF), and optional slice capability requirement information (such as the maximum number of UEs that can access the slice simultaneously, maximum bandwidth, slice type, number of simultaneously online users, slice lifetime, service area of the slice, etc.).

[0059] 6. Slice Creation Feedback: The CSMF or NSMF completes the creation of the slice through interactions with the NSSMF and specific network elements and returns a message indicating the successful creation of the slice to the AMF.

[0060] 7. After receiving the above message, the AMF initiates paging to the UE based on the cached UE context information; or the AMF waits for the UE to initiate a registration request actively.

[0061] The above process clearly illustrates the complete process from the user initiating a registration request to the creation and registration of network slices, including the specific steps of each link and the relevant functional components.

[0062] This method of establishing network slices helps to achieve more efficient, reliable, and personalized network services by improving the flexibility, response speed, and customization ability of network slice creation.

[0063] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a core network is also disclosed, and this core network can create network slices based on the above-described method of establishing network slices.

[0064] The present invention also discloses a network slice establishment system, which includes one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs. One or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors. The programs include instructions for performing the network slice establishment method as described above. The processor may adopt a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits to execute relevant programs to implement the functions required by the modules in the network slice establishment system of the embodiments of the present application, or to execute the network slice establishment method of the method embodiments of the present application.

[0065] The present invention also discloses a computer-readable storage medium, which includes a computer program that can be executed by a processor to complete the network slice establishment method as described above. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more integrated available media. The available medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, or an optical medium, such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state disk (SSD), etc.

[0066] The embodiments of the present application also disclose a computer program product or a computer program. The computer program product or the computer program includes computer instructions that are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of the electronic device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to cause the electronic device to execute the above-mentioned network slice establishment method.

[0067] The foregoing disclosures are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and of course cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention still fall within the scope covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a network slice, characterized in that including: The Communication Service Management Function (CSMF) receives a slice creation request initiated by the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); The CSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request.

2. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 1, wherein When sending the slice creation request to the CSMF, the AMF also sends a rejection message related to the registration of the specific slice to the terminal device. The rejection message carries a first message and a fallback timer. The first message is used to indicate that the specific slice currently requested by the terminal device is not created at the current moment, and the fallback timer is used to indicate the time for the terminal device to initiate a request to access the specific slice again.

3. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 1, wherein The slice creation request received by the CSMF carries any one or more of the following information: The slice identifier of the specific slice, the priority of the specific slice, the specified customer type, the customer information, and the requirement information for the capabilities of the specific slice.

4. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 3, wherein The requirement information for the capabilities of the specific slice includes any one or more of the following information: The number of terminal devices that can be served simultaneously, the maximum network bandwidth, the slice type, the number of simultaneously online terminal devices, the validity period of the slice, and the service area.

5. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 1, wherein The CSMF feeds back a slice creation success message to the AMF. The AMF initiates a paging for the registration of the specific slice to the terminal device proactively according to the cached context information of the terminal device, or waits for the terminal device to initiate a request for the registration of the specific slice proactively.

6. A method for establishing a network slice, characterized in that including: The Network Slice Management Function (NSMF) receives a slice creation request initiated by the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); The NSMF creates a specific slice required by the terminal device based on the slice creation request.

7. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 6, wherein When sending the slice creation request to the NSMF, the AMF also sends a rejection message related to the registration of the specific slice to the terminal device. The rejection message carries a first message and a fallback timer. The first message is used to indicate that the specific slice currently requested by the terminal device is not created at the current moment, and the fallback timer is used to indicate the time for the terminal device to initiate a request to access the specific slice again.

8. The network slice establishment method according to claim 6, wherein The slice creation request received by the NSMF carries any one or more of the following information: The slice identifier of the specific slice, the priority of the specific slice, the specified customer type, the customer information, and the requirement information for the capabilities of the specific slice.

9. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 8, wherein The requirement information for the capabilities of the specific slice includes any one or more of the following information: The number of terminal devices that can be served simultaneously, the maximum network bandwidth, the slice type, the number of simultaneously online terminal devices, the validity period of the slice, and the service area.

10. The method for establishing a network slice according to claim 6, wherein The NSMF feeds back a slice creation success message to the AMF. The AMF initiates a paging for the registration of the specific slice to the terminal device proactively according to the cached context information of the terminal device, or waits for the terminal device to initiate a request for the registration of the specific slice proactively.

11. A core network, characterized in that, The core network can create network slices based on the network slice establishment method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 6 to 10.

12. A network slice establishment system, characterized in that, Comprising: One or more processors; A memory; And one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for performing the network slice establishment method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 6 to 10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Including a computer program, the computer program being executable by a processor to complete the network slice establishment method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 6 to 10.

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