Method for sending user plane function

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a user plane function sending method, which is applied to an NEF and comprises the following steps: receiving configuration information of a UPF sent by an NRF or the UPF; the configuration information of the UPF comprises mapping information of a target network element identifier and a DNAI; receiving a first subscription request sent by the AF, wherein the first subscription request carries target network element identification information; and determining DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information according to the target network element identification information and the mapping information of the target network element identification and the DNAI, and sending a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information to the AF. Therefore, the NEF can dynamically obtain the DNAI information, and the problem that the mapping information of the DNAI and the target network element identifier cannot be flexibly reported when the mapping information of the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier in the network changes due to the fact that the mapping information of the DNAI and the target network element identifier is statically configured in the NEF or the UDR in the related technology is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications, and in particular to a method for sending a user plane function. Background Art

[0002] In order to support edge computing, the user plane function (UPF) that can access edge computing can be identified, and the session management function (SMF) selects the local UPF (L-UPF) that accesses edge computing through the UPF identifier.

[0003] The application function (AF) of edge computing needs to know in advance which UPF identifiers are deployed in the 5G core network, and then request the 5G Core Network (5GC) to establish a data channel that supports edge computing, including selecting and inserting user plane functions such as uplink classifier (ULCL), branching point (BP) or L-UPF according to the UPF identifier.

[0004] Currently, the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the EAS (Edge Application Server) of edge computing is statically configured in the Network Exposure Function (NEF) or the Unified Data Repository (UDR). When the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the EAS in the network changes, the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the EAS cannot be flexibly reported. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for sending user plane functions to at least solve the problem in the related technology that the UPF identifier and EAS mapping information are statically configured in the NEF or UDR, and when the UPF identifier and EAS mapping information in the network change, the UPF identifier and EAS mapping information cannot be flexibly reported.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present application, a method for sending a user plane function is provided, which is applied to a capability exposure function network element (NEF). The method includes:

[0007] Receive UPF configuration information sent by the network repository function network element NRF or the user plane function network element UPF; wherein the UPF configuration information includes mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF;

[0008] Receive a first subscription request sent by an edge computing application function network element AF, where the first subscription request carries target network element identification information;

[0009] According to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information is determined, and a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information is sent to the AF.

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present application, a method for sending a user plane function is provided, which is applied to a user plane function network element UPF, and the method includes:

[0011] Send the configuration information of the UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF; wherein the configuration information of the UPF includes mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present application, a method for sending a user plane function is provided, which is applied to a network repository function network element NRF, and the method includes:

[0013] Send the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF; wherein the configuration information of the UPF includes the mapping information of the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is configured to execute the steps of any one of the above method embodiments when run.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present application, an electronic device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any one of the above method embodiments.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present application, NEF can receive the configuration information of UPF sent by the network repository function network element NRF or the user plane function network element UPF; wherein the configuration information of UPF includes mapping information of the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover UPF; a first subscription request sent by the edge computing application function network element AF is received, and the first subscription request carries the target network element identifier information; according to the target network element identifier information and the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identifier information is determined, and a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information is sent to AF. This enables NEF to dynamically obtain DNAI information, solves the problem in the related art that the mapping information of DNAI and target network element identifier is statically configured in NEF or UDR, and when the mapping information of the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier in the network changes, the mapping information of the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier cannot be flexibly reported, making the reporting of DNAI information more flexible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a 5G system architecture diagram of related technologies;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of obtaining DNAI information supporting edge computing from UDR in related technologies;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present application, which includes a method for reporting user plane functions;

[0020] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for sending a user plane function according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for sending a user plane function according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method for sending a user plane function according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram of a process for sending DNAI information according to an embodiment of the present application (I);

[0024] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the process of sending DNAI information according to an embodiment of the present application (II)

[0025] Figure 9 This is a flow chart (3) of sending DNAI information according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a 5G system architecture diagram of related technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown in the architecture diagram, there are the following network functions:

[0029] The Radio Access Network (RAN), also known as a wireless base station, is responsible for resource allocation of the User to Network Interface Universal (Uu) and terminal access control.

[0030] The Access and Mobility Management function (AMF) manages user access to the network and is responsible for functions such as terminal-to-network Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling management and user mobility management.

[0031] The terminal equipment (User Equipment, UE) accesses the RAN through the Uu port and accesses the core network element AMF through the N1 interface.

[0032] The Unified Data Management (UDM) function element is the permanent storage location for user contract data and is located in the user's contracted home network.

[0033] Edge computing application function network element AF can send requests to 5GC network functions (NFs) to influence the routing decision (Traffic Routing) of packet data unit (PDU) sessions.

[0034] The unified data repository UDR mainly provides the following functions: UDM data storage and reading, PCF data storage and reading, structured data storage and capability exposure, application data storage and reading (including packet flow description for application detection, AF request information of multiple UEs, etc.), etc.

[0035] The session management function network element SMF is used to manage the user's packet data unit PDU session, quality of service (QoS) flow, and formulate packet detection and forwarding rules for UPF. The SMF is locally configured or receives the session policy control rules from the PCF, and the policy control rules control the data transmission path and QoS policy between the UPF and the terminal.

[0036] The user plane function network element (UPF) is responsible for routing and forwarding IP data and non-IP data, as well as usage reporting, according to the rules issued by the SMF. The UPF is further divided into PSA (PDU Session Anchor, responsible for accessing the data network), L-UPF (Local-UPF, local PDU session anchor, used to access the local network of edge computing), and I-UPF (Intermediate UPF, intermediate PDU session anchor, used for data offload). Among them, I-UPF can support two offload methods: ULCL and BP.

[0037] The Policy Control Function (PCF) provides session policy rules to the SMF based on user contracts, application requirements, and local configuration. The PCF also sends User Resource Sharing Plan (URSP) (xxx) rules to the terminal via the AMF, controlling the terminal to generate appropriate PDU session parameters based on different application requests.

[0038] The NEF exposes network information and provides interfaces that enable external applications to dynamically control the 5G core network. The NEF is responsible for authorizing and authenticating application requests, converting requested data formats, and performing protocol adaptation.

[0039] In order to support edge computing, the Data Network Access Identifier (DN Access Identifier, DNAI) can be used to identify the UPF that can access edge computing, and the SMF can use DNAI to select the L-UPF that accesses edge computing. AF needs to know which DNAIs are deployed in the 5G core network, and then request 5GC to establish a data channel that supports edge computing. The mapping information of DNAI and EAS for edge computing is currently statically configured in NEF / UDR. The mapping information includes the following information: EAS IP address or EAS address range or EAS full domain name (Fully qualified domain name, FQDN), DNAI, DNN, S-NSSAI, etc.

[0040] Figure 2This is a flowchart of obtaining DNAI information supporting edge computing from UDR in related technologies, such as Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the process of AF obtaining DNAI that supports edge computing from UDR includes the following steps:

[0041] Step 1: AF calls Nnef_DNAIMapping_Subscribe service to request DNAI information, which may include EAS related information. If the mapping information between DNAI and EAS is stored in NEF, skip steps 2-3.

[0042] Step 2: If the mapping information between DNAI and EAS is stored in UDR, NEF calls Nudr_DM_Subscribe service to subscribe to the mapping information between DNAI and EAS from UDR.

[0043] Step 3: UDR sends a subscription notification to NEF, which carries the mapping information of all DNAIs and EASs of the requested EAS.

[0044] Step 4: NEF determines the DNAI corresponding to the requested EAS based on the mapping information between DNAI and EAS.

[0045] Step 5: NEF notifies AF of the DNAI corresponding to the EAS requested in step 1 or the updated DNAI information.

[0046] If the mapping information between DNAI and EAS is stored in the UDR, steps 3 to 5 are repeated every time the DNAI mapping information changes, and the DNAI cannot be flexibly reported to the AF.

[0047] Based on the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application provides a method for sending user plane functions, the technical concept of which is that the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI can be obtained from NRF or UPF through NEF. When the subscription request for the UPF identification information is received from AF, the subscription request carries the target network element identification information. According to the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI obtained from NRF or UPF, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information is determined and uploaded to AF, so that NEF can dynamically obtain DNAI information, which solves the problem that the mapping information of UPF identifier and EAS is statically configured in NEF or UDR in the related technology, and when the mapping information of UPF identifier and EAS in the network changes, the mapping information of UPF identifier and EAS cannot be flexibly reported.

[0048] The method embodiments provided in the embodiments of the present application can be executed in a mobile terminal, a computer terminal or a similar computing device. Taking running on a mobile terminal as an example, Figure 3This is a hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal of a method for reporting user plane functions according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the mobile terminal may include one or more ( Figure 3 Only one is shown) a processor 302 (the processor 302 may include but is not limited to a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA and other processing devices) and a memory 304 for storing data, wherein the mobile terminal may also include a transmission device 306 and an input and output device 308 for communication functions. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that Figure 3 The structure shown is only for illustration and does not limit the structure of the mobile terminal. Figure 3 More or fewer components than shown, or with Figure 3 Different configurations shown.

[0049] The memory 304 can be used to store computer programs, for example, software programs and modules of application software, such as the computer program corresponding to the method for reporting user plane functions in the embodiment of the present application. The processor 302 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer program stored in the memory 304, that is, implementing the above method. The memory 304 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 304 may further include a memory remotely located relative to the processor 302, and these remote memories may be connected to the mobile terminal via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0050] Transmission device 306 is used to receive or transmit data via a network. A specific example of the aforementioned network may include a wireless network provided by the mobile terminal's communications provider. In one embodiment, transmission device 306 includes a network interface controller (NIC), which can be connected to other network devices via a base station to enable communication with the Internet. In another embodiment, transmission device 306 may be a radio frequency (RF) module, which is used to communicate with the Internet wirelessly.

[0051] In this embodiment, a method for sending a user plane function running on the above mobile terminal is provided, which is applied to a capability opening function network element NEF. Figure 4 : is a flow chart of a method for sending a user plane function according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0052] Step S401, receiving the UPF configuration information sent by the network repository function network element NRF or the user plane function network element UPF; wherein, the UPF configuration information includes the mapping information of the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

[0053] For example, in a service-oriented architecture, the Network Repository Function (NRF) can be used to register and save the configuration information of network functions and services, and can provide functions such as service discovery, network slice management, network function management, service policy management, and resource management and optimization.

[0054] NRF ensures the availability, discoverability and efficient utilization of network resources by providing functions such as service registration and discovery, network function management, network slicing management, service policy management, and resource management and optimization, and can provide more flexible, scalable and intelligent services for 5G networks.

[0055] As an example, UPF can save the configuration information of UPF to NRF, and NEF can obtain the configuration information of UPF that supports the target network element identification information from NRF; UPF can also send the configuration information of UPF directly to NEF, and NEF can obtain the configuration information of UPF that supports the target network element identification information locally.

[0056] As an example, the configuration information of the UPF may include mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI, where DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the identifier of the UPF. For example, DANI can be used to identify the UPF that can access edge computing.

[0057] As an example, the target network element identification information may include at least one of the following: EAS address information, data network name (DNN), single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), application server AF identifier, etc.

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving the UPF configuration information sent by the network repository function network element NRF includes:

[0059] Receive the configuration information of the newly registered UPF sent by the NRF.

[0060] In an embodiment of the present invention, when a new UPF is deployed in the network, the new UPF can register with the NRF, and the NRF can obtain the registration information of the newly registered UPF, wherein the registration information of the newly registered UPF may include the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

[0061] As an example, the NRF may send the configuration information of the newly registered UPF to the NEF, and the NEF may obtain the configuration information of the newly registered UPF from the NRF.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving the configuration information of the newly registered UPF sent by the NRF includes:

[0063] Sending a second subscription request to the NRF, so that the NRF obtains the configuration information of the newly registered UPF according to the second subscription request; the second subscription request is used to indicate the subscription to the configuration information of the UPF;

[0064] Receive a second subscription notification sent by the NRF, where the second subscription notification carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

[0065] As an example, NEF may send a second subscription request to NRF, wherein the second subscription request may be used to indicate a subscription to configuration information of all UPFs that support target network element identification information, and the second subscription request may carry the target network element identification information.

[0066] As an example, when a new UPF is registered in the NRF, the NRF can obtain the registration information of the newly registered UPF based on the received second subscription request, wherein the registration information of the newly registered UPF may include the configuration information of the newly registered UPF, and the configuration information of the newly registered UPF may include the mapping information of the EAS identifier and the DNAI.

[0067] As an example, the NRF can determine whether the identification information of the newly registered UPF supports the target network element identification information in the second subscription request based on the target network element identification information in the second subscription request and the mapping information of the EAS identifier and DNAI in the configuration information of the newly registered UPF. If the identification information of the newly registered UPF supports the target network element identification information in the second subscription request, the second subscription notification carrying the configuration information of the newly registered UPF can be sent to the NEF.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, when the NEF is a locally configured NEF, configuration information of the UPF supporting the target network element identification information is acquired from the UPF.

[0069] As an example, the UPF may directly send mapping information between the target network element identifier and the DNAI to the locally configured NEF.

[0070] For example, in the case where the NEF is a locally configured NEF, the UPF may directly send mapping information between the EAS identifier and the DNAI to the locally configured NEF, and the NEF may save the mapping information and return a response to the UPF.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, after obtaining the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF, the method further includes:

[0072] The mapping information between the target network element identifier and DNAI is saved and updated to the unified data repository UDR.

[0073] Exemplarily, when the mapping information between the target network element identifier and the DNAI changes, the NEF may save the changed mapping information between the target network element identifier and the DNAI and update the UDR.

[0074] As an example, the configuration information of the UPF supporting the target network element identification information obtained from the NRF can be saved and updated to the UDR; the configuration information of the UPF supporting the target network element identification information obtained from the UPF can also be saved and updated to the UDR.

[0075] For example, when a new UPF is registered in the NRF, the NEF can obtain the configuration information of the newly registered UPF from the NRF, and save and update the configuration information of the newly registered UPF to the UDR.

[0076] For example, when the NEF is a locally configured NEF, the locally configured NEF can directly receive the mapping information between the EAS identifier and the DNAI sent by the UPF, and save and update the received mapping information between the EAS identifier and the DNAI to the UDR.

[0077] Step S402: Receive a first subscription request sent by an edge computing application function network element AF, where the first subscription request carries target network element identification information.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present application, in an edge computing scenario, the application function network element AF of edge computing needs to know which UPFs are deployed in the core network in order to request a data channel that supports edge computing from the core network.

[0079] For example, the AF may send a first subscription request to the NEF, the first subscription request may carry the target network element identification information, and the first subscription request may be used to indicate a subscription to the configuration information of the UPF that supports the target network element identification information. For example, the AF calls the Nnef_DNAIMapping_Subscribe service request to subscribe to the configuration information of the UPF.

[0080] As an example, the target network element may be a network element that requests support for edge computing, for example, the target network element may be an edge application server EAS that requests support for edge computing.

[0081] In an exemplary embodiment, the target network element identifier includes at least one of the following: address information of the edge server EAS, single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, data network name DNN, and application server AF identifier.

[0082] Step S403: Determine the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information according to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and the DNAI, and send a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information to the AF.

[0083] As an example, the NEF may determine the DNAI information according to the target network element identifier information and the mapping information between the target network element identifier and the DNAI, and may report the determined DNAI information to the AF.

[0084] As an example, NEF can obtain the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI from the configuration information of UPF saved in itself, or obtain the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI in the configuration information of UPF from NRF, or obtain the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI directly from UPF, or obtain the mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI from UDR.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information according to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and the DNAI includes:

[0086] Receiving the updated mapping information between the target network element identifier and DNAI sent by the UDR;

[0087] Determine the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information based on the target network element identification information and the updated mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI.

[0088] As an example, NEF can obtain the updated mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI from UDR, and determine the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identifier information based on the target network element identifier information and the updated mapping information of the target network element identifier and DNAI.

[0089] In an embodiment of the present application, the UPF capability can be reported to the NEF, and then notified to the AF through the NEF, so that the AF can obtain relevant information of the newly deployed UPF, and use the relevant information of the UPF to notify the core network for traffic diversion in subsequent processes.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, after acquiring the mapping information from the UDR according to the target network element identification information and determining the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information, the method further includes:

[0091] In the case where the first subscription request is used to indicate measurement of the interface delay between the UPF and the data network DN, querying the UPF corresponding to the DNAI information through the NRF, and sending a measurement request for the interface delay between the UPF and the DN to the queried UPF;

[0092] receiving a measurement response sent by the UPF, where the measurement response carries information about the interface delay measurement result between the UPF and the DN;

[0093] Report a third subscription response carrying the interface delay measurement result information between the UPF and the DN to the AF.

[0094] In the embodiment of this application, Figure 1 As shown, the interface delay between UPF and DN (i.e., N6 port delay) can be used to transmit uplink and downlink user data flows between UPF and DN, and communicate with DN based on IP and routing protocols.

[0095] For example, after determining the identification information of the UPF corresponding to the target network element identification information (such as DNAI information), the NEF can also select the corresponding UPF according to the identification information of the UPF, and notify the UPF to measure the interface delay between the UPF and the DN.

[0096] As an example, AF can send a first subscription request to NEF. The first subscription request can also be used to indicate the measurement of the interface delay between UPF and data network DN (i.e., N6 port delay). The first subscription request can carry the target network element identification information.

[0097] As an example, NEF can determine the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information based on the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI, and can query the UPF corresponding to the DNAI information from the NRF based on the DNAI information.

[0098] As an example, NEF may send a measurement request for measuring the N6 port delay to the corresponding UPF when NRF returns a query response.

[0099] As an example, when measuring the N6 port delay between the UPF and the EAS, the IP layer Ping packet can be used for measurement, or other methods can be used to measure the transmission delay of the uplink or downlink channel.

[0100] As an example, when the NEF receives a response from the UPF carrying the N6 interface delay measurement information, the NEF may return a third subscription response carrying the N6 interface delay measurement information to the AF.

[0101] In an embodiment of the present application, a first subscription request is received from an edge computing application function network element AF, the first subscription request carries target network element identification information; configuration information of the UPF that supports the target network element identification information is obtained from the network repository function network element NRF or the user plane function network element UPF; the configuration information includes mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI; according to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information is determined, and a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information is sent to the AF. This enables the NEF to dynamically obtain the DNAI information, solving the problem in the related art that the mapping information between the DNAI and the target network element identification is statically configured in the NEF or UDR, and when the mapping information between the UPF identification and the target network element identification in the network changes, the mapping information between the UPF identification and the target network element identification cannot be flexibly reported, making the reporting of the DNAI information more flexible.

[0102] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for sending a user plane function running on the above mobile terminal is provided, which is applied to a user plane function network element UPF. Figure 5 : is a flow chart of a method for sending a user plane function according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0103] Step 501: Send the configuration information of the UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF; wherein, the configuration information of the UPF includes mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present application, the UPF may directly send the configuration information of the UPF to the NEF, so that the NEF may determine the DNAI information based on the mapping information between the target network element identifier and the DNAI in the configuration information of the UPF and report it to the AF.

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment, the target network element identifier includes at least one of the following: address information of the edge server EAS, single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, data network name DNN, and application server AF identifier.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment, the method further includes:

[0107] In the case that the UPF is a newly registered UPF, a UPF registration request is sent to the network repository function network element NRF, and a UPF registration response sent by the NRF is received; the UPF registration request carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

[0108] In an exemplary embodiment, the method further includes:

[0109] receiving a measurement request for an interface delay between the UPF and the data network DN sent by the NEF;

[0110] According to the measurement request, the interface delay between the UPF and the data network DN is measured to obtain the interface delay measurement result information between the UPF and the DN, and the interface delay measurement result information between the UPF and the DN is sent to the NEF.

[0111] In an embodiment of the present application, the configuration information of the UPF is sent to the NEF through the UPF, so that the NEF can dynamically obtain the DNAI information, thereby solving the problem in the related technology that the mapping information of the DNAI and the target network element identifier is statically configured in the NEF or UDR. When the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier in the network changes, the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier cannot be flexibly reported, making the reporting of the DNAI information more flexible.

[0112] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for sending a user plane function running on the above mobile terminal is provided, which is applied to a network repository function network element NRF. Figure 6 : is a flow chart of a method for sending a user plane function according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0113] Step 601: Send configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF; wherein, the configuration information of the UPF includes mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, the target network element identifier includes at least one of the following: address information of the edge server EAS, single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, data network name DNN, and application server AF identifier.

[0115] In an exemplary embodiment, the sending the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF to the capability openness function network element NEF includes:

[0116] Send the configuration information of the newly registered UPF to the NEF.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, the sending the configuration information of the newly registered UPF to the NEF includes:

[0118] Receive a second subscription request sent by the NEF; the second subscription request is used to indicate the configuration information of the subscription UPF;

[0119] The configuration information of the newly registered UPF is obtained according to the second subscription request, and a second subscription notification is sent to the NEF, where the second subscription notification carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

[0120] In an exemplary embodiment, obtaining configuration information of the newly registered UPF according to the second subscription request includes:

[0121] Receive a UPF registration request sent by the UPF, and send a UPF registration response to the UPF; wherein the UPF registration request carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

[0122] In an embodiment of the present application, the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF is sent to the NEF through the NRF, so that the NEF can dynamically obtain the DNAI information, thereby solving the problem in the related technology that the mapping information of the DNAI and the target network element identifier is statically configured in the NEF or UDR. When the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier in the network changes, the mapping information between the UPF identifier and the target network element identifier cannot be flexibly reported, making the reporting of the DNAI information more flexible.

[0123] In order to facilitate those skilled in the art to further understand the UPF reporting process of this application, the following describes the UPF reporting process of the embodiment of this application through several examples:

[0124] Example 1

[0125] NEF subscribes to UPF configuration information from NRF

[0126] Figure 7 This is a flow chart of sending DNAI information according to an embodiment of the present application (I). In this example 1, UPF can save the configuration information of UPF to NRF, and NEF can subscribe to the configuration information of UPF from NRF, such as Figure 7 As shown, the following steps may be specifically included:

[0127] Step 1: AF can call Nnef_DNAIMapping_Subscribe service to send a subscription request for subscribing to DNAI information to NEF.

[0128] The subscription request may include at least one of the following information: EAS address information, DNN, S-NSSAI, and AF identifier.

[0129] If the mapping information between EAS and DNAI is stored in NEF, steps 2-3 can be skipped.

[0130] Among them, the mapping information between EAS and DNAI may include at least one of the following mapping information: mapping information between S-NSSAI and DNAI, mapping information between DNN and DNAI, and mapping information between EAS address information and DNAI.

[0131] Step 2. If the mapping information of DNAI is stored in UDR, and the subscription request in step 1 includes the AF identifier but does not include DNN and S-NSSAI, NEF can determine the corresponding DNN and / or S-NSSAI based on the AF identifier, and call the Nudr_DM_Subscribe service to send a subscription request to UDR to subscribe to the mapping information between DNN and DNAI and / or the mapping information between S-NSSAI and DNAI.

[0132] In step 3, the UDR may return a subscription notification of all EAS and DNAI mapping information requested in step 2 to the NEF.

[0133] In step 4, the NEF may determine the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS in the subscription request in step 1 according to the mapping information between EAS and DNAI.

[0134] In step 5, the NEF may send a subscription notification carrying the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS in the subscription request in step 1 to the AF.

[0135] As an example, the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS in the subscription request determined by the NEF may also be updated DNAI information.

[0136] In step 6, if the subscription request in step 1 includes DNN or S-NSSAI, NEF can subscribe to the configuration information of all UPFs that support DNN / S-NSSAI requested in step 1 from NRF.

[0137] Step 7: When a new UPF is deployed in the network, the new UPF can send a UPF registration request to the NRF. The UPF registration request can carry the registration information of the new UPF.

[0138] Among them, the new registration information may include the configuration information of the new UPF, which may include the DNN / S-NSSAI supported by the new UPF. If the new UPF supports edge computing offload, the configuration information may also include supported DNAI and local EAS information.

[0139] Step 8: The NRF may save the configuration information of the new UPF and return a registration response to the new UPF.

[0140] In step 9, NRF may return a subscription notification of the configuration information of the new UPF to NEF if the DNAI in the configuration information of the new UPF supports the S-NSSAI / DNN subscribed to in step 1.

[0141] In step 10, the NEF may update the EAS and DNAI mapping information according to the new UPF configuration information, and the UDR sends a request to store the EAS and DNAI mapping information, and saves the updated EAS and DNAI mapping information in the UDR.

[0142] In step 11, the UDR may receive a request to store the mapping information of the EAS and DNAI, and send a notification to the NEF to store the mapping information of the EAS and DNAI, thereby updating the mapping information of the EAS and DNAI stored in the UDR.

[0143] In step 12, the NEF may send a subscription notification of the updated DNAI information requested in step 1 to the AF according to the updated mapping information between the EAS and the DNAI.

[0144] It should be noted that the NEF subscribed to the NRF in step 6 and the NEF receiving the AF request in step 1 may be different NEFs or the same NEF, and this embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0145] Example 2

[0146] UPF sends configuration information directly to NRF

[0147] Figure 8 Schematic diagram (2) of the process of sending DNAI information according to an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 8 As shown, the following steps may be specifically included:

[0148] Step 1: AF can call Nnef_DNAIMapping_Subscribe service to send a subscription request for subscribing to DNAI information to NEF.

[0149] The subscription request may include at least one of the following information: EAS address information, DNN, S-NSSAI, and AF identifier.

[0150] If the mapping information between EAS and DNAI is stored in NEF, steps 2-3 can be skipped.

[0151] Among them, the mapping information between EAS and DNAI may include at least one of the following mapping information: mapping information between S-NSSAI and DNAI, mapping information between DNN and DNAI, and mapping information between EAS address information and DNAI.

[0152] Step 2. If the mapping information of DNAI is stored in UDR, and the subscription request in step 1 includes the AF identifier but does not include DNN and S-NSSAI, NEF can determine the corresponding DNN and / or S-NSSAI based on the AF identifier, and call the Nudr_DM_Subscribe service to send a subscription request to UDR to subscribe to the mapping information between DNN and DNAI and / or the mapping information between S-NSSAI and DNAI.

[0153] In step 3, the UDR may return a subscription notification of all EAS and DNAI mapping information requested in step 2 to the NEF.

[0154] In step 4, the NEF may determine the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS in the subscription request in step 1 according to the mapping information between EAS and DNAI.

[0155] In step 5, the NEF may send a subscription notification carrying the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS in the subscription request in step 1 to the AF.

[0156] As an example, the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS in the subscription request determined by the NEF may also be updated DNAI information.

[0157] In step 6, the L-UPF may directly send a request carrying the mapping information between EAS and DNAI to the locally configured NEF. The mapping information may include information such as S-NSSAI, DNN, DNAI, and the address of the local EAS.

[0158] The DNAI in the EAS and DNAI mapping information sent by the L-UPF is the identifier of the L-UPF.

[0159] In step 7, the locally configured NEF may save the mapping information between the EAS and the DNAI and return a response to the L-UPF.

[0160] In step 8, the NEF may update the current EAS and DNAI mapping information according to the newly received EAS and DNAI mapping information, and send a request to the UDR to store the updated EAS and DNAI mapping information, and save the updated EAS and DNAI mapping information in the UDR.

[0161] In step 9, the UDR may return a notification of updating the mapping information between EAS and DNAI to the NEF.

[0162] In step 10, the NEF may send a subscription notification of the updated DNAI information requested in step 1 to the AF according to the updated mapping information between the EAS and the DNAI.

[0163] It should be noted that the NEF subscribed to the NRF in step 6 and the NEF receiving the AF request in step 1 may be different NEFs or the same NEF, and this embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0164] Example 3

[0165] After obtaining the DNAI information, the NEF may select a corresponding UPF according to the DNAI information and notify the corresponding UPF to measure the N6 port delay.

[0166] Figure 9 3 is a flow chart of sending DNAI information according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 9 As shown, the following steps may be specifically included:

[0167] Step 1: The AF may call the Nnef_DNAIMapping_Subscribe service to send a subscription request for DNAI information to the NEF. The subscription request also carries an instruction to request measurement of the N6 interface delay.

[0168] The subscription request may include at least one of the following information: EAS address information, DNN, S-NSSAI, and AF identifier.

[0169] If the mapping information between EAS and DNAI is stored in NEF, steps 2-3 can be skipped.

[0170] Among them, the mapping information between EAS and DNAI may include at least one of the following mapping information: mapping information between S-NSSAI and DNAI, mapping information between DNN and DNAI, and mapping information between EAS address information and DNAI.

[0171] In step 2, according to the method of example 1 or example 2 above, the NEF can determine the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS requested in step 1.

[0172] In step 3, the NEF may send a request to query the UPF to the NRF based on the DNAI information corresponding to the EAS determined in step 2, so as to query the UPF corresponding to the DNAI information.

[0173] In step 4, the NRF may query the UPF corresponding to the DNAI information according to the request for querying the UPF, and return a query UPF response to the NEF if the UPF corresponding to the DNAI information is found.

[0174] Step 5: When the NEF receives the UPF query response, it may send a request to measure the N6 port delay to the queried UPF. The request to measure the N6 port delay may carry the EAS address information.

[0175] In step 6, the UPF may perform N6 port delay measurement between the UPF and the EAS according to the received N6 port delay measurement request.

[0176] The measurement method may be to use an IP layer Ping packet for measurement, or other methods to measure the transmission delay of an uplink or downlink channel.

[0177] In step 7, the UPF may return a N6 port delay measurement response to the NEF, where the N6 port delay measurement response may carry the N6 port delay measurement result information.

[0178] In step 8, the NEF receives the measurement result information of the N6 interface delay, and sends a subscription notification of the DNAI information requested in step 1 to the AF. The subscription notification carries the measurement result information of the N6 interface delay.

[0179] In an embodiment of the present application, a first subscription request is received from an edge computing application function network element AF, the first subscription request carries target network element identification information; configuration information of the UPF that supports the target network element identification information is obtained from the network repository function network element NRF or the user plane function network element UPF; the configuration information includes mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI; according to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information is determined, and a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information is sent to the AF. This enables the NEF to dynamically obtain the DNAI information, solving the problem in the related art that the mapping information between the DNAI and the target network element identification is statically configured in the NEF or UDR, and when the mapping information between the UPF identification and the target network element identification in the network changes, the mapping information between the UPF identification and the target network element identification cannot be flexibly reported, making the reporting of the DNAI information more flexible.

[0180] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the method according to the above embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus the necessary general hardware platform, and of course it can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0181] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is configured to execute the steps of any of the above method embodiments when run.

[0182] In an exemplary embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media that can store computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a mobile hard disk, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0183] An embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program to execute the steps in any one of the above method embodiments.

[0184] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor, and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0185] For specific examples in this embodiment, reference may be made to the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementation modes, and this embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0186] Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that the modules or steps of the present application described above can be implemented using a general-purpose computing device, they can be concentrated on a single computing device, or distributed across a network composed of multiple computing devices, they can be implemented using program code executable by the computing device, and thus, they can be stored in a storage device and executed by the computing device, and in some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than herein, or they can be fabricated into separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated into a single integrated circuit module for implementation. Thus, the present application is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0187] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the principles of the present application shall be included within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for sending a user plane function, characterized in that: Applied to a capability exposure function network element (NEF), the method includes: Receive UPF configuration information sent by the network repository function network element NRF or the user plane function network element UPF; wherein the UPF configuration information includes mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF; Receive a first subscription request sent by an edge computing application function network element AF, where the first subscription request carries target network element identification information; According to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information is determined, and a first subscription notification carrying the DNAI information is sent to the AF.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The receiving UPF configuration information sent by the network repository function network element NRF includes: Receive the configuration information of the newly registered UPF sent by the NRF.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The receiving the configuration information of the newly registered UPF sent by the NRF includes: Sending a second subscription request to the NRF, so that the NRF obtains the configuration information of the newly registered UPF according to the second subscription request; the second subscription request is used to indicate the subscription to the configuration information of the UPF; Receive a second subscription notification sent by the NRF, where the second subscription notification carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein After acquiring the mapping information from the UDR according to the target network element identification information and determining the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information, the method further includes: In the case where the first subscription request is used to indicate measurement of the interface delay between the UPF and the data network DN, querying the UPF corresponding to the DNAI information through the NRF, and sending a measurement request for the interface delay between the UPF and the DN to the queried UPF; receiving a measurement response sent by the UPF, where the measurement response carries information about the interface delay measurement result between the UPF and the DN; Report a third subscription response carrying the interface delay measurement result information between the UPF and the DN to the AF.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein After obtaining the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF, the following steps are also included: The mapping information between the target network element identifier and DNAI is saved and updated to the unified data repository UDR.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The determining, according to the target network element identification information and the mapping information between the target network element identification and the DNAI, the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information includes: Receiving the updated mapping information between the target network element identifier and DNAI sent by the UDR; Determine the DNAI information corresponding to the target network element identification information based on the target network element identification information and the updated mapping information between the target network element identification and DNAI.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The target network element identifier includes at least one of the following: address information of the edge server EAS, single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, data network name DNN, and application server AF identifier.

8. A method for sending a user plane function, characterized in that: Applied to a user plane function network element (UPF), the method includes: Send the configuration information of the UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF; wherein the configuration information of the UPF includes mapping information between the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: In the case that the UPF is a newly registered UPF, a UPF registration request is sent to the network repository function network element NRF, and a UPF registration response sent by the NRF is received; the UPF registration request carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: receiving a measurement request for an interface delay between the UPF and the data network DN sent by the NEF; According to the measurement request, the interface delay between the UPF and the data network DN is measured to obtain the interface delay measurement result information between the UPF and the DN, and the interface delay measurement result information between the UPF and the DN is sent to the NEF.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The target network element identifier includes at least one of the following: address information of the edge server EAS, single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, data network name DNN, and application server AF identifier.

12. A method for sending a user plane function, characterized in that: Applied to a network repository function (NRF), the method includes: Send the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF; wherein the configuration information of the UPF includes the mapping information of the target network element identifier and the data network access identifier DNAI; the DNAI is an identifier used to find or discover the UPF.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The sending of the configuration information of the user plane function network element UPF to the capability exposure function network element NEF includes: Send the configuration information of the newly registered UPF to the NEF.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The sending the configuration information of the newly registered UPF to the NEF includes: Receive a second subscription request sent by the NEF; the second subscription request is used to indicate the configuration information of the subscription UPF; The configuration information of the newly registered UPF is obtained according to the second subscription request, and a second subscription notification is sent to the NEF, where the second subscription notification carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The acquiring, according to the second subscription request, configuration information of the newly registered UPF includes: Receive a UPF registration request sent by the UPF, and send a UPF registration response to the UPF; wherein the UPF registration request carries the configuration information of the newly registered UPF.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that: The target network element identifier includes at least one of the following: address information of the edge server EAS, single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, data network name DNN, and application server AF identifier.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented, or the steps of the method described in any one of claims 8 to 11 are implemented, or the steps of the method described in any one of claims 12 to 16 are implemented.

18. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein: When the processor executes the computer program, the processor implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 8 to 11, or implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 12 to 16.

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