Network service processing method and device, computer program product and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wireless communication, and relates to a network service processing method and device, a computer program product and electronic equipment. The method is applied to a network data analysis function (NWDAF), and comprises the following steps: receiving a first subscription request of a user plane function (UPF), the first subscription request being used for subscribing a network guarantee strategy when the NWDAF is overloaded for the UPF, the first subscription request carrying a data network name (DNN) and a corresponding guarantee priority; subscribing operation condition information to the UPF, subscribing service processing information of the UPF to an operation administration and maintenance (OAM), and analyzing and determining resource utilization information of the UPF according to the operation condition information and the service processing information; and if the resource utilization information satisfies the preset overload protection condition, determining a target network guarantee strategy according to the DNN and the corresponding guarantee priority and sending the target network guarantee strategy to the UPF. According to the invention, the UPF overload condition can be effectively inhibited, and the session service quality is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a network service processing method, a network service processing apparatus, a computer program product, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] In 5G core network units, the User Plane Function (UPF) is primarily responsible for user plane transmission and session QoS (Quality of Service) policy control. Currently, when the UPF in a 5G Standalone (SA) core network becomes overloaded, its overload protection mechanism randomly discards uplink and downlink packets, including N4 interface signaling and any user plane session (including voice sessions). When the UPF discards user N4 interface signaling, it causes UE session establishment and modification processes to fail, triggering the UE to initiate a session reconstruction process. Similarly, when the UPF discards user voice session context packets, it causes user call failures and UE IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) registration failures, also triggering the UE to initiate a session reconstruction process. A large number of user session reconstructions can trigger a signaling surge exceeding 20 times the normal level, causing the already overloaded UPF to receive even more signaling, leading to network element failures and, in severe cases, paralyzing the entire 5G mobile network. Currently, in existing network deployments, the UPF cannot guarantee session services when overloaded, resulting in secondary network disasters.

[0003] It should be noted that the information in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a network service processing method, network service processing device, computer program product, and electronic device, which can effectively suppress UPF overload and ensure session service quality.

[0005] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a network service processing method is provided, applied to a Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF). The method includes: receiving a first subscription request from a User Plane Function (UPF), the first subscription request being used to subscribe to a network protection policy of the NWDAF for UPF overload, the first subscription request carrying a Data Network Name (DNN) and a corresponding protection priority; subscribing to operational status information from the UPF, subscribing to service processing information of the UPF from the Operation Management and Maintenance (OAM), and analyzing and determining resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operational status information and the service processing information; if the resource utilization information meets preset overload protection conditions, determining a target network protection policy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sending it to the UPF.

[0007] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, subscribing to operational status information from the UPF and subscribing to UPF service processing information from the Operations Management and Maintenance (OAM) includes: subscribing to operational status information for each time period from the UPF; and subscribing to service processing information of the UPF corresponding to each time period from the OAM.

[0008] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the operational information includes at least one of the following: the number of sessions for each DNN, the quality of service information for each session, and the UPF resource utilization information for each time period; the service processing information includes at least one of the following: session establishment information, session modification information, the number of deletion requests, and UPF throughput information.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the resource utilization information satisfying the preset overload protection conditions includes: the resource utilization information reaching a resource overload threshold, determining that the UPF has an overload risk; determining a target network protection strategy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority, including: determining a first target DNN to be adjusted and a first quality of service strategy corresponding to the first target DNN based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority; determining a target network protection strategy based on the first target DNN and the first quality of service strategy, and sending the target network protection strategy to the UPF, wherein the target network protection strategy is a network protection strategy to ensure that the UPF is not overloaded.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the resource utilization information satisfying the preset overload protection condition further includes: the resource utilization information indicating that the UPF is overloaded; determining the target network protection policy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority, further including: determining the second target DNN to be adjusted and the second quality of service policy corresponding to the second target DNN based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority; determining the target network protection policy based on the second target DNN and the second quality of service policy, and sending the target network protection policy to the UPF, wherein the target network protection policy is a network protection policy to eliminate UPF overload.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first target DNN and the second target DNN are low-priority DNNs determined according to the guarantee priority, respectively; the first quality of service strategy is to perform rate limiting on the first target DNN, and the second quality of service strategy is to perform rate limiting on the second target DNN; wherein, the first quality of service strategy is used to ensure that the UPF is not overloaded, and the second quality of service strategy is used to eliminate UPF overload.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the resource utilization information of the UPF is determined by analyzing operational information and business processing information, including: analyzing the operational information and business processing information based on a pre-established quantitative relationship between business load and resource consumption to determine the resource utilization rate of the UPF; wherein the quantitative relationship between business load and resource consumption is obtained by training based on historical operational information and business processing information.

[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a network service processing method is provided, applied to a UPF (User-Defined Network), the method comprising: sending a first subscription request to a NWDAF (Network Data Network Advisory), the first subscription request being used to subscribe to a network protection policy of the NWDAF for UPF overload, the first subscription request carrying a data network name (DNN) and a corresponding protection priority; receiving a second subscription request from the NWDAF, the second subscription request being used to subscribe to UPF operation status information, the NWDAF also subscribing to UPF service processing information from the OAM (Operational Information Management Advisory), and analyzing and determining UPF resource utilization information based on the operation status information and service processing information; receiving and executing a target network protection policy sent by the NWDAF, the target network protection policy being determined by the NWDAF based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority when the resource utilization information meets preset overload protection conditions.

[0014] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a network function is provided, comprising: a first transceiver module, configured to receive a first subscription request from a User Plane Function (UPF), the first subscription request being used to subscribe to a network protection policy of a Data Network Name (DNN) for UPF overload, the first subscription request carrying a data network name (DNN) and a corresponding protection priority; an information processing module, configured to subscribe to operational status information from the UPF, subscribe to service processing information of the UPF from the Operation, Management and Maintenance (OAM), and analyze and determine resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operational status information and service processing information; and a second transceiver module, configured to determine a target network protection policy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and send it to the UPF if the resource utilization information meets preset overload protection conditions.

[0015] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a network function is provided, comprising: a third transceiver module, which sends a first subscription request to an NWDAF, the first subscription request being used to subscribe to a network protection policy of the NWDAF for UPF overload, the first subscription request carrying a data network name (DNN) and a corresponding protection priority; a fourth transceiver module, which receives a second subscription request from the NWDAF, the second subscription request being used to subscribe to UPF operation status information, the NWDAF also subscribing to UPF service processing information from an OAM, and analyzing and determining UPF resource utilization information based on the operation status information and service processing information; and a service processing module, which receives and executes a target network protection policy sent by the NWDAF, the target network protection policy being determined by the NWDAF based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority when the resource utilization information meets preset overload protection conditions.

[0016] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the above methods.

[0017] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform any of the above methods by executing the executable instructions.

[0018] In the exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the network service processing method involves a Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) receiving a first subscription request from a User Plane Function (UPF). This first subscription request subscribes to the NWDAF's network protection strategy for UPF overload conditions. The first subscription request carries a Data Network Name (DNN) and its corresponding protection priority. The method subscribes to operational status information from the UPF and to service processing information from the Operations Management and Maintenance (OAM). Based on the operational status information and service processing information, the method analyzes and determines the UPF's resource utilization information. If the resource utilization information meets preset overload protection conditions, the method determines a target network protection strategy based on the DNN and its corresponding protection priority and sends it to the UPF. On one hand, by subscribing to the UPF's operational status information and the OAM's service processing information in real time, the NWDAF can comprehensively analyze the UPF's resource utilization status, accurately identify overload scenarios, avoid the lag of traditional static threshold detection, and dynamically generate network protection strategies based on the DNN and its protection priority. This ensures that high-priority services receive resources preferentially when the UPF is overloaded, improving the service quality of critical services. On the other hand, by binding the protection strategy with the DNN, resource isolation and dynamic adjustment at the slice level can be achieved, avoiding the impact of a one-size-fits-all strategy on high-value slices during overload. Furthermore, by integrating operational data from the User Plane (UPF) and business data from the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) plane, it overcomes the limitations of traditional network element monitoring, providing a global resource utilization profile and enhancing the accuracy of overload assessment. In addition, an automated closed loop is formed from subscription requests to policy generation and distribution, reducing the time spent on manual overload analysis and policy configuration, and significantly improving network operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated in the drawings by way of example and not limitation, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a network service processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A flowchart of yet another network service processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 An interactive schematic diagram of a network service processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 4A schematic diagram illustrating the composition of a network function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the composition of yet another network function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 6 A block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.

[0029] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0030] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, or in one or more software-hardened modules, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0031] In 5G core network units, the User Plane Function (UPF) is primarily responsible for user plane transmission and session QoS (Quality of Service) policy control. Currently, when the UPF in a 5G Standalone (SA) core network becomes overloaded, its overload protection mechanism randomly discards uplink and downlink packets, including N4 interface signaling and any user plane session (including voice sessions). When the UPF discards user N4 interface signaling, it causes UE session establishment and modification processes to fail, triggering the UE to initiate a session reconstruction process. Similarly, when the UPF discards user voice session context packets, it causes user call failures and UE IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) registration failures, also triggering the UE to initiate a session reconstruction process. A large number of user session reconstructions can trigger a signaling surge exceeding 20 times the normal level, causing the already overloaded UPF to receive even more signaling, leading to network element failures and, in severe cases, paralyzing the entire 5G mobile network. Currently, in existing network deployments, the UPF cannot guarantee session services when overloaded, resulting in secondary network disasters.

[0032] Based on one or more of the above-mentioned problems, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides a network service processing method that implements differentiated service protection when the UPF is overloaded in a 5G SA core network based on NWDAF. When the UPF is overloaded (resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions), the target network protection policy is determined by NWDAF according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sent to the UPF. The target network protection policy that can effectively achieve differentiated protection in the case of UPF overload is provided to the UPF, effectively suppressing the overload situation and ensuring the service quality of important sessions.

[0033] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a flowchart of a network service processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, which is applied to the Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF). (Refer to...) Figure 1 As shown, the network service processing method includes steps S110 to S130, as detailed below:

[0034] Step S110: Receive the first subscription request of the User Plane Function (UPF). The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the network protection policy of NWDAF for UPF overload. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority.

[0035] Step S120: Subscribe to the UPF's operational status information and the Operation Management and Maintenance (OAM)'s business processing information, and analyze and determine the UPF's resource utilization information based on the operational status information and business processing information.

[0036] Step S130: If the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions, the target network protection strategy is determined according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sent to the UPF.

[0037] On the one hand, by subscribing to real-time UPF operational information and OAM service processing information, NWDAF can comprehensively analyze the resource utilization status of the UPF, accurately identify overload scenarios, avoid the lag of traditional static threshold detection, and dynamically generate network protection policies based on DNN and its protection priorities to ensure that high-priority services receive resources first when the UPF is overloaded, thereby improving the service quality of critical services. On the other hand, by binding the protection policies with DNN, slice-level resource isolation and dynamic adjustment can be achieved, avoiding the impact of a one-size-fits-all policy on high-value slices during overload. Furthermore, by integrating user plane (UPF) operational data and operation and maintenance plane (OAM) service data, it breaks through the limitations of traditional network element monitoring, providing a global resource utilization profile and enhancing the accuracy of overload judgment. In addition, an automated closed loop is formed from subscription requests to policy generation and distribution, reducing the time spent on manual overload analysis and policy configuration, and significantly improving network operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0038] The following provides a more detailed explanation of steps S110 to S130.

[0039] In step S110, NWDAF receives a first subscription request from the User Plane Function (UPF). The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the NWDAF's network protection policy for UPF overload. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority.

[0040] In the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, the NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function) is a core 5G network unit, primarily responsible for analyzing and processing user and network communication and operational data to extract useful information and support network optimization and decision-making. The UPF, also a core 5G network unit, is primarily responsible for user plane transmission and session policy control. The DNN (Data Network Name) identifies the external data network (such as the Internet or a private enterprise network) accessed by the terminal, and is typically bound to network slices, representing different service types.

[0041] Among them, the guarantee priority is used to identify the priority level of the service corresponding to the DNN (e.g., level 1 to 5), and determines the resource allocation order of different DNN services when the UPF resources are overloaded (e.g., high-priority services are guaranteed first). The first subscription request is a request initiated by the UPF to the NWDAF, requesting the NWDAF to provide a network guarantee policy when specific conditions (such as overload) are triggered. It belongs to the event subscription mechanism in the 3GPP service architecture.

[0042] Optionally, when the UPF initializes or changes its business policy, it sends a first subscription request to the NWDAF, specifying the type of service to be subscribed to, i.e., the network protection policy when the UPF is overloaded.

[0043] The first subscription request includes a list of Data Network Providers (DNNs) to indicate the scope of services requiring protection. It also includes the priority assigned to each DNN (i.e., the protection priority), for example, IMS voice sessions have a higher priority than data services. Of course, the protection priority can be flexibly set according to actual network service processing needs, and there are no special restrictions on it.

[0044] In step S120, the system subscribes to the UPF for operational status information and to the Operation Management and Maintenance (OAM) for business processing information of the UPF. Based on the operational status information and business processing information, the system analyzes and determines the resource utilization information of the UPF.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, OAM (Operation Administration and Maintenance) is used to perform analysis, prediction, planning, and configuration of network and services. UPF operational status information refers to real-time UPF performance data, including but not limited to resource metrics (such as CPU / memory utilization, cache utilization, throughput, etc.), session metrics (such as the number of currently active sessions, new session rate, session lifetime, etc.), and traffic metrics (such as uplink / downlink bandwidth, packet processing latency, packet loss rate, etc.). Specifically, operational status information includes at least one of the following: the number of sessions per DNN, the quality of service information for each session, and the UPF resource utilization information for each time period.

[0046] The UPF service processing information refers to UPF service layer data provided by OAM, including but not limited to service QoS data and slice-level data. Specifically, the service processing information includes at least one of session establishment information, session modification information, number of deletion requests, and UPF throughput information.

[0047] In some optional embodiments, subscribing to operational information from the UPF and subscribing to the service processing information of the UPF from the Operations Management and Maintenance (OAM) may include:

[0048] Subscribe to the operational status information of the UPF for each time period from the OAM, and subscribe to the business processing information of the UPF corresponding to each time period from the OAM.

[0049] "Time period" refers to a predefined time window (e.g., 5 minutes, 1 hour) used to align the data reporting cycles of UPF and OAM, ensuring consistent data time range during analysis. Through time period synchronization subscription, NWDAF requires UPF and OAM to divide their data reporting into the same time periods to ensure time alignment. Each time period contains operational information, i.e., performance data statistically analyzed by UPF within a single time period, such as maximum / average CPU utilization and traffic fluctuations. The corresponding business processing information for each UPF time period consists of business-level data statistically analyzed by OAM within the same time period, such as average latency per DNN per time period and number of session establishments.

[0050] In practice, NWDAF sends subscription requests to UPF and OAM, specifying the time period division rules, thus enabling UPF and OAM to report data according to time periods. UPF and OAM data can be matched using time period timestamps to ensure that network status is analyzed within the same time period.

[0051] Among them, resource utilization information is a comprehensive analysis result generated by NWDAF by integrating UPF operation data and OAM business data, such as the resource utilization rate of UPF.

[0052] In some optional embodiments, the resource utilization information of the UPF is determined by analyzing operational information and service processing information, including:

[0053] Based on a pre-established quantitative relationship between workload and resource consumption, operational and business processing information is analyzed to determine the resource utilization rate of the UPF. The quantitative relationship between workload and resource consumption is trained using historical operational and business processing information.

[0054] The service load is a quantitative indicator of the service demands carried by the UPF, including but not limited to at least one of the following: session count / session establishment rate, throughput, packet processing rate, and service request frequency of slices / DNN. Resource consumption refers to the UPF's hardware resource usage, including but not limited to at least one of the following: CPU utilization, memory usage, cache hit rate, and virtualization resources. The quantitative relationship between service load and resource consumption is described by a mathematical model trained on historical data, depicting the mapping between service load and resource consumption. This can be a linear model or an inverse learning model, such as the throughput-CPU prediction model of a random forest. Historical operational information and service processing information are time-series datasets of UPF operational information (resource indicators) and service processing information collected over a past period, including both normal and overload scenarios. The machine learning model can be a network structure such as CNN (Convolutional Neural Networks) or RNN (Recurrent Neural Networks), without specific limitations.

[0055] Based on the established quantitative relationship between business load and resource consumption, the operational information and business processing information can be analyzed to obtain the resource utilization rate of UPF.

[0056] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure achieve intelligent analysis and dynamic prediction of UPF resource utilization through a quantitative relationship model between service load and resource consumption. This model reflects the actual consumption patterns of UPF resources under different service loads, avoiding misjudgments caused by differences in service types. Furthermore, by combining UPF operational data and OAM service data, the model can identify the root causes of resource consumption. In addition, the model trained based on historical data can predict future resource trends. If the predicted value approaches the overload threshold, NWDAF can trigger a strategy in advance, thereby transforming the overload response from passive remediation to proactive prevention.

[0057] In step S130, if the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions, the target network protection strategy is determined according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sent to the UPF.

[0058] In the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the preset overload protection conditions are rules that trigger the protection policy. As mentioned above, the protection priority corresponding to the DNN is a predefined service level. The target network protection policy is a dynamic adjustment measure for overload scenarios.

[0059] The target network protection strategy is distributed through a standardized communication interface between NWDAF and UPF.

[0060] In some optional embodiments, the resource utilization information meeting the preset overload protection conditions includes: the resource utilization information reaching the resource overload threshold, determining that the UPF has an overload risk.

[0061] The resource overload threshold can be a dynamically or statically defined resource limit value. It can be set statically or calculated based on predicted values ​​from historical load patterns, such as using an LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) model to predict and output the resource overload threshold. Overload risk refers to a state where resource utilization information exceeds the threshold and may trigger UPF overload.

[0062] Based on this, the target network protection strategy is determined according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority, including:

[0063] First, based on the DNN and its corresponding guarantee priority, determine the first target DNN to be adjusted and the first quality of service policy corresponding to the first target DNN; second, based on the first target DNN and the first quality of service policy, determine the target network guarantee policy and send the target network guarantee policy to the UPF. The target network guarantee policy is a network guarantee policy that ensures that the UPF is not overloaded.

[0064] The first target DNN is a low-priority DNN determined based on priority. The first quality of service (QoS) policy is a temporary adjustment rule for the first target DNN, used to ensure that the UPF is not overloaded. For example, rate limiting can be applied to the first target DNN. This can be understood as follows: when there is a risk of UPF overload, a low-priority DNN can be identified from all DNNs, and its rate can be limited, for example, reduced to 20Mbps. This specific value can be adjusted in real time based on UPF load (such as operational information) and session status. This avoids UPF overload while preventing overly conservative policy settings that could lead to too many users being slowed down, resulting in excessively low user rates and a large number of users being unable to use services.

[0065] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein combine multi-dimensional resource indicators to achieve more accurate overload determination, and can trigger protection strategies of different intensities based on UPF load, thereby minimizing the impact of the strategies on services. Furthermore, it prioritizes the protection of high-value services, flexibly adjusts low-priority services, and precisely selects the first target DNN (such as degradeable services) to release resources with minimal strategy cost, thereby improving resource utilization and reducing unnecessary service disruptions.

[0066] In some alternative embodiments, the resource utilization information satisfying the preset overload protection condition further includes: the resource utilization information indicating that the UPF is overloaded.

[0067] Based on this, the target network protection strategy is determined according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority, which also includes:

[0068] First, based on the DNN and its corresponding guarantee priority, determine the second target DNN that needs adjustment and the second quality of service policy corresponding to the second target DNN. Then, based on the second target DNN and the second quality of service policy, determine the target network guarantee policy and send it to the UPF. The target network guarantee policy is a network guarantee policy to eliminate UPF overload.

[0069] The second target DNN is a low-priority DNN determined based on priority allocation. The second quality of service (QoS) policy is a temporary adjustment rule for the second target DNN, used to eliminate UPF overload. For example, rate limiting can be applied to the second target DNN. This can be understood as follows: when the UPF is overloaded, a low-priority DNN can be identified from among the DNNs, and its rate can be limited, for example, reduced to 18Mbps. This specific value can be adjusted in real time based on UPF load (such as operational information) and session status. This eliminates UPF overload while avoiding overly conservative policy settings that lead to too many users being slowed down, resulting in excessively low user rates and a large number of users being unable to use services.

[0070] An exemplary embodiment of this disclosure can simultaneously guarantee 100% processing of N4 interface signaling and 100% forwarding of session messages for high-priority services (such as IMS voice services) by avoiding or eliminating UPF overload, thereby achieving differentiated service protection during UPF overload.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a network service processing method is also provided, applied to a UPF, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0072] Step S210: Send a first subscription request to NWDAF. The first subscription request is used to subscribe to NWDAF's network protection policy for UPF overload. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority.

[0073] Step S220: Receive the second subscription request from NWDAF. The second subscription request is used to subscribe to the operational information of UPF. NWDAF also subscribes to the service processing information of UPF from OAM, and analyzes and determines the resource utilization information of UPF based on the operational information and service processing information.

[0074] Step S230: Receive and execute the target network protection policy sent by NWDAF. The target network protection policy is determined by NWDAF based on DNN and the corresponding protection priority when the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions.

[0075] It should be noted that the specific contents of steps S210 to S230 have been described in the above exemplary embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0076] like Figure 3 The diagram shown below illustrates an interactive method for processing network services. Figure 3 The network service processing method of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described.

[0077] Step S310: UPF sends a first subscription request to NWDAF. The first subscription request is used to subscribe to NWDAF's network protection policy for UPF overload. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority.

[0078] Step S320: Subscribe to the UPF for operational information for each time period.

[0079] Step S330: Subscribe to the OAM for the UPF service processing information corresponding to each time period in step S320.

[0080] Step S340: Analyze and determine the resource utilization information of UPF based on the operation status information and business processing information.

[0081] If the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions, the target network protection strategy is determined according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sent to the UPF.

[0082] The conditions under which resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions include: the resource utilization information reaches the resource overload threshold, indicating that the UPF is at risk of overload; or, the resource utilization information indicates that the UPF is overloaded.

[0083] Step S350: UPF executes the target network protection policy.

[0084] UPF adjusts the Quality of Service (QoS) of a specified session (DNN) based on the target network assurance policy, such as rate limiting.

[0085] It should be noted that the contents involved in each step have been described in the exemplary embodiments above, and will not be repeated here.

[0086] In the exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the network service processing method involves a Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) receiving a first subscription request from a User Plane Function (UPF). This first subscription request subscribes to the NWDAF's network protection strategy for UPF overload conditions. The first subscription request carries a Data Network Name (DNN) and its corresponding protection priority. The method subscribes to operational status information from the UPF and to service processing information from the Operations Management and Maintenance (OAM). Based on the operational status information and service processing information, the method analyzes and determines the UPF's resource utilization information. If the resource utilization information meets preset overload protection conditions, the method determines a target network protection strategy based on the DNN and its corresponding protection priority and sends it to the UPF. On one hand, by subscribing to the UPF's operational status information and the OAM's service processing information in real time, the NWDAF can comprehensively analyze the UPF's resource utilization status, accurately identify overload scenarios, avoid the lag of traditional static threshold detection, and dynamically generate network protection strategies based on the DNN and its protection priority. This ensures that high-priority services receive resources preferentially when the UPF is overloaded, improving the service quality of critical services. On the other hand, by binding the protection strategy with the DNN, resource isolation and dynamic adjustment at the slice level can be achieved, avoiding the impact of a one-size-fits-all strategy on high-value slices during overload. Furthermore, by integrating operational data from the User Plane (UPF) and business data from the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) plane, it overcomes the limitations of traditional network element monitoring, providing a global resource utilization profile and enhancing the accuracy of overload assessment. In addition, an automated closed loop is formed from subscription requests to policy generation and distribution, reducing the time spent on manual overload analysis and policy configuration, and significantly improving network operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0087] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a network function is also provided. (See reference...) Figure 4 As shown, the network function 400 may include a first transceiver module 410, an information processing module 420, and a second transceiver module 430. Specifically:

[0088] The first transceiver module 410 is used to receive the first subscription request of the User Plane Function (UPF). The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the network protection policy of NWDAF for UPF overload. The first subscription request carries the data network name (DNN) and the corresponding protection priority. The information processing module 420 is used to subscribe to the UPF operation status information and the operation management and maintenance (OAM) service processing information of the UPF. It also analyzes and determines the resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operation status information and service processing information. The second transceiver module 430 determines the target network protection policy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sends it to the UPF if the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions.

[0089] Since the details of each functional module of the network function in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in the exemplary embodiments of the network service processing method described above, they will not be repeated here.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a network function is also provided. (See reference...) Figure 5 As shown, the network function 500 may include a third transceiver module 510, a fourth transceiver module 520, and a service processing module 530, specifically:

[0091] The third transceiver module 510 sends a first subscription request to the NWDAF. The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the NWDAF's network protection policy for UPF overload. The first subscription request carries the data network name (DNN) and the corresponding protection priority. The fourth transceiver module 520 receives a second subscription request from the NWDAF. The second subscription request is used to subscribe to the UPF's operational status information. The NWDAF also subscribes to the UPF's service processing information from the OAM and analyzes and determines the UPF's resource utilization information based on the operational status information and service processing information. The service processing module 530 receives and executes the target network protection policy sent by the NWDAF. The target network protection policy is determined by the NWDAF based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority when the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions.

[0092] Since the details of each functional module of the network function in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in the exemplary embodiments of the network service processing method described above, they will not be repeated here.

[0093] It should be noted that although several modules or units of network functionality have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0094] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product. The computer program product includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the network service processing method described above.

[0095] In one embodiment, the computer program product can be a tangible product containing a computer program, such as a computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program. The readable storage medium can be a storage medium based on electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or other signals, including but not limited to: random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), etc. For example, the computer program product can be implemented as a non-volatile storage medium storing the computer program, such as read-only memory, NAND flash memory, etc.

[0096] In one implementation, the computer program product can be an intangible product containing a computer program. For example, the computer program product can be implemented as a virtual digital product, such as an executable file, installation package, or other digital file storing the computer program.

[0097] Computer program code can be written in one or more programming languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, or partially on the user's computing device, or as a standalone software package, or partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device through any type of network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), etc., or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., through an internet connection provided by a mobile network operator).

[0098] Computer programs can be carried or transmitted via signals such as electricity, magnetism, light, electromagnetic radiation, and infrared rays. Electronic devices can convert signals carrying computer programs into digital signals, thereby running the computer programs. When a computer program runs on an electronic device, its code is used to cause the electronic device to execute (more specifically, the processor of the electronic device to execute) the method steps of various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, such as the steps of the network service processing method described above.

[0099] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, an electronic device capable of implementing the above-described methods is also provided. Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented as entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or embodiments combining hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0100] The following reference Figure 6 To describe an electronic device 600 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 The electronic device 600 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0101] like Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 600 is presented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 600 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 610, at least one storage unit 620, a bus 630 connecting different system components (including storage unit 620 and processing unit 610), and a display unit 640.

[0102] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 610, causing the processing unit 610 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above, according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0103] Storage unit 620 may include readable media in the form of volatile storage units, such as random access memory (RAM) 621 and / or cache memory 622, and may further include read-only memory (ROM) 623.

[0104] Storage unit 620 may also include a program / utility 624 having a set (at least one) of program modules 625, including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0105] Bus 630 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0106] Electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more external devices 700 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 600, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 600 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 650. Furthermore, electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 660. As shown, network adapter 660 communicates with other modules of electronic device 600 via bus 630. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 600, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0107] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0108] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0109] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

Claims

1. A network service processing method, characterized in that, The method, applied to the Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF), includes: Receive a first subscription request from the User Plane Function (UPF). The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the network protection policy of the NWDAF when the UPF is overloaded. The first subscription request carries the data network name (DNN) and the corresponding protection priority. Subscribe to the operational status information of the UPF, subscribe to the business processing information of the UPF from the Operation Management and Maintenance (OAM), and analyze and determine the resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operational status information and the business processing information; If the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions, the target network protection strategy is determined according to the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sent to the UPF.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of subscribing to operational status information from the UPF and subscribing to business processing information from the Operations Management and Maintenance (OAM) of the UPF includes: Subscribe to the UPF for operational information within each time period; Subscribe to the OAM for the service processing information of the UPF corresponding to each time period.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The operational information includes at least one of the following: the number of sessions for each DNN, the quality of service information for each session, and the UPF resource utilization information for each time period. The business processing information includes at least one of the following: session establishment information, session modification information, number of deletion requests, and UPF throughput information.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resource utilization information meeting the preset overload protection conditions includes: the resource utilization information reaching the resource overload threshold, determining that the UPF has an overload risk; The step of determining the target network protection strategy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority includes: Based on the DNN and the corresponding guarantee priority, determine the first target DNN that needs to be adjusted and the first quality of service strategy corresponding to the first target DNN; The target network assurance policy is determined based on the first target DNN and the first quality of service policy, and the target network assurance policy is sent to the UPF. The target network assurance policy is a network assurance policy that ensures that the UPF is not overloaded.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The resource utilization information satisfying the preset overload protection condition also includes: the resource utilization information indicating that the UPF is overloaded; The step of determining the target network protection strategy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority also includes: Based on the DNN and the corresponding guarantee priority, determine the second target DNN that needs to be adjusted and the second service quality strategy corresponding to the second DNN; The target network assurance policy is determined based on the second target DNN and the second quality of service policy, and the target network assurance policy is sent to the UPF. The target network assurance policy is a network assurance policy to eliminate the overload of the UPF.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first target DNN and the second target DNN are low-priority DNNs determined according to the guarantee priority, respectively; The first quality of service strategy is to rate-limit the first target DNN, and the second quality of service strategy is to rate-limit the second target DNN. The first quality of service policy is used to ensure that the UPF does not become overloaded, and the second quality of service policy is used to eliminate the UPF overload.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of analyzing and determining the resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operational information and the business processing information includes: Based on the pre-established quantitative relationship between business load and resource consumption, the operational information and business processing information are analyzed to determine the resource utilization rate of the UPF; The quantitative relationship between the business load and resource consumption is obtained by training based on historical operation information and business processing information.

8. A network service processing method, characterized in that, Applied to UPF, the method includes: Send a first subscription request to NWDAF. The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the network protection policy of NWDAF when the UPF is overloaded. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority. The system receives a second subscription request from the NWDAF, which is used to subscribe to the operational information of the UPF. The NWDAF also subscribes to the service processing information of the UPF from the OAM and analyzes and determines the resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operational information and the service processing information. The system receives and executes the target network protection policy sent by the NWDAF. The target network protection policy is determined by the NWDAF based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority when the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions.

9. A network function, characterized in that, include: The first transceiver module is used to receive the first subscription request of the User Plane Function (UPF). The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the network protection policy of NWDAF when the UPF is overloaded. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority. The information processing module is used to subscribe to the operation status information of the UPF, subscribe to the business processing information of the UPF from the operation management and maintenance (OAM), and analyze and determine the resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operation status information and the business processing information. The second transceiver module determines the target network protection strategy based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority and sends it to the UPF if the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions.

10. A network function, characterized in that, include: The third transceiver module sends a first subscription request to the NWDAF. The first subscription request is used to subscribe to the network protection policy of the NWDAF when the UPF is overloaded. The first subscription request carries the data network name DNN and the corresponding protection priority. The fourth transceiver module is used to receive the second subscription request of the NWDAF, the second subscription request being used to subscribe to the operation status information of the UPF. The NWDAF also subscribes to the service processing information of the UPF from the OAM, and analyzes and determines the resource utilization information of the UPF based on the operation status information and the service processing information. The service processing module is used to receive and execute the target network protection policy sent by the NWDAF. The target network protection policy is determined by the NWDAF based on the DNN and the corresponding protection priority when the resource utilization information meets the preset overload protection conditions.

11. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; as well as Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 by executing the executable instructions.

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