Methods, systems, and computer readable media for automatically configuring service-based interface (SBI) transaction timeout using service communication proxy (SCP)

Abstract

A method for automatically configuring a service-based interface (SBI) timeout includes determining, by a service communication agent (SCP), a latency measurement for an SBI interface with a producer network function (NF). The method also includes maintaining, by the SCP, a database of latency measurements for the SBI interface with the producer NF. The method also includes transmitting, by the SCP, the latency measurements to an element management system (EMS) for automatically configuring, at the consumer NF, a timeout of an SBI interface associated with the producer NF.

Description

[0001] Priority requirements

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18 / 236,377, filed August 21, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This article describes topics related to managing communication between 5G network functions. More specifically, this article describes topics related to automatically configuring timeouts for SBI transactions between 5G NFs. Background Technology

[0004] In 5G telecommunications networks, network functions that provide services are referred to as producer NFs or NF service producers. Network functions that consume services are referred to as consumer NFs or NF service consumers. A network function can be a producer NF, a consumer NF, or both, depending on whether the network function consumes services, produces services, or both. The terms "producer NF" and "NF service producer" are used interchangeably herein. Similarly, the terms "consumer NF" and "NF service consumer" are used interchangeably herein.

[0005] A given producer NF may have many service endpoints, where a service endpoint is a contact point for one or more NF instances hosted by the producer NF. A service endpoint is identified by a combination of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and port numbers, or by a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) that resolves to the IP address and port number on the network node hosting the producer NF. An NF instance is an instance of the producer NF that provides a service. A given producer NF may include multiple NF instances. It should also be noted that multiple NF instances can share the same service endpoint.

[0006] An NF registers with the Network Functions Storehouse (NRF). The NRF maintains a profile identifying available NF instances and the services supported by each NF instance. This profile is referred to as an NF profile in 3GPP TS 29.510. NF instances can obtain information about other NF instances already registered with the NRF through the NF Discovery Service operation. Based on the NF Discovery Service operation, a consumer NF sends an NF Discovery Request to the NRF. The NF Discovery Request includes query parameters, which the NRF uses to locate the NF profile of a producer NF capable of providing the services identified by the query parameters. An NF profile is a data structure that defines the types of services provided by an NF instance and information about the NF instance's connections and capacity.

[0007] The Service Communication Agent (SCP) can also invoke the NF Discovery Service operation to learn about available producer NF instances. The situation where the SCP uses the NF Discovery Service operation to obtain information about producer NF instances on behalf of a consumer NF is called delegated discovery. The consumer NF connects to the SCP, and the SCP balances traffic load among the producer NF service instances providing the required service or routes traffic directly to the destination producer NF instance.

[0008] One issue in 5G and other network types is that the latency of Service-Based Interface (SBI) transactions between 5G NFs is variable, and there is no standardized method to automate the timeout configuration for transactions. A Service-Based Interface, or SBI, is the interface through which a 5G consumer NF requests and receives services by sending messages to and receiving responses from a 5G producer NF. When a 5G consumer NF sends a message to a 5G producer NF, the consumer NF expects to receive a response within a timeout period. If no response is received within the timeout period, the 5G consumer NF considers the transaction to have failed and will take appropriate actions, such as retransmitting the message or selecting another producer NF to provide the service. The value used to determine whether a timeout has occurred must be configured at the consumer NF. The timeout value needs to be long enough to account for normal network and processing latency, thus avoiding classifying too many transactions as failures. Configuring the timeout value is challenging because the response time of a 5G transaction can vary based on network latency, transaction type, and the load on the 5G producer NF.

[0009] Currently, timeout configuration for 5G transactions is manually performed by network operators through the network element management system. Given the number of 5G consumer NFs in the network, the different types of producer NFs for which timeouts are configured, and the variations in network and processing latency, manually configuring 5G transaction timeouts is inefficient.

[0010] Therefore, given these and other difficulties, there is a need for improved methods, systems, and computer-readable media to configure timeouts for SBI transactions with producer NF. Summary of the Invention

[0011] A method for automatically configuring service-based interface (SBI) timeouts includes determining latency measurements of the SBI interface with a producer network function (NF) by a service communication agent (SCP). The method also includes having the SCP maintain a database of latency measurements for the SBI interface with the producer NF. Furthermore, the method includes having the SCP transmit the latency measurements to an element management system (EMS) for automatically configuring the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

[0012] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, determining the latency measurement includes: routing the SBI request message to the producer NF, receiving the SBI response message from the producer NF, and calculating the latency measurement as the difference between the time the SBI request message is sent and the time the SBI response message is received.

[0013] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, determining latency measurements includes determining latency measurements on a per-SBI interface basis, and maintaining the database includes maintaining latency measurements for each SBI interface in the database.

[0014] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, determining latency measurements includes determining latency measurements on a per-SBI service basis, and maintaining the database includes maintaining latency measurements for each SBI service in the database.

[0015] According to another aspect of the subject described in this article, maintaining the database includes maintaining minimum latency, maximum latency, and average latency values ​​in the database.

[0016] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, transmitting latency measurements to the EMS includes: the SCP providing a subscription interface for allowing the EMS to create subscriptions to receive notifications of latency measurements, and, as part of the subscription, transmitting notifications including latency measurements to the EMS.

[0017] According to another aspect of the subject described in this article, providing a subscription interface includes providing a custom latency information subscription interface.

[0018] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, transmitting latency measurements to the EMS includes transmitting latency measurements to the EMS in response to a query message from the EMS.

[0019] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a method for automatically configuring SBI timeouts includes: receiving a delay measurement at the EMS and using the delay measurement to automatically configure the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

[0020] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, automatically configuring the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF using latency measurements includes: transmitting a Representational State Transition (REST) ​​application programming interface (API) message to the consumer NF, thereby instructing the consumer NF to update the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF.

[0021] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a system for automatically configuring service-based interface (SBI) timeouts is provided. The system includes a service communication agent comprising at least one processor and memory. The system also includes an SBI latency information tracker / communicator executed by at least one processor for determining latency measurements of the SBI interface with a producer network function (NF); maintaining a database in memory of the latency measurements of the SBI interface with the producer NF; and transmitting the latency measurements to an element management system (EMS) by the SCP for automatically configuring the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

[0022] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to determine the latency measurement by: routing the SBI request message to the producer NF, receiving the SBI response message from the producer NF, and calculating the latency measurement as the difference between the sending time of the SBI request message and the receiving time of the SBI response message.

[0023] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to determine latency measurements on a per-SBI interface basis and maintain the latency measurements for each SBI interface in a database.

[0024] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to determine latency measurements on a per-SBI service basis and maintain latency measurements for each SBI service in a database.

[0025] According to another aspect of the subject matter described in this article, the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to maintain minimum latency, maximum latency, and average latency values ​​in a database.

[0026] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to transmit latency measurements to the EMS by providing a subscription interface that allows the EMS to create subscriptions to receive notifications of latency measurements, and as part of the subscription, transmitting notifications including latency measurements to the EMS.

[0027] According to another aspect of the topic described in this article, the subscription interface includes a custom latency information subscription interface.

[0028] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to transmit latency measurements to the EMS in response to a query message from the EMS.

[0029] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, the system includes an EMS, which is configured to receive delay measurements and use the delay measurements to automatically configure the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

[0030] According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided having executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer's processor, control the computer to perform steps. These steps include determining latency measurements of a service-based interface (SBI) with a producer network function (NF) by a Service Communication Agent (SCP). These steps also include a database maintained by the SCP of latency measurements of the SBI interface with the producer NF. Furthermore, these steps include the SCP transmitting the latency measurements to an Element Management System (EMS) for automatically configuring timeouts of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

[0031] The subjects described herein can be implemented in software in conjunction with hardware and / or firmware. For example, the subjects described herein can be implemented as software executed by a processor. In one exemplary embodiment, the subjects described herein can be implemented using a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which control computer execution steps when executed by a computer's processor. Exemplary computer-readable media suitable for implementing the subjects described herein include non-transitory computer-readable media, such as disk storage devices, on-chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Furthermore, computer-readable media implementing the subjects described herein can reside on a single device or computing platform, or can be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Exemplary embodiments of the subject matter described herein will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a network diagram illustrating an exemplary 5G system network architecture;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a network diagram illustrating the static and manual configurations of SBI transaction timeouts;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a network diagram illustrating the dynamic and automatic configuration of SBI transaction timeouts;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a message flow diagram illustrating an exemplary message exchanged between EMS and SCP for creating a subscription to receive SBI transaction latency information from SCP;

[0037] Figure 5This is a message flow diagram illustrating an exemplary message exchanged between EMS and SCP, which notifies EMS of SBI transaction latency information based on a subscription created with SCP;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for SCP and EMS used in dynamic and automatic configuration of SBI interface transaction timeouts; and

[0039] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process performed by SCP and EMS for dynamically and automatically configuring SBI interface transaction timeouts. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary 5G system network architecture. Figure 1 The architecture includes NRF 100 and SCP 101, which can reside within the same Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN). As described above, NRF 100 maintains profiles of available NF instances and their supported services, and allows consumer NFs or SCPs to subscribe and be notified of new / updated NF instance registrations. SCP 101 also supports service discovery and NF instance selection. SCP 101 can perform load balancing of connections between consumer and producer NFs.

[0041] NRF 100 is a repository for profiles of NF instances. To communicate with a producer NF instance, a consumer NF or SCP must obtain the producer NF instance's NF profile from NRF 100. The NF profile is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data structure defined in 3GPP TS 29.510. The NF profile includes attributes indicating the type of service provided, the capacity of the NF instance, and information used to contact the NF instance.

[0042] exist Figure 1 In this context, any network function can be a consumer NF, a producer NF, or both, depending on whether it is requesting a service, providing a service, or requesting and providing a service. In the example shown, the NF includes a policy control function (PCF) 102 that performs policy-related operations in the network, a unified data management function (UDM) 104 that manages user data, and an application function (AF) 106 that provides application services.

[0043] Figure 1The NF shown also includes a Session Management Function (SMF) 108, which manages the session between Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 110 and PCF 102. AMF 110 performs mobility management operations similar to those performed by a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in a 4G network. An Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 112 performs authentication services for User Equipment (UE) seeking network access (such as User Equipment (UE) 114).

[0044] The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 116 provides network slicing services for devices seeking access to specific network capabilities and features associated with a network slice. NSSF 116 provides the NSSelection service, which allows NFs to request information about network slices, and the NSSAIReachability service, which enables NFs to update and subscribe to notifications of updates to receive Network Slice Selection Auxiliary Information (NSSAI) reachability information.

[0045] Network Exposure Function (NEF) 118 provides an application programming interface (API) for applications seeking information about Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other UEs attached to the network. NEF 118 performs similar functions to the Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) in 4G networks.

[0046] Radio Access Network (RAN) 120 connects User Equipment (UE) 114 to the network via a radio link. This can be achieved using a gNB ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) or other wireless access points to access the radio access network 120. User plane function (UPF) 122 can support various proxy functions for user plane services. An example of such proxy functions is the Multipath Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP) proxy function. UPF 122 can also support performance measurement functions, which UE 114 can use to obtain network performance measurements. Figure 1 The diagram also illustrates data network (DN) 124, through which the UE accesses data network services, such as Internet services.

[0047] SEPP 126 filters incoming traffic from another PLMN and performs topology hiding for traffic leaving the home PLMN. SEPP 126 can communicate with the SEPP in the foreign PLMN that manages the security of the foreign PLMN. Therefore, traffic between NFs in different PLMNs can traverse two SEPP functions, one for the home PLMN and the other for the foreign PLMN. Unified Data Storehouse (UDR) 128 stores subscription data for the UE. Binding Support Function (BSF) 130 manages the binding between PDU sessions and PCFs.

[0048] As mentioned above, one issue with 5G and other types of networks is the configuration of timeouts for transactions between network functions. 3GPP has standardized the 5G SBI interface and NF services, but there is no guidance on methods for determining timeout values ​​for the SBI interface, as timeout values ​​can vary depending on the network infrastructure. More specifically, the timeout value for the SBI interface can depend on several factors, including:

[0049] 1. Network dynamic characteristics (latency, congestion), which may change throughout the day;

[0050] 2. The complexity of peer-to-peer processing; and

[0051] 3. SBI operation type (some operations are handled by the peer itself, while others require finding another node, such as UDR or SLF).

[0052] For the reasons mentioned above, timeout configuration is a complex and labor-intensive activity for network operators, and it remains a static and manual process. The lack of dynamic adaptability of SBI interface timeout values ​​negatively impacts end-to-end call processing latency and network efficiency. 5G core networks require automated and dynamically adaptable SBI interface timeout configuration within the network.

[0053] Figure 2 This is a network diagram illustrating the static and manual configurations of SBI transaction timeouts. (Reference) Figure 2 The 5G consumer NF 200 communicates with the 5G producer NF 202 via SCP 101. The network operator configures SBI transaction timeout values ​​at the consumer NF 200 for SBI transactions with different producer NFs (such as producer NF 202). The network operator also statically configures timeout values ​​at SCP 101 based on different SBI interfaces and NF services. Due to the dynamic nature of 5G networks, managing the static configuration of SBI transaction timeout values ​​is a labor-intensive and complex operation. Changes to timeout values ​​must be manually configured by the network operator on all NF instances in the network.

[0054] This paper describes the automation of timeout configuration for SBI interfaces / NF service levels. 3GPP has defined an NF-NF indirect communication mode where the SCP (Content Controller) resides in the routing path of SBI interface traffic between consumer NFs and producer NFs. Because the SCP is located in the routing path of SBI interface communication between NFs, it can track and report runtime latency patterns for SBI interface / NF services in the network. The SCP described in this paper tracks and maintains latency patterns / measurements for each SBI interface and each NF service. Using the tracked latency patterns or measurements, the SCP triggers automatic configuration of timeout values ​​at the consumer NF by transmitting the latency patterns or measurements to the EMS (Electronic Management System). The EMS automatically configures the SBI interface and service level timeouts at the consumer NF based on the tracked latency patterns or measurements. Automatic configuration of timeout values ​​at the consumer NF enables more accurate and faster determination of SBI transaction timeouts. To transmit latency patterns or measurements to the EMS, the SCP provides a custom NF service (Custom_LatencyInfo) that exposes an API through which the EMS can subscribe to latency pattern information at the NF interface and / or NF service level from the SCP. When the EMS receives latency information via the subscription interface, it can modify the timeout configuration of the consumer NF communicating with the producer NF whose latency information is being tracked. Therefore, the SCP and EMS described herein automatically and dynamically manage the SBI interface timeout used by the consumer NF to detect timeout events in transactions with the producer NF.

[0055] Figure 3 This is a network diagram illustrating the dynamic and automatic configuration of SBI transaction timeouts. (Reference) Figure 3 SCP 101 tracks latency on the SBI interfaces with producers NF 300, 302, and 304. EMS 306 subscribes to SCP 101 to receive notifications of latency information for the SBI interfaces and / or NF services. SCP 101 sends notifications with latency information to EMS 306. EMS 306 uses the latency information to automatically configure timeouts for SBI transactions with consumers NF 308, 310, and 312.

[0056] To determine latency information on SBI interfaces, SCP 101 can record the sending time of SBI request messages to producers NF 300, 302, and 304, and record the latency as the time difference between the sending of the SBI request message and the receiving of the corresponding response message. For example, if SCP 101 routes an SBI request message to producer NF 300 at time T1 and receives a response at time T2, then the transaction latency is determined as T2 minus T1, which includes both network latency and the processing latency of producer NF 300. SCP 101 can monitor latency on a per-interface and per-service basis. For example, if producer NF 300 is a UDM function, then monitoring latency on a per-service basis could include monitoring the latency of the Nudm_uecm service or other services provided by the UDM. Continuing with the UDM example, monitoring latency on a per-interface basis could include monitoring the latency on the Nudm interface with a specific UDM.

[0057] SCP 101 can also maintain a database of latency measurements for the SBI interface and services. It should also be noted that consumer NFs 308, 310, and 312 can track latency on their SBI interfaces with SCP 101 and use these latency measurements to dynamically adjust their SBI interface timeout values. For example, if the latency on the interface between consumer NF 308 and SCP 101 is L1, and the latency on the interface between SCP 101 and producer NF 300 is L2, then consumer NF 308 can set the response timeout for its interface with producer NF 300 to be equal to L1 + L2, or to another metric or value based on L1 and L2.

[0058] As described above, in one example, SCP 101 transmits SBI transaction latency to EMS 306 by providing an API that allows EMS 306 to subscribe to notifications to receive latency information from SCP 101. Figure 4 This is a message flow diagram illustrating exemplary messages exchanged between EMS 306 and SCP 101 for creating a subscription to receive SBI transaction latency information from SCP 101. (Reference) Figure 4 In line 1 of the message flow diagram, EMS 306 sends an HTTP POST message to SCP 101. This HTTP POST message includes custom latency information attributes and requests EMS 306 to subscribe to notifications regarding latency information for SBI interfaces or services accessible via SCP 101. SCP 101 receives the HTTP POST message and creates the subscription. In line 2, SCP 101 sends a 201 Created message to EMS 306, thus confirming the creation of the subscription.

[0059] Figure 5This is a message flow diagram illustrating an exemplary message exchanged between EMS and SCP, notifying EMS of SBI transaction latency information based on a subscription created with SCP. (Reference) Figure 5 In line 1, SCP 101 sends an HTTP POST message to EMS 306. This HTTP POST message includes latency information corresponding to a previously created subscription. For example, if EMS306 subscribes to receive latency information about a specific SBI interface or service, then this latency information could be the latency stored by SCP 101 for that interface or service. In line 2 of the message flow graph, EMS 306 responds to the HTTP POST message with a 204 No Content message.

[0060] As described above, SCP 101 can track latency at the SBI interface and / or the SBI service level. Tables 1 and 2 shown below illustrate exemplary latency information that can be tracked by SCP 101 and stored in a latency information database maintained by SCP 101.

[0061]

[0062] Table 1: Latency measurements for each interface tracked and stored by SCP

[0063]

[0064] Table 2: Latency Measurements for Each Service Tracked and Stored by SCP

[0065] In Table 1, SCP 101 tracks and stores the minimum, maximum, median, and average latency values ​​for SBI interfaces N7, N8, N10, and N12. In Table 2, SCP 101 tracks and stores latency information for SBI services such as the Nudm_uecm service, Nsmf_pdusession service, Nudm_sd service, and Npcf_smpolicy service. It should be noted that the services and interfaces shown in Tables 1 and 2 are shown for illustrative purposes only, and SCP 101 may track and store latency information for other interfaces and / or services besides those shown in Tables 1 and 2, or in lieu of those interfaces and / or services, without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein.

[0066] SCP 101 can transmit all or a subset of the information in Tables 1 and 2 to EMS 101. EMS 101 can use the received latency information as a trigger to send commands to consumer NFs to automatically configure or reconfigure the SBI interface or transaction timeout used by the consumer NFs.

[0067] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for SCP and EMS used to dynamically and automatically configure SBI interface transaction timeouts. (Reference) Figure 6 SCP 101 includes at least one processor 600 and memory 602. SCP 101 also includes an SBI latency information tracker / communicator 604, which tracks the latency of SBI transactions at the interface and / or service level and transmits latency information to EMS 306. SCP 101 also includes an SBI latency information database 606 that stores the tracked latency measurements. The SBI latency information tracker / communicator 604 can be implemented using computer-executable instructions stored in memory 602 and executed by processor 600.

[0068] EMS 306 includes at least one processor 608 and memory 610. EMS 306 also includes a dynamic SBI transaction timeout adjuster 612, which subscribes to and receives latency information from SCP 101 and sends commands to consumer NFs to automatically configure SBI transaction timeouts based on the received latency information. Commands can be transmitted in a format recognized by the consumer NF for timeout configuration. In one example, this format is REST. It should be noted that timeouts can include some or all of the latency information in Tables 1 and 2. Consumer NFs can receive commands including latency information and update the transaction timeouts of their SBI interfaces and NF services based on the received latency information. The dynamic SBI transaction timeout adjuster 612 can be implemented using computer-executable instructions stored in memory 610 and executed by processor 608.

[0069] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process performed by SCP and EMS for dynamically and automatically configuring SBI interface transaction timeouts. (Reference) Figure 7 In step 700, the process includes the SCP determining a latency measurement of the SBI interface with the producer NF. For example, SCP 101 can track latency information associated with transactions involving the producer NF by routing messages from the consumer NF to the producer NF, receiving responses from the producer NF, and calculating latency as the difference between the time the request is sent and the time the response is received from the producer NF.

[0070] In step 702, the process also includes a database of latency measurements maintained by the SCP for the SBI interface with the producer NF. For example, SCP 101 may maintain a database of latency information associated with the SBI interface whose latency is tracked by SCP 101. Tables 1 and 2 described above illustrate examples of the types of latency information that can be maintained, and this information can be maintained on a per-interface and / or per-service basis.

[0071] In step 704, the process further includes the SCP transmitting latency measurements to the EMS for automatically configuring the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF. For example, SCP 101 may transmit an update notification message to EMS 306 regarding the latency information associated with the SBI interface between SCP 101 and the producer NF. The notification message may be transmitted in response to a latency information subscription established between EMS 306 and SCP 101. In an alternative implementation, SCP 101 may transmit latency information to EMS 306 in response to a query from EMS 306, i.e., without requiring a subscription.

[0072] In step 706, the process includes receiving a latency measurement value from the EMS and automatically configuring the SBI transaction timeout associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF using the latency measurement value. For example, the EMS 306 may receive the latency measurement value from SCP 101 and use the receipt of the latency measurement value to trigger a command sent to the consumer NF to automatically update the timeout associated with the SBI interface used by the consumer NF to contact the producer NF. The command can be formatted according to the consumer NF's configuration API. In one example, the API used to configure the timeout of the consumer NF could be a REST API.

[0073] As described in this paper, dynamic SBI interface timeout configuration management enables optimized end-to-end call processing latency, thereby improving network efficiency. Dynamic SBI interface timeout configuration also enables adaptive 5G core networks based on all-day network latency and congestion. Dynamic SBI interface timeout configuration reduces the burden on network operators managing complex timeout configurations for SBI interfaces. Furthermore, it enables faster alternative routing at the SCP based on dynamic SBI interface latency rather than relying on static timeout values. This allows for faster timeout processing in the 5G core network.

[0074] The public information of each of the following references is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0075] References

[0076] 1.3 rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification GroupCore Network and Terminals; 5G System; Network Function Repository Services;Stage 3 (Release 18) 3GPP TS 29.510 V18.1.0 (2022-12)

[0077] It should be understood that various details of the subject matter described herein may be changed without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes, as the subject matter described herein is defined by the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring service-based interface (SBI) timeouts, the method comprising: The latency measurement of the SBI interface with the producer network function (NF) is determined by the Service Communication Agent (SCP); A database of delay measurements maintained by SCP and the SBI interface of the producer NF; as well as The SCP transmits the latency measurement value to the Element Management System (EMS) to automatically configure the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time delay measurement includes: The process involves routing SBI request messages to the producer NF, receiving SBI response messages from the producer NF, and calculating the latency measurement as the difference between the sending time of the SBI request message and the receiving time of the SBI response message.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein determining the latency measurement includes determining the latency measurement on a per SBI interface basis, and wherein maintaining the database includes maintaining the latency measurement for each SBI interface in the database.

4. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein determining the latency measurement includes determining the latency measurement on a per-SBI service basis, and wherein maintaining the database includes maintaining the latency measurement for each SBI service in the database.

5. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein maintaining the database includes maintaining a minimum latency value, a maximum latency value, and an average latency value in the database.

6. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein transmitting the delay measurement value to the EMS comprises: The SCP provides a subscription interface that allows the EMS to create subscriptions to receive notifications of latency measurements, and, as part of the subscription, to transmit notifications including latency measurements to the EMS.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the subscription interface includes providing a custom latency information subscription interface.

8. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein transmitting the delay measurement value to the EMS includes transmitting the delay measurement value to the EMS in response to a query message from the EMS.

9. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, comprising: At the EMS, the delay measurement is received, and the delay measurement is used to automatically configure the timeout of the SBI interface at the consumer NF.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically configuring the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF using a delay measurement includes: Transmit a Representational State Transition (REST) ​​Application Programming Interface (API) message to the consumer NF, thereby instructing the consumer NF to update the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF.

11. A system for automatically configuring service-based interface (SBI) timeouts, the system comprising: A service communication agent, which includes at least one processor and memory; as well as An SBI latency information tracker / communicator, executed by the at least one processor, is used to determine latency measurements of the SBI interface with the producer network function (NF); and to maintain a database of latency measurements of the SBI interface with the producer NF in memory. And the SCP transmits the latency measurement value to the Element Management System (EMS) for automatically configuring the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to determine the latency measurement by: routing the SBI request message to the producer NF, receiving the SBI response message from the producer NF, and calculating the latency measurement as the difference between the sending time of the SBI request message and the receiving time of the SBI response message.

13. The system of claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to determine latency measurements on a per SBI interface basis and maintain latency measurements for each SBI interface in a database.

14. The system of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to determine latency measurements on a per SBI service basis and maintain latency measurements for each SBI service in a database.

15. The system of any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to maintain a minimum latency value, a maximum latency value, and an average latency value in a database.

16. The system of any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the SBI latency information tracker / communicator is configured to transmit latency measurements to the EMS by: providing a subscription interface for allowing the EMS to create subscriptions to receive notifications of latency measurements, and transmitting notifications including latency measurements to the EMS as part of the subscription.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the subscription interface includes a custom latency information subscription interface.

18. The system of any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein the SBI delay information tracker / communicator is configured to transmit delay measurements to the EMS in response to a query message from the EMS.

19. The system of any one of claims 11 to 18, comprising an EMS, wherein the EMS is configured to receive a delay measurement and automatically configure a timeout for the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF using the delay measurement.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored executable instructions thereon, the executable instructions, when executed by a computer's processor, controlling the computer to perform steps, the steps including: The latency measurement of the interface with the service-based interface (SBI) of the producer network function (NF) is determined by the service communication agent (SCP); A database of delay measurements maintained by SCP and the SBI interface of the producer NF; as well as The SCP transmits the latency measurement value to the Element Management System (EMS) to automatically configure the timeout of the SBI interface associated with the producer NF at the consumer NF.

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