VNF instance migration method, session service system and session processing method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication, and particularly provides a VNF (Virtual Network Function) instance migration method, a session service system and a session processing method, and the method comprises the steps: determining a to-be-migrated target VNF instance, a first network element cluster where the target VNF instance is currently located, and a second network element cluster undertaking the migrated target VNF instance; sending an instance migration instruction to a first main slow path network element in the first network element cluster, wherein the first main slow path network element deploys the target VNF instance; and adding a first target port number allocated for a target VNF instance on each fast path network element in the second network element cluster to a target selectable port number set associated with the target VNF instance, setting the priority of the first target port number to be the highest, and setting the priority of at least one second target port number to be the lowest, the second target port number is a port number allocated to a target VNF instance deployed for each fast path network element in the first network element cluster; according to the session migration method and device, the influence of single session migration on other sessions is eliminated, and the connection reliability of the sessions in the session migration process is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a VNF instance migration method, a session service system, and a session processing method. Background Technology

[0002] Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is a technology that uses virtualization technology to implement network functions in software with hardware support. The Service Function Chain (SFC) based on NFV technology defines a set of hierarchically connected Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) to implement network functions. The same VNF instance can be deployed in a cluster of multiple distributed SFC network elements. That is, different VNF ​​instances are usually contained on the same SFC network element.

[0003] In related technologies, in order to solve the problem of the upper limit of resources that an instance in an SFC network element can mobilize, it is necessary to migrate the same VNF instance distributed on different SFC network elements from one network element cluster to another.

[0004] However, the SFC network element instance migration solutions provided in related technologies not only cause traffic interruption and affect service stability, but also affect the service stability of instances in the same SFC network element that do not require migration. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure is made in view of the above-mentioned problems. This disclosure provides a VNF instance migration method, a session service system, and a session processing method, which eliminates the impact of a single session migration on other sessions, and improves the connection reliability of sessions during the session migration process.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a VNF instance migration method is provided, the method being applied in the network element manager of a session service system, comprising: Based on performance monitoring information from multiple network element clusters, the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance to be migrated is determined, the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is currently located, and the second network element cluster that will take over the migrated target VNF ​​instance. An instance migration instruction is sent to the first primary slow path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. The instance migration instruction is used to instruct the first primary slow path network element to send the target session information associated with the target VNF ​​instance to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. The second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element and at least one fast path network element in the second network element cluster. Each of the fast path network elements in the second network element cluster is used to create the target VNF ​​instance based on the target session information. The first target port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance on each fast path network element in the second network element cluster is added to the set of target optional port numbers associated with the target VNF ​​instance, and the priority of the first target port number is set to the highest, and the priority of at least one second target port number is set to the lowest, wherein the second target port number is the port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance deployed on each fast path network element in the first network element cluster.

[0007] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a session service system is provided, the session service system comprising a first network element cluster, a second network element cluster, and a network element manager, the network element manager being used to execute the VNF instance migration method described in the first aspect based on the first network element cluster and the second network element cluster.

[0008] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a session processing method is provided, the method being applied to a session service system as described in the second aspect, the session service system further including a network service port, the method comprising: During the migration of the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance, the network service port responds to receiving a target session request associated with the target VNF ​​instance by querying the session connection status information associated with the target VNF ​​instance in the connection tracking table. If the network service port determines the session connection status information and indicates that there is a target existing session associated with the target VNF ​​instance, then a first target fast path network element is determined based on at least one second target port with the lowest priority in the target optional port number set. The first target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected by a consistent hashing algorithm in a first network element cluster. The first network element cluster is the network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance was located before migration. The at least one second target port is a port number assigned to the target VNF ​​instance in at least one corresponding fast path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. The network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the first target fast path network element; The target VNF ​​instance in the first target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server.

[0009] The VNF instance migration method, session service system, and session processing method provided in this disclosure have several advantages. Firstly, based on an intelligent decision-making mechanism using performance monitoring, they can proactively identify overloaded target VNF ​​instances and select target clusters capable of handling them, enabling preventative migration and resource optimization, and reducing the probability of service anomalies. Furthermore, they achieve tenant-level fine-grained isolation migration, operating only on the target VNF ​​instance without affecting other instances in the same cluster, significantly minimizing the impact of failures. Secondly, they can prioritize the port numbers allocated to the target VNF ​​instance in the original network element cluster and the port numbers allocated to the target VNF ​​instance in the migrated network element cluster. This allows for the direct scheduling of new sessions through the high-priority migrated network element cluster and the scheduling of existing sessions through the low-priority original cluster before the target VNF ​​instance migration is complete. This prevents new sessions from being rescheduled to the original network element cluster, thus avoiding resource pressure, while simultaneously allowing existing sessions to be scheduled to the original network element cluster to prevent session interruptions and other failures. This achieves highly reliable instance migration under complex network element cascading architectures.

[0010] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the claimed technology. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an NFV platform architecture according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a network element cluster according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a network element cluster in a session service system with fast and slow path network element cascading provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a session processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5This is a flowchart of a VNF instance migration method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a scenario diagram illustrating the implementation of a VNF instance migration method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of another session processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a scenario diagram illustrating the implementation of a session processing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a scenario diagram illustrating another implementation of a session processing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a scenario diagram illustrating another implementation of a session processing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 11 This is a block diagram of a VNF instance migration apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a computer program product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 13 This is a hardware block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0026] First, the application scenarios in the embodiments of this disclosure will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0027] NFV platform architectures built on NFV technology typically look like this: Figure 1As shown, the system includes a network element management layer 101, an NFV platform control layer 102, and a network element layer 103. The network element management layer 101 is primarily responsible for the configuration management of service instances such as Server Load Balancing (SLB), Network Address Translation (NAT), and / or Virtual Private Network (VPN). The NFV platform control layer 102 is primarily responsible for the lifecycle management of SFC network element virtual machines or containers, including creating and deleting virtual machines / containers, health checks, monitoring and alarms, and cluster management. The network element layer 103 primarily carries VNF instances through SFC network element clusters to achieve network forwarding functionality. The network element layer 103 can include multiple SFC network element clusters, each of which can include at least one network element from different SFC layers. The same VNF instance typically needs to utilize the different functions of multiple SFC network elements to achieve network forwarding functionality; that is, a user's same VNF instance is deployed in a distributed cluster composed of multiple network elements. Similarly, to improve resource utilization, multiple users' VNF instances may be deployed simultaneously in the same network element.

[0028] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the NFV platform can be deployed on a server, and the network elements mentioned thereafter are all SFC network elements.

[0029] Example, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a network element cluster according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the network element cluster includes the first network element of SFC layer 1: network element 1-1, the second network element of SFC layer 1: network element 1-2, the first network element of SFC layer 2: network element 2-1, the second network element of SFC layer 2: network element 2-2, and the third network element of SFC layer 2: network element 3-1. Here, VNF1-1-1 represents the first VNF ​​instance, distributed on network element 1-1, and VNF3-2-3 represents the third instance, distributed on network element 2-3. Figure 2 The meanings of the other VNF instances are similar to those of instances VNF1-1-1 and VNF3-2-3, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.

[0030] Since different VNF ​​instances distributed on the same network element share the CPU, memory, network bandwidth and other resources of the network element, network element instance migration is required when facing application scenarios such as sudden increase in user instance performance demand, security sandbox isolation, and network element upgrades. Network element instance migration refers to migrating the same VNF instance distributed on different network elements from one network element cluster to another.

[0031] In related technologies, when migrating network element instances, session synchronization between the old and new network elements is usually not performed. In scenarios where stateful traffic forwarding such as session persistence or long connections is required, instance migration can lead to traffic interruption, reduce the Service Level Agreement (SLA) level, and affect user experience. At the same time, when one or more instances in a network element cluster need to be migrated, a migration solution of redeployment at the network element level is usually adopted. That is, the entire network element cluster that deploys the instances to be migrated is migrated. Since the same network element carries multiple VNF instances, it will affect the service stability of instances in the same network element that do not need to be migrated.

[0032] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a VNF instance migration scheme. This scheme can be applied to a session service system built on NFV technology that cascades network elements along fast and slow paths. The session service system can include multiple network element clusters, at least two of which are constructed by changing the original chain-like network element deployment mode, which divides network element levels according to the logical order of SFCs, to a network element deployment mode based on the vertical functional layering and collaboration of VNF instances. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a network element cluster in a session service system with cascaded fast and slow path network elements provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The network element cluster may include at least one fast path (FP) network element and at least one slow path (SP) network element. The SP network element is typically deployed in a primary-backup high-availability mode and is responsible for session management (such as session creation, refresh, deletion, aging, etc.) according to the user's configuration data. The performance indicators of the number of new connections and concurrent connections corresponding to the VNF instance of the SP network element are also shown. The FP network element is deployed in a distributed stateless mode and forwards traffic by querying the session information of the SP. The performance indicators of the bandwidth throughput of the instance corresponding to the FP network element are also shown. Figure 3 The network element cluster shown contains 2 SP network elements and 3 FP network elements.

[0033] It should be noted that the basic architecture of the session service system can be referenced. Figure 1 The network element management layer can include a network element controller, which is specifically responsible for the service configuration and policy management of VNF instances. The network service port of the session service system is used to select the appropriate VNF instance in the FP network element for traffic forwarding.

[0034] The network service port can be carried by an Open vSwitch (OVS). The underlying implementation of the network service port is a Group Elastic Network Interface (Group ENI). The Group ENI exposes the virtual IP addresses (VIPs) of different VNF ​​instances to the client, providing the client with a traffic access point. In the backend, the Group ENI can schedule session requests to FP network elements selected by the consistent hashing algorithm to load balance the client's session requests.

[0035] It should be noted that, in this disclosed embodiment, for each FP network element, the Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM) of the NFV platform management layer can allocate one trunk-port network interface card (NIC) for each FP network element. Based on the number of different VNF ​​instances to be deployed in the FP network element, the trunk-port NIC can be divided into multiple sub-port NICs. Each sub-port NIC uniquely corresponds to one VNF instance. That is, each VNF instance corresponds to a sub-port with a different Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifier on the FP network element, achieving tenant isolation. Please continue to refer to... Figure 3 In FP network element 2-1, the VLAN number of the sub-port corresponding to instance VNF1-2-1 is 1, and the VLAN number of the sub-port corresponding to instance VNF2-2-1 is 2. Figure 3 The meanings of the other VNF instances are similar to those of instances VNF1-2-1 and VNF2-2-1, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.

[0036] This disclosure provides a session processing method, which is implemented based on a network element cluster in a session service system, such as... Figure 4 As shown, it includes: Step 401: Upon receiving the session request, the network service port determines the destination FP network element among multiple FP network elements and forwards the session request to the destination VNF instance deployed on the destination FP network element.

[0037] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the session request includes five-tuple information (source IP address, destination VIP address, source port number, destination port number, and transport protocol).

[0038] The process by which the network service port, upon receiving a session request, determines the destination FP network element among multiple FP network elements and forwards the session request to the target access VNF instance deployed on the destination FP network element includes: upon receiving a session request, parsing the session request to obtain the five-tuple information, and determining the destination FP network element among multiple FP network elements using the Equal-Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) consistent hashing algorithm; then, based on the pre-determined correspondence information between the VIP address and the sub-relay port VLAN identifier of the VNF instance, determining the destination sub-relay port VLAN identifier corresponding to the destination VIP address in the five-tuple, and forwarding the session request to the destination VNF instance in the destination FP network element corresponding to the destination sub-relay port VLAN identifier.

[0039] Step 402: When the destination FP network element receives the session request from the destination VNF instance, if it determines that the local session cache information contains destination session information related to the destination VNF instance, it sends the session request to the session processing server based on the destination session information.

[0040] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the local session cache information is used to store session information of session requests scheduled by each VNF instance in the destination FP network element. The session information may include connection identification information (such as a five-tuple and session identifier), protocol status information (such as protocol connection status information, time information, and protocol flag information), and service and tenant information (such as tenant information, service information, and migration status information). The session processing server is the physical server that actually processes the services related to the session request.

[0041] Step 403: When the destination FP network element receives the session request from the destination VNF instance, it sends a session information query request to the main SP network element if it determines that the local session cache information does not contain the destination session information. Step 404: Based on the five-tuple information in the session information query request, the primary SP network element determines that the local session cache information does not contain the destination session information, creates a new session according to the instance configuration information of the destination VNF instance, sends the session information of the new session to the destination VNF instance in the destination FP network element, and synchronizes the session information of the new session to the backup SP network element. Among them, the main SP network element needs to create a new session based on the instance configuration information of the destination VNF instance, as well as the five-tuple information carried in the session information query request.

[0042] Step 405: Based on the five-tuple information in the session information query request, if the local session cache information contains the destination session information, the main SP network element sends the destination session request to the destination VNF instance in the destination FP network element. Step 406: The destination VNF instance in the destination FP network element, in response to receiving the target session information related to the destination VNF instance, sends a session request to the session processing server based on the destination session information.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the disclosure, network elements in the network element cluster exchange information through an inner-port, and the primary network element synchronizes information with the backup network element through a sync-port.

[0044] Example, for deployment in Figure 3 Taking the VNF1 instance in the network element cluster shown as an example for session processing, a session processing method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure is described: When the network service port receives a session request sent by the client associated with the VNF1 instance, it determines the destination FP network element as FP network element 2-1 among FP network elements 2-1, FP network elements 2-2 and FP network elements 2-3 based on the ECMP consistent hash algorithm; then, it determines that the VLAN identifier of the destination sub-relay port corresponding to the destination VIP address is 1, and forwards the session request to the destination VNF instance corresponding to the VLAN identifier 1 of the destination sub-relay port in FP network element 2-1: VNF1-2-1.

[0045] Next, FP network element 2-1 queries the local cache information corresponding to instance VNF1-2-1 to see if the destination session information corresponding to instance VNF1 exists. If it determines that the local session cache information does not contain the destination session information, it sends a session information query request to primary SP network element 1-1. Based on the five-tuple information in the session information query request, primary SP network element 1-1, if it determines that the local session cache information does not contain the destination session information, creates a new session according to the instance configuration information of instance VNF1 and the five-tuple information, and sends the session information of the new session to instance VNF1-2-1 in FP network element 2-1 through the inner-port, and synchronizes the session information of the new session to backup SP network element 1-2 through the sync-port. Among them, instance VNF1-2-1 in FP network element 2-1 sends the session request to the session processing server (server) based on the destination session information.

[0046] Furthermore, in response to receiving the client's request to associate a session with the VNF1 instance again, the network service port determines the destination FP element as FP element 2-2 among FP element 2-1, FP element 2-2, and FP element 2-3 based on the ECMP consistent hash algorithm. Then, it determines that the VLAN identifier of the destination sub-relay port corresponding to the destination VIP address is 1, and forwards the session request to the destination VNF instance VNF1-2-2 in FP element 2-2, which corresponds to the VLAN identifier 1 of the destination sub-relay port.

[0047] Specifically, FP network element 2-2 queries the local cache information corresponding to instance VNF1-2-2 to see if there is destination session information corresponding to instance VNF1. If it is determined that the local session cache information does not contain destination session information, it sends a session information query request to main SP network element 1-1. Based on the five-tuple information in the session information query request, main SP network element 1-1 determines that the local session cache information contains destination session information and directly sends the target session request to instance VNF1-2-2 in FP network element 2-2. Instance VNF1-2-2 in FP network element 2-2 can then send the session request to the session processing server based on the destination session information.

[0048] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the disclosure, after the session service system establishes session information for the target VNF ​​instance requested by the client for the first time, the main SP network element can create new session information corresponding to the target VNF ​​instance. If the client requests the target VNF ​​instance to schedule a session request again, the session service system, based on the ECMP consistent hashing algorithm, selects the target FP network element from multiple FP network elements, and can directly request the session information corresponding to the target VNF ​​instance from the main SP network element for session forwarding, thereby quickly scheduling the session request and improving the efficiency of processing sessions based on the same instance again.

[0049] Understandably, when the client requests the destination VNF instance to schedule a session again, and the session service system selects the same destination FP network element from multiple FP network elements based on the ECMP consistent hashing algorithm as the destination FP network element determined during the previous request to schedule the destination VNF instance to schedule a session, then after the session request is forwarded to the destination FP network element, the session request can be directly sent to the session processing server based on the target session information related to the destination VNF instance stored locally, further improving session processing efficiency.

[0050] This disclosure provides a VNF instance migration method, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the method is applied in the network element manager of the session service system, and includes: Step S501: Based on the performance monitoring information of multiple network element clusters, determine the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance to be migrated, the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is currently located, and the second network element cluster that will take over the migrated target VNF ​​instance. Step S502: Send an instance migration command to the first primary slow path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed; The instance migration instruction is used to instruct the first primary slow path network element to send the target session information associated with the target VNF ​​instance to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. The second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element and at least one fast path network element in the second network element cluster. Each fast path network element in the second network element cluster is used to create a target VNF ​​instance based on the target session information. Step S503: Add the first target port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance on each fast path network element in the second network element cluster to the target optional port number set associated with the target VNF ​​instance, set the priority of the first target port number to the highest, and set the priority of at least one second target port number to the lowest. Wherein, the second target port number is the port number assigned to the target VNF ​​instance deployed for each fast path network element in the first network element cluster.

[0051] The VNF instance migration method provided in this disclosure has two main advantages. First, it can proactively identify overloaded target VNF ​​instances and select target clusters capable of handling them based on an intelligent decision-making mechanism for performance monitoring. This enables preventative migration and resource optimization, reducing the probability of service anomalies. Furthermore, it achieves tenant-level fine-grained isolation migration, operating only on the target VNF ​​instance without affecting other instances in the same cluster, significantly minimizing the impact of failures. Second, it can prioritize the port numbers allocated to the target VNF ​​instance in the original network element cluster and the port numbers allocated to the target VNF ​​instance in the migrated network element cluster. This allows for the direct scheduling of new sessions through the high-priority migrated network element cluster and the scheduling of existing sessions through the low-priority original cluster before the target VNF ​​instance migration is complete. This prevents new sessions from being rescheduled to the original network element cluster, thus avoiding resource pressure. Simultaneously, it allows existing sessions to be scheduled to the original network element cluster to prevent session interruptions and other failures, achieving highly reliable instance migration under complex network element cascading architectures.

[0052] The following are Figure 5 The specific implementation methods of each step in the illustrated embodiment are described in detail below: In step S501, the network element manager determines the target virtual network function (VNF) instance to be migrated, the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is currently located, and the second network element cluster that will take over the migrated target VNF ​​instance based on the performance monitoring information of multiple network element clusters.

[0053] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the NFV platform management layer can monitor the performance parameters of the VNF instances deployed on each network element in each network element cluster of the network element layer, and obtain performance monitoring information of multiple network element clusters; the performance parameters may include indicators such as CPU utilization, memory utilization, bandwidth, and number of sessions; wherein, the target VNF ​​instance is a VNF instance with performance overload.

[0054] In one optional implementation, the network element manager determines the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance to be migrated based on performance monitoring information from multiple network element clusters. The process of determining the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is currently located, and the second network element cluster to receive the migrated target VNF ​​instance, includes: for the performance monitoring information of each network element cluster, if there is a performance-overloaded VNF instance in the network element cluster with performance parameters greater than or equal to the performance parameter threshold, then the performance-overloaded VNF instance is determined as the target VNF ​​instance, and the network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is currently located is determined as the first network element cluster; and, among multiple candidate network element clusters, the candidate network element cluster with the largest remaining resource volume is determined as the second network element cluster, wherein the multiple candidate network element clusters are the remaining network element clusters other than the first network element cluster among the multiple network element clusters included in the network element layer.

[0055] Optionally, when there are multiple types of performance parameters, the existence of a performance overloaded VNF instance in the network element cluster with performance parameters greater than or equal to the performance parameter threshold means: if each performance parameter of a VNF instance in the network element cluster is greater than or equal to the performance parameter threshold associated with each performance indicator, then it is determined that a performance overloaded VNF instance exists in the network element cluster; or, if at least one target performance parameter of a VNF instance in the network element cluster is greater than or equal to the performance parameter threshold associated with each target performance indicator, then it is determined that a performance overloaded VNF instance exists in the network element cluster; the target performance parameter can be any type of performance parameter, and specifically, it can be determined based on actual needs, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the network element manager can determine the target VNF ​​instance to be migrated, the first network element cluster, and the second network element cluster according to a preset period. The preset period can be determined based on actual needs, and this embodiment of the disclosure does not limit it; for example, once every 12 hours, or once every day.

[0057] In step S502, the network element manager sends an instance migration instruction to the first primary slow path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed.

[0058] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the instance migration instruction is used to instruct the first primary slow path network element to send the target session information associated with the target VNF ​​instance to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. The second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element and at least one fast path network element in the second network element cluster. Each of the fast path network elements in the second network element cluster is used to create the target VNF ​​instance based on the target session information.

[0059] It is understood that the first primary slow path network element sends the target session information associated with the target VNF ​​instance to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster via a sync-port; and the second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element and at least one fast path network element in the second network element cluster via a sync-port.

[0060] Step S503: Add the first target port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance on each fast path network element in the second network element cluster to the target optional port number set associated with the target VNF ​​instance, set the priority of the first target port number to the highest, and set the priority of at least one second target port number to the lowest, wherein the second target port number is the port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance deployed on each fast path network element in the first network element cluster.

[0061] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the disclosure, during the migration of the target VNF ​​instance, after each backup slow path network element and each fast path network element in the second network element cluster receives the target session information sent by the second primary slow path network element, they need to return session synchronization completed response information to the second primary slow path network element to inform it that the target VNF ​​instance has been completed. Similarly, after receiving the response information returned by each backup slow path network element and each fast path network element in the second network element cluster, the second primary slow path network element needs to send session synchronization completed response information to the first primary slow path network element in the first network element cluster. After receiving the session synchronization completed response information, the first primary slow path network element sends the session synchronization completed information to the network element manager.

[0062] In one optional implementation, in response to receiving session synchronization completion information from the first primary slow path network element, the network element manager deletes at least one second target port number from the target optional port number set; then, it sets at least one first target port number from the target optional port number set to a default port number, thus obtaining an updated target optional port number set. After the target VNF ​​instance migration is complete, the network element manager can delete the port numbers of the network elements that deployed the target VNF ​​instance in the original first network element cluster. This allows for session services to be provided through the target VNF ​​instance in the migrated second network element cluster in scenarios where session services are required via the target VNF ​​instance, thereby improving the service reliability after the target VNF ​​instance migration.

[0063] In an optional implementation, the network element manager can also send an instance deletion command to the first primary slow path network element, the backup slow path network element, and at least one fast path network element in the first network element cluster. The instance deletion command instructs the deletion of instance configuration information and target session information related to the target VNF ​​instance. This can be achieved by deleting data related to the target VNF ​​instance in the first network element cluster after the target VNF ​​instance has been migrated from the first network element cluster to the second network element cluster, thereby reducing the unnecessary use of resources in the first network element cluster.

[0064] For example, embodiments of this disclosure are used... Figure 3 Taking the VNF1 instance shown as the target VNF ​​instance as an example, the VNF instance migration method provided in this disclosure embodiment will be described, such as... Figure 6 As shown, assuming the first network element cluster of the network element manager is network element cluster 1, and the second network element cluster is network element cluster 2, the network element manager can send an instance migration instruction to the main SP network element 1-1 in network element cluster 1, which deploys the VNF1 instance; in response to receiving the instance migration instruction, the main SP network element 1-1 sends the target session information associated with VNF1 to the main SP network element 1'-1 in network element cluster 2 through the sync-port.

[0065] Next, the primary SP network element 1'-1 in network element cluster 2 synchronizes the target session information to the backup slow path network element 1'-2, and the three fast path network elements 2: FP network element 2'-1, FP network element 2'-2, and FP network element 2'-3, through the inner-port.

[0066] After receiving the target session information sent by the master SP network element 1'-1, SP network element 1'-2, FP network element 2'-1, FP network element 2'-2, and FP network element 2'-3 need to return a session synchronization completion response message to the master SP network element 1'-1. At the same time, after receiving the response messages returned by SP network element 1'-2, FP network element 2'-1, FP network element 2'-2, and FP network element 2'-3, the master SP network element 1'-1 needs to send a session synchronization completion response message to the master SP network element 1'-1. After receiving the session synchronization completion response message, the master SP network element 1'-1 sends the session synchronization completion message to the network element manager.

[0067] Furthermore, the network element manager sends instance deletion instructions to the primary SP network element 1-1, the backup SP network element 1-2, and the three fast path network elements in network element cluster 1: FP network element 2-1, FP network element 2-2, and FP network element 2-3, to instruct the deletion of instance configuration information and target session information related to the VNF1 instance.

[0068] In this embodiment of the disclosure, in the scenario of instance migration of a session service system with cascaded fast and slow path network elements built on NFV technology, this disclosure also provides a session processing method. This session processing method is applied to the aforementioned session service system with cascaded fast and slow path network elements built on NFV technology, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the method includes: Step S701: During the migration of the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance, the network service port responds to the receipt of the target session request associated with the target VNF ​​instance by querying the session connection status information associated with the target VNF ​​instance in the connection tracking table. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the connection tracking table is constructed by OVS and is used to store the session state information of the sessions handled by each VNF instance in the network element cluster. The session state information can be: session established, session disconnected, session invalid, no session, etc.; the target session request contains the target quintuple.

[0069] Step S702: If the network service port determines the session connection status information and indicates that there is a target existing session associated with the target VNF ​​instance, then the first target fast path network element is determined based on at least one second target port number with the lowest priority in the target optional port number set. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected by a consistent hashing algorithm in a first network element cluster, the first network element cluster is the network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance was located before migration, and the at least one second target port is a port number assigned to the target VNF ​​instance in at least one corresponding fast path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed.

[0070] In one alternative implementation, the process of determining the first target fast path network element based on at least one second target port with the lowest priority in the target optional port number set may include: determining the first target fast path network element among at least one fast path network element associated with each second target port using the ECMP consistent hashing algorithm.

[0071] Step S703: The network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the first target fast path network element; The process by which the network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the first target fast path network element includes: determining the target sub-relay port VLAN identifier corresponding to the target VIP address in the target 5-tuple based on the pre-determined correspondence information between the VIP address and the sub-relay port VLAN identifier of the VNF instance, and forwarding the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the first target fast path network element.

[0072] In step S704, the target VNF ​​instance in the first target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server.

[0073] In summary, the session processing method provided in this disclosure, during the migration of a target VNF ​​instance, upon receiving a target session request that needs to be scheduled by the target VNF ​​instance, determines that the session to be scheduled by the target VNF ​​instance is an existing session. It then schedules the target session request to the first network element cluster before migration, where it is processed in the fast-path network element selected by the consistent hashing algorithm. This ensures that existing session requests during the migration process are still forwarded to the original fast-path network element of the source network element cluster for processing. This achieves uninterrupted processing of existing session requests during the critical transition period of the target VNF ​​instance migration, based on the port priority of the target VNF ​​instance deployed on the network elements in the network element clusters before and after migration, thus improving the reliability of existing session processing during instance migration.

[0074] In one optional implementation, if the network service port determines the session connection status information and indicates that there is no target existing session associated with the target VNF ​​instance, then a second target fast path network element is determined based on at least one first target port number with the highest priority in the target optional port number set. The second target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected in a second network element cluster using a consistent hashing algorithm. The second network element cluster is the network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance resides after migration. The at least one first target port number is a port number assigned to the target VNF ​​instance in at least one corresponding fast path network element in the second network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. Then, the network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the second target fast path network element. Further, the target VNF ​​instance in the second target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server. During the migration of the target VNF ​​instance, upon receiving a target session request that needs to be scheduled through the target VNF ​​instance, if it is determined that the session to be scheduled by the target VNF ​​instance is a newly established session, the target session request is scheduled to the second network element cluster after migration. It is then processed in the fast path network element selected by the consistent hashing algorithm. This ensures that newly established sessions that need to be scheduled through the target VNF ​​instance are directly processed in the second network element cluster after migration. This ensures that all newly established connections are automatically redirected to the second network element cluster after instance migration during the migration process. It realizes the effective processing of newly established session requests based on the port priority of the target VNF ​​instance deployed on the network elements in the network element clusters before and after migration, and improves the reliability of newly established session processing during the critical transition period of the target VNF ​​instance migration.

[0075] It is understood that the process of determining the second target fast path network element based on at least one first target port number with the highest priority in the target optional port number set can refer to the process of determining the first target fast path network element based on at least one second target port with the lowest priority in the target optional port number set in the above embodiments. This disclosure will not elaborate on this process.

[0076] In one optional implementation, before the target VNF ​​instance in the second target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server, if the second target fast path network element determines that its local session information does not contain target session information corresponding to the target VNF ​​instance, it sends a session information retrieval request to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. Then, if the second primary slow path network element determines that the target session information exists locally, it sends the target session information to the second target fast path network element. In scenarios where a new session needs to be created during the migration of the target VNF ​​instance, the second target fast path network element requiring session scheduling discovers a missing local cache and actively requests session information from the primary slow path network element in the migrated second network element cluster. The slow path network element in the second network element cluster, acting as a centralized session manager, returns the required information, thus maintaining the lightweight and high-performance forwarding characteristics of the fast path network element and improving the session scheduling efficiency of the second target fast path network element requiring session scheduling.

[0077] In one optional implementation, if the second primary slow path network element determines that the target session information does not exist locally, it creates the target session information based on the instance configuration information of the target VNF ​​instance and sends the target session information to the second target fast path network element. In scenarios where a new session needs to be created during the migration of the target VNF ​​instance, the second target fast path network element, which needs to perform session scheduling, discovers a local cache deficiency and actively requests session information from the slow path network elements in the migrated second network element cluster. If the slow path network elements in the second network element cluster do not contain the relevant session information locally, the newly created session information is returned to the second target fast path network element for session scheduling, ensuring the reliability of new session scheduling during the instance migration process.

[0078] In one optional implementation, after establishing new target session information, the second primary slow path network element also needs to synchronize the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element in the second network element cluster. Synchronizing the new session to the backup slow path network element allows for session scheduling based on the session information stored in the backup slow path network element in the event of a primary slow path network element failure, further improving session scheduling reliability.

[0079] In one optional implementation, after the target VNF ​​instance migration is complete, the network service port, in response to receiving a target session request associated with the target VNF ​​instance, determines a third target fast path network element based on at least one first target port number in the updated target optional port number set that has been set to default priority. This third target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected in the second network element cluster using a consistent hashing algorithm. Then, the network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the third target fast path network element. Further, the target VNF ​​instance in the third target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server. When the target VNF ​​instance migration is complete, upon receiving a target session request, whether it's a new session or an existing session, it is scheduled to be processed by the target VNF ​​instance in the second network element cluster. This implements the default priority of the ports of the target VNF ​​instances deployed on the network elements in the migrated network element cluster. After the target VNF ​​instance migration, the direct processing of new or existing sessions based on the migrated second network element cluster improves the efficiency and reliability of session processing after instance migration.

[0080] It is understood that the process of determining the third target fast path network element based on at least one first target port number that has been set to the default priority in the set of target optional port numbers can refer to the process of determining the first target fast path network element based on at least one second target port with the lowest priority in the set of target optional port numbers in the above embodiments. This disclosure will not elaborate on this process.

[0081] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the disclosure, after the target VNF ​​instance migration is completed, when the network service port receives the target session request associated with the target VNF ​​instance, if the session associated with the target VNF ​​instance is a target existing session, since the target session information has been synchronized in the fast path network element used to deploy the target VNF ​​instance in the second network element cluster after the instance migration, the target VNF ​​instance in the third target fast path network element can directly send the target session request to the session processing server based on the local target session information, further improving the processing efficiency of existing session requests after instance migration.

[0082] For example, embodiments of this disclosure are used... Figure 3 The VNF1 instance shown is an example of being migrated from network element cluster 1 to network element cluster 2. This illustrates the session processing method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 8As shown, during the migration of a VNF1 instance, the network service port, upon receiving a target session request associated with the VNF1 instance, queries the session connection status information of the VNF1 instance in the connection tracking table. If the session connection status information indicates the existence of a target existing session associated with the VNF1 instance, then based on at least one second target port with the lowest priority in the target optional port number set (the port associated with the VNF1-2-1 instance, the VNF1-2-2 instance, and the VNF1-2-3 instance respectively), the first target fast path network element is: FP network element 2-2. Next, the network service port forwards the target session request to the VNF1-2-2 instance deployed in FP network element 2-2; and the VNF1-2-2 instance sends the target session request to the session processing server.

[0083] Or, such as Figure 9 As shown, when the session connection status information indicates that there is no target existing session associated with the VNF1 instance, based on at least one first target port number with the highest priority in the target optional port number set (the port associated with the VNF1-2'-1 instance, the VNF1-2'-2 instance, and the VNF1-2'-3 instance respectively), the second target fast path network element is determined to be: FP network element 2'-3. Then, the network service port forwards the target session request to the VNF1-2'-3 instance deployed in FP network element 2'-3; and the VNF1-2'-3 instance sends the target session request to the session processing server.

[0084] Optionally, if the session connection state information indicates that there is no target existing session associated with the VNF1 instance, please continue to refer to... Figure 9 Before the VNF1-2'-3 instance sends the target session request to the session processing server, if the FP network element 2'-3 determines that the local session information does not contain the target session information corresponding to the VNF1 instance, it sends a session information acquisition request to the main SP network element 1'-1 in the network element cluster 2; if the main SP network element 1'-1 determines that the target session information exists locally, it sends the target session information to the VNF1-2'-3 instance deployed in the FP network element 2'-3.

[0085] It is understandable that, when the main SP network element 1'-1 determines that the target session information does not exist locally, it creates the target session information according to the instance configuration information of the VNF1 instance and sends the target session information to the VNF1-2'-3 instance deployed in the FP network element 2'-3.

[0086] Optional, such as Figure 10As shown, after the VNF1 instance migration is complete, the network service port, in response to receiving a target session request associated with the VNF1 instance, determines the third target fast path network element as FP network element 2'-2 based on at least one first target port number (the port associated with VNF1-2'-1 instance, VNF1-2'-2 instance, and VNF1-2'-3 instance respectively) that has been set to the default priority in the updated target optional port number set. Then, the network service port forwards the target session request to the VNF1-2'-2 instance deployed in FP network element 2'-2. Further, the VNF1-2'-2 instance in FP network element 2'-2 sends the target session request to the session processing server.

[0087] An exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides a VNF instance migration apparatus, which can be a network element manager of a session service system. Figure 11 A schematic block diagram of the functional modules of a VNF instance migration apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 11 As shown, the VNF instance migration device 1100 includes: The determination module 1101 is configured to determine the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance to be migrated, the first network element cluster in which the target VNF ​​instance is currently located, and the second network element cluster that will take over the migrated target VNF ​​instance based on performance monitoring information from multiple network element clusters. The instruction issuing module 1102 is configured to send an instance migration instruction to the first primary slow path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. The instance migration instruction is used to instruct the first primary slow path network element to send the target session information associated with the target VNF ​​instance to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. The second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element and at least one fast path network element in the second network element cluster. Each of the fast path network elements in the second network element cluster is used to create the target VNF ​​instance based on the target session information. The processing module 1103 is configured to add a first target port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance on each fast path network element in the second network element cluster to a set of target optional port numbers associated with the target VNF ​​instance, set the priority of the first target port number to the highest, and set the priority of at least one second target port number to the lowest, wherein the second target port number is a port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance deployed on each fast path network element in the first network element cluster.

[0088] Optionally, the device further includes an update module 1104, configured to: In response to receiving the session synchronization completion information sent by the first primary slow path network element, at least one second target port number in the target optional port number set is deleted; Set at least one of the first target port numbers in the target optional port number set to the default port number to obtain the updated target optional port number set.

[0089] Optionally, the instruction issuing module 1102 is also configured as follows: An instance deletion instruction is sent to the first primary slow path network element, the backup slow path network element, and at least one fast path network element in the first network element cluster. The instance deletion instruction is used to instruct the deletion of instance configuration information and target session information related to the target VNF ​​instance.

[0090] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to cause the electronic device to perform a method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0091] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a computer's processor, is used to cause the computer to perform a method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0092] like Figure 12 As shown, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure also provides a computer program product 1200, including a computer program 1201, wherein the computer program, when executed by a computer's processor, is used to cause the computer to perform a method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0093] refer to Figure 13 The present invention describes a structural block diagram of an electronic device 1300 that can serve as a server of the present disclosure, which is an example of a hardware device that can be applied to various aspects of the present disclosure. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital electronic computer devices, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely examples and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present disclosure described and / or claimed herein.

[0094] like Figure 13As shown, the electronic device 1300 includes a computing unit 1301, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a computer program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1302 or a computer program loaded from a storage unit 1308 into a random access memory (RAM) 1303. The RAM 1303 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 1300. The computing unit 1301, ROM 1302, and RAM 1303 are interconnected via a bus 1304. An input / output (I / O) interface 1305 is also connected to the bus 1304.

[0095] Multiple components in electronic device 1300 are connected to I / O interface 1305, including: input unit 1306, output unit 1307, storage unit 1308, and communication unit 1309. Input unit 1306 can be any type of device capable of inputting information to electronic device 1300. Input unit 1306 can receive input digital or character information and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and / or function control of electronic device. Output unit 1307 can be any type of device capable of presenting information and may include, but is not limited to, a display, speaker, video / audio output terminal, vibrator, and / or printer. Storage unit 1308 may include, but is not limited to, disk and optical disk. Communication unit 1309 allows electronic device 1300 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks, and may include, but is not limited to, modems, network cards, infrared communication devices, wireless communication transceivers, and / or chipsets, such as Bluetooth™ devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0096] The computing unit 1301 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 1301 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 1301 performs the various methods and processes described above. For example, in some embodiments, the methods of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented as a computer software program tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 1308. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the electronic device 1300 via ROM 1302 and / or communication unit 1309. In some embodiments, the computing unit 1301 can be configured to perform the methods of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0097] The program code used to implement the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0098] In the context of this disclosure, a machine-readable medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0099] As used in this disclosure, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, device, and / or apparatus (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0100] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having: a display device for displaying information to the user (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor); and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0101] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as a data server), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., an application server), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., a user computer with a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet.

[0102] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a terminal, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disc (DVD); or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive (SSD).

[0103] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and are to be considered as covering any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this disclosure. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, this disclosure is also intended to include any such modifications and modifications that fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A VNF instance migration method, characterized in that, The method is applied in the network element manager of the session service system, including: Based on performance monitoring information from multiple network element clusters, the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance to be migrated is determined, the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is currently located, and the second network element cluster that will take over the migrated target VNF ​​instance. An instance migration instruction is sent to the first primary slow path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. The instance migration instruction is used to instruct the first primary slow path network element to send the target session information associated with the target VNF ​​instance to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. The second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element and at least one fast path network element in the second network element cluster. Each of the fast path network elements in the second network element cluster is used to create the target VNF ​​instance based on the target session information. The first target port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance on each fast path network element in the second network element cluster is added to the set of target optional port numbers associated with the target VNF ​​instance, and the priority of the first target port number is set to the highest, and the priority of at least one second target port number is set to the lowest, wherein the second target port number is the port number allocated to the target VNF ​​instance deployed on each fast path network element in the first network element cluster.

2. The VNF instance migration method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to receiving the session synchronization completion information sent by the first primary slow path network element, at least one second target port number in the target optional port number set is deleted; Set at least one of the first target port numbers in the target optional port number set to the default port number to obtain the updated target optional port number set.

3. The VNF instance migration method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: An instance deletion instruction is sent to the first primary slow path network element, the backup slow path network element, and at least one fast path network element in the first network element cluster. The instance deletion instruction is used to instruct the deletion of instance configuration information and target session information related to the target VNF ​​instance.

4. A session service system, characterized in that, The session service system includes a first network element cluster, a second network element cluster, and a network element manager. The network element manager is used to execute the VNF instance migration method as described in any one of claims 1-3 based on the first network element cluster and the second network element cluster.

5. A session processing method, characterized in that, The method is applied to the session service system as described in claim 4, wherein the session service system further includes a network service port, and the method includes: During the migration of the target Virtual Network Function (VNF) instance, the network service port responds to receiving a target session request associated with the target VNF ​​instance by querying the session connection status information associated with the target VNF ​​instance in the connection tracking table. If the network service port determines the session connection status information and indicates that there is a target existing session associated with the target VNF ​​instance, then a first target fast path network element is determined based on at least one second target port with the lowest priority in the target optional port number set. The first target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected by a consistent hashing algorithm in a first network element cluster. The first network element cluster is the network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance was located before migration. The at least one second target port is a port number assigned to the target VNF ​​instance in at least one corresponding fast path network element in the first network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. The network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the first target fast path network element; The target VNF ​​instance in the first target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server.

6. The session processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the network service port determines the session connection status information and indicates that there is no target existing session associated with the target VNF ​​instance, then a second target fast path network element is determined based on at least one first target port number with the highest priority in the target optional port number set. The second target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected in the second network element cluster through a consistent hashing algorithm. The second network element cluster is the network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is located after migration. The at least one first target port number is a port number assigned to the target VNF ​​instance in at least one corresponding fast path network element in the second network element cluster where the target VNF ​​instance is deployed. The network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the second target fast path network element; The target VNF ​​instance in the second target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server.

7. The session processing method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Before the target VNF ​​instance in the second target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server, the method further includes: If the second target fast path network element determines that its local session information does not contain the target session information corresponding to the target VNF ​​instance, then it sends a session information acquisition request to the second primary slow path network element in the second network element cluster. If the second primary slow path network element determines that the target session information exists locally, it will send the target session information to the second target fast path network element.

8. The session processing method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the second primary slow path network element determines that the target session information does not exist locally, it creates the target session information according to the instance configuration information of the target VNF ​​instance and sends the target session information to the second target fast path network element.

9. The session processing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second primary slow path network element synchronizes the target session information to at least one backup slow path network element in the second network element cluster.

10. The session processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the target VNF ​​instance migration is completed, the network service port responds to the target session request associated with the target VNF ​​instance by determining the third target fast path network element based on at least one first target port number that has been set to default priority in the updated target optional port number set. The third target fast path network element is a fast path network element selected in the second network element cluster through a consistent hashing algorithm. The network service port forwards the target session request to the target VNF ​​instance deployed in the third target fast path network element; The target VNF ​​instance in the third target fast path network element sends the target session request to the session processing server.

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