UPF availability capability evaluation, reporting and application method and device

Abstract

The invention provides UPF availability capability evaluation, reporting and application methods and devices, and the evaluation method comprises the steps: obtaining the running state data of the UPF itself, the running state data comprising at least one of the following items: traffic load capability, forwarding success rate, user access capability, process state, memory state, and disk state; and determining available capability information of the UPF according to the running state data. Therefore, multiple indexes are introduced to jointly participate in evaluation of the UPF availability capability, the health state of the UPF can be reflected more comprehensively, the comprehensive evaluation method not only can identify potential problems existing in the UPF in time, but also can optimize resource allocation according to the more comprehensive and accurate UPF health state, the overall performance and reliability of the network are improved, and the user experience is improved. Therefore, more stable and efficient service experience is provided for the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for assessing, reporting, and applying UPF availability capabilities. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the availability assessment of User Plane Functions (UPFs) mainly focuses on forwarding-related metrics such as latency, jitter, and bandwidth, lacking a comprehensive evaluation of system resource consumption and health status. At present, the node status reported by UPFs to the control plane only includes: UPPFR (User Plane Path Failure Report), UPPRR (User Plane Path Recovery Report), CDR (Clock Drift Report), and GTP-U Path QoS Report (GPRSTunneling Protocol User Plane Quality of Service Report). This information cannot comprehensively reflect the overall availability of the UPF. Furthermore, the current status reported by UPFs to the control plane only reflects fault conditions, not health status and load conditions. When multiple UPFs are used for load balancing, the control plane can only select a UPF based on preset configuration data, which limits its flexibility and effectiveness.

[0003] In summary, current UPF availability assessments cannot fully reflect the overall availability of UPF. In practical applications, this may lead to incorrect judgments about network performance and improper resource allocation, thereby affecting network stability and user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method and apparatus for assessing, reporting, and applying UPF availability capabilities, in order to solve the technical problem that current UPF availability assessments in related technologies cannot fully reflect the overall availability of UPF. In practical applications, this may lead to incorrect judgments of network performance and improper resource allocation, thereby affecting network stability and user experience.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for assessing the availability capability of a User Data Plane Functional Entity (UPF), the method comprising:

[0007] The system acquires its own operational status data, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0008] The available capabilities of the UPF are determined based on the operational status data.

[0009] Optionally, determining the available capabilities of the UPF based on the operational status data includes:

[0010] Each of the aforementioned operational status data points is scored to obtain a corresponding score;

[0011] The available capability information is obtained by weighted summation of the scores corresponding to each operating state.

[0012] Optionally, each of the aforementioned operational status data points is scored to obtain a corresponding score, including at least one of the following:

[0013] When the operating status data includes traffic load capacity, the score corresponding to the traffic load capacity is determined based on the current load status and maximum load capacity of the UPF.

[0014] If the running status data includes the forwarding success rate, the score corresponding to the forwarding success rate is determined based on the packet loss rate of the UPF;

[0015] When the operational status data includes user access capabilities, the score corresponding to the user access capabilities is determined based on the current number of users of the UPF and the user number specification supported by the UPF.

[0016] When the running status data includes process status, the score corresponding to the process status is determined based on the number of faulty processes of the UPF and the total number of processes supported by the UPF.

[0017] When the running status data includes memory status, the score corresponding to the memory status is determined based on the remaining memory of the UPF and the total memory of the UPF;

[0018] When the operating status data includes disk status, the score corresponding to the disk status is determined based on the remaining disks of the UPF and the total number of disks of the UPF.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for reporting UPF availability capabilities, the method comprising:

[0020] The system acquires its own operational status data, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0021] The available capabilities of the UPF are determined based on the operational status data;

[0022] The available capability information is reported to the Session Management Function (SMF).

[0023] Optionally, reporting the available capability information to the SMF includes:

[0024] A Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) node status report is constructed, wherein the PFCP node status report includes a field for indicating the health status of the user plane, and the field is used to carry the available capability information;

[0025] The PFCP node status report is sent to the SMF via the PFCP protocol.

[0026] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a method for applying UPF availability capabilities, the method comprising:

[0027] The system receives available capability information from multiple UPFs, each corresponding to a different one. The available capability information is determined based on the operating status data of the UPF itself, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0028] Determine the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information;

[0029] Upon detecting that a user has come online, the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information is selected as the UPF to serve the user.

[0030] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a UPF usability assessment device, the device comprising:

[0031] The first acquisition module is used to acquire its own running status data, wherein the running status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status;

[0032] The first execution module is used to determine the available capabilities information of the UPF based on the running status data.

[0033] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a UPF availability reporting device, the device comprising:

[0034] The second acquisition module is used to acquire its own running status data, wherein the running status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status;

[0035] The second execution module is used to determine the available capability information of the UPF based on the running status data; and to report the available capability information to the session management function (SMF).

[0036] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a UPF availability capability application device, the device comprising:

[0037] The receiving module is used to receive available capability information from multiple UPFs respectively. The available capability information is determined based on the operating status data of the UPF itself. The operating status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0038] The third execution module is used to determine the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information; when a user is detected to be online, the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information is selected as the UPF to serve the user.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a network device, including: a processor, a memory, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of a UPF availability assessment method as described in the first aspect; or, when the program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of a UPF availability reporting method as described in the second aspect; or, when the program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of a UPF availability application method as described in the third aspect.

[0040] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein when executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of a UPF availability assessment method as described in the first aspect; or, when executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of a UPF availability reporting method as described in the second aspect; or, when executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of a UPF availability application method as described in the third aspect.

[0041] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of a UPF availability capability assessment method as described in the first aspect; or, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of a UPF availability capability reporting method as described in the second aspect; or, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of a UPF availability capability application method as described in the third aspect.

[0042] In this embodiment, multiple indicators are introduced to jointly evaluate the availability of the UPF, which can more comprehensively reflect the health status of the UPF. This comprehensive evaluation method can not only identify potential problems in the UPF in a timely manner, but also optimize resource allocation based on a more comprehensive and accurate UPF health status, improve the overall performance and reliability of the network, and thus provide users with a more stable and efficient service experience. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0044] Figure 1 A flowchart of a UPF availability assessment method provided in this application embodiment;

[0045] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a UPF availability reporting method provided in this application embodiment;

[0046] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for applying UPF availability capabilities as provided in this application embodiment;

[0047] Figure 4 A structural block diagram of a UPF availability assessment device provided in this application embodiment;

[0048] Figure 5 A structural block diagram of a UPF availability reporting device provided in this application embodiment;

[0049] Figure 6 A structural block diagram of a UPF availability capability application device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] Figure 1 This application illustrates a method for assessing UPF availability according to an embodiment of the present application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0053] Step S101: Obtain its own running status data;

[0054] Step S102: Determine the available capabilities of the UPF based on the operating status data.

[0055] In step S101, the UPF needs to actively collect and monitor its own operational status data. This data helps assess the UPF's current performance and resource status. Operational status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status. Traffic load capacity refers to the maximum traffic the UPF can handle per unit of time; this reflects the UPF's processing capacity under high traffic conditions. Forwarding success rate refers to the ratio of successfully forwarded data packets to the total number of data packets within a certain time period; this reflects the stability and reliability of the UPF during data forwarding. User access capacity refers to the number of users the UPF can support simultaneously; this is crucial for evaluating the UPF's performance in high-concurrency user scenarios. Process status refers to the operational status of each process within the UPF, including whether it is running normally, and whether there are any anomalies or crashes. This information helps to promptly identify and resolve potential system problems. Memory status refers to the UPF's current memory usage, including used memory, available memory, and memory utilization rate; this helps assess the system's load and resource sufficiency. Disk status refers to the storage resource status of a UPF, including disk utilization, available space, and read / write speeds. This information is crucial for assessing data storage and logging capabilities. By collecting this operational status data, a UPF can gain a comprehensive understanding of its own performance, providing foundational information for subsequent availability assessments.

[0056] In step S102, the UPF will use the operational status data obtained in step S101 to assess its own available capability information.

[0057] In one possible implementation, step S102 includes: scoring each operating status data to obtain a corresponding score; and performing a weighted summation of the scores corresponding to each operating status to obtain available capability information.

[0058] Each operational status data point is scored separately to obtain a corresponding score, including at least one of the following: If the operational status data includes traffic load capacity, the score for traffic load capacity is determined based on the current load status and maximum load capacity of the UPF; if the operational status data includes forwarding success rate, the score for forwarding success rate is determined based on the packet loss rate of the UPF; if the operational status data includes user access capacity, the score for user access capacity is determined based on the current number of users of the UPF and the number of users supported by the UPF; if the operational status data includes process status, the score for process status is determined based on the number of failed processes of the UPF and the total number of processes supported by the UPF; if the operational status data includes memory status, the score for memory status is determined based on the remaining memory of the UPF and the total memory of the UPF; if the operational status data includes disk status, the score for disk status is determined based on the remaining disk space of the UPF and the total disk space of the UPF.

[0059] It should be noted that the UPF, as a data plane network element of the 5G core network, is a core node for data routing and forwarding, and network policy execution. Its main capability is to provide users with highly reliable data transmission capabilities. Due to the tidal phenomenon of user traffic and the different resource consumption stages of different types of service packets, relying solely on the number of users and throughput as a reflection of the UPF's load capacity is not comprehensive enough. The available capabilities of the UPF can be comprehensively evaluated according to the method shown in this implementation. For example, the UPF's load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capability, process status, memory status, and disk status can be scored separately. After scoring, a weighted sum is calculated based on the weights, with a maximum score of 100 points. Table 1 shows the scoring criteria for different UPF indicators.

[0060] Table 1

[0061] Scoring items Weight Scoring Criteria Traffic load capacity 30％ (1 - Current load / Maximum load capacity) × 100 Forwarding success rate 20％ (1 - packet loss rate) × 100 User access capabilities 20％ (1 - current number of users / user count specification) × 100 Process state 10％ (1 - number of failed processes / total number of processes) × 100 Memory status 10％ Remaining memory / Total memory × 100 Disk status 10％ Remaining disk space / Total disk space × 100

[0062] Traffic load capacity has a weight of 30%, and the scoring standard is (1 - current load / maximum load capacity) × 100. As a core indicator of data plane network elements, traffic load will affect data forwarding capability and thus user services when the traffic load reaches its limit. Therefore, traffic load has the highest weight and can be set to 30%. Traffic load capacity is presented linearly according to the load situation, and the score is based on the proportion of remaining load capacity.

[0063] The forwarding success rate has a weight of 20%, and the scoring standard is (1 - packet loss rate) × 100. The forwarding success rate is a key indicator of the quality of service provided by the current UPF, so its weight is relatively high and can be set to 20%. The forwarding success rate is calculated based on the packet loss situation.

[0064] The weight of user access capability is 20%, and the scoring standard is (1 - current number of users / user number specification) × 100. The number of users affects the user access capability and is an indicator of whether UPF can provide access services. Therefore, the weight of user access capability is relatively high and can be set to 20%. User access capability is presented linearly according to the number of connected users, and the score is used as the proportion of the remaining connectable users.

[0065] The process status has a weight of 10%, and the scoring standard is (1 - number of failed processes / total number of processes) × 100. The process status can express the current health of the system. Some process failures will not affect the system's bandwidth, latency, and jitter, but the system may have potential risks. Therefore, the process status needs to be used as a comprehensive evaluation indicator, and its weight can be set relatively low. The number of available processes is used as the evaluation method for the process status.

[0066] Memory status has a weight of 10%, and the scoring standard is remaining memory / total memory × 100. Memory utilization will not affect the current operation of the UPF before reaching the warning threshold. However, memory usage is significant for predicting the future availability of the UPF; therefore, memory usage should be included as one of the comprehensive evaluation indicators, and its weight can be set relatively low. The remaining memory percentage is used as the evaluation method for memory status.

[0067] Disk status has a weight of 10%, and the scoring criterion is remaining disk space / total disk space × 100. In UPF, disks are mainly used to store persistent data, such as logs and configurations. Disk occupancy does not affect the current operation of the UPF until it reaches the warning threshold. However, disk usage is significant from the perspectives of UPF's maintainability and recoverability; therefore, disk usage needs to be included as one of the comprehensive evaluation indicators, and its weight can be set relatively low. The remaining disk space percentage is used as the evaluation method for disk status.

[0068] It should be noted that the above weight values ​​can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0069] Furthermore, the above possible implementation methods are merely illustrative examples. Step S102, determining the UPF's availability information based on operational status data, can also be implemented as follows: Analyze the collected operational status data to identify the relationships and impacts between various indicators. For example, the relationship between traffic load capacity and forwarding success rate, or the impact of memory status on user access capabilities. Set reasonable thresholds for each indicator based on the system's business requirements and performance standards. These thresholds will be used to determine the UPF's availability. For example, when the forwarding success rate is below a certain percentage, it may indicate a system problem. Based on the analysis results and the set thresholds, comprehensively evaluate the UPF's availability information, for example, by generating a comprehensive score, or by identifying the UPF's operational status using states such as "healthy," "warning," or "fault." Generate an availability report based on the evaluation results for reference by the network management system or operations and maintenance personnel. This report can help quickly identify potential problems and provide a basis for decision-making.

[0070] In summary, through this process, UPF can achieve dynamic availability assessment, adjust resource allocation in a timely manner, optimize performance, and ensure stable service even under high load. This not only enhances the UPF's self-monitoring capabilities but also provides crucial support for the overall health of the network.

[0071] This application also provides a method for reporting UPF availability capabilities, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0072] Step S101: Obtain its own running status data;

[0073] The operational status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0074] Step S102: Determine the available capabilities of the UPF based on the operating status data;

[0075] Step S203: Report the available capability information to SMF.

[0076] In one possible implementation, reporting available capability information to the SMF (Session Management Function) includes: constructing a PFCP (Packet Forwarding Control Protocol) node status report, wherein the PFCP node status report includes a field for indicating the health status of the user plane, and the field is used to carry available capability information; and sending the PFCP node status report to the SMF via the PFCP protocol.

[0077] It should be noted that the reference Figure 1 As shown in the process flow, after the UPF availability assessment is completed, the UPF availability can be reported to the control plane through the UPF node-level reporting method, that is, by sending a PFCP Node Report.

[0078] Specifically, the message types for reporting UPF availability capabilities can be increased, the original Node Report Type definition can be expanded, and a UHSR (User Plane Health Status Report) type can be added for reporting. The specific format is shown in Table 2 below:

[0079] Table 2

[0080]

[0081] Octet 5shall be encoded as follows:

[0082] -Bit 8–UHSR(User Plane Health Status Report):when set to "1",this indicates a User Plane Health Status Report.

[0083] The encoding of the 5th byte is as follows:

[0084] -8th bit-UHSR (User Face Health Report): When set to "1", it indicates the user face health report.

[0085] Additionally, UHSR IE definitions can be added, as shown in Table 3:

[0086] Table 3

[0087]

[0088] It should be noted that the UHSR IE is used to carry the UPF availability score, that is, Table 2 shows the UHSR message type, and Table 3 shows the specific message content.

[0089] This application also provides a method for applying UPF availability capabilities, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the method can be applied to SMF, including:

[0090] Step S301: Receive available capability information from each of the multiple UPFs respectively;

[0091] The available capacity information is determined based on the UPF's own operational status data, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0092] Step S302: Determine the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information;

[0093] Step S303: When a user is detected to be online, select the UPF corresponding to the best available capability information as the UPF to serve the user.

[0094] It should be noted that the UPF can periodically perform availability assessments and report them to the SMF via UHSR messages. Specifically, the default period for UPF availability assessment can be set to 5 minutes, and the period can be configured through the configuration management module. After the availability assessment, the assessment results can be encapsulated in a UHSR type PFCP Node Report message and notified to the control plane. When selecting a load-sharing UPF, the control plane can use User Plane Health Status as a selection parameter to improve the user experience.

[0095] The SMF records the health status reported by the UPF. When there are multiple UPFs in a UPF pool, the SMF can select a UPF based on the reported health status. After receiving a PFCP Node Report of type UHSR, the SMF records the health status of the UPFs. When a user comes online, the SMF selects the UPF with higher health to initiate a PFCP session. By selecting a UPF with higher health, the possibility of future failures can be reduced, thereby improving the overall reliability of the system. At the same time, users can enjoy lower latency and higher bandwidth when accessing the network, thus significantly improving the user experience. Overall, this UPF selection mechanism provides a strong guarantee for the stability and quality of service of the 5G network.

[0096] Figure 4 This application illustrates a UPF availability assessment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the device 40 includes:

[0097] The first acquisition module 401 is used to acquire its own running status data, wherein the running status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0098] The first execution module 402 is used to determine the available capabilities information of the UPF based on the running status data.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the first execution module 402 is further configured to score each of the running status data to obtain a corresponding score; and to perform a weighted summation calculation on the scores corresponding to each running status to obtain the available capability information.

[0100] In one possible implementation, the first execution module 402 is further configured to determine the score corresponding to the traffic load capacity based on the current load status and maximum load capacity of the UPF, provided that the running status data includes traffic load capacity.

[0101] If the running status data includes the forwarding success rate, the score corresponding to the forwarding success rate is determined based on the packet loss rate of the UPF;

[0102] When the operational status data includes user access capabilities, the score corresponding to the user access capabilities is determined based on the current number of users of the UPF and the user number specification supported by the UPF.

[0103] When the running status data includes process status, the score corresponding to the process status is determined based on the number of faulty processes of the UPF and the total number of processes supported by the UPF.

[0104] When the running status data includes memory status, the score corresponding to the memory status is determined based on the remaining memory of the UPF and the total memory of the UPF;

[0105] When the operating status data includes disk status, the score corresponding to the disk status is determined based on the remaining disks of the UPF and the total number of disks of the UPF.

[0106] Figure 5 This application illustrates a UPF availability reporting device according to an embodiment of the present application, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the device 50 includes:

[0107] The second acquisition module 501 is used to acquire its own running status data, wherein the running status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0108] The second execution module 502 is used to determine the available capability information of the UPF based on the running status data; and to report the available capability information to the session management function SMF.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the second execution module 502 is further configured to construct a PFCP node status report, wherein the PFCP node status report includes an added field for representing the user plane health status, the field being used to carry the available capability information;

[0110] The PFCP node status report is sent to the SMF via the PFCP protocol.

[0111] Figure 6 An application apparatus for UPF availability capability is shown according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 6 As shown, device 60 includes:

[0112] The receiving module 601 is used to receive available capability information from multiple UPFs respectively. The available capability information is determined based on the operating status data of the UPF itself. The operating status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status.

[0113] The third execution module 602 is used to determine the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information; when a user is detected to be online, the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information is selected as the UPF for serving the user.

[0114] In summary, incorporating multiple indicators into the assessment of UPF availability provides a more comprehensive reflection of UPF health status. This integrated evaluation method not only identifies potential problems promptly but also optimizes resource allocation based on a more comprehensive and accurate UPF health status, improving overall system performance and reliability, thereby providing users with a more stable and efficient service experience. Furthermore, when applying UPF availability, selecting UPFs with higher health levels reduces the likelihood of future failures, thus improving the overall reliability of system operation. Simultaneously, users can enjoy lower latency and higher bandwidth when accessing the network, significantly improving the user experience. Overall, this UPF selection mechanism provides a strong guarantee for the stability and service quality of 5G networks.

[0115] This application provides a network device 70, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the network device 70 includes a processor 701, a memory 702, and a program stored in the memory 702 and executable on the processor 701. When the program is executed by the processor 701, it implements the steps of the UPF availability assessment, reporting, and application method as described in the above embodiments.

[0116] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the UPF availability assessment, reporting, and application methods shown in the above embodiments, achieving the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here. The computer-readable storage medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0117] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer instructions. When executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the various processes of the above-described UPF availability assessment, reporting, and application method embodiments, and achieve the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0118] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0119] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0120] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for assessing the usability of a User Data Surface Functional Entity (UPF), characterized in that, The method includes: The system acquires its own operational status data, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status. The available capabilities of the UPF are determined based on the operational status data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The available capability information of the UPF determined based on the operational status data includes: Each of the aforementioned operational status data points is scored to obtain a corresponding score; The available capability information is obtained by weighted summation of the scores corresponding to each operating state.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned operational status data points is scored to obtain a corresponding score, which includes at least one of the following: When the operating status data includes traffic load capacity, the score corresponding to the traffic load capacity is determined based on the current load status and maximum load capacity of the UPF. If the running status data includes the forwarding success rate, the score corresponding to the forwarding success rate is determined based on the packet loss rate of the UPF; When the operational status data includes user access capabilities, the score corresponding to the user access capabilities is determined based on the current number of users of the UPF and the user number specification supported by the UPF. When the running status data includes process status, the score corresponding to the process status is determined based on the number of faulty processes of the UPF and the total number of processes supported by the UPF. When the running status data includes memory status, the score corresponding to the memory status is determined based on the remaining memory of the UPF and the total memory of the UPF; When the operating status data includes disk status, the score corresponding to the disk status is determined based on the remaining disks of the UPF and the total number of disks of the UPF.

4. A method for reporting UPF availability capabilities, characterized in that, The method includes: The system acquires its own operational status data, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status. The available capabilities of the UPF are determined based on the operational status data; The available capability information is reported to the Session Management Function (SMF).

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Reporting the available capability information to the SMF includes: A Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) node status report is constructed, wherein the PFCP node status report includes a field for indicating the health status of the user plane, and the field is used to carry the available capability information; The PFCP node status report is sent to the SMF via the PFCP protocol.

6. A method for applying UPF availability capabilities, characterized in that, The method includes: The system receives available capability information from multiple UPFs, each corresponding to a different one. The available capability information is determined based on the operating status data of the UPF itself, which includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status. Determine the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information; Upon detecting that a user has come online, the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information is selected as the UPF to serve the user.

7. A UPF usability assessment device, characterized in that, The device includes: The first acquisition module is used to acquire its own running status data, wherein the running status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status; The first execution module is used to determine the available capabilities information of the UPF based on the running status data.

8. A UPF availability reporting device, characterized in that, The device includes: The second acquisition module is used to acquire its own running status data, wherein the running status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status; The second execution module is used to determine the available capability information of the UPF based on the running status data; and to report the available capability information to the session management function (SMF).

9. A device for applying UPF availability capabilities, characterized in that, The device includes: The receiving module is used to receive available capability information from multiple UPFs respectively. The available capability information is determined based on the operating status data of the UPF itself. The operating status data includes at least one of the following: traffic load capacity, forwarding success rate, user access capacity, process status, memory status, and disk status. The third execution module is used to determine the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information; when a user is detected to be online, the UPF corresponding to the optimal available capability information is selected as the UPF to serve the user.

10. A network device, characterized in that, include: The processor, the memory, and the program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor, the program implements the steps of a UPF availability assessment method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; or, when the program is executed by the processor, the program implements the steps of a UPF availability reporting method as described in any one of claims 4 to 5; or, when the program is executed by the processor, the program implements the steps of a UPF availability application method as described in claim 6.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of a UPF availability assessment method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; or, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of a UPF availability reporting method as described in any one of claims 4 to 5; or, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of a UPF availability application method as described in claim 6.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that, The method includes computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of a UPF availability capability assessment method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; or, when executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the steps of a UPF availability capability reporting method as described in any one of claims 4 to 5; or, when executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the steps of a UPF availability capability application method as described in claim 6.

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