Data volume measurement method for core network data collection and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a data volume measurement method for core network data collection and related equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: a performance measurement service provider receives a data volume measurement request from a performance measurement service user, wherein the data volume measurement request comprises a measurement time range; in response to the data volume measurement request, the data volume carried by the received notification and / or response is accumulated and counted by a counter in a measurement time range; and when the measurement time range is exceeded, the value of the counter is fed back to a performance measurement service user. According to the embodiment of the invention, the user of the performance measurement service can specify a clear time range to measure the data volume, so that the accurate data volume information in a specific time period can be acquired, and the storage space can be planned more reasonably.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method and related equipment for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network. Background Technology

[0002] 3GPP SA2 defines a data collection function that allows the NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function) to collect data directly from the NF (Network Function) as the basis for network analysis. Furthermore, 3GPP SA2 also defines DCCF (Data Collection Coordination and Delivery Function), which allows the NWDAF to collect data through the DCCF. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a method and related equipment for measuring the amount of data collected in the core network, which at least partially solves the problem of lack of monitoring in NWDAF data collection projects, the inability of communication operators to grasp the amount of NWDAF data collected, and thus the inability to assess the workload of NWDAF in data collection.

[0004] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network is provided. The method is performed by a performance measurement service provider and includes: receiving a data volume measurement request from a performance measurement service user, the data volume measurement request including a measurement time range; in response to the data volume measurement request, accumulating the amount of data carried by received notifications and / or responses within the measurement time range using a counter; and feeding back the value of the counter to the performance measurement service user when the measurement time range is exceeded.

[0006] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses is accumulated using a counter, which includes: accumulating the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses in bits to the value of the counter.

[0007] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the data volume measurement request includes an identifier of the data source, and the data volume measurement request is used to measure the amount of data received by the performance measurement service provider from the data source within a measurement time range.

[0008] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the data source is a network function, a network open function, or a network repository function.

[0009] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the data volume measurement request includes identifiers of multiple data sources; the data volume carried by received notifications and / or responses is accumulated and counted using a counter, including:

[0010] The amount of data carried by notifications and / or responses received from each data source will be accumulated and counted using the counter corresponding to each data source.

[0011] When the measurement time range is exceeded, the counter value is fed back to the performance measurement service user. This includes summing the counter values ​​corresponding to all data sources and feeding them back to the performance measurement service user.

[0012] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the performance measurement service provider includes core network intelligent elements, which are network elements in the core network used to perform network intelligence-related functions such as data analysis and / or prediction.

[0013] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the intelligent network element of the core network includes network data analysis functions.

[0014] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the data volume measurement request is used to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element through the data collection coordination and transmission function, or to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element with the data collection coordination and transmission function from all core network functions.

[0015] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the data volume measurement request further includes indication information for collecting data through data collection coordination and transmission functions or core network intelligent network elements with data collection coordination and transmission functions.

[0016] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network is provided. The method is performed by a performance measurement service user and includes: sending a data volume measurement request to a performance measurement service provider, the data volume measurement request including a measurement time range, so that the performance measurement service provider responds to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulates and counts the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter.

[0017] Receive the counter value fed back by the performance measurement service provider. The counter value is fed back by the performance measurement service provider after the measurement time range has been exceeded.

[0018] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a performance measurement service provider is provided, including a request receiving module, a data processing module, and a measurement feedback module.

[0019] The request receiving module is used to receive data volume measurement requests from performance measurement service users. The data volume measurement requests include the measurement time range.

[0020] The data processing module is used to respond to data volume measurement requests and, within the measurement time range, accumulate and count the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter.

[0021] The measurement feedback module is used to feed back the counter value to the performance measurement service user when the measurement time range is exceeded.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a performance measurement service user is provided, including a request sending module and a result receiving module.

[0023] The request sending module is used to send a data volume measurement request to the performance measurement service provider. The data volume measurement request includes a measurement time range so that the performance measurement service provider can respond to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulate and count the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter.

[0024] The result receiving module is used to receive the counter value fed back by the performance measurement service provider. The counter value is fed back by the performance measurement service provider when the measurement time range is exceeded.

[0025] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0026] Users of performance measurement services send data volume measurement requests to performance measurement service providers. The data volume measurement requests include the measurement time range.

[0027] The performance measurement service provider, in response to a data volume measurement request, will use a counter to accumulate the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses within the measurement time range. When the measurement time range is exceeded, the counter value will be fed back to the performance measurement service user.

[0028] Users of the performance measurement service receive counter values ​​from the performance measurement service provider.

[0029] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a memory for storing instructions; and a processor for calling the instructions stored in the memory to implement the above-described data volume measurement method for core network data collection.

[0030] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described method for measuring the amount of data collected in the core network.

[0031] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, which stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the data volume measurement method for core network data collection described above.

[0032] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a chip is provided, including at least one processor and an interface;

[0033] An interface is used to provide program instructions or data to at least one processor;

[0034] At least one processor is used to execute program instructions to implement the data volume measurement method for core network data collection described above.

[0035] The core network data collection data volume measurement method and related equipment provided in this disclosure allow performance measurement service users to specify a clear time range for data volume measurement, which helps obtain accurate data volume information within a specific time period. Accurate data volume statistics are ensured by accumulating and statistically analyzing the data volume in received notifications and / or responses within the specified time range using a counter. By precisely knowing the data volume generated within a certain time period, performance measurement service users can more rationally plan storage space, avoiding waste or insufficiency of storage resources. Understanding changes in data volume helps network administrators predict future bandwidth demands, thereby adjusting network configurations in advance, optimizing data transmission efficiency, and reducing network congestion.

[0036] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0038] Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the direct data collection method of NWDAF in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates how NWDAF collects data via DCCF in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of another core network data collection method for measuring data volume in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 5 This invention discloses a flowchart of a data volume measurement method for core network data collection according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 6 This invention discloses a flowchart of another method for measuring the amount of data collected in the core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 7 This invention discloses a flowchart of another method for measuring the amount of data collected in the core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates a performance measurement service provider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates a performance measurement service user according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 11 A structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. The components of the embodiments of this disclosure described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this disclosure provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed disclosure, but merely represents selected embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0051] To facilitate understanding, the relevant concepts involved in this disclosure are explained below:

[0052] Intelligent core network elements: These refer to network elements in the core network that perform network intelligence-related functions such as data analysis and prediction, such as the NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function) network element in 3GPP 5GC.

[0053] Network Functions (NFs) include AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), SMF (Session Management Function), PCF (Policy Control Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), and AF (Application Function).

[0054] NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function): A network element in 5GC responsible for collecting, analyzing, and processing real-time data generated in the network, belonging to the core network intelligent network element.

[0055] DCCF (Data Collection Coordination and Delivery Function): Used to coordinate the collection and distribution of data, avoiding multiple subscriptions and responses for unified data. Due to different deployment methods, DCCF functionality may currently be deployed in the core network as a standalone DCCF or an NWDAF with DCCF functionality. The DCCF described in the embodiments of this disclosure refers to either a DCCF or an NWDAF with DCCF functionality.

[0056] As described in the background section, 3GPP SA2 defines a data collection function that allows NWDAF to directly collect data from various data sources (such as AMF, SMF, PCF, UDM, and AF, etc., NF; OAM) via the Nnf_EventExposure_subscribe operation, serving as the basis for network analysis. The data collection process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown.

[0057] Figure 1 The process shown is based on the subscription and notification method to collect data. NWDAF can also collect network data through requests and responses.

[0058] For NWDAF data collection, operators need to know the amount of data collected by NWDAF over a period of time in order to estimate the pressure that NWDAF data collection puts on network resources and optimize the allocation of network resources such as storage, or provide new NWDAF instances.

[0059] On the one hand, operators may need to know the total amount of data collected by the NWDAF from all data sources over a period of time. This measurement can intuitively reflect how much data the NWDAF network element collected during the measurement period and can be used to assess the workload of the NWDAF in terms of data collection.

[0060] On the other hand, operators may need to understand the amount of data the NWDAF collects from a specific data source over a period of time. This metric reflects how much data the NWDAF collects from a particular data source and can be used to optimize the data collection process. By comparing it to the total amount of data, this metric can show whether the data collected from that data source is a major factor affecting the NWDAF's data collection load.

[0061] Furthermore, as described in the background section, 3GPP SA2 also defines DCCF, allowing NWDAF to use the Ndccf_DataManagement_Subscribe service to collect data through DCCF (an NWDAF with DCCF functionality). This avoids the problem of frequent notifications being sent when multiple subscribers subscribe to the same data from the same data source. Data collection coordination and delivery functions are implemented by DCCF (an NWDAF with DCCF functionality). Therefore, when NWDAF collects data through DCCF or an NWDAF with DCCF functionality, the measurement of the total amount of data collected through DCCF can help operators better monitor the NWDAF data collection status. The data collection process through DCCF is as follows: Figure 2 As shown.

[0062] Figure 2 The process shown is based on the subscription and notification method to collect data. NWDAF can also collect data through the Ndccf_DataManagement_Fetch_Request (data management function data fetch request) and Ndccf_DataManagement_Fetch_Response (data management function data fetch response) operations.

[0063] The core network data collection data volume measurement method provided in this disclosure can be used to solve the data collection performance measurement problem in core network intelligent scenarios. This method is applicable to two data collection scenarios: core network intelligent network element (NWDAF) directly or through data collection coordination and transmission functions to collect data from core network network elements. It can statistically measure the amount of data collected by intelligent network elements from specific NFs or all NFs within a certain period of time, and can help operators better monitor the intelligent network data collection status and optimize network resource allocation.

[0064] Figure 3This diagram illustrates a method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the data volume measurement method for core network data collection provided in this embodiment includes steps S301-S303.

[0065] In S301, the performance measurement service consumer (PM service consumer) sends a data volume measurement request to the performance measurement service producer (PM service producer), which includes the measurement time range.

[0066] In some embodiments, the performance measurement service provider includes core network intelligent elements, which are network elements in the core network used to perform network intelligence-related functions such as data analysis and / or prediction.

[0067] In some embodiments, the core network intelligent elements include network data analysis functions.

[0068] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request is used to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element through the data collection coordination and transmission function, or to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element with the data collection coordination and transmission function from all core network functions.

[0069] The user of the aforementioned performance measurement service can be the party that initiates a data volume measurement request and receives the final measurement results. In some embodiments, the user of the performance measurement service can be a network operator, a network management system, an application or service, or a third-party monitoring tool.

[0070] In S302, the performance measurement service provider, in response to a data volume measurement request, accumulates the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses within the measurement time frame using a counter.

[0071] In some embodiments, the unit of data volume can be bits, and correspondingly, the value of the counter increases by 1 for every 1 bit increase in data volume. S302 described above can be the process of accumulating the data volume carried by the received notification and / or response, in bits, to the value of the counter.

[0072] In S303, when the measurement time range is exceeded, the performance measurement service provider feeds back the counter value to the performance measurement service user.

[0073] In some embodiments, the value fed back to the performance measurement service user by the performance measurement service provider is the value of a counter; therefore, the amount of data obtained through the performance measurement service provider is an integer.

[0074] This disclosure allows users of the performance measurement service to specify a defined time range for data volume measurement, which helps obtain accurate data volume information within a specific time period. By using a counter to count the data volume received in notifications and / or responses within the specified time range, accurate data volume statistics are ensured. By precisely knowing the amount of data generated within a specific time period, users of the performance measurement service can more rationally plan storage space, avoiding waste or inadequacy of storage resources. Understanding changes in data volume helps network administrators predict future bandwidth demands, thereby allowing them to adjust network configurations in advance, optimize data transmission efficiency, and reduce network congestion.

[0075] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request includes an identifier of the data source, and the data volume measurement request is used to measure the amount of data received by the performance measurement service provider from the data source within a measurement time range.

[0076] It should be noted that the above data volume measurement request can have only one data source identifier, that is, to measure the data volume of one data source, and the value of the above counter is used to represent the data volume of that data source.

[0077] In some embodiments, the data source mentioned above may be a network function (NF), a network open function (NEF), or a network repository function (NRF). It should be noted that the network function (NF) mentioned above may include AMF, SMF, PCF, NSACF, GMLC, and AF.

[0078] In one embodiment, the aforementioned data volume measurement request is used to measure the data volume of a network function (NF). In this case, the S302 performance measurement service provider will accumulate the data volume carried by the received notification and / or response using a counter. This can be done by incrementing the corresponding data source's sub-counter based on the data volume (in bits) provided by each received Nnf_EventExposure_Notify message (Nnf_EventExposure_Notify) when receiving a notification message (Nnf_EventExposure_Notify).

[0079] In one embodiment, the aforementioned data volume measurement request is used to measure the data volume of a Network Open Function (NEF). The S302 performance measurement service provider will then use the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses as a counter to accumulate statistics. This can be achieved by incrementing the corresponding data source's sub-counter based on the data volume (in bits) provided by each received NEF notification message (Nnf_EventExposure_Notify) upon receiving it.

[0080] In one embodiment, the aforementioned data volume measurement request is used to measure the data volume of a Network Repository Function (NRF). The S302 performance measurement service provider will then use the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses as a counter to accumulate statistics. This can be achieved by incrementing the corresponding data source's sub-counter based on the amount of data collected (in bits) in each received response message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery response, and / or Nnrf_NFManagement response) upon receiving a response message from the NRF.

[0081] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request may further include a data volume measurement unit; within the measurement time range, accumulating the value of the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses to the value of the counter includes: within the measurement time range, converting the value of the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses according to the data volume measurement unit and then accumulating it to the value of the counter.

[0082] In some embodiments, within the measurement time range, the value of the data volume carried by the received notification and / or response is added to the value of the counter, which further includes: if the data volume measurement unit in the data volume measurement request is empty, then the measurement is performed directly according to the data volume unit in the notification or response, and the value is added to the value of the counter.

[0083] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request includes identifiers of multiple data sources; accumulating the data volume carried by received notifications and / or responses using counters includes: accumulating the data volume carried by notifications and / or responses received from each data source using a counter corresponding to each data source. Feeding back the counter values ​​to the performance measurement service user after the measurement time range is exceeded includes: summing the counter values ​​corresponding to all data sources and then feeding them back to the performance measurement service user after the measurement time range is exceeded.

[0084] In some embodiments, in response to a data volume measurement request, the value of a counter can be initialized. When the data volume measurement request includes identifiers of multiple data sources, the initialization of the counter value can include: in response to the data volume measurement request, initializing the value of the counter corresponding to each data source. In the above embodiments, when the measurement time range is exceeded, feeding back the counter value to the performance measurement service user includes: when the measurement time range is exceeded, summing the values ​​of the counters corresponding to all data sources and feeding them back to the performance measurement service user.

[0085] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request may also include instructions for collecting data through data collection coordination and transmission functions or core network intelligent elements with data collection coordination and transmission functions.

[0086] In some embodiments, in response to a data volume measurement request, the value of the counter is initialized. This may be in response to a data volume measurement request, or the value of the counter corresponding to the data collection coordination and transmission function may be initialized, or the value of the counter corresponding to the core network intelligent element with data collection coordination and transmission function may be initialized.

[0087] This disclosure discloses a method for measuring the amount of data collected by a Core Network Intelligent Element (NWDAF), assisting operators in monitoring the data collection activities of the NWDAF from different network elements. The method for statistically analyzing the amount of data collected by the Core Network Intelligent Element (NWDAF) through a DCCF or an NWDAF with DCCF functionality can be applied to 5G and future 6G networks, helping operators monitor the data collection activities of network intelligent elements and assisting operators in optimizing network resource allocation and node deployment.

[0088] In the above embodiment, S301 may be that the performance measurement service producer receives a data volume measurement request from the performance measurement service consumer to measure the amount of data collected directly from the core network NFs by the core network intelligent element (NWDAF), wherein the performance measurement service producer may be the core network intelligent element (NWDAF).

[0089] Users of the performance measurement service can include multiple data sources (such as data source NF information), the data measurement time range, and the data measurement unit in their data volume measurement requests. The data volume measurement unit can be one of the following: bit, byte, kbit, kByte, Mbit, MByte, or null.

[0090] The performance measurement service provider measures the amount of data collected directly from a specific NF by a core network intelligent network element (NWDAF) over a period of time. The specific NF can be one of the following network element functions: AMF, SMF, PCF, NSACF, GMLC, and AF. The process for measuring the amount of data collected directly from a specific NF by NWDAF is as follows: Figure 4 As shown:

[0091] Step 1: The performance measurement service user sends a data volume measurement request to the performance measurement service provider, NWDAF.

[0092] Step 2: NWDAF initializes the data volume counter for the specific NF according to the request.

[0093] Steps 3a-4c: Within the time specified in the request, NWDAF subscribes to operations or requests through the Nnf_EventExposure service and collects data from a specific NF. When NWDAF receives a notification or response from that NF, it converts the data size carried in the notification or response to the unit specified in the request and adds it to the counter of the corresponding NF. If the unit information specified in the notification or response is empty, it directly measures according to the unit in the notification or response.

[0094] Step 5: When the request time ends, feed back the counter measurement value to the performance measurement service user.

[0095] like Figure 4 As shown, after receiving a data volume measurement request, the performance measurement service provider initializes the counter corresponding to the NF. Within the data volume measurement time range indicated in the request, when the performance measurement service provider receives a notification or response from a specific NF, it converts the data size carried in the notification or response to the unit specified in the request and adds it to the counter of the corresponding NF. If the unit information specified in the indication is empty, the measurement is performed directly according to the data volume unit in the notification or response. After the time indicated in the request ends, the statistical value of the counter is returned to the performance measurement service user.

[0096] In some embodiments, the performance measurement service provider can also measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent network element (NWDAF) from all NFs over a period of time, where NFs include AMF, SMF, PCF, NSACF, GMLC, and AF. When the performance measurement service provider receives a request to measure the total amount of data collected by all NFs, it initializes a counter corresponding to each NF. Within the data measurement time range indicated in the request, the provider measures the amount of data collected by the intelligent network element from each NF based on the method described in the above embodiments. After the requested time ends, the provider sums the measured values ​​of all NF counters and returns the sum to the performance measurement service user as the total amount of data collected by the intelligent network element from all NFs.

[0097] In some embodiments, the performance measurement service provider receives a data volume measurement request from a performance measurement service user to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element (NWDAF) from all core network NFs through DCCF or an NWDAF with DCCF functionality, wherein the performance measurement service provider in this embodiment of the disclosure may be a core network intelligent element (NWDAF).

[0098] Users of the performance measurement service can add the data measurement time range, data measurement unit, and instructions for data collection via DCCF or NWDAF with DCCF functionality to their data volume measurement requests. The data measurement unit can be one of bit, byte, kbit, kByte, Mbit, MByte, or null. The NWDAF measurement process for data volume collected from all NFs via DCCF is as follows: Figure 5 As shown:

[0099] Step 1: The performance measurement service user sends a data volume measurement request to the performance measurement service provider, NWDAF.

[0100] The request can be made through at least one of the following methods: subscription or request.

[0101] Step 2: NWDAF initializes the DCCF data collection volume counter according to the request.

[0102] Steps 3a-4c: Within the time specified in the request, NWDAF collects data from DCCF via Ndccf_DataManagement_subscribe (Network Function Event Exposure Subscription) or Ndccf_DataManagement_Fetch_Request (Data Management Function Data Acquisition Request). When NWDAF receives a corresponding notification (Ndccf_DataManagement_Notify) or response (Ndccf_DataManagement_Fetch_Response) from DCCF (NWDAF with DCCF functionality), it increments the data amount to a counter.

[0103] Step 5: When the request time ends, feed back the counter measurement value to the performance measurement service user.

[0104] like Figure 5 As shown, after receiving a data volume measurement request, the performance measurement service provider initializes the corresponding DCCF or NWDAF with DCCF functionality as a data volume measurement counter. Within the data volume measurement time range indicated in the request, when the performance measurement service provider receives a notification or response from the DCCF or NWDAF with DCCF functionality, it converts the data size carried in the notification or response to the unit specified in the request and adds it to the corresponding counter. If the unit information specified in the indication is empty, the measurement is performed directly according to the data volume unit in the notification or response. After the time indicated in the request ends, the statistical value of the counter is returned to the performance measurement service user.

[0105] This disclosure allows network management systems to measure the amount of data collected by the NWDAF from specific or all NFs over a period of time. The method supports data volume measurement in two scenarios: either the NWDAF collects data directly from NFs or via DCCF (NWDAF with DCCF functionality). This enables operators to better monitor the status of NWDAF data collection, thereby assisting in optimizing network resource allocation.

[0106] The proposed data volume measurement method allows operators to measure the total amount of data collected from various network elements during the NWDAF data collection process, assisting operators in monitoring the NWDAF's operational status and optimizing network resource allocation in a timely manner. This solution supports data volume measurement in two scenarios: NWDAF collecting data directly from NFs or via DCCF. Furthermore, this method is based on current service-oriented architectures and interfaces, requiring minimal network modifications and incurring low overhead.

[0107] Figure 6 This disclosure illustrates a method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network, as shown in an embodiment. This method is performed by a performance measurement service provider, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the data volume measurement method for core network data collection provided in this embodiment includes S601-S603.

[0108] In S601, a data volume measurement request is received from a performance measurement service user. The data volume measurement request includes a measurement time range.

[0109] In S602, in response to a data volume measurement request, the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses is accumulated and counted using a counter within the measurement time range;

[0110] In S603, when the measurement time range is exceeded, the counter value is fed back to the performance measurement service user.

[0111] Figure 7 This disclosure illustrates a method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network, as shown in an embodiment. This method is performed by a performance measurement service user, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the data volume measurement method for core network data collection provided in this embodiment includes S701-S702.

[0112] In S701, a data volume measurement request is sent to the performance measurement service provider. The data volume measurement request includes a measurement time range, so that the performance measurement service provider responds to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulates and counts the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter. The value of the counter is used to represent the data volume.

[0113] In S702, the value of a counter is received from the performance measurement service provider. The counter value is fed back by the performance measurement service provider after the measurement time range has been exceeded.

[0114] In embodiments of this disclosure, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0115] In this disclosure, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0116] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result.

[0117] In some embodiments, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step for execution, and / or one step may be broken down into multiple steps for execution.

[0118] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a performance measurement service provider, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the performance measurement service provider includes a request receiving module 801, a data processing module 802, and a measurement feedback module 803.

[0119] The request receiving module 801 is used to receive a data volume measurement request from a performance measurement service user. The data volume measurement request includes a measurement time range.

[0120] The data processing module 802 is used to respond to a data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulate and count the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter.

[0121] The measurement feedback module 803 is used to feed back the counter value to the performance measurement service user when the measurement time range is exceeded.

[0122] In some embodiments, the data processing module 802 is configured to accumulate the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses into the value of a counter in bits.

[0123] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request includes an identifier of the data source, and the data volume measurement request is used to measure the amount of data received by the performance measurement service provider from the data source within a measurement time range.

[0124] In some embodiments, the data source is a network function, a network open function, or a network repository function.

[0125] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request includes identifiers of multiple data sources; the data processing module 802 is used to accumulate and count the data volume carried by the notifications and / or responses received from each data source using a counter corresponding to each data source; when the measurement time range is exceeded, the value of the counter is fed back to the performance measurement service user, including: when the measurement time range is exceeded, the values ​​of the counters corresponding to all data sources are added together and fed back to the performance measurement service user.

[0126] In some embodiments, the performance measurement service provider includes core network intelligent elements, which are network elements in the core network used to perform network intelligence-related functions such as data analysis and / or prediction.

[0127] In some embodiments, the intelligent network element of the core network includes network data analysis functions.

[0128] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request is used to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element through the data collection coordination and transmission function, or to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element with the data collection coordination and transmission function from all core network functions.

[0129] In some embodiments, the data volume measurement request may also include instructions for collecting data through data collection coordination and transmission functions or core network intelligent elements with data collection coordination and transmission functions.

[0130] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a performance measurement service user, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the user of this performance measurement service includes a request sending module 901 and a result receiving module 902.

[0131] The request sending module 901 is used to send a data volume measurement request to the performance measurement service provider. The data volume measurement request includes a measurement time range so that the performance measurement service provider can respond to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulate and count the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter.

[0132] The result receiving module 902 is used to receive the value of the counter fed back by the performance measurement service provider. The value of the counter is fed back by the performance measurement service provider after the measurement time range has been exceeded.

[0133] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a communication system, such as... Figure 10As shown, the communication system includes a performance measurement service user 1001 and a performance measurement service provider 1002, wherein the performance measurement service user 1001 can be... Figure 9 The performance measurement service user described above can be used to perform the steps executed by the performance measurement service user in the above-described embodiment of the data volume measurement method for core network data collection. Similarly, the performance measurement service provider shown in Figure 8 can be used to perform the steps executed by the performance measurement service provider in the above-described embodiment of the data volume measurement method for core network data collection.

[0134] In some embodiments, a performance measurement service user 1001 sends a data volume measurement request to a performance measurement service provider 1002, the data volume measurement request including a measurement time range;

[0135] In response to a data volume measurement request, the performance measurement service provider 1002 accumulates the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter within the measurement time range. When the measurement time range is exceeded, the counter value is fed back to the performance measurement service user 1001, where the counter value is used to represent the data volume.

[0136] The performance measurement service user 1001 receives the counter value fed back by the performance measurement service provider 1002.

[0137] The concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to define the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0138] It should be noted that although several modules or units of the device used for action execution are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory.

[0139] In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0140] Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0141] The following reference Figure 11This describes the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 11 The electronic device 1100 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0142] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the architecture of an electronic device 1100 provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 As shown, the electronic device 1100 includes, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1110 and at least one memory 1120.

[0143] Memory 1120 is used to store instructions.

[0144] In some embodiments, memory 1120 may include a readable medium in the form of volatile storage cells, such as random access memory (RAM) 11201 and / or cache memory 11202, and may further include read-only memory (ROM) 11203.

[0145] In some embodiments, the memory 1120 may also include a program / utility 11204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 11205, such program modules 11205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0146] In some embodiments, memory 1120 may store an operating system. This operating system may be a real-time operating system (RTX), such as Linux, UNIX, Windows, or OS X.

[0147] In some embodiments, the memory 1120 may also store data.

[0148] As an example, processor 1110 can read data stored in memory 1120, which may be stored at the same memory address as the instruction, or the data may be stored at a different memory address than the instruction.

[0149] Processor 1110 is configured to invoke instructions stored in memory 1120 to implement the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above, according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For example, processor 1110 can execute the steps of the data volume measurement method embodiments for core network data collection described above.

[0150] It should be noted that the processor 1110 described above can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. The processor 1110 may include one or more processing cores, and the processor 1110 executes various functional applications and data processing by running instructions.

[0151] In some embodiments, processor 1110 may include a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a baseband processor.

[0152] In some embodiments, the processor 1110 may determine an instruction based on the priority identifier and / or function category information carried in each control instruction.

[0153] In this disclosure, the processor 1110 and the memory 1120 can be configured separately or integrated together.

[0154] As an example, the processor 1110 and memory 1120 can be integrated on a single board or a system on chip (SOC).

[0155] like Figure 11 As shown, electronic device 1100 is embodied in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Electronic device 1100 may also include bus 1130.

[0156] Bus 1130 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, peripheral bus, graphics acceleration port, processor, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0157] Electronic device 1100 can also communicate with one or more external devices 1140 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 1100, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 1100 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). Such communication can be performed through input / output (I / O) interface 1150.

[0158] Furthermore, the electronic device 1100 can also communicate with one or more networks (such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via the network adapter 1160.

[0159] like Figure 11 As shown, network adapter 1160 communicates with other modules of electronic device 1100 via bus 1130.

[0160] It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with electronic device 1100, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0161] It is understood that the structures illustrated in the embodiments of this disclosure do not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device 1100. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the electronic device 1100 may include... Figure 11 This may involve more or fewer components, or combining certain components, or splitting certain components, or different component arrangements. Figure 11 The components shown can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0162] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the data volume measurement method for core network data collection described in the above method embodiments.

[0163] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium is a computer instruction that can be sent, propagated, or transmitted for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0164] As an example, a computer-readable storage medium is a non-volatile storage medium.

[0165] In some embodiments, more specific examples of computer-readable storage media in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having 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, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0166] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, wherein computer instructions (readable program code) are carried.

[0167] The transmitted data signal can take many forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0168] In some examples, computational instructions contained on a computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0169] This disclosure also provides a computer program product that stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the data volume measurement method for core network data collection described in the above method embodiments.

[0170] The aforementioned instructions can be program code. In practice, the program code can be written using any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0171] Programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages—such as Java and C++—as well as conventional procedural programming languages—such as the "C" language or similar programming languages.

[0172] The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0173] In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing devices can be connected to user computing devices via any type of network, including local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs), or they can be connected to external computing devices (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0174] This disclosure also provides a chip, including at least one processor and an interface;

[0175] An interface is used to provide program instructions or data to at least one processor;

[0176] At least one processor is used to execute program instructions to implement the data volume measurement method for core network data collection described in the above method embodiments.

[0177] In some embodiments, the chip may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data, the memory being located within or outside the processor.

[0178] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software implementations, which can be collectively referred to as "circuit", "module" or "system".

[0179] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein.

[0180] This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network, characterized in that, The method is performed by a performance measurement service provider, and the method includes: Receive a data volume measurement request from a performance measurement service user, the data volume measurement request including a measurement time range; In response to the data volume measurement request, within the measurement time range, the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses is accumulated and counted using a counter; Once the measurement time range is exceeded, the value of the counter is fed back to the performance measurement service user.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of accumulating and counting the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter includes: The amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses is accumulated in bits and added to the value of the counter.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data volume measurement request includes an identifier of the data source, and the data volume measurement request is used to measure the amount of data received by the performance measurement service provider from the data source within the measurement time range.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data source is a network function, a network open function, or a network repository function.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The data volume measurement request includes identifiers of multiple data sources; The step of accumulating and counting the amount of data carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter includes: The amount of data carried by the notifications and / or responses received from each data source is accumulated and counted using a counter corresponding to each data source. The step of feeding back the value of the counter to the performance measurement service user after the measurement time range is exceeded includes: summing the values ​​of the counters corresponding to all data sources and feeding them back to the performance measurement service user after the measurement time range is exceeded.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The performance measurement service provider includes core network intelligent elements, which are network elements in the core network used to perform network intelligence-related functions such as data analysis and / or prediction.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The core network intelligent elements include network data analysis functions.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The data volume measurement request is used to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element through the data collection coordination and transmission function, or to measure the total amount of data collected by the core network intelligent element with the data collection coordination and transmission function from all core network functions.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data volume measurement request also includes instructions for collecting data through data collection coordination and transmission functions or core network intelligent elements with data collection coordination and transmission functions.

10. A method for measuring the amount of data collected in a core network, characterized in that, The method is performed by a performance measurement service user, and the method includes: Send a data volume measurement request to the performance measurement service provider, the data volume measurement request including a measurement time range, so that the performance measurement service provider responds to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulates and counts the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter; Receive the value of a counter fed back by the performance measurement service provider, the value of which is fed back by the performance measurement service provider after the measurement time range has been exceeded.

11. A performance measurement service provider, characterized in that, include: The request receiving module is used to receive data volume measurement requests from users of the performance measurement service, wherein the data volume measurement requests include a measurement time range; The data processing module is used to respond to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulate and count the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter. The measurement feedback module is used to feed back the value of the counter to the performance measurement service user when the measurement time range is exceeded.

12. A performance measurement service user, characterized in that, include: A request sending module is used to send a data volume measurement request to a performance measurement service provider. The data volume measurement request includes a measurement time range so that the performance measurement service provider responds to the data volume measurement request and, within the measurement time range, accumulates and counts the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter. The result receiving module is used to receive the value of a counter fed back by the performance measurement service provider. The value of the counter is fed back by the performance measurement service provider after the measurement time range has been exceeded.

13. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A performance measurement service user sends a data volume measurement request to a performance measurement service provider, the data volume measurement request including a measurement time range; In response to the data volume measurement request, the performance measurement service provider accumulates the data volume carried by the received notifications and / or responses using a counter within the measurement time range. When the measurement time range is exceeded, the value of the counter is fed back to the performance measurement service user. The performance measurement service user receives the counter value fed back by the performance measurement service provider.

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