Method and apparatus for deterministic transfer between network elements, network elements, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to a method and apparatus for deterministic transfer between network elements, a network element, and a storage medium. The method includes receiving first transfer parameters reported by a TSN AF, where the first transfer parameters represent transfer parameters of an N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session; obtaining a current TSN traffic flow to be transferred, and selecting a target transfer path from preset paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first transfer parameters; determining an egress port parameter and a peer port parameter for transferring the current TSN traffic flow based on the first transfer parameters corresponding to the target transfer path, and transmitting preset flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the peer port parameter to a first NW-TT corresponding to the egress port parameter according to a preset transmission path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of communications, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for deterministic transfer between network elements, a network element, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] The 5G network, which is a next-generation mobile communication system, has a wide bandwidth, high reliability, and low latency, and thus has a wide range of application scenarios in the industrial Internet. The 5G network can not only meet the flexible mobility of industrial Internet devices and facilitate flexible production in factories, but also has a differentiated network customization function and can meet various business needs. The Time Sensitive Network (TSN) is a series of data link layer protocol specifications developed by the IEEE802.1 task group, aiming to build a more reliable, low-latency, and low-jitter Ethernet (registered trademark). TSN provides services with microsecond-level determinacy and can meet the real-time needs of various industries. In the related art, relying on the deterministic delay provided by 5G radio access and TSN, the 5G TSN technology can meet various indicators of deterministic communication in wireless network transmission and will be an important foundation for realizing the wirelessization and flexible manufacturing of the industrial Internet in the future.

[0003] In conventional TSN networks, the traffic flow characteristics of end stations, such as burst time, period, identifier, and latency requirements, are registered in a system called Centralized User Configuration (CUC). The CUC distributes the end station characteristics to the Centralized Network Configuration (CNC). The CNC distributes scheduling information based on traffic flow identifiers via the Network Configuration Protocol (NetConf) interface, depending on the forwarding capacity and resource reservation status of each TSN bridge it controls. This ensures that each traffic flow passes through each node without conflict and guarantees latency determinism.

[0004] In related technologies, after the introduction of a 5G system, the TSN integrates the 5G system into the TSN system as a single bridge, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the TSN network and the 5G network interwork through the TSN translator function. The TSN translator includes a Device Side TSN Translator (simply called DS-TT) and a Network Side TSN Translator (simply called NW-TT), and corresponding packets can enter the TSN bridge from either the DS-TT or NW-TT.

[0005] In related technologies, in a 5G LAN scenario, when a Session Management function (SMF) entity selects different User Plane Management Network elements (UPFs) for users within a 5G virtual network group, the SMF generates a group-level N4 session and forwards user flows or traffic flows between user equipment UEs within the 5G virtual network group to the designated UPF via an N19 tunnel between UPFs, thereby enabling interworking of user flows within the 5G virtual network group and, accordingly, interworking from UE to UE between UPFs. In this application scenario, the SMF controls the forwarding paths between UEs within the 5G virtual network group. However, when UE-to-UE interworking between UPFs is applied to a TSN, the CNC needs to centrally control the forwarding paths and scheduling parameters for deterministic scheduling. Therefore, the configuration adopted in 5G LANs, where the SMF controls the forwarding paths between UEs within a 5G virtual network group, does not apply to a TSN. At the same time, because the CNC cannot recognize the characteristics and forwarding requirements of TSN traffic flow, it cannot deliver accurate forwarding routes and scheduling parameters, and furthermore, it cannot guarantee the deterministic forwarding of forwarding packets between UPFs.

[0006] In related technologies, no effective solution has yet been proposed for the problem that deterministic packet forwarding is not guaranteed in UE-to-UE TSN interworking scenarios between UPFs. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Embodiments of the present application provide a method and apparatus for deterministic transmission between network elements, network elements, and a storage medium, in order to at least solve the problem in related technologies where deterministic transmission of messages is not guaranteed in UE-to-UE TSN interworking scenarios between UPFs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for deterministic forwarding between network elements applied to a CNC, comprising the steps of: receiving a first forwarding parameter reported by a TSN application entity AF, wherein the first forwarding parameter represents a forwarding parameter of an N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session; obtaining the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded, and selecting a target forwarding path from a set of pre-configured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameter, wherein the current TSN traffic flow is a traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface; and determining exit port parameters and opposing port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on the first forwarding parameter corresponding to the target forwarding path, pre-configured flow label information, and the current TSN traffic flow A method for deterministic forwarding between network elements is provided, comprising the steps of: transmitting the opposing port parameters to a first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to a pre-configured transmission path, wherein the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow; and controlling the first NW-TT to generate a forwarding packet in a pre-configured format based on the flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters, and performing deterministic forwarding between network elements for the forwarding packet when the N19 interfaces of the first NW-TT and the second NW-TT corresponding to the opposing port parameters interwork.

[0009] An embodiment of the present application is a device for deterministic transfer between network elements applied to a CNC, A receiving module configured to receive a first forwarding parameter reported by the TSN AF, wherein the first forwarding parameter represents the forwarding parameter of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameter is reported by the TSN AF. The AF provides a device for deterministic forwarding between network elements, which includes: a receiving module obtained from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session; a selection module configured to obtain the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded and to select a target forwarding path from a set of pre-configured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameters, wherein the current TSN traffic flow is a traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface; and a decision module configured to determine the exit port parameters and the opposite port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path, and to transmit pre-configured flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposite port parameters to the first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to a pre-configured transmission path, wherein the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow.

[0010] Embodiments of the present application provide a centralized network configuration network element comprising a processor, a communication interface, memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other via the communication bus, the memory is configured to store computer programs, and the processor is configured to implement a step of the method for deterministic transfer between network elements described in any one embodiment of the first aspect when executing a program stored in memory.

[0011] Embodiments of the present application provide a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, the computer program, when executed by a processor, enables steps of a method for deterministic transfer between network elements as described in any one embodiment of the first aspect.

[0012] Details of one or more embodiments of the present application are shown in the following drawings and description to facilitate a more concise understanding of other features, purposes, and advantages of the present application.

[0013] The drawings incorporated in this specification and constituting part of this specification illustrate embodiments conforming to the present invention and, together with the specification, illustrate the principles of the present invention.

[0014] In order to more clearly explain the embodiments of the present invention or the technical aspects of the prior art, the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below. It goes without saying that those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a TSN network system in related technologies. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a TSN bridge in related technologies. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the connections between TSN bridges in related technologies. [Figure 4] This is a schematic flowchart of the method for deterministic transfer between network elements provided in the embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the timing at which the TSN bridge reports the forwarding parameters in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the timing at which the CNC distributes the target transfer path and scheduling list in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a configuration block diagram of an apparatus for deterministic transfer between network elements provided in an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the CNC in an embodiment of the present application.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, in order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, while referring to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described. It is needless to say that the described embodiments are only some, rather than all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative labor are also included within the protection scope of the present application.

[0017] Hereinafter, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described while referring to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for deterministic transfer between network elements provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3, the embodiment of the present application provides a method for deterministic transfer between network elements applied to the CNC. This method includes the following steps S401 to S404.

[0019] In step S401, a first transfer parameter reported by a time-sensitive network TSN application entity AF is received. Here, the first transfer parameter represents the transfer parameter of the N19 interface corresponding to the network-side TSN translator NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session. The first transfer parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from the capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session.

[0020] In this embodiment, the CNC is used as the executing entity in the TSN network system. In this embodiment, so-called deterministic forwarding between network elements refers to the deterministic forwarding of TSN traffic flow between UPFs, and specifically, deterministic forwarding when two UPFs interwork via an N19 interface is considered (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the target for realizing the deterministic forwarding of TSN traffic flow is the NW-TT of the UPFs of two TSN bridges carrying one TSN session. On the other hand, in the TSN network system, the CNC needs to centrally control the target forwarding path and scheduling parameters (e.g., corresponding port parameters) for deterministic forwarding. Therefore, the CNC needs to obtain the forwarding parameters corresponding to the N19 interface reported by the corresponding TSN bridge.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first forwarding parameter is a forwarding parameter corresponding to a pair of NW-TTs that support deterministic forwarding based on the N19 interface.

[0022] In this embodiment, the forwarding parameters corresponding to the N19 interface reported by the TSN bridge acquired by the CNC are obtained by the TSN AF acquiring the TSN capability of the corresponding NW-TT, determining whether it supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, subscribing to the forwarding parameters for deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface from the corresponding NW-TT, and receiving the corresponding forwarding parameters reported by the NW-TT. Since the TSN AF is in the 5G control plane of the TSN network system and the TSN bridge is in the 5G user plane of the TSN network system, the TSN AF needs to acquire the TSN capability of the NW-TT according to the transmission path (TSN AF)-Policy Control Network Element (Policy Control function, simply referred to as PCF)-SMF-UPF-(NW-TT) and acquire the TSN capability supported by the NW-TT by adopting instructions corresponding to the Ethernet port management message bearer defined in the 24519 protocol. On the other hand, NW-TT feeds back its supported TSN capabilities according to the transmission path (NW-TT)-UPF-SMF-PCF-(TSN AF), adopts the TSN capabilities corresponding to the Ethernet port management response information bearer defined in the 24519 protocol, and sends the relevant parameters representing the TSN capabilities to the TSN AF. In this embodiment, the determination of whether NW-TT supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface is made by determining whether the corresponding capability value among the relevant parameters is a preset parameter value (e.g., 8001H). In this embodiment, if the TSN AF determines that the NW-TT carrying the corresponding TSN session supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, it subscribes to the N19 interface forwarding parameters to the corresponding NW-TT, that is, it informs the NW-TT that this NW-TT is required for the corresponding TSN session. Furthermore, if NW-TT receives a signal indicating that it must be used to carry an ongoing TSN session, it will send the forwarding parameters for the N19 interface assigned to the TSN session by UPF to TSN AF after completion.In related optional embodiments, the transfer parameters of the N19 interface assigned to the TSN session by the UPF include the GTU-U tunnel assigned to the TSN session.

[0023] In step S402, the current TSN traffic flow to be transferred is obtained, and based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first transfer parameters, a target transfer path is selected from the preset paths. Here, the current TSN traffic flow is the traffic flow transferred through the N19 interface.

[0024] In this embodiment, after receiving the first transfer parameters, the CNC refers to the traffic flow burst period, traffic volume, network delay, and TSN bearer network reserved resources of the TSN network to perform network configuration and define the scheduling policy for the TSC flow. In this embodiment, after the CNC determines the delay between the NW-TTs of the two TSN bridges, according to the delays corresponding to the two TSN bridges themselves, in the scenario where the UE interworks through the N19 interface, the delay when the TSN traffic flow passes through each TSN bridge and the end-to-end (from TSN bridge to TSN bridge) delay can be determined. In this embodiment, the CNC transmits the GTP-U tunnel information of the N19 interface corresponding to the first transfer parameters and the determined target transfer path to the NW-TT through the corresponding transmission path, and the NW-TT performs the scheduling of the definite TSN flow.

[0025] In step S403, based on the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path, the exit port parameters and opposing port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow are determined, and the pre-configured flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters are transmitted to the first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to the pre-configured transmission path. Here, the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow.

[0026] In this embodiment, the CNC encapsulates the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path, flow label information, and the current TSN traffic flow as TSN configuration information and transmits it to the TSN AF. Next, the TSN AF processes this TSN configuration information and transmits it to the NW-TT to determine the exit port of the TSN traffic flow, the gate control time slot, the GTP-U tunnel information of the opposite NW-TT, and flow label information that uniquely identifies the current TSN traffic flow.

[0027] In step S404, the first NW-TT is controlled to generate a forwarding packet in a pre-configured format based on flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters. When the N19 interface of the first NW-TT and the second NW-TT corresponding to the opposing port parameters interwork, deterministic forwarding of the forwarding packet between network elements is performed.

[0028] In this embodiment, the CNC transmits the exit port of the TSN traffic flow, the gate control time slot, the GTP-U tunnel information of the opposing NW-TT, and flow label information that uniquely identifies the current TSN traffic flow to the NW-TT corresponding to the exit port via the TSN AF. As a result, the NW-TT, in accordance with the GTP-U tunnel information of the opposing NW-TT and the flow label information that uniquely identifies the current TSN traffic flow, converts the current TSN traffic into a traffic packet, encapsulates the traffic packet in the outer IPv6 header of the GTP-U, inputs the flow label information and maps it to a data identifier inside the TSN bridge, selects two NW-TTs that support deterministic forwarding via the N19 interface according to the exit port of the TSN traffic flow, and controls the forwarding timing of the traffic packet according to the gate control time slot.

[0029] Steps S401 to S404 described above receive the first forwarding parameters reported by the TSN AF, where the first forwarding parameters represent the forwarding parameters of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT of the two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameters are obtained by the TSN AF from the capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session. The current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded is also obtained, and a target forwarding path is selected from pre-configured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameters, where the current TSN traffic flow is the traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface, and the exit port parameters and opposite port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow are determined based on the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path, and the pre-configured flow label information, current TSN traffic flow, and opposite port parameters are used. By adopting a configuration in which the data is transmitted to a first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to the transmission path, and where the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow, the problem of deterministic packet forwarding not being guaranteed in UE-to-UE TSN interworking scenarios between UPFs in related technologies is solved. In order to deliver deterministic scheduling parameters of the N19 interface to the NW-TT via CNC, the TSN traffic flow from the UPF is sent to the exit port supporting the N19 interface, and a deterministic scheduling policy is realized in which the opposite port parameters of the opposite UPF and pre-configured flow label information are attached, thereby achieving the beneficial effect of guaranteeing deterministic transmission of the corresponding TSN traffic flow within the 5G TSN bridge.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session, which is achieved by the following steps:

[0031] In step 21, the TSN AF receives Ethernet port management response information transmitted by the third NW-TT after it responded to the Ethernet port management message. Here, the third NW-TT is one of two corresponding NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session.

[0032] In step 22, the TSN AF detects a first parameter in the Ethernet port management response information. Here, the first parameter indicates whether the fourth NW-TT, which is the counterpart to the third NW-TT, and the third NW-TT support deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface.

[0033] In step 23, if the TSN AF detects the first parameter, it sends a subscription forwarding parameter request to the third NW-TT and receives the first forwarding parameter reported by the third NW-TT, where the first forwarding parameter includes at least user plane GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface assigned to the third and fourth NW-TTs, which carry the corresponding TSN session by the corresponding user plane management network element UPF entity.

[0034] In this embodiment, the third and fourth NW-TTs do not mean that there are four NW-TTs carrying one TSN session; rather, the two NW-TTs corresponding to one TSN session are represented only by the third and fourth NW-TTs. In this embodiment, the third NW-TT is the NW-TT on the exit port side of the TSN traffic flow, and the fourth NW-TT is the NW-TT on the opposite side corresponding to that exit port.

[0035] In this embodiment, the capability parameters reported by the NW-TT and the forwarding parameters of its N19 interface are completed through interaction with the TSN AF. Meanwhile, in the TSN network system, the TSN AF interacts via the PCF to send an Ethernet port management notification message carrying the TSN capability of the NW-TT, which includes an opcode to acquire the TSN capability of the NW-TT. Next, the PCF interacts with the SMF and continues to send the Ethernet port management notification message, after which the SMF interacts with the UPF and sends the Ethernet port management notification message to the UPF, after which the UPF interacts with the NW-TT and acquires the TSN capability of the NW-TT.

[0036] In this embodiment, regarding the TSN capability of the NW-TT, after feeding back the supported TSN capability according to the transmission path (NW-TT)-UPF-SMF-PCF-(TSN AF), the TSN AF determines whether the corresponding NW-TT supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface. After determining that the corresponding NW-TT supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, the TSN AF subscribes to the corresponding NW-TT for forwarding parameters for deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface. When a corresponding TSN session is received via the NW-TT, deterministic forwarding is performed via this NW-TT.

[0037] In this embodiment, after the NW-TT receives the corresponding subscription signaling, it constructs a GTP-U tunnel based on the corresponding forwarding parameters assigned to the corresponding TSN session by the UPF (e.g., GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface), i.e., the forwarding parameters for the corresponding deterministic forwarding assigned to the NW-TT. After completing the construction of the GTP-U tunnel, it reports the forwarding parameters of the N19 interfaces of the two NW-TTs carrying one TSN session, i.e., the first forwarding parameters, to the TSN AF via the (NW-TT)-UPF-SMF-PCF-(TSN AF) transmission path. The acquisition of the NW-TT's forwarding parameters is then completed by the TSN AF reporting to the CNC.

[0038] In this embodiment, the forwarding parameters corresponding to NW-TT are assigned by the corresponding UPF, and in some optional embodiments, the first forwarding parameters reported by NW-TT include the GTP-U tunnel information of the N19 interface assigned to NW-TT and the delay between the NW-TTs of the two TSN bridges.

[0039] In the steps described above, the TSN AF receives Ethernet port management response information transmitted by the third NW-TT after it has responded to the Ethernet port management message, where the third NW-TT is one of two corresponding NW-TTs carrying the corresponding TSN session, and the TSN AF also detects a first parameter in the Ethernet port management response information, where the first parameter indicates whether the fourth NW-TT, which is the counterpart to the third NW-TT, and the third NW-TT support deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, and furthermore, the TSN When the AF detects the first parameter, it sends a subscription forwarding parameter request to the third NW-TT, and receives the first forwarding parameter reported by the third NW-TT, where the first forwarding parameter includes at least the user plane GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface assigned to the third and fourth NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session by the corresponding user plane management network element UPF entity, thereby enabling the TSN bridge to report the forwarding parameter for the N19 interface, which in turn enables the CNC to perform network configuration and generate a scheduling policy for TSN flows, after which the NW-TT performs deterministic scheduling of TSN traffic flows, i.e., the NW-TT performs deterministic forwarding.

[0040] In some embodiments, after the TSN AF sends a subscription forwarding parameter request to a third NW-TT, the third NW-TT further performs the step of sending the first forwarding parameters to the TSN AF after completing the construction of the GTP-U tunnel assigned by the corresponding UPF entity.

[0041] In this embodiment, the NW-TT on the TSN exit port side (i.e., the third NW-TT) must report its corresponding first forwarding parameters to the TSN AF only after it has established interworking with the opposite NW-TT and the N19 interface, based on the forwarding parameters assigned by the corresponding UPF (e.g., GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface).

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the timing of the TSN bridge reporting forwarding parameters in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and with reference to Figure 5, in some optional embodiments, the NW-TT forwarding parameters are reported in the following steps.

[0043] Step 1 involves acquiring the TSN capabilities of NW-TT. In this embodiment, the TSN AF needs to acquire the TSN capabilities of the NW-TT in order to determine whether or not it supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface. Specifically, the TSN AF sends a MANAGE ETHERNET® PORT COMMAND message (corresponding to an Ethernet port management message) defined in the 24519 protocol to the NW-TT via the (TSN AF)-PCF-SMF-UPF-(NW-TT) transmission path (existing protocol flow), and this MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message includes the Get capabilities opcode. The NW-TT replies to the TSN AF with the capabilities it supports and sends a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message (corresponding to an Ethernet port management response message) defined in the 24519 protocol to the TSN AF via the (NW-TT)-UPF-SMF-PCF-(TSN AF) transmission path. In this embodiment, for deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, the parameter with a recorded value IE of 8001H is extended, and if NW-TT supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, this IE is included in the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message.

[0044] Note that the NW-TT of the TSN bridge (see Figure 3) in the TSN network system is coupled to the UPF, so the NW-TT is not shown in timing diagram 5.

[0045] In step 2, subscribe to the TSN capabilities of NW-TT. In this embodiment, if the TSN AF determines that the NW-TT carrying the TSN session supports deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, it subscribes the NW-TT to forwarding parameters for deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface. In this embodiment, the TSN AF sends a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message defined in the 24519 protocol to the NW-TT via the (TSN AF)-PCF-SMF-UPF-(NW-TT) transmission path, which includes the Subscribe-notify for parameter opcode and the 8001H parameter.

[0046] In step 3, NW-TT reports the port parameters. In this embodiment, NW-TT reports the forwarding parameters for deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface to TSN AF after the establishment of the GTP-U tunnel assigned to UPF is complete. In this embodiment, UPF assigns the GTP-U tunnel of the N19 interface to the TSN session, and NW-TT sends an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY message defined in 24519 to TSN AF via the (NW-TT)-UPF-SMF-PCF-(TSN AF) transmission path, which specifically includes the state of the forwarding parameters (8001H) of the N19 interface, including the GTP-U tunnel assigned by NW-TT and the delay between NW-TT of the two TSN bridges.

[0047] The corresponding instructions in Figure 5 of this embodiment will be explained below. Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata(tsnPortManContNwtt(command.get capacity)) / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata request message to the PCF, which contains a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message with the Get capabilities opcode. Here, Npcf_PolicyAuthorization represents a service-based interface, and Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata represents a service-based interface download.

[0048] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata response message to TSN-AF.

[0049] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Request(tsnPortManContNwtt(command.get capacity)) / / PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request message to SMF, which contains a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message with the Get capabilities opcode. Here, Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify represents an SMP policy control update notification.

[0050] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Response / / SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify response message to PCF.

[0051] PFCP Session Modification Request (PMIC(command.get capacity)) / / SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification request message to UPF, which contains a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message with the Get capabilities opcode. Here, PFCP Session Modification refers to PFCP session modification.

[0052] The PFCP Session Modification Response (PMIC(complete)) / / UPF sends a PFCP Session Modification response message to the SMF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message.

[0053] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Request(tsnPortManContNwtt(complete),trigger=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / The SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update request message to the PCF, which contains the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message. Here, Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update represents the SMP policy control download.

[0054] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update response message to SMF.

[0055] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify(tsnPortManContNwtt(complete),evSubsc=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify request message to TSN-AF, which contains the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message. Here, Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify represents a service-based interface notification.

[0056] The Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify Response / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify response message to PCF.

[0057] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata(tsnPortManContNwtt(command.subscribe parameter)) / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata request message to PCF, which includes a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message and the Subscribe-notify for parameter opcode.

[0058] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata response message to TSN-AF.

[0059] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Request(tsnPortManContNwtt(command.subscribe parameter)) / / PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request message to SMF, which includes a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message and the Subscribe-notify for parameter opcode.

[0060] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Response / / SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify response message to PCF.

[0061] PFCP Session Modification Request (PMIC(command.subscribe parameter)) / / SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification request message to UPF, which includes a MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message and the Subscribe-notify for parameter opcode.

[0062] PFCP Session Modification Response (PMIC(complete)) / / UPF sends a PFCP Session Modification response message to SMF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message.

[0063] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Request(tsnPortManContNwtt(complete),trigger=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update request message to PCF, which contains MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE information.

[0064] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update response message to SMF.

[0065] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify(tsnPortManContNwtt(complete),evSubsc=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify request message to TSN-AF, which contains MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE information.

[0066] The Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify Response / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify response message to PCF.

[0067] The PFCP Session Report Request (PMIC(notify)) / / UPF sends a PFCP Session Report request message to SMF, which includes an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY message. Here, PFCP Session Report refers to the PFCP meeting report.

[0068] The PFCP Session Report Response / / SMF sends a PFCP Session Report response message to the UPF.

[0069] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Request(tsnPortManContNwtt(notify),trigger=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / The SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update request message to the PCF, which includes an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY message.

[0070] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update response message to SMF.

[0071] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify(tsnPortManContNwtt(notify),evSubsc=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify request message to TSN-AF, which contains an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY message.

[0072] The Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify Response / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify response message to PCF.

[0073] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata(tsnPortManContNwtt(notify ack)) / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata request message to PCF, which contains an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY ACK message.

[0074] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata response message to TSN-AF.

[0075] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Request(tsnPortManContNwtt(notify ack), trigger=TSN_BRIDGE_INFO) / / The PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request message to the SMF, which includes an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY ACK message.

[0076] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Response / / SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify response message to PCF.

[0077] PFCP Session Modification Request (PMIC(notify ack)) / / SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification request message to UPF, which includes an ETHERNET PORT MANAGEMENT NOTIFY ACK message.

[0078] The PFCP Session Modification Response (UPF) sends a PFCP Session Modification response message to the SMF.

[0079] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the first NW-TT to generate forwarding packets in a pre-configured format based on flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposite port parameters is achieved by the following steps.

[0080] In step 31, the first NW-TT obtains the first GTP-U tunnel information corresponding to the N19 interface of the second NW-TT.

[0081] In step 32, the first NW-TT generates a first data identifier in a pre-configured format based on the flow label information.

[0082] In step 33, the first NW-TT converts the current TSN traffic flow into a traffic packet, encapsulates the first GTP-U tunnel information and the first data identifier in the Internet Protocol IPv6 header of the traffic packet, and obtains a forwarding packet.

[0083] In this embodiment, the first NW-TT is the NW-TT on the exit port side of the corresponding TSN traffic flow. The CNC encapsulates the corresponding TSN configuration information and then sends it to the TSN AF. The TSN AF decomposes the corresponding TSN configuration information, obtains two parts of the data, and sends them to the first NW-TT. Specifically, the TSN AF encapsulates part of the information in a Set parameter operation of a message defined in the 24519 protocol and sends it to the NW-TT, thereby controlling the exit port and gate control time slot of the TSN flow (corresponding to the exit port and corresponding gate control time slot assigned to the TSN traffic flow by the CNC). The TSN AF also encapsulates the other part of the information in an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify message and passes it to the PCF, which controls the NW-TT to assign the first GTP-U tunnel information and the first data identifier of the opposite UPF to the forwarding packets that need to be forwarded via the N19 interface.

[0084] Furthermore, the CNC controls the NW-TT to assign flow label information to the TSN traffic flow so that the generated forwarding packets correspond to the flow label information outside the GTP-U and uniquely identify the current TSN traffic flow. Simultaneously, the NW-TT maps the flow label information to a first data identifier that can be identified by the NW-TT.

[0085] In the steps described above, the first NW-TT obtains first GTP-U tunnel information corresponding to the N19 interface of the second NW-TT, generates a first data identifier in a pre-configured format based on the flow label information, converts the current TSN traffic flow into a traffic packet, encapsulates the first GTP-U tunnel information and the first data identifier in the Internet Protocol IPv6 header of the traffic packet, and obtains a forwarding packet, thereby enabling the corresponding NW-TT to decompose the TSN configuration information so that it can encapsulate the traffic packet. Simultaneously, by encapsulating the first GTP-U tunnel information and the first data identifier in the IPv6 header of the forwarding packet, the CNC can quickly determine the forwarding path and scheduling parameters when performing deterministic forwarding, thereby ensuring deterministic forwarding of the corresponding TSN traffic flow within the 5G TSN bridge.

[0086] In some embodiments, the step of determining the exit port parameters and opposite port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on a first forwarding parameter corresponding to the target forwarding path is accomplished by the following steps.

[0087] In step 41, the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to the third and fourth NW-TTs by the corresponding UPF entities is obtained from the first forwarding parameters.

[0088] In this embodiment, based on the first forwarding parameters, the exit port of the TSN traffic flow, i.e., the GTP-U tunnel information of the third NW-TT, is determined. At the same time, when the UPF assigns the corresponding N19 interface forwarding parameters to the NW-TT, it assigns the corresponding forwarding parameters to a pair of NW-TTs. Therefore, once the exit port of the TSN traffic flow is determined, the corresponding opposite port, i.e., the GTP-U tunnel information of the fourth NW-TT, is confirmed accordingly.

[0089] In step 42, the corresponding gate control time slot is assigned to the N19 interface of the third NW-TT, it is determined that the exit port parameters include the GTP-U tunnel information and gate control time slot assigned to the third NW-TT, and the opposite port parameters include the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to the fourth NW-TT.

[0090] In the steps described above, the CNC obtains the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to the third and fourth NW-TTs by the corresponding UPF entities from the first forwarding parameters, assigns the corresponding gate control time slot to the N19 interface of the third NW-TT, determines that the exit port parameters include the GTP-U tunnel information and gate control time slot assigned to the third NW-TT, and determines that the opposite port parameters include the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to the fourth NW-TT. Thus, after obtaining the N19 interface parameters of the NW-TT, the CNC sets the TSN configuration information and defines the scheduling policy for the TSN traffic flow, thereby enabling the corresponding NW-TT to perform deterministic forwarding of the TSN traffic flow.

[0091] In some embodiments, the step of obtaining the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded and selecting a target forwarding path from a pre-configured set of paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and a first forwarding parameter is accomplished by the following steps.

[0092] Step 51 obtains a first pre-configured parameter table, where the first pre-configured parameter table includes at least correspondence information between TSN traffic flows and time parameters that allow the TSN traffic flows to reach each TSN network node on a pre-configured path, and each TSN network node corresponding to a pre-configured path includes at least two NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session.

[0093] In this embodiment, the CNC maintains a delay table and a traffic scheduling time slot occupancy table for TSN traffic flows to reach each node of the TSN network. By querying these tables, the CNC selects a path from among the pre-configured paths in the tables in which the delay / available scheduling time slots match the request, i.e., the target forwarding path.

[0094] In step 52, the system queries the first pre-configured parameter table for pre-configured routes corresponding to the current TSN traffic flow to obtain candidate routes, and from these candidate routes, selects an alternative route in which the time parameter for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured route satisfies a pre-configured time parameter threshold.

[0095] In this embodiment, the TSN network nodes are nodes capable of distinguishing TSN traffic flows such as Radio Access Network (RAN), DS-TT, and NW-TT, and by distributing deterministic scheduling parameters at these nodes, the deterministic forwarding of TSN traffic flows can be completed. In this embodiment, the time parameter for a TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on a pre-configured path includes the delay / available scheduling time slot between two adjacent TSN network nodes and the delay (end-to-end delay) / available scheduling time slot between the NW-TT of the two TSN bridges corresponding to the TSN session, with the delay being the corresponding time parameter in this embodiment.

[0096] In this embodiment, a route that satisfies the set delay requirement is selected from among the pre-configured routes based on the set time parameter threshold, i.e., the delay threshold, and this route is designated as the alternative route.

[0097] In step 53, a target forwarding path is selected from the alternative paths based on the first forwarding parameters. Here, the forwarding parameters of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT that the target forwarding path corresponds to include the first forwarding parameters.

[0098] In this embodiment, the target forwarding path is obtained by selecting a path from among the alternative paths in which the forwarding parameter of the corresponding NW-TT N19 interface is the corresponding parameter among the first forwarding parameters (i.e., it matches the corresponding GTP-U tunnel information).

[0099] In the steps described above, a first pre-configured parameter table is obtained, where the first pre-configured parameter table includes at least correspondence information between TSN traffic flows and the time parameters at which the TSN traffic flows reach each TSN network node on a pre-configured path, and each TSN network node corresponding to a pre-configured path includes at least two NW-TTs carrying the corresponding TSN session. Furthermore, candidate paths are obtained by querying the first pre-configured parameter table for pre-configured paths corresponding to the current TSN traffic flow, and from the candidate paths, an alternative path is selected in which the time parameters at which the TSN traffic flow reaches each TSN network node on the pre-configured path satisfy a pre-configured time parameter threshold. In addition, a target forwarding path is selected from the alternative paths based on the first forwarding parameters, where the forwarding parameters of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT that the target forwarding path corresponds to include the first forwarding parameters, thereby enabling the NW-TT to perform deterministic scheduling of TSN traffic flows.

[0100] In this embodiment, after receiving the forwarding parameters of the NW-TT's N19 interface (i.e., the first forwarding parameters), the CNC refers to information such as the TSN network's traffic flow burst period, traffic volume, network delay, and TSN bearer network reserved resources to configure the network and define a scheduling policy for TSN traffic flows. Furthermore, after knowing the delay between the NW-TT of the two TSN bridges, the CNC combines the delays reported independently by the two TSN bridges to determine the respective delays of the two TSN bridges carrying a single TSN session in a scenario where the UEs interwork via the N19 interface, as well as the end-to-end delay. Simultaneously, if forwarding packets between the two UEs need to pass through the N19 interface, the CNC needs to deliver the N19 interface's GTP-U tunnel information, traffic and network layer parameter mapping table, and transmission scheduling list to the NW-TT, which then performs deterministic TSN traffic flow scheduling.

[0101] In some embodiments, the time parameters include a first delay, which is the delay between two adjacent TSN network nodes, and a second delay, which is the NW-TT delay between two TSN bridges corresponding to one TSN session. The step of selecting an alternative path from among candidate paths in which the time parameter for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured path satisfies a pre-configured time parameter threshold is accomplished by the following steps.

[0102] In step 61, based on the first delay and the number of TSN nodes each TSN bridge has, a third delay corresponding to each pre-configured route is determined for each TSN bridge.

[0103] In step 62, the two TSN bridges corresponding to each pre-configured path accumulate their corresponding third delay and the second delay to obtain the corresponding total delay for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured path.

[0104] In step 63, it is determined whether the total delay corresponding to each pre-configured route is less than the delay threshold corresponding to the pre-configured time parameter threshold, and it is determined that the alternative routes include a pre-configured route in which the total delay is less than the delay threshold.

[0105] In the steps described above, based on the first delay and the number of TSN nodes each TSN bridge possesses, a third delay corresponding to each pre-configured route is determined for each TSN bridge. The third delays corresponding to each pre-configured route are then accumulated with the second delay to obtain the total delay at which the TSN traffic flow reaches each TSN network node on the pre-configured route. Furthermore, it is determined whether the total delay corresponding to each pre-configured route is smaller than the delay threshold corresponding to the pre-configured time parameter threshold. By determining that the alternative routes include pre-configured routes in which the total delay is smaller than the delay threshold, target forwarding routes are selected based on delay, thereby enabling NW-TT to perform deterministic scheduling of TSN traffic flows.

[0106] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the timing of the CNC delivering the target transfer path and scheduling list in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and referring to Figure 6, in some optional embodiments, the delivery of the N19 interface transfer parameters and scheduling list is performed in the following steps.

[0107] In step 1, the CNC determines the first transfer parameters and scheduling list for the N19 interface.

[0108] In this embodiment, after receiving the first forwarding parameters of the N19 interface, the CNC refers to information such as the traffic flow burst period, traffic volume, network delay, and TSN bearer network reserved resources of the TSN network, configures the network, and defines the scheduling policy for TSN flows. Furthermore, after knowing the delay between the NW-TT of the two TSN bridges, the CNC combines the delays reported independently by the two TSN bridges to determine the respective delays of the two TSN bridges carrying a single TSN session, as well as the end-to-end delay, in a scenario where UEs interwork via the N19 interface. Simultaneously, if forwarding packets between the two UEs need to pass through the N19 interface, the CNC needs to deliver the GTP-U tunnel information of the N19 interface, the traffic and network layer parameter mapping table, the transmission scheduling list, etc., to the NW-TT, which then performs deterministic scheduling of TSN traffic flows. In this embodiment, the CNC maintains a delay table and a traffic scheduling time slot occupancy table for TSN traffic flows to reach each node of the TSN network, thereby selecting a route from among alternative routes in which the delayed / available scheduling time slots match the requirements. In this embodiment, the CNC controls the NW-TT to assign pre-configured flow label information to the TSN flow, so that the flow label information outside the GTP-U can uniquely identify the current TSN traffic flow. The NW-TT maps the flow label information to a first data identifier, and the CNC assigns the exit port and the gate control time slot corresponding to the first data identifier to the TSN traffic flow.

[0109] In step 2, the CNC delivers the first transfer parameters and scheduling list for the N19 interface.

[0110] In this embodiment, the CNC encapsulates the scheduling policy of the TSC flow and sends it to the TSN AF, which then decomposes the scheduling policy into two parts. The TSN AF encapsulates part of the information into a Set parameter operation of a message defined in the 24519 protocol and sends it to the NW-TT, thereby controlling the exit port and gate control time slot of the TSN flow. The TSN AF also encapsulates the other part of the information into an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify message and passes it to the PCF, which controls the NW-TT to add the GTP-U tunnel information of the opposing UPF and pre-configured flow label information to forwarded packets that need to be forwarded via the N19 interface. The PCF needs to include the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND and MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND messages defined in the 24519 protocol in the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Request message distributed to the SMF, and also include flow label information in the bridge information and port information filters. Simultaneously, PCC rules are distributed to forwarded packets that need to pass through the N19 interface, and TrafficControlData is loaded with GTP-U tunnel information and assigned flow label information for the opposite side of the N19 interface. The PFCP Session Modification Request message distributed by SMF to UPF includes N4 rules such as PDR and FAR. PDR contains traffic characteristics of forwarded packets that have passed through the N19 interface, and FAR contains GTP-U tunnel information and assigned flow label information for the opposite side of the N19 interface. Based on the GTP-U tunnel information and assigned flow label information for the opposite side of the N19 interface in FAR, NW-TT encapsulates the traffic packets in the outer IPv6 header of the GTP-U and inputs the flow label information. It also selects a port that supports the N19 tunnel depending on the delivered exit port. Transmission timing is controlled based on the delivered gate control list.

[0111] The corresponding instructions in Figure 6 of this embodiment will be explained below. Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata(MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND, MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND) / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata request message to PCF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message and the MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND (bridge management command) message.

[0112] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Updata response message to TSN-AF.

[0113] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Request(MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND, MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND) / / The PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request message to the SMF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message and the MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND message.

[0114] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify Response / / SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify response message to PCF.

[0115] PFCP Session Modification Request (MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND, MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND) / / SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification Request message to UPF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMMAND message and the MANAGE BRIDGE COMMAND message.

[0116] PFCP Session Modification Response (MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE, MANAGE BRIDGE COMPLETE) / / UPF sends a PFCP Session Modification response message to SMF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message and the MANAGE BRIDGE COMPLETE (bridge management complete) message.

[0117] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Request(MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE, MANAGE BRIDGE COMPLETE) / / The SMF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update request message to the PCF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message and the MANAGE BRIDGE COMPLETE message.

[0118] Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update Response / / PCF sends an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update response message to SMF.

[0119] Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify(MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE, MANAGE BRIDGE COMPLETE) / / PCF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify request message to TSN-AF, which includes the MANAGE ETHERNET PORT COMPLETE message and the MANAGE BRIDGE COMPLETE message.

[0120] The Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify Response / / TSN-AF sends an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify response message to PCF.

[0121] In this embodiment, devices for deterministic transfer between network elements to realize the above-described embodiments and preferred embodiments are further provided, and those already described are omitted. The terms "module," "unit," and "subunit" used below refer to combinations of software and / or hardware capable of realizing a predetermined function. While it is preferable to implement the devices described in the following embodiments using software, they can and are conceivable to be implemented using hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0122] Figure 7 is a structural block diagram of a device for deterministic transfer between network elements provided in an embodiment of the present application, and as shown in Figure 7, this device is A receiving module 71 is configured to receive a first forwarding parameter reported by a time-sensitive network TSN application entity AF, wherein the first forwarding parameter represents the forwarding parameter of the N19 interface corresponding to the network-side TSN translator NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session. A selection module 72 is coupled to a receiving module 71 and is configured to acquire the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded, and to select a target forwarding path from a set of pre-configured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and a first forwarding parameter, wherein the current TSN traffic flow is a traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface. A decision module 73 is coupled with a selection module 72 and is configured to determine the exit port parameters and opposing port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on a first forwarding parameter corresponding to the target forwarding path, and to transmit pre-configured flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and opposing port parameters to a first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameter according to a pre-configured transmission path, wherein the flow label information represents a unique identifier of the current TSN traffic flow. The system includes a processing module 74 coupled to a decision module 73, which controls a first NW-TT to generate forwarding packets in a pre-configured format based on flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters, and is configured to perform deterministic forwarding of the forwarding packets between network elements when the N19 interface of the first NW-TT and the second NW-TT corresponding to the opposing port parameters interwork.

[0123] The apparatus for deterministic forwarding between network elements of the embodiment of the present application receives a first forwarding parameter reported by the TSN AF, where the first forwarding parameter represents the forwarding parameter of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT of the two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session, and also obtains the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded, and selects a target forwarding path from pre-configured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameter, where the current TSN traffic flow is the traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface, and determines the exit port parameter and opposite port parameter for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on the first forwarding parameter corresponding to the target forwarding path, and pre-configured flow label information, current TSN traffic flow, and opposite port parameter are used. By adopting a configuration in which the data is transmitted to a first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to the transmission path, and where the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow, the problem of deterministic packet forwarding not being guaranteed in UE-to-UE TSN interworking scenarios between UPFs in related technologies is solved. In order to deliver deterministic scheduling parameters of the N19 interface to the NW-TT via CNC, the TSN traffic flow from the UPF is sent to the exit port supporting the N19 interface, and a deterministic scheduling policy is realized in which the opposite port parameters of the opposite UPF and pre-configured flow label information are attached, thereby achieving the beneficial effect of guaranteeing deterministic transmission of the corresponding TSN traffic flow within the 5G TSN bridge.

[0124] In some embodiments, the receiving module 71 is further configured to receive Ethernet port management response information transmitted via TSN AF after a third NW-TT has responded to an Ethernet port management message, where the third NW-TT is one of two corresponding NW-TTs carrying the corresponding TSN session, and to detect a first parameter in the Ethernet port management response information, where the first parameter indicates whether the third NW-TT and the fourth NW-TT, which is the counterpart to the third NW-TT, support deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, and if the first parameter is detected, to send a subscription forwarding parameter request to the third NW-TT and receive the first forwarding parameter reported by the third NW-TT, where the first forwarding parameter includes at least user plane GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface assigned to the third NW-TT and the fourth NW-TT carrying the corresponding TSN session by the corresponding user plane management network element UPF entity.

[0125] In some embodiments, the receiving module 71 is further configured to send the first forwarding parameters to the TSN AF via the third NW-TT after the TSN AF has sent a subscription forwarding parameter request to the third NW-TT and completed constructing the GTP-U tunnel assigned by the corresponding UPF entity.

[0126] In some embodiments, the processing module 74 is further configured to control a first NW-TT to obtain first GTP-U tunnel information corresponding to the N19 interface of a second NW-TT, generate a first data identifier in a pre-configured format based on flow label information, convert the current TSN traffic flow into a traffic packet, and encapsulate the first GTP-U tunnel information and the first data identifier in the Internet Protocol IPv6 header of the traffic packet to obtain a forwarding packet.

[0127] In some embodiments, this decision module 73 further... A first acquisition unit is configured to acquire GTP-U tunnel information assigned to a third NW-TT and a fourth NW-TT, respectively, by the corresponding UPF entity from a first transfer parameter, The system includes a first assignment unit which is coupled to a first acquisition unit and configured to assign a corresponding gate control time slot to the N19 interface of a third NW-TT, determine that the exit port parameters include the GTP-U tunnel information and gate control time slot assigned to the third NW-TT, and determine that the opposite port parameters include the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to a fourth NW-TT.

[0128] In some examples, this selection module 72 further... A second acquisition unit configured to acquire a first pre-configured parameter table, wherein the first pre-configured parameter table includes at least correspondence information between a TSN traffic flow and a time parameter that the TSN traffic flow reaches each TSN network node on a pre-configured path, and each TSN network node corresponding to a pre-configured path includes at least two NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session, A first query unit is connected to a second acquisition unit and is configured to query a first pre-configured parameter table for pre-configured routes corresponding to the current TSN traffic flow to obtain candidate routes, and to select an alternative route from among the candidate routes in which the time parameter for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured route satisfies a pre-configured time parameter threshold. A first selection unit is coupled to a first query unit and configured to select a target forwarding path from among alternative paths based on first forwarding parameters, wherein the forwarding parameters of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT that the target forwarding path corresponds to include the first forwarding parameters.

[0129] In some embodiments, the time parameters include a first delay, which is the delay between two adjacent TSN network nodes, and a second delay, which is the NW-TT delay between two TSN bridges corresponding to one TSN session. The first query unit further determines a third delay corresponding to each TSN bridge for each pre-configured route, based on the first delay and the number of TSN nodes each TSN bridge has. The first query unit then accumulates the third delays corresponding to the two TSN bridges for each pre-configured route, along with the second delay, to obtain a corresponding total delay for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured route. The first query unit further determines whether the total delay for each pre-configured route is less than a delay threshold corresponding to a pre-configured time parameter threshold, and determines that the alternative routes include a pre-configured route in which the total delay is less than the delay threshold.

[0130] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a CNC according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, the embodiment of the present invention provides a centralized network configuration network element including a processor 81, a communication interface 82, a memory 83, and a communication bus 84. The processor 81, the communication interface 82, and the memory 83 communicate with each other via the communication bus 84.

[0131] Memory 83 is configured to store computer programs. The processor 81 is configured to implement the steps of the method shown in Figure 4 when executing a program stored in memory 83.

[0132] The processing in this centralized network configuration network element implements the steps of the method shown in Figure 4, and its technical effect is consistent with the technical effect when the method for deterministic transfer between network elements in Figure 4 is implemented in the above-described embodiment, so that explanation will not be repeated here.

[0133] The communication bus referred to in the above-mentioned centralized network configuration network elements may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This communication bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 8 shows it with only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0134] The communication interface is used for communication between the above-mentioned terminal and other devices. The memory may include random access memory (RAM), or it may include non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk memory. Optionally, the memory may be at least one storage device located far away from the processor.

[0135] The above-mentioned processor may be a general-purpose processor including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc. It may also be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc.

[0136] Embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, the computer program, when executed by a processor, enables steps of a method for deterministic transfer between network elements provided in any embodiment of the method described above.

[0137] In yet another embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided that, when running on a computer, includes instructions causing the computer to perform steps of the method for deterministic transfer between network elements described in any of the embodiments described above.

[0138] In this specification, relational terms such as "1" and "2" are used solely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or suggest that such an actual relationship or order exists between these entities or operations. The terms "contains," "has," or any other variation are intended to cover what is contained without exclusivity, and therefore a process, method, article, or device containing a set of elements includes not only these elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or device. Unless otherwise specified, an element limited by the phrase "contains one..." does not preclude the existence of other identical elements in a process, method, article, or device containing that element.

[0139] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand or implement it. Many modifications of these embodiments are readily achievable by those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to these embodiments shown herein, but should conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novelty features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for deterministic transfer between network elements applied to a centralized network configuration CNC, The steps include receiving a first forwarding parameter reported by a time-sensitive network application entity (TSNAF), wherein the first forwarding parameter represents a forwarding parameter of the N19 interface corresponding to the network-side TSN translator NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session, A step of obtaining the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded, and selecting a target forwarding path from a pre-configured path based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameter, wherein the current TSN traffic flow is a traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface. A step of determining the exit port parameters and opposing port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path, and transmitting the pre-configured flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters to the first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to the pre-configured transmission path, wherein the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow. The steps include controlling the first NW-TT to generate a forwarding packet in a pre-configured format based on the flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters, and performing deterministic forwarding of the forwarding packet between network elements when the N19 interface of the first NW-TT and the second NW-TT corresponding to the opposing port parameters interwork, Includes, The first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session. The TSN AF receives Ethernet port management response information transmitted by a third NW-TT after it has responded to an Ethernet port management message, wherein the third NW-TT is one of two corresponding NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session. The TSN AF includes the step of detecting a first parameter in the Ethernet port management response information, wherein the first parameter indicates whether the fourth NW-TT, which is the opposite side of the third NW-TT, and the third NW-TT support deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface. A method for deterministic transfer between network elements, comprising the steps of: when the TSN AF detects the first parameter, sending a subscription transfer parameter request to the third NW-TT; and receiving the first transfer parameter reported by the third NW-TT, wherein the first transfer parameter includes at least user plane GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface assigned to the third NW-TT and the fourth NW-TT, carrying the corresponding TSN session by the corresponding user plane management network element UPF entity.

2. After the step in which the TSN AF sends a subscription transfer parameter request to the third NW-TT, The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of the third NW-TT transmitting the first forwarding parameters to the TSN AF after completing the construction of the GTP-U tunnel assigned by the corresponding UPF entity.

3. The step of controlling the first NW-TT to generate a forwarding packet in a pre-configured format based on the flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters is: The first NW-TT includes the step of acquiring first GTP-U tunnel information corresponding to the N19 interface of the second NW-TT, The first NW-TT includes the step of generating a first data identifier in a pre-set format based on the flow label information, The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: the first NW-TT converts the current TSN traffic flow into a traffic packet, and encapsulates the first GTP-U tunnel information and the first data identifier in the Internet Protocol IPv6 header of the traffic packet to obtain the forwarding packet.

4. The step of determining the exit port parameters and the opposing port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path is: The steps include obtaining the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to the third NW-TT and the fourth NW-TT, respectively, by the corresponding UPF entity from the first transfer parameters, The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: assigning a corresponding gate control time slot to the N19 interface of the third NW-TT; determining that the exit port parameter includes the GTP-U tunnel information and the gate control time slot assigned to the third NW-TT; and determining that the opposite port parameter includes the GTP-U tunnel information assigned to the fourth NW-TT.

5. The steps include obtaining the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded, and selecting a target forwarding path from a set of preconfigured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameters, A step of obtaining a first pre-configured parameter table, wherein the first pre-configured parameter table includes at least correspondence information between a TSN traffic flow and a time parameter that the TSN traffic flow reaches each TSN network node on a pre-configured path, and each TSN network node corresponding to the pre-configured path includes at least two NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session. The first pre-configured parameter table is used to query pre-configured routes corresponding to the current TSN traffic flow to obtain candidate routes, and from among the candidate routes, an alternative route is selected in which the time parameter for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured route satisfies a pre-configured time parameter threshold. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of selecting the target transfer path from among the alternative paths based on the first transfer parameters, wherein the transfer parameters of the N19 interface corresponding to the NW-TT to which the target transfer path corresponds include the first transfer parameters.

6. The time parameter includes a first delay, which is the delay between two adjacent TSN network nodes, and a second delay, which is the delay between the NW-TT of two TSN bridges corresponding to one TSN session. The step of selecting an alternative path from among the candidate paths in which the time parameter for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured path satisfies a pre-configured time parameter threshold is as follows: The steps include determining a third delay corresponding to each TSN bridge for each of the pre-configured routes, based on the first delay and the number of TSN network nodes each TSN bridge has, The steps include: accumulating the corresponding third delay and the second delay of the two TSN bridges corresponding to each of the pre-configured paths to obtain the corresponding total delay for the TSN traffic flow to reach each TSN network node on the pre-configured path; The method according to claim 5, comprising the step of determining whether the total delay corresponding to each of the pre-set paths is less than the delay threshold corresponding to the pre-set time parameter threshold, and determining that the alternative paths include the pre-set paths in which the total delay is less than the delay threshold.

7. A device for deterministic transfer between network elements applied to a CNC, A receiving module configured to receive a first forwarding parameter reported by a time-sensitive network application entity (TSNAF), wherein the first forwarding parameter represents a forwarding parameter of the N19 interface corresponding to the network-side TSN translator NW-TT of two TSN bridges carrying each TSN session, and the first forwarding parameter is obtained by the TSN AF from capability parameters reported by one of the two NW-TTs corresponding to each TSN session. A selection module configured to acquire the current TSN traffic flow to be forwarded and to select a target forwarding path from a set of pre-configured paths based on the current TSN traffic flow and the first forwarding parameter, wherein the current TSN traffic flow is a traffic flow forwarded on the N19 interface, A decision module configured to determine exit port parameters and opposing port parameters for forwarding the current TSN traffic flow based on the first forwarding parameters corresponding to the target forwarding path, and to transmit pre-configured flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters to a first NW-TT corresponding to the exit port parameters according to a pre-configured transmission path, wherein the flow label information represents a unique identifier for the current TSN traffic flow. A processing module is configured to control the first NW-TT to generate a forwarding packet in a pre-configured format based on the flow label information, the current TSN traffic flow, and the opposing port parameters, and to perform deterministic forwarding of the forwarding packet between network elements when the N19 interface of the first NW-TT and the second NW-TT corresponding to the opposing port parameters interworks. Includes, The receiving module further receives Ethernet port management response information transmitted by the third NW-TT after it has responded to an Ethernet port management message via the TSN AF, where the third NW-TT is one of the two corresponding NW-TTs that carry the corresponding TSN session, and also detects a first parameter in the Ethernet port management response information, where the first parameter indicates whether the fourth NW-TT, which is the opposite side of the third NW-TT, and the third NW-TT support deterministic forwarding of the N19 interface, and further detects the first parameter An apparatus for deterministic transfer between network elements, configured such that when a meter is detected, it sends a subscription transfer parameter request to the third NW-TT and receives the first transfer parameter reported by the third NW-TT, where the first transfer parameter includes at least user plane GTP-U tunnel information for the N19 interface assigned to the third NW-TT and the fourth NW-TT, carrying the corresponding TSN session by the corresponding user plane management network element UPF entity.

8. A centralized network configuration network element including a processor, a communication interface, memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, communication interface, and memory communicate with each other via the communication bus. Memory is configured to store computer programs. A centralized network configuration network element, wherein the processor is configured to implement a step of the method for deterministic transfer between network elements according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when executing a program stored in memory.

9. A computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, enables a step of a method for deterministic transfer between network elements as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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