Data packet transmission method and virtual network group

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a data packet transmission method and a virtual network group. The solution is as follows: when receiving a first data packet sent by a first UE, a first UPF forwards the first data packet to a first group communication UPF according to a first forwarding rule issued by a first SMF; the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to a second group communication UPF by using a first communication tunnel according to a destination address in the received first data packet; the second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to a second UPF according to a second forwarding rule issued by a second SMF; and the second UPF sends the received first data packet to a second UE. According to the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple SMFs are deployed in virtual networks, so that cross-SMF communication is realized.

Description

Data packet transmission method and virtual network group

[0001] This disclosure is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202210842405.4, application date July 18, 2022, and invention name “A data packet transmission method and virtual network group”, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into this disclosure as a reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and in particular to a data packet transmission method and a virtual network group. Background Art

[0003] The fifth generation mobile communication technology local area network (5G LAN) can provide users with a virtual data network, designating a group of terminals that have signed contracts for the same slice and data network name (DNN) as a 5G virtual network (VN) group, and the terminals within the 5G VN group can communicate.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a data packet transmission method, which is applied to a virtual network group, wherein the virtual network group includes a first session management function (SMF) and a second SMF, the first SMF manages a first user plane function (UPF) and a first group communication UPF, the second SMF manages the second UPF and the second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first UPF is associated with a first user equipment (UE), and the second UPF is associated with a second UE, the method comprising: when the first UPF receives a first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to a first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet; the second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; and the second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

[0006] In some embodiments, the method also includes: when the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF, the first SMF sends a first N4 signaling to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF, so that the first UPF and the first group communication UPF establish a second communication tunnel based on the received first N4 signaling; when the first UPF receives the first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF, including: the first UPF receives the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; when the first UPF receives the first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF using the second communication tunnel according to the first forwarding rule.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method also includes: when the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet, the second SMF sends a second N4 signaling to the second group communication UPF and the second UPF according to the destination address in the first data packet, so that the second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish a third communication tunnel based on the received second N4 signaling; the second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF, including: the second group communication UPF receives the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; the second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF using the third communication tunnel in accordance with the second forwarding rule.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet, including: the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel based on the forwarding table between each group communication UPF according to the destination address in the received first data packet; the method also includes: when a third SMF is added to the virtual network group, the third SMF selects a UPF from the UPFs managed by itself as the third group communication UPF; the method also includes: after the third SMF completes the configuration of the fourth communication tunnel between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the third SMF updates the forwarding table based on the fourth communication tunnel.

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a data packet transmission method, which is applied to a virtual network group, wherein the virtual network group includes a first SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF manages a first group communication UPF, the second SMF manages a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first group communication UPF is associated with a third UE, and the second group communication UPF is associated with a fourth UE, the method comprising: after receiving a second data packet sent by the third UE, the first group communication UPF uses the first communication tunnel to send the second data packet to the second group communication UPF according to the destination address in the received second data packet; the second group communication UPF sends the received second data packet to the fourth UE.

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a virtual network group, which includes a first SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF managing a first UPF and a first group communication UPF, the second SMF managing the second UPF and the second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel being pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first UPF being associated with a first UE, and the second UPF being associated with a second UE; the first UE being used to send a first data packet to the first UPF; the first UPF being used to forward the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to a first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF when receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE; the first group communication UPF being used to send the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet; the second group communication UPF being used to forward the received first data packet to the second UPF according to a second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; the second UPF being used to send the received first data packet to the second UE; and the second UE being used to receive the first data packet.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first SMF is also used to send a first N4 signaling to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF when the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF, so that the first UPF and the first group communication UPF establish a second communication tunnel based on the received first N4 signaling; the first UPF is also used to receive a first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; when receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE, the first data packet is forwarded to the first group communication UPF using the second communication tunnel in accordance with the first forwarding rule.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second SMF is also used to send a second N4 signaling to the second group communication UPF and the second UPF according to the destination address in the first data packet when the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet, so that the second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish a third communication tunnel based on the received second N4 signaling; the second group communication UPF is also used to receive a second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; and according to the second forwarding rule, the received first data packet is forwarded to the second UPF using the third communication tunnel.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first group communication UPF is also used to send the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel based on the routing table between each group communication UPF and the destination address in the received first data packet; the virtual network group also includes: a newly added third SMF; the third SMF is used to select a UPF from the UPFs managed by itself as the third group communication UPF; the third SMF is also used to update the routing table based on the fourth communication tunnel after the configuration of the fourth communication tunnel between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF is completed.

[0014] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a virtual network group, which is applied to a virtual network group, wherein the virtual network group includes a first SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF manages a first group communication UPF, the second SMF manages a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first group communication UPF is associated with a third UE, and the second group communication UPF is associated with a fourth UE; the third UE is used to send a second data packet to the first group communication UPF; the first group communication UPF is used to, after receiving the second data packet sent by the third UE, send the second data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received second data packet; the second group communication UPF is used to send the received second data packet to the fourth UE; the fourth UE is used to receive the second data packet.

[0015] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a physical device, which is any one of the SMF, UPF, group communication UPF or UE included in the virtual network group, and the physical device includes a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus; the memory is used to store computer programs; the processor is used to implement any of the above-mentioned steps of the data packet transmission method when executing the program stored in the memory.

[0016] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, any of the steps of the above-mentioned data packet transmission method is implemented.

[0017] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any of the above-mentioned data packet transmission methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other embodiments can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0019] FIG1A is a schematic diagram of a first structure of a 5G VN group in the related art.

[0020] FIG1B is a second structural diagram of a 5G VN group in the related art.

[0021] FIG2 is a first signaling diagram of the data packet transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a first structure of a virtual network group provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG4 is a second signaling diagram of the data packet transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG5 is a third signaling diagram of the data packet transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG6 is a fourth signaling diagram of the data packet transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG7 is a fifth signaling diagram of the data packet transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a second structure of a virtual network group provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a third structure of a virtual network group provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a physical device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the present disclosure are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1A, Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the first structure of a 5G VN group in the related art. The 5G VN group shown in Figure 1A includes an SMF, which manages two UPFs, namely UPF1 and UPF2 in Figure 1A. UPF1 and UPF2 are each associated with corresponding UEs, namely UE1 and UE2 shown in Figure 1A. UE1 and UE2 can communicate through data packet transmission. For example, when UE1 sends a data packet to UE2, UE1 can send the data packet to UPF1. At this time, the SMF can establish an N19 tunnel between UPF1 and UPF2. UPF1 can transmit the data packet to UPF2 through the N19 tunnel, and then UPF2 can transmit the data packet to UE2, realizing communication between UE1 and UE2.

[0032] Since the above-mentioned 5G VN group only includes one SMF, UEs in different 5G VN groups cannot transmit data packets, that is, different SMFs cannot achieve cross-SMF communication. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the related art provides a method as shown in Figure 1B to achieve cross-SMF communication. Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of the second structure of the 5G VN group in the related art.

[0033] The 5G VN group shown in Figure 1B can include multiple SMFs, such as SMF1 and SMF2. To enable cross-SMF communication, N19 tunnels need to be configured between UPFs managed by different SMFs. For example, in Figure 1B, UPF1, UPF2, and UPF3 each establish N19 tunnels with UPF4 and UPF5, respectively.

[0034] In the 5G VN group shown in Figure 1B, the UPFs managed by different SMFs need to establish mesh connections in pairs. As the number of UPFs and SMFs in the 5G VN group increases, the number of mesh connections between UPFs managed by different SMFs will increase significantly, which greatly increases the complexity of the network.

[0035] In order to solve the problems in the related art, the purpose of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a data packet transmission method and a virtual network group to deploy multiple SMFs in a virtual network and realize communication across SMFs.

[0036] The present disclosure provides a data packet transmission method. The method is applied to a virtual network group, the virtual network group including a first SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF managing a first UPF and a first group communication UPF, the second SMF managing a second UPF and a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first UPF being associated with a first UE, and the second UPF being associated with a second UE.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, Figure 2 is a first signaling diagram of a data packet transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes the following steps S201 to S204.

[0038] In step S201, when the first UPF receives a first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF.

[0039] In step S202, the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0040] Step S203: The second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF.

[0041] Step S204: The second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

[0042] For ease of understanding, as shown in Figure 3, Figure 3 is a first structural diagram of the virtual network group provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The virtual network group shown in Figure 3 includes multiple SMFs, namely SMF1, SMF2 and SMF3 shown in Figure 3. Each SMF manages at least one UPF. For example, the UPF managed by SMF1 in Figure 3 includes: UPF1 and GC-UPF1, wherein GC-UPF1 is the group communication user plane function (Group Communication-User Plane Function, i.e., upper group communication UPF, denoted as GC-UPF) managed by SMF1. The UE can be associated with the UPF by accessing the Radio Access Network (RAN, not shown in Figure 3) within the range of the SMF. For example, the UE1 shown in Figure 3 is associated with the UPF1 by accessing the RAN within the range of the SMF.

[0043] In the virtual network group shown in Figure 3, communication tunnels, such as N19 and / or N6 tunnels, can be pre-configured between GC-UPFs managed by different SMFs. For example, in Figure 3, tunnel 301 is pre-configured between GC-UPF1 and GC-UPF2, tunnel 302 is pre-configured between GC-UPF1 and GC-UPF3, and tunnel 303 is pre-configured between GC-UPF2 and GC-UPF3.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the virtual network group may include multiple SMFs, each SMF may manage multiple UPFs, and each UPF may be associated with multiple UEs. The number of SMFs, UPFs, and UEs in the virtual network group is not specifically limited. For ease of understanding, the following description uses two SMFs in the virtual network group, one UPF and GC-UPF managed by each SMF, and one UE associated with the UPF as an example, which does not serve any limiting purpose.

[0045] In the above virtual network group, SMF, UPF, GC-UPF and UE are all physical devices. The number of GC-UPFs in the UPF managed by each SMF is one.

[0046] Through the method shown in Figure 2, when the first UPF managed by the first SMF in the virtual network group receives the first data packet sent by its associated first UE, the first data packet can be forwarded to the first group communication UPF managed by the first SMF; the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF based on the destination address of the received first data packet by utilizing the first communication tunnel pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF managed by the second SMF, so that the second group communication UPF can forward the first data packet to the second UE through the second UPF managed by the second SMF.

[0047] Multiple SMFs can be deployed in a virtual network group. For every two SMFs, the data packet transmission process between user devices in different SMFs can be realized through the pre-configured communication tunnel between the group communication UPFs in these two SMFs. This makes it possible to deploy multiple SMFs in the virtual network while realizing data packet transmission between different SMFs, that is, realizing communication across SMFs.

[0048] Furthermore, since there is only one group communication UPF among the UPFs managed by each SMF, the communication between the SMFs in the virtual network group only relies on the communication tunnels between the group communication UPFs managed by each SMF, which greatly reduces the network complexity of the virtual network group.

[0049] Of course, it is not necessary to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time when implementing any product or method disclosed herein.

[0050] Regarding the above step S201, when the first UPF receives the first data packet sent by the first UE, it forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF.

[0051] The first UE in the virtual network group can initiate communication with the second UE in the virtual network group, that is, the first UE establishes a protocol data unit (PDU) session. At this time, the first UE will send a first data packet to its associated first UPF. The first UPF will receive the first data packet sent by the first UE.

[0052] Depending on the specific needs of the users corresponding to the first UE and the second UE, the above-mentioned first data packet can be a data request data packet requesting certain data, or a data transmission data packet transmitting certain data. Here, the above-mentioned first data packet is not specifically limited.

[0053] When the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF, the first SMF may send a forwarding rule for the first data packet to the first UPF based on the first data packet (referred to as a first forwarding rule). The first forwarding rule may include port information, address information, etc. of the first group communication UPF. After receiving the first forwarding rule, the first UPF may forward the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule. Here, the information included in the first forwarding rule is not specifically limited.

[0054] Regarding the above step S202, the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0055] In this step, the first data packet includes at least triplet information, namely, source address, destination address, and transport layer protocol. After receiving the first data packet sent by the first UPF, the first group communication UPF can determine the group communication UPF that received the first data packet (i.e., the second group communication UPF, that is, the group communication UPF managed under the SMF where the UPF associated with the second UE is located) based on the destination address in the first data packet. The first group communication UPF can use the first communication tunnel between it and the second group communication UPF to send the received first data packet to the second group communication UPF.

[0056] In some embodiments, the above step S202, sending the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet, can be expressed as:

[0057] Based on the forwarding table between each group communication UPF, the first data packet is sent to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0058] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the deployment of the above-mentioned virtual network group is completed, the forwarding table between each group communication UPF can be configured according to the UPF managed by each SMF, the UPF managed by each SMF and the UE associated with each UPF. After the above-mentioned first group communication UPF receives the above-mentioned first data packet, since the first data packet is a data packet sent by the first UE to the second UE, the destination address in the first data packet is the address corresponding to the second UE. At this time, the first group communication UPF can determine the output interface or next hop corresponding to the first data packet in the forwarding table based on the destination address, thereby determining that the first data packet needs to be forwarded to the second group communication UPF. The first group communication UPF can use the first communication tunnel pre-configured between it and the second group communication UPF to forward the first data packet to the second group communication UPF.

[0059] The destination address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address or an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second UE.

[0060] With respect to the above step S203, the second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF.

[0061] In this step, when the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet, the second SMF may send the forwarding rule for the first data packet (referred to as the second forwarding rule) to the second group communication UPF based on the destination address of the data packet to be transmitted. The second forwarding rule may include the port information, address information, etc. of the second UPF. The second group communication UPF forwards the first data packet to the second UPF based on the second forwarding rule. The information included in the second forwarding rule is not specifically limited here.

[0062] Regarding the above step S204, the second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

[0063] In this step, after receiving the first data packet sent by the second group communication UPF, the second UPF can send the first data packet to the second UE according to the destination address of the first data packet. At this time, the second UE will receive the first data packet, ending the data packet transmission process from the first UE to the second UE, and realizing communication between the first UE and the second UE.

[0064] For ease of understanding, steps S201 to S204 are described in conjunction with the virtual network group shown in Figure 3. It is assumed that the first SMF is SMF1, the first UPF is UPF1, the first UE is UE1, the first group communication UPF is GC-UPF1, the second SMF is SMF2, the second UPF is UPF3, the second UE is UE2, and the second group communication UPF is GC-UPF2.

[0065] When UE1 initiates cross-SMF communication with UE2, UE1 sends the first data packet to UPF1. UPF1 forwards the received first data packet to GC-UPF1 according to the forwarding rules issued by SMF1. GC-UPF1 searches the forwarding table based on the destination address of the first data packet, that is, the address of UE2, to determine that the GC-UPF managed by SMF2 (that is, the SMF that manages UPF2 associated with UE2) is GC-UPF2. GC-UPF1 can use tunnel 301 to send the first data packet to GC-UPF2. GC-UPF2 forwards the first data packet to UPF2 according to the forwarding rules issued by SMF. UPF2 sends the first data packet to UE2 based on the destination address of the first data packet, that is, the address of UE2.

[0066] Compared to the virtual network group shown in FIG1B , the virtual network group shown in FIG3 enables communication across SMFs. Furthermore, in the virtual network group shown in FIG3 , since the GC-UPF can be any one of at least one UPF managed by the SFM, no new network elements or functional modules are introduced in the UPF shown in FIG3 . Furthermore, compared to the virtual network group shown in FIG1B , in the virtual network shown in FIG3 , communication tunnels are only pre-established between different GC-UPFs; there is no need to establish mesh connections between the UPFs managed by each SMF. For example, in the virtual network group shown in FIG3 , there is no need to establish mesh connections between UPF1, UPF2, and UPF3. Furthermore, as the number of SMFs in the virtual network group increases, only communication tunnels need to be configured between the GC-UPFs managed by each SMF; the addition of UPFs does not create new mesh connections. This significantly reduces the deployment cost and complexity of the virtual network group, thereby reducing the complexity of the inter-SMF communication process.

[0067] In some embodiments, based on the method shown in FIG2 , the present disclosure also provides a method for transmitting a data packet. FIG4 shows a second signaling diagram of the method for transmitting a data packet provided in the present disclosure. The method includes the following steps: S401 to S406.

[0068] Step S401: When the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF, the first SMF sends a first N4 signaling to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF, so that the first UPF and the first group communication UPF establish a second communication tunnel based on the received first N4 signaling.

[0069] In this step, when the above-mentioned first UE initiates communication with the second UE, that is, when the first UE sends the first data packet to the first UPF, the first SMF will monitor the establishment of the PDU session for cross-SMF communication. At this time, the first SMF can send N4 signaling (referred to as the first N4 signaling) to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF. The first UPF and the first group communication UPF will establish a communication tunnel between the two based on the first N4 signaling (referred to as the second communication tunnel), such as the above-mentioned N19 tunnel, or the N9 tunnel.

[0070] Step S402: When the first UPF receives the first data packet sent by the first UE, it receives the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is no specific limitation on the order of issuing the first N4 signaling and the first forwarding rule.

[0072] In step S403, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF using the second communication tunnel according to the first forwarding rule.

[0073] In the method shown in FIG2 , only the transmission process of the first data packet from the user plane is described. During the transmission of the first data packet, the control plane also participates in the transmission of the first data packet, that is, the first SMF controls the establishment of the second communication tunnel between the first UPF and the first group communication UPF.

[0074] The above steps S402 to S403 are implementations of the above step S201 in some embodiments.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first SMF may release the second communication tunnel according to a preset release rule to conserve system resources. For example, the first SMF may release the second communication tunnel after the first UE completes communication with the second UE. The release of the second communication tunnel and the preset release rule are not specifically limited herein.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the establishment of the above-mentioned second communication tunnel is based on the UE that sends the above-mentioned first data packet, and is dynamically established in real time between the UPF associated with the UE and the group communication UPF under the same SMF. It is not pre-configured like the above-mentioned first communication tunnel, which effectively improves the flexibility of establishing the communication tunnel between the UPF and the group communication UPF.

[0077] In step S404, the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0078] Step S405: The second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF.

[0079] Step S406: The second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

[0080] The specific implementation of the above steps S404 to S406 may refer to the specific implementation of the above steps S202 to S204.

[0081] In some embodiments, based on the method shown in FIG2 , the present disclosure also provides a method for transmitting a data packet. FIG5 shows a third signaling diagram of the method for transmitting a data packet provided in the present disclosure. The method includes the following steps: S501 to S506.

[0082] Step S501: When the first UPF receives a first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF.

[0083] In step S502, the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0084] The specific implementation of the above steps S501 and S502 may refer to the specific implementation of the above steps S201 and S202.

[0085] In step S503, when the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet, the second SMF sends a second N4 signaling to the second group communication UPF and the second UPF according to the destination address in the first data packet, so that the second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish a third communication tunnel based on the received second N4 signaling.

[0086] In this step, when the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet sent by the first group communication UPF, the second SMF can determine the UPF associated with the UE corresponding to the destination address based on the destination address of the first data packet, that is, the second UPF. At this time, the second SMF can send N4 signaling (recorded as the second N4 signaling) to the second group communication UPF and the second UPF. The second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish a communication tunnel (recorded as the third communication tunnel) between the two based on the received second N4 signaling, such as an N19 tunnel, or an N9 tunnel.

[0087] Step S504: The second group communication UPF receives the second forwarding rule sent by the second SMF.

[0088] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is no specific limitation on the order of issuing the second N4 signaling and the second forwarding rule.

[0089] In step S505 , the second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF using the third communication tunnel according to the second forwarding rule.

[0090] In the method shown in Figure 2 above, only the transmission process of the first data packet from the user plane is described. During the transmission process of the first data packet, the control plane also participates in the transmission of the first data packet, that is, the second SMF controls the establishment of the third communication tunnel between the second UPF and the second group communication UPF.

[0091] The above steps S504 to S505 are implementations of the above step S203 in some embodiments.

[0092] In some embodiments, the second SMF may release the third communication tunnel according to a preset release rule to save system resources. For example, the second SMF may release the third communication tunnel after the first UE completes communication with the second UE. The release of the third communication tunnel and the preset release rule are not specifically limited herein.

[0093] Step S506: The second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

[0094] The specific implementation of the above step S506 may refer to the specific implementation of the above step S204.

[0095] In some embodiments, based on the method shown in FIG. 2 , the present disclosure also provides a method for transmitting a data packet. FIG. 6 is a fourth signaling diagram of the method for transmitting a data packet provided in the present disclosure. The method includes the following steps: S601 to S606.

[0096] Step S601: When the first UPF receives a first data packet sent by the first UE, it forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF.

[0097] In step S602, the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0098] Step S603: The second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF.

[0099] Step S604: The second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

[0100] The above steps S601 to S604 are the same as the above steps S201 to S204.

[0101] Step S605: When a third SMF is added to the virtual network group, the third SMF selects a UPF from the UPFs managed by itself as the third group communication UPF.

[0102] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the user can add a new SMF (referred to as the third SMF) to the above virtual network group according to specific needs. After the third SMF is added to the above virtual network group, the third SMF will select a UPF from its associated UPFs as the group communication UPF (referred to as the third group communication UPF).

[0103] In some embodiments, when selecting the third group communication UPF, the third SMF may select a UPF that is not associated with a UE as the third group communication UPF.

[0104] In other embodiments, when selecting the third group communication UPF, the third SMF may select the UPF with the highest performance among all UPFs as the third group communication UPF.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is no specific limitation on the selection method of the third group communication UPF.

[0106] After determining the third group communication UPF, the user can configure a communication tunnel (referred to as a fourth communication tunnel) between the third group communication UPF and the other group communication UPFs in the virtual network group (i.e., the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF), such as the N19 and / or N6 tunnels. The configuration process of the fourth tunnel is not described in detail here.

[0107] In the disclosed embodiments, by adding a new SMF to the virtual network, cross-SMF communication between different SMFs can be achieved. When different SMFs correspond to different provinces, cities, or countries, the addition of new SMFs to the virtual network group can enable cross-regional communication between different provinces, cities, or countries, thereby reducing the communication costs of cross-regional communication.

[0108] Step S606: After completing configuration of the fourth communication tunnel configured between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the third SMF updates the forwarding table based on the fourth communication tunnel.

[0109] In this step, when the configuration of the fourth communication tunnel between the above-mentioned third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF is completed, the third SMF can update the above-mentioned forwarding table according to each fourth communication tunnel, and the two group communication UPFs connected to each fourth communication tunnel and the UE associated with the UPF managed by the SMF.

[0110] For ease of understanding, the virtual network group shown in Figure 3 is still used as an example for explanation. It is now assumed that the third SMF is SMF3 in Figure 3 . After SMF3 is added to the virtual network group shown in Figure 3 , tunnels 302 and 303 shown in Figure 3 can be configured. Furthermore, SMF3 can update the forwarding table based on each UPF managed by SMF1, SMF2, and SMF3 corresponding to the GC-UPF1, GC-UPF2, and GC-UPF3 connected to tunnels 302 and 303, and the UEs associated with each UPF.

[0111] By updating the above forwarding table, the validity and accuracy of the forwarding table can be effectively guaranteed, which facilitates the forwarding of data packets between different GC-UPFs and provides guarantees for communication across SMFs.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the forwarding table is updated only when a new SMF is added to the virtual network group. In addition, the forwarding table is updated synchronously when a new UPF is added to the SFM, a new UE is added, a UPF associated with a UE is changed, or an SMF, UPF, or UE is deleted. The timing of updating the forwarding table is not specifically limited.

[0113] Compared to the virtual network group shown in FIG1B above, in the virtual network group shown in FIG3, as the number of SMFs in the virtual network increases, it is only necessary to configure the communication tunnels between each GC-UPF in the virtual network group. In the virtual network group shown in FIG1B, since it is necessary to add new communication tunnels between UPFs managed by different SMFs, the number of newly added communication tunnels will increase with the increase in the number of newly added SMFs and the number of UPFs managed by each SMF. That is, in the virtual network group shown in FIG3, it is only necessary to configure communication tunnels between each group communication UPF, while in the virtual network group shown in FIG1B, it is necessary to establish communication tunnels between UPFs managed by each SMF. By adopting the virtual network group provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, by pre-configuring communication tunnels between each group communication UPF, the network complexity of the virtual network group can be effectively reduced while realizing cross-SMF communication.

[0114] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the above steps S605 and S606 may be executed before or after any of the above steps S601 to S604. Here, the execution of the above steps S605 and S606 is not specifically limited.

[0115] Based on the same inventive concept, according to the data packet transmission method provided in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a data packet transmission method. This method is applied to a virtual network group, and the virtual network group includes a first SMF and a second SMF. The first SMF manages a first group communication UPF, and the second SMF manages a second group communication UPF. A first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF. The first group communication UPF is associated with a third UE, and the second group communication UPF is associated with a fourth UE. As shown in Figure 7, Figure 7 is a fifth signaling diagram of the data packet transmission method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes the following steps S701 to S702.

[0116] Step S701: After receiving a second data packet sent by a third UE, the first group communication UPF sends the second data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received second data packet.

[0117] In this step, when the third UE initiates communication with the fourth UE, that is, when the third UE sends a second data packet to the fourth UE, the first group communication UPF associated with the third UE will receive the second data packet. At this time, the first group communication UPF can use the first communication tunnel to send the second data packet to the second group communication UPF based on the destination address in the second data packet.

[0118] The process of the first group communication UPF sending the second data packet may refer to the process of the first group communication UPF sending the first data packet, and will not be described in detail here.

[0119] Step S702: The second group communication UPF sends the received second data packet to the fourth UE.

[0120] In this step, after receiving the second data packet, the second group communication UPF may send the second data packet to the fourth UE according to the destination address of the second data packet.

[0121] In the method shown in Figure 7, multiple SMFs can be deployed in the virtual network group. For every two SMFs, the data packet transmission process between user devices in different SMFs can be realized through the pre-configured communication tunnel between the group communication UPFs in the two SMFs. This makes it possible to realize data packet transmission between different SMFs while deploying multiple SMFs in the virtual network, that is, to realize communication across SMFs.

[0122] Furthermore, since there is only one group communication UPF among the UPFs managed by each SMF, the communication between the SMFs in the virtual network group only relies on the communication tunnels between the group communication UPFs managed by each SMF, which greatly reduces the network complexity of the virtual network group.

[0123] In the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 7 above, the data packet transmission process between UEs not associated with the group communication UPF and the data packet transmission process between UEs associated with the group communication UPF are described respectively. In addition, the sender / receiver of the data packet can also be a UE not associated with the group communication UPF, and the receiver / sender of the data packet can be a UE associated with the group communication UPF. In this case, the data packet transmission process can be transmitted with reference to the methods shown in Figures 2 and 7 above to achieve cross-SMF communication. The specific transmission process is not described here.

[0124] Based on the same inventive concept, according to the data packet transmission method provided in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a virtual network group. As shown in Figure 8, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the second structure of the virtual network group provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The virtual network group includes a first SMF 801 and a second SMF 802. The first SMF 801 manages a first UPF 803 and a first group communication UPF 804. The second SMF 802 manages a second UPF 806 and a second group communication UPF 805. A first communication tunnel 809 is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF 804 and the second group communication UPF 805. The first UPF 803 is associated with a first UE 807, and the second UPF 806 is associated with a second UE 808.

[0125] The first UE 807 may be configured to send a first data packet to the first UPF 803 .

[0126] The first UPF 803 may be configured to forward the first data packet to the first group communication UPF 804 according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF 801 when receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE 807.

[0127] The first group communication UPF 804 may be configured to send the first data packet to the second group communication UPF 805 using the first communication tunnel 809 according to the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0128] The second group communication UPF 805 can be used to forward the received first data packet to the second UPF 806 according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF 802.

[0129] The second UPF 806 may be configured to send the received first data packet to the second UE 808 .

[0130] The second UE 808 may be configured to receive the first data packet.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first SMF 801 can also be used to send a first N4 signaling to the first UPF 803 and the first group communication UPF 804 when the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF 803, so that the first UPF 803 and the first group communication UPF 804 establish a second communication tunnel based on the received first N4 signaling.

[0132] The first UPF 803 can also be used to receive the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF 801; according to the first forwarding rule, the first data packet is forwarded to the first group communication UPF 804 using the second communication tunnel.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second SMF 802 can also be used to send a second N4 signaling to the second group communication UPF 805 and the second UPF 806 according to the destination address in the first data packet when the second group communication UPF 805 receives the first data packet, so that the second group communication UPF 805 and the second UPF 806 establish a third communication tunnel based on the received second N4 signaling.

[0134] The second group communication UPF 805 can also be used to receive the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF 802; according to the second forwarding rule, the received first data packet is forwarded to the second UPF 806 using the third communication tunnel.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first group communication UPF 804 may also be used to send the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel based on the routing table between the group communication UPFs and the destination address in the received first data packet.

[0136] The virtual network group may further include: a newly added third SMF.

[0137] The third SMF can be used to select a UPF from the UPFs managed by itself as the third group communication UPF.

[0138] The third SMF may also be used to update the forwarding table based on the fourth communication tunnel after the fourth communication tunnel configured between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF 804 and the second group communication UPF 805 is configured.

[0139] Based on the same inventive concept, according to the data packet transmission method provided in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a virtual network group. As shown in Figure 9, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the third structure of the virtual network group provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The virtual network group includes a first SMF 901 and a second SMF 902. The first SMF 901 manages a first group communication UPF 903, and the second SMF 902 manages a second group communication UPF 904. A first communication tunnel 907 is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF 903 and the second group communication UPF 904. The first group communication UPF 903 is associated with a third UE 905, and the second group communication UPF 904 is associated with a fourth UE 906.

[0140] The third UE 905 may be configured to send a second data packet to the first group communication UPF 903 .

[0141] The first group communication UPF 903 may be configured to, after receiving the second data packet sent by the third UE 905, send the second data packet to the second group communication UPF 904 using the first communication tunnel 907 according to the destination address in the received second data packet.

[0142] The second group communication UPF 904 may be configured to send the received second data packet to the fourth UE 906 .

[0143] The fourth UE 906 may be configured to receive a second data packet.

[0144] Through the virtual network group provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first UPF managed by the first SMF in the virtual network group receives the first data packet sent by its associated first UE, the first data packet can be forwarded to the first group communication UPF managed by the first SMF; the first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF based on the destination address of the received first data packet by utilizing the first communication tunnel pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF managed by the second SMF, so that the second group communication UPF can forward the first data packet to the second UE through the second UPF managed by the second SMF.

[0145] Multiple SMFs can be deployed in a virtual network group. For every two SMFs, the data packet transmission process between user devices in different SMFs can be realized through the pre-configured communication tunnel between the group communication UPFs in these two SMFs. This makes it possible to deploy multiple SMFs in the virtual network while realizing data packet transmission between different SMFs, that is, realizing communication across SMFs.

[0146] Furthermore, since there is only one group communication UPF among the UPFs managed by each SMF, the communication between the SMFs in the virtual network group only relies on the communication tunnels between the group communication UPFs managed by each SMF, which greatly reduces the network complexity of the virtual network group.

[0147] Based on the same inventive concept, according to the data packet transmission method provided in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a physical device, which can be any of the SMF, UPF, group communication UPF, or UE included in the above-mentioned virtual network group. As shown in Figure 10, it includes a processor 1001, a communication interface 1002, a memory 1003, and a communication bus 1004, wherein the processor 1001, the communication interface 1002, and the memory 1003 communicate with each other via the communication bus 1004.

[0148] The memory 1003 can be used to store computer programs.

[0149] The processor 1001 may be configured to implement any of the above-mentioned steps of the data packet transmission method when executing the program stored in the memory 1003 .

[0150] The communication bus 1004 mentioned above for the target terminal and target network device can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The communication bus 1004 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in the figure, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0151] The communication interface 1002 may be used for communication between the aforementioned physical device and other devices.

[0152] The memory 1003 may include a random access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk memory. Alternatively, the memory may be at least one storage device located away from the processor.

[0153] The above-mentioned processor 1001 can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components.

[0154] Based on the same inventive concept, according to the data packet transmission method provided in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of any of the above-mentioned data packet transmission methods.

[0155] Based on the same inventive concept, according to the data packet transmission method provided in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product containing instructions, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute any of the data packet transmission methods in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0156] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)).

[0157] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply the existence of any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element.

[0158] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a related manner. Similar portions between embodiments can be referenced to each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences between other embodiments. In particular, the descriptions of the virtual network group, physical device, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product embodiments are relatively simple because they are generally similar to the method embodiments. For related portions, reference can be made to the descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0159] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure are included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A data packet transmission method, wherein: Applied to a virtual network group, the virtual network group includes a first session management function SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF manages a first user plane function UPF and a first group communication UPF, the second SMF manages a second UPF and a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first UPF is associated with a first user equipment UE, and the second UPF is associated with a second UE, the method including: When receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; The first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet; The second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; The second UPF sends the received first data packet to the second UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: When the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF, the first SMF sends a first N4 signaling to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF, so that the first UPF and the first group communication UPF establish a second communication tunnel based on the received first N4 signaling; When receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE, the first UPF forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF, including: The first UPF receives the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; When the first UPF receives the first data packet sent by the first UE, it forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF using the second communication tunnel according to the first forwarding rule.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: When the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet, the second SMF sends a packet to the second group communication UPF and the first SMF according to the destination address in the first data packet. The second UPF sends a second N4 signaling, so that the second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish a third communication tunnel based on the received second N4 signaling; The second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF, including: The second group communication UPF receives the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; The second group communication UPF forwards the received first data packet to the second UPF using the third communication tunnel according to the second forwarding rule.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF by using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet, including: The first group communication UPF sends the first data packet to the second group communication UPF by using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet based on the forwarding table between the group communication UPFs; The method further comprises: When a third SMF is added to the virtual network group, the third SMF selects a UPF from the UPFs managed by itself as the third group communication UPF; The method further comprises: After completing configuration of a fourth communication tunnel configured between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the third SMF updates the forwarding table based on the fourth communication tunnel.

5. A data packet transmission method, wherein: Applied to a virtual network group, the virtual network group includes a first session management function SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF manages a first group communication user plane function UPF, the second SMF manages a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first group communication UPF is associated with a third user equipment UE, and the second group communication UPF is associated with a fourth UE, the method including: After receiving the second data packet sent by the third UE, the first group communication UPF sends the second data packet to the second group communication UPF by using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received second data packet; The second group communication UPF sends the received second data packet to the fourth UE.

6. A virtual network group, wherein: The virtual network group includes a first session management function SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF manages a first user plane function UPF and a first group communication UPF, the second SMF manages a second UPF and a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first UPF is associated with a first user equipment UE, and the second UPF is associated with a second UE; The first UE is configured to send a first data packet to the first UPF; The first UPF is configured to, upon receiving a first data packet sent by the first UE, forward the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to a first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; The first group communication UPF is configured to send the first data packet to the second group communication UPF by using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet; The second group communication UPF is used to forward the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; The second UPF is configured to send the received first data packet to the second UE; The second UE is used to receive the first data packet.

7. The virtual network group according to claim 6, wherein: The first SMF is further configured to, when the first UE sends a first data packet to the first UPF, send a first N4 signaling to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF, so that the first UPF and the first group communication UPF establish a second communication tunnel based on the received first N4 signaling; The first UPF is also used to receive the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF; when receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE, it forwards the first data packet to the first group communication UPF using the second communication tunnel according to the first forwarding rule.

8. The virtual network group according to claim 6, wherein: The second SMF is further configured to, when the second group communication UPF receives the first data packet, send a second N4 signaling to the second group communication UPF and the second UPF according to the destination address in the first data packet, so that the second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish a third communication tunnel based on the received second N4 signaling; The second group communication UPF is further used to receive the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF; according to the second forwarding rule, the received first The data packet is forwarded to the second UPF.

9. The virtual network group according to claim 6, wherein: The first group communication UPF is further configured to send the first data packet to the second group communication UPF by using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received first data packet based on the forwarding table between the group communication UPFs; The virtual network group also includes: a newly added third SMF; The third SMF is used to select a UPF from the UPFs managed by itself as a third group communication UPF; The third SMF is further configured to update the forwarding table based on the fourth communication tunnel configured between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF after the fourth communication tunnel is configured.

10. A virtual network group, wherein: Applied to a virtual network group, the virtual network group including a first session management function SMF and a second SMF, the first SMF managing a first group communication user plane function UPF, the second SMF managing a second group communication UPF, a first communication tunnel being pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first group communication UPF being associated with a third user equipment UE, and the second group communication UPF being associated with a fourth UE; The third UE is configured to send a second data packet to the first group communication UPF; The first group communication UPF is configured to, after receiving the second data packet sent by the third UE, send the second data packet to the second group communication UPF by using the first communication tunnel according to the destination address in the received second data packet; The second group communication UPF is configured to send the received second data packet to the fourth UE; The fourth UE is used to receive the second data packet.

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