Test system and method for user plane network element, storage medium, and electronic apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure are a test system and method for a user plane network element, a storage medium and an electronic apparatus. Said system comprises a data twin machine connected to a digital twin front-end processor and configured to acquire first interface data and send the first interface data to the digital twin front-end processor, the first interface data comprising corresponding interface data sent to a user plane network element (UPF) of an entity network and interface data sent by the entity UPF; the digital twin front-end processor, which is connected to the data twin machine and is configured to perform protocol message conversion for the first interface data so as to obtain second interface data, and send the second interface data to a digital UPF; and the digital UPF, which is connected to the digital twin front-end processor and configured to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, the digital UPF being a digital virtual body of the entity UPF.

Description

User plane network element testing system, method, storage medium and electronic device

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 26, 2023, with application number 202310760865.7 and invention name “Testing system, method, storage medium and electronic device for user-side network element”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this disclosure. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of 5G technology, and more specifically, to a testing system, method, storage medium, and electronic device for user-plane network elements. Background Art

[0003] A digital twin is a digital virtual body created by digital means of a physical entity. It uses data to simulate the operation of the physical entity in the real environment, adding or expanding new capabilities to the physical entity.

[0004] As a user-plane network element in 5G networks, the UPF primarily supports packet routing and forwarding, service identification, policy enforcement, session management, and QoS management. With the widespread adoption of 5G networks, the use cases for personal services are rapidly increasing on the consumer (B2B) side with the emergence of a variety of new terminals. On the business (B2B) side, with the construction of 5G private networks, new industry scenarios are emerging. To meet these evolving needs, the UPF must continuously evolve beyond its existing capabilities, adding new features and enhancing network service capabilities.

[0005] Because testing and verifying innovative features directly on real UPFs can cause network outages and paralysis, impacting user experience, simulation verification is the only option. Simulation verification cannot reflect real data, and some scenarios may not be constructed. Furthermore, cross-validation with other on-site features is impossible, and the implementation of these features cannot reflect actual operational results.

[0006] Therefore, there is a problem of low reliability when testing and verifying the innovative functions of the physical UPF.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a user plane network element testing system, method, storage medium and electronic device to at least solve the technical problem of low reliability when testing and verifying the innovative functions of the physical UPF in the related art.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a test system for a user plane network element is provided, including: a data twin machine, connected to a digital twin front-end machine, configured to obtain first interface data, and send the first interface data to the digital twin front-end machine, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and interface data sent by the physical UPF; the digital twin front-end machine, connected to the data twin machine, configured to perform protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data, and send the second interface data to the digital UPF; the digital UPF, connected to the digital twin front-end machine, configured to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is the digital virtual body of the physical UPF.

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for testing a user plane network element is provided, including: receiving first interface data sent by a data twin, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and interface data sent by the physical UPF; performing protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data; sending the second interface data to a digital UPF to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is a digital virtual body of the physical UPF.

[0011] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any of the above method embodiments are implemented.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the steps of any of the above method embodiments when executing the computer program. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] 1 is a hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal of a user plane network element testing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG2 is a structural block diagram of a user plane network element testing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG3a is a network architecture of a user plane network element testing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG3 b is a network architecture of a user plane network element testing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG4 is a flow chart of a method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG5 is a structural block diagram of a test device for a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of building a digital UPF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG8 is a timing diagram (I) of a method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG9 is a timing diagram (II) of a method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG10 is a structural block diagram of a digital twin front-end processor in an embodiment of the present disclosure (I);

[0024] FIG11 is a structural block diagram (II) of the digital twin front-end processor in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with embodiments.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0027] The method embodiments provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed in a mobile terminal, a computer terminal, or a similar computing device. Taking running on a mobile terminal as an example, FIG1 is a hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal of a user plane network element test system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the computer terminal may include one or more (only one is shown in FIG1 ) processors 102 (the processor 102 may include but is not limited to a microprocessor (Central Processing Unit, MCU) or a programmable logic device (Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA) and a memory 104 for storing data, wherein the above-mentioned computer terminal may also include a transmission device 106 and an input and output device 108 for communication functions. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure shown in FIG1 is only illustrative and does not limit the structure of the above-mentioned computer terminal. For example, the computer terminal may also include more or fewer components than those shown in FIG1 , or have a configuration different from that shown in FIG1 .

[0028] The memory 104 can be used to store computer programs, such as software programs and modules of application software, such as a computer program corresponding to a method for testing a user-plane network element in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processor 102 executes the computer program stored in the memory 104 to execute various functional applications and data processing, thereby implementing the above-mentioned method. The memory 104 can include a high-speed random access memory and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some examples, the memory 104 can further include a memory remotely located relative to the processor 102, and these remote memories can be connected to the computer terminal via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0029] The transmission device 106 is used to receive or transmit data via a network. A specific example of the aforementioned network may include a wireless network provided by a computer terminal's communications provider. In one embodiment, the transmission device 106 includes a network interface controller (NIC), which can be connected to other network devices via a base station to enable communication with the Internet. In another embodiment, the transmission device 106 may be a radio frequency (RF) module, which is used to communicate with the Internet wirelessly.

[0030] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be run on the network architecture shown in FIG3 a and FIG3 b .

[0031] As shown in Figure 3a, this network architecture includes a digital network user plane function (UPF), a digital twin front-end processor (FEP), an optical splitter, a mirror switch, and an intermediate switch. The digital UPF is connected to the digital twin FEP and configured to test the digital UPF's functionality based on data from the N3, N4, and N6 interfaces. In this network architecture, optical splitters are added to the N3 and N6 interfaces, and a mirror switch is added to the N4 interface. The digital UPF obtains mirror data from the N3, N4, and N6 interfaces through the intermediate switch.

[0032] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the N3 interface data and the N6 interface data of the real UPF are mirrored to the intermediate switch through a splitter, and the intermediate switch then sends the message to the digital UPF through the digital twin front-end through routing, and the N4 interface data of the real UPF is mirrored to the intermediate switch through a mirror switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the message to the digital UPF through the digital twin front-end through routing.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3b, this network architecture includes a digital UPF, a digital twin front-end processor, an optical splitter, a mirror switch, and an intermediate switch. The digital UPF is connected to the digital twin front-end processor and configured to test its functionality based on data from interfaces N3, N4, and N6. This network architecture only adds an optical splitter to the N3 interface and a mirror switch to the N4 interface. The digital UPF obtains mirrored data from interfaces N3, N4, and N6 through the intermediate switch.

[0034] The N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF mirror the data received by the N3 and N4 interfaces of the real UPF to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the message to the digital UPF through the digital twin front-end by routing, and the digital UPF decapsulates the mirrored N3 interface data through the digital twin front-end, converts the N3 interface data into N6 interface data, and sends the N6 interface data to the digital UPF through the digital twin front-end.

[0035] In this embodiment, a user plane network element testing system is provided, which is used to solve the technical problems and preferred implementation methods existing in the above-mentioned prior art embodiments.

[0036] FIG2 is a structural block diagram of a user plane network element testing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , the structure of the system may include:

[0037] The data twin machine 22 is connected to the digital twin front-end machine 24 and is configured to obtain first interface data and send the first interface data to the digital twin front-end machine 24, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF of the physical network and interface data sent by the physical UPF;

[0038] A digital twin front-end 24 is connected to the data twin 22 and is configured to perform protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data, and send the second interface data to the digital UPF 26;

[0039] The digital UPF 26 is connected to the digital twin front-end 24 and is configured to test the function of the digital UPF 26 according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF 26 is a digital virtual body of the physical UPF.

[0040] In the disclosed embodiment, the function of the digital UPF is tested by mapping the digital UPF to real running UPF data.

[0041] Through the above embodiment, since the data twin machine is connected to the digital twin front-end, it is configured to obtain first interface data and send the first interface data to the digital twin front-end, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the physical network user plane network element UPF, and interface data sent by the physical UPF; the digital twin front-end is connected to the data twin machine and is configured to perform protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data, and send the second interface data to the digital UPF; the digital UPF is connected to the digital twin front-end and is configured to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is the digital virtual body of the physical UPF. That is, the innovative function of the physical UPF is tested by real scene data in the embodiment of the present disclosure, thereby solving the technical problem of low reliability when testing and verifying the innovative function of the physical UPF in the related art, thereby achieving the technical effect of reliability and accuracy of testing the new function.

[0042] Since the N3 / N4 / N6 interface data cannot be directly applied to the digital UPF, the protocol data needs to be converted and adapted first. If the protocol data conversion process is completed through the digital UPF, its complexity will increase and the independence of the digital UPF will be reduced. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure performs corresponding protocol data conversion through the conversion module of the digital twin front-end.

[0043] Optionally, the above-mentioned digital twin front-end includes: a conversion module, wherein the conversion module is configured to, when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data, N6 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, perform network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data and the N6 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and converted N6 interface data, and perform PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data; the conversion module is configured to, when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, perform network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and N6 interface data, and perform PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data.

[0044] It can be understood that the important interfaces of UPF include N3, N4, and N6. The N3 interface is the interface between the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the UPF, and uses the GTP-U protocol for tunnel transmission of user data. The N4 interface is the interface between the Session Management Function (SMF) and the UPF. The control plane is set to transmit node messages and session messages, using the PFCP protocol, and the user plane is set to transmit messages that the SMF needs to receive or send through the UPF, using the GTP-U protocol. The N6 interface is the interface between the UPF and the external data network (DN) (such as the network cloud in Figure 3a).

[0045] It should be noted that the digital twin front-end in the embodiment of the present disclosure also includes: a receiving module and a sending module, wherein the receiving module is configured to receive the first interface data sent by the data twin machine; the sending module is configured to send the second interface data to the digital UPF.

[0046] Optionally, the conversion module of the above-mentioned digital twin front-end is also configured to convert the converted N3 interface data into N6 interface data according to the standard format of N6 interface data when the first interface data includes N3 interface data and N4 interface data.

[0047] It can be understood that when the above-mentioned first interface data includes N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, the above-mentioned N3 interface data is converted into N6 interface data according to the standard mode of N6 interface data to obtain N6 interface data in the actual operation scenario.

[0048] Optionally, when the number of data interfaces of the digital twin front-end is less than a first preset threshold, the data twin includes: multiple first sub-data twins, and a second sub-data twin connected to the first sub-data twin, wherein the multiple first sub-data twins are configured to respectively receive the first interface data sent by different network elements and copy the first interface data; the second sub-data twin is configured to obtain the copied first interface data and send the copied first interface data to the digital twin front-end, wherein the data information of the copied first interface data is the same as that of the first interface data.

[0049] It can be understood that when the number of data interfaces of the above-mentioned digital twin front-end is less than the first preset threshold, due to the small number of interfaces, the interface data can only be connected to the second sub-data twin machine through the first sub-data twin machine, and then the interface data is gathered together and then sent to the digital twin front-end through the second sub-data twin machine.

[0050] Optionally, the first sub-data twin machine includes: a mirror switch or an optical splitter; the second sub-data twin machine includes: a mirror switch or an optical splitter.

[0051] It can be understood that when the amount of historical communication data between the network element and the entity UPF is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, the above-mentioned first sub-data twin machine includes: a mirror switch; when the amount of historical communication data between the network element and the entity UPF is greater than the second preset threshold, the above-mentioned first sub-data twin machine includes: a splitter.

[0052] Optionally, the above system also includes: a deployment module, wherein the deployment module is configured to obtain the deployment data and data planning configuration file of the entity UPF, and deploy the digital UPF according to the deployment data and data planning configuration file, wherein the deployment data is configured to indicate the hardware configuration data and software configuration data of the entity UPF; the data planning configuration file is configured to indicate the business configuration data and operating system configuration data of the entity UPF.

[0053] The deployment data in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes at least one of the following: (1) system architecture; (2) hardware infrastructure, including servers, storage, and network devices; (3) virtualization platform; (4) business service NFS and service component SC composition; (5) business software version and hardware version, such as business software package version, image version, server firmware version, switch hardware version, etc.

[0054] The above-mentioned data planning configuration file includes at least one of the following: (1) business configuration and basic configuration of business operation and maintenance, such as initialization data configuration, business function configuration, global configuration, etc.; (2) Rosng data configuration, such as port and address configuration, routing configuration, VRF configuration, etc.

[0055] This embodiment further provides a test method running on a user plane network element. FIG4 is a flow chart of a test method for a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , the process includes the following steps:

[0056] Step S402: Receive first interface data sent by the data twin, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and interface data sent by the physical UPF;

[0057] Step S404: performing protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data;

[0058] Step S406: Send the second interface data to the digital UPF to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is a digital virtual entity of the physical UPF.

[0059] Through the above steps, due to the first interface data sent by the receiving data twin, wherein the first interface data includes: the interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and the interface data sent by the physical UPF; the first interface data is converted into a protocol message to obtain the second interface data; the second interface data is sent to the digital UPF to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is the digital virtual body of the physical UPF. Through the present disclosure, the technical problem that the innovative functions of UPF in the related art cannot be directly tested and verified by the real UPF is solved, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the reliability and accuracy of the new function and reducing the failure rate, and it is also possible to perform data mining on the digital UPF, predict possible network failures in advance, and conduct analysis and research on UPF energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the first interface data is converted into a protocol message to obtain the second interface data, including: when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data, N6 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, performing network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data and the N6 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and converted N6 interface data, and performing PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data; when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, performing network protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and N6 interface data, and performing PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the first interface data is converted into a network protocol message to obtain N6 interface data, including: when the first interface data includes N3 interface data and N4 interface data, the converted N3 interface data is converted into the N6 interface data according to the standard format of the N6 interface data.

[0062] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the method according to the above embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus the necessary general hardware platform, and of course it can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present disclosure, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as a read-only memory / random access memory (ROM / RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0063] This embodiment also provides a user-plane network element testing device, which is used to implement the above-mentioned embodiments and preferred implementations. Details already described will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" may refer to a combination of software and / or hardware that implements a predetermined function. Although the devices described in the following embodiments are preferably implemented in software, implementation using hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, is also possible and contemplated.

[0064] FIG5 is a structural block diagram of a device for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the device includes:

[0065] The first receiving module 502 is configured to receive first interface data sent by the data twin machine, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and interface data sent by the physical UPF;

[0066] A first conversion module 504 is configured to perform protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data;

[0067] The first sending module 506 is configured to send the second interface data to the digital UPF to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is a digital virtual body of the physical UPF.

[0068] Through the above-mentioned device, due to receiving the first interface data sent by the data twin machine, wherein the first interface data includes: the interface data corresponding to the physical network user plane network element UPF, and the interface data sent by the physical UPF; the first interface data is converted into a protocol message to obtain the second interface data; the second interface data is sent to the digital UPF to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is the digital virtual body of the physical UPF. Through this disclosure, the technical problem in the related art that the innovative functions of the UPF cannot be directly tested and verified through the real UPF is solved, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the reliability and accuracy of the new function and reducing the failure rate. In addition, data mining can be performed on the digital UPF to predict possible network failures in advance and analyze and study UPF energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, the first conversion module 504 is configured to, when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data, N6 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, perform network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data and the N6 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and converted N6 interface data, and perform PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data; when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, perform network protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and N6 interface data, and perform PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the first conversion module 504 is configured to convert the converted N3 interface data into the N6 interface data according to a standard format of N6 interface data when the first interface data includes N3 interface data and N4 interface data.

[0071] In order to better understand the above-mentioned method for testing the user plane network element, the above-mentioned method for testing the user plane network element is described below in combination with an optional embodiment, but it is not intended to limit the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] In this embodiment, a method for building a digital UPF is provided. FIG6 is a schematic diagram of building a digital UPF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6 , the specific steps are as follows:

[0073] Step S601, obtaining the deployment data of the real UPF;

[0074] It should be noted that the above deployment data includes but is not limited to:

[0075] (1) System architecture;

[0076] (2) Hardware infrastructure, including servers, storage, and network equipment;

[0077] (3) Virtualization platform;

[0078] (4) Business service NFS and service component SC;

[0079] (5) Business software version and hardware version, such as business software package version, image version, server firmware version, switch hardware version, etc.

[0080] Step S602: deploy the digital UPF according to the deployment data of the real UPF using the same installation method as the real UPF.

[0081] Step S603, obtaining the data planning configuration file of the real UPF;

[0082] It should be noted that the above data planning configuration files include but are not limited to:

[0083] (1) Business configuration: basic configuration of business operation and maintenance, such as initialization data configuration, business function configuration, global configuration, etc.

[0084] (2) Rosng data configuration, such as port and address configuration, routing configuration, VRF configuration, etc.

[0085] Step S604: configure the digital UPF according to the data planning configuration file of the real UPF.

[0086] Step S605: Connect the digital UPF to the network management system, and manage and maintain the digital UPF through the network management system.

[0087] Step S606, completing the construction of the digital UPF.

[0088] In this embodiment, a method for testing a user plane network element is provided. FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG7 , the specific steps are as follows:

[0089] Step S701: Mirror the N4 interface data through the switch configuration.

[0090] Step S702: Mirror the N3 interface data through the optical splitter configuration.

[0091] Step S703: Mirror the N6 interface data through the optical splitter configuration.

[0092] Step S704: Configure mirror data for docking with the digital UPF.

[0093] Step S705: Connect the digital UPF to the 5G or 6G network.

[0094] Step S706: Perform a functional test on the digital UPF, such as a pull-through test.

[0095] In this embodiment, a method for testing a user plane network element is provided in a scenario where N3 interface data, N6 interface data, and N4 interface data in a real scenario are obtained. FIG8 is a timing diagram (I) of a method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the specific steps are as follows:

[0096] Step S801, the SMF sends a PFCP session establishment / modification request message (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Request message) (equivalent to the N4 interface data sent to the physical UPF in the above embodiment) to the real UPF through the real N4 interface;

[0097] Step S802: Mirror the data through the mirror switch and send the mirrored N4 interface data (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Request message) to the digital twin front-end processor;

[0098] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 10, the digital twin front-end includes a receiving module, a conversion module, and a sending module, among which:

[0099] The conversion module is set as: 1) Network protocol message conversion: The receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirror N3 interface data and the mirror N6 interface data. The conversion module converts the received protocol message (mainly adapts the MAC address), and the sending module sends the converted message to the digital UPF; 2) PFCP protocol message conversion: The receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirror N4 interface data. The conversion module converts and adapts the received PFCP protocol message, and the sending module sends the converted PFCP protocol message to the digital UPF.

[0100] It should be noted that the mirrored switch sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the digital twin front-end through routing.

[0101] Step S803: The UPF sends a PFCP session establishment / modification response message (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Response message) (equivalent to the N4 interface data sent by the physical UPF in the above embodiment) to the SMF through the N4 interface.

[0102] Step S804: Mirror the data through the switch and send the mirrored N4 interface data (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Response message) to the digital twin front-end processor;

[0103] It should be noted that the mirrored switch sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the digital twin front-end machine through routing.

[0104] Step S805: When the digital twin front-end receives the mirrored N4 interface data, it converts and adapts the mirrored N4 interface data;

[0105] It should be noted that the receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirrored N4 interface data, and the conversion module converts and adapts the received mirrored N4 interface data.

[0106] Step S806: The sending module of the digital twin front-end sends the converted N4 interface data (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Request, PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Response) to the digital UPF;

[0107] Step S807: The network protocol message sent by the UE (equivalent to the N3 interface data sent to the physical UPF in the above embodiment) is sent to the real UPF through the real N3 interface;

[0108] Step S808: Mirror the data through the optical splitter and send the mirrored N3 interface data to the digital twin front-end;

[0109] It should be noted that the optical splitter sends the mirrored N3 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the mirrored N3 interface data to the digital twin front-end through routing.

[0110] In step S809, the receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirrored N3 interface data, and the conversion module converts and adapts the received mirrored N3 interface data (mainly converting and adapting the MAC address).

[0111] Step S810: The digital twin front-end sends the converted mirrored N3 interface data to the digital UPF;

[0112] In step S811, the digital UPF performs testing and cross-validation of innovative functions based on the received converted mirror N3 interface data.

[0113] Step S812: The network protocol message sent by the PDN (equivalent to the N6 interface data sent to the physical UPF in the above embodiment) is sent to the real UPF through the N6 interface;

[0114] Step S813: Mirror the data through the optical splitter and send the mirrored N6 interface data to the digital twin front-end;

[0115] It should be noted that the optical splitter sends the mirrored N6 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the mirrored N6 interface data to the digital twin front-end through routing.

[0116] In step S814, the receiving module of the digital twin front-end is used to receive the mirrored N6 interface data, and the conversion module converts and adapts the received mirrored N6 interface data (mainly converting and adapting the MAC address).

[0117] Step S815: The digital twin front-end sends the converted mirrored N6 interface data to the digital UPF;

[0118] In step S816, the digital UPF performs testing and cross-validation of innovative functions based on the received converted mirrored N6 interface data.

[0119] In this embodiment, a method for testing a user plane network element is provided in a scenario where N3 interface data and N4 interface data in a real scenario are obtained. FIG9 is a timing diagram (II) of a method for testing a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG9 , the specific steps are as follows:

[0120] Step S901, SMF sends a PFCP session establishment / modification request message (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Request message) to the real UPF through the real N4 interface;

[0121] Step S902: Mirror the data through the switch and send the mirrored N4 interface data (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Request message) to the digital twin front-end processor;

[0122] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 11, the digital twin front-end includes a receiving module, a conversion module, and a sending module, among which:

[0123] The conversion module is set as: 1) Network protocol message conversion: The receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirrored N3 interface data, the conversion module converts the received protocol message (mainly adapts the MAC address), and the sending module sends the converted message to the digital UPF; 2) PFCP protocol message conversion: The receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirrored N4 interface data, the conversion module converts and adapts the received PFCP protocol message, and the sending module sends the converted PFCP protocol message to the digital UPF.

[0124] It should be noted that the switch sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the message to the digital twin front-end through routing.

[0125] Step S903: The UPF sends a PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Response message to the SMF via the N4 interface.

[0126] Step S904: Mirror the data through the mirror switch and send the mirrored N4 interface data (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Response message) to the digital twin front-end processor;

[0127] It should be noted that the mirrored switch sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the mirrored N4 interface data to the digital twin front-end machine through routing.

[0128] Step S905: When the digital twin front-end receives the mirrored N4 interface data, it converts and adapts the mirrored N4 interface data;

[0129] It should be noted that the receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirrored N4 interface data, and the conversion module converts and adapts the received mirrored N4 interface data.

[0130] Step S906: The sending module of the digital twin front-end sends the converted mirrored N4 interface data (PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Request, PFCP Session Establishment / Modification Response) to the digital UPF;

[0131] Step S907: The network protocol message sent by the UE is sent to the real UPF through the real N3 interface;

[0132] Step S908: Mirror the data through the optical splitter and send the mirrored N3 interface data to the digital twin front-end;

[0133] It should be noted that the optical splitter sends the mirrored N3 interface data to the intermediate switch, and the intermediate switch then sends the mirrored N3 interface data to the digital twin front-end through routing.

[0134] In step S909, the receiving module of the digital twin front-end is responsible for receiving the mirrored N3 interface data. The conversion module converts and adapts the received mirrored N3 interface data (mainly converts and adapts the MAC address), and converts the converted mirrored N3 interface data into N6 interface data.

[0135] Step S910: The digital twin front-end sends the converted mirrored N3 interface data and N6 interface data to the digital UPF;

[0136] In step S911, the digital UPF performs testing and cross-validation of innovative functions based on the received converted mirrored N3 interface data and N6 interface data.

[0137] It should be noted that the above modules can be implemented through software or hardware. For the latter, it can be implemented in the following ways, but not limited to: the above modules are all located in the same processor; or the above modules are located in different processors in any combination.

[0138] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided by the present disclosure, embodiments of specific scenarios will be described in detail below.

[0139] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is configured to execute the steps of any one of the above method embodiments when run.

[0140] In an exemplary embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media that can store computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a mobile hard disk, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0141] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0142] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor, and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0143] For specific examples in this embodiment, reference may be made to the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementation modes, and this embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0144] Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that the modules or steps of the present disclosure described above can be implemented using a general-purpose computing device, they can be concentrated on a single computing device, or distributed across a network composed of multiple computing devices, they can be implemented using program code executable by the computing device, and thus, they can be stored in a storage device and executed by the computing device, and in some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than herein, or they can be fabricated into separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated into a single integrated circuit module for implementation. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0145] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the principles of the present disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A user plane network element testing system, comprising: The data twin machine is connected to the digital twin front-end machine, and is configured to obtain first interface data and send the first interface data to the digital twin front-end machine, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and interface data sent by the physical UPF; The digital twin front-end is connected to the data twin, and is configured to perform protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data, and send the second interface data to the digital UPF; The digital UPF is connected to the digital twin front-end and is configured to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is a digital virtual entity of the physical UPF.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The digital twin front-end includes: a conversion module, wherein: The conversion module is configured to, when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data, N6 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, perform network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data and the N6 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and converted N6 interface data, and perform PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data; The conversion module is configured to, when the first interface data includes: N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, perform network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and N6 interface data, and perform PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein: include: The conversion module is further configured to convert the converted N3 interface data into N6 interface data according to a standard format of N6 interface data when the first interface data includes N3 interface data and N4 interface data.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: When the number of data interfaces of the digital twin front-end is less than a first preset threshold, the data twin includes: a plurality of first sub-data twins, and a second sub-data twin connected to the first sub-data twins, wherein: The multiple first sub-data twin machines are configured to respectively receive the first interface data sent by different network elements and replicate the first interface data; The second sub-data twin machine is configured to obtain the copied first interface data and send the copied first interface data to the digital twin front-end machine, wherein the data information of the copied first interface data is the same as that of the first interface data.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein: include: The first sub-data twin machine includes: a mirror switch or a splitter; the second sub-data twin machine includes: a mirror switch or a splitter.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The system further comprises: a deployment module, wherein: The deployment module is configured to obtain the deployment data and data planning configuration file of the entity UPF, according to the deployment The digital UPF is deployed using deployment data and a data planning configuration file, wherein the deployment data is set to indicate hardware configuration data and software configuration data of the physical UPF; the data planning configuration file is set to indicate business configuration data and operating system configuration data of the physical UPF.

7. A method for testing a user plane network element, comprising: Receive first interface data sent by the data twin, wherein the first interface data includes: interface data corresponding to the user plane network element UPF sent to the physical network, and interface data sent by the physical UPF; Performing protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data; The second interface data is sent to the digital UPF to test the function of the digital UPF according to the second interface data, wherein the digital UPF is a digital virtual entity of the physical UPF.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: Performing protocol message conversion on the first interface data to obtain second interface data includes: In a case where the first interface data includes: N3 interface data, N6 interface data, and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, performing network protocol message conversion on the N3 interface data and the N6 interface data to obtain converted N3 interface data and converted N6 interface data, and performing PFCP protocol message conversion on the N4 interface data to obtain converted N4 interface data; When the first interface data includes: N3 interface data and N4 interface data sent to the UPF, the first interface data is converted into a network protocol message to obtain converted N3 interface data and N6 interface data, and the N4 interface data is converted into a PFCP protocol message to obtain converted N4 interface data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The first interface data is converted into a network protocol message to obtain N6 interface data, including: In the case where the first interface data includes N3 interface data and N4 interface data, the converted N3 interface data is converted into the N6 interface data according to a standard format of N6 interface data.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored therein, wherein: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any one of claims 7 to 9 are implemented.

11. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 7 to 9 when executing the computer program.

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