Data acquisition method, apparatus and system

Abstract

The present application provides a data acquisition method, apparatus and system. The method comprises: acquiring service traffic feature data of a communication service in a physical network, wherein the service traffic feature data is used for describing a transmission feature of a data stream of the communication service in the physical network; and constructing or updating a network twin on the basis of the service traffic feature data, wherein the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used for simulating the transmission of the data stream of the communication service in the physical network. On the basis of the described solution, existing network management data acquisition mechanisms are enhanced, and the network twin is constructed or updated on the basis of the service traffic feature data, thereby facilitating simulation of the transmission of the data stream of the communication service in the physical network, and realizing rapid evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service and network management in the physical network.

Description

Data collection method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on June 28, 2023, with application number 202310782347.5 and invention name “Data Acquisition Method, Device and System”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a data acquisition method, device and system. Background Art

[0003] Currently, the communications industry is considering applying network twin technology to communications networks. The resulting network twin can simulate the physical network and reflect its operational status, and can be used for network performance prediction, fault detection, and other purposes. To improve the consistency between the network twin and the physical network, the network twin management entity needs to build or update the network twin based on the network data of the physical network.

[0004] With the increasing intelligence and automation of networks, new services such as virtual reality (VR), video surveillance, and remote control are emerging. To ensure the user experience of these new services, it is necessary to conduct accurate and rapid service quality of experience (QoE) assessments to promptly identify situations where QoE falls short of expectations and trigger network optimization or expansion. However, how to better support QoE assessments and network management is currently a challenge.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a data collection method, device and system that can better support service experience quality evaluation and network management.

[0007] In the first aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a network twin management entity or by a component of the network twin management entity (such as a chip or circuit, etc.). For convenience, the execution of the network twin management entity is used as an example for illustration.

[0008] The method includes: obtaining business traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, where the business traffic characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network; constructing or updating a network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, where the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0009] In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and then simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, enabling accurate and rapid service experience quality evaluation and network management.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the network twin includes a service model, which is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0011] Based on the above solution, the business model in the twin network is introduced, and the business model in the network twin is constructed or updated by collecting business traffic characteristic data, thereby simulating the transmission of the data flow of the communication business in the physical network, that is, digitizing the physical network to achieve business experience quality evaluation, synchronous analysis and prediction, and improvement and optimization of the communication business of the physical network.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, obtaining service traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network includes: sending a first request message, the first request message includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to indicate the collection of service traffic characteristic data; and receiving service traffic characteristic data.

[0013] Optionally, the management system proactively reports business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity.

[0014] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity obtains business traffic characteristic data by sending a first request information, that is, the management system sends business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity based on the trigger of the first request information, which is highly targeted and improves data collection efficiency.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a name of the collected data.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: receiving second request information, the second request information is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, the second request information including the service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service; and determining the collection requirements of the service traffic characteristic data based on the second request information.

[0017] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity triggers the collection of business traffic characteristic data based on the second request information sent by the network twin service consumer, thereby improving data collection efficiency.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, after constructing or updating the network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: sending configuration information, the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the business traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method and a reporting threshold.

[0019] Based on the above solution, by configuring the twin data collection strategy to the management system, adaptive reporting of business traffic feature data can be achieved, thereby improving the collection and modeling efficiency of business traffic feature data.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: receiving second request information, the second request information being used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, the second request information including the service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service; and determining the need to construct a service model based on the second request information.

[0022] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity triggers the collection of business traffic characteristic data based on the second request information sent by the network twin service consumer, thereby improving data collection efficiency.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, after constructing or updating the network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: sending configuration information, the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the business traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the model category and static indication associated with the communication business, or the configuration information includes the model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication business.

[0024] Based on the above solution, by configuring the twin data collection strategy to the management system, adaptive reporting of business traffic feature data can be achieved, thereby improving the collection and modeling efficiency of business traffic feature data.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network is evaluated based on the network twin to obtain an evaluation result; wherein the evaluation result is used to indicate the value of the evaluation indicator of the communication service, or to indicate whether the evaluation indicator of the communication service meets the indicator requirements; and the evaluation result is sent in response to the second request information.

[0026] Optionally, the evaluation indicator can be proactively reported by the network twin service consumer to the network twin management entity, and the evaluation indicator can be carried in the second request information. If the network twin service consumer does not specify the evaluation indicator, the network twin management entity can determine the evaluation indicator based on the service type carried in the second request information.

[0027] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity can build or update the business model of the network twin based on the acquired business traffic characteristic data, thereby realizing a rapid evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network to ensure user experience.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the indicator requirements and / or evaluation indicators are included in the second request information, and the method also includes: mapping the service type and / or evaluation indicators into network key performance indicator KPI data for performing service experience quality evaluation on the communication service.

[0029] Based on the above solution, the network twin management entity maps the service type and / or evaluation indicators to KPI data, which facilitates effective service experience quality evaluation of communication services.

[0030] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the evaluation result indicates that the evaluation index of the communication service does not meet the index requirement, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network is optimized.

[0031] Based on the above solution, when the evaluation indicators of the communication service do not meet the index requirements, the network twin management entity can further optimize the communication service in the physical network, thereby ensuring that the evaluation indicators of the communication service data flow meet the index requirements and guarantee the user experience.

[0032] In a second aspect, a data collection method is provided. This method can be executed by a management system or by a component of a management system (e.g., a chip or circuit), such as a network management system (NMS) or an element management system (EMS). For convenience, the method is described herein using a management system as an example.

[0033] The method includes: obtaining business traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, the business traffic characteristic data being used to describe the transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; sending the business traffic characteristic data, the business traffic characteristic data being used to construct or update a network twin, which is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0034] In this implementation, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and then simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, enabling accurate and rapid service experience quality evaluation and network management.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the network twin includes a service model, which is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0036] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, before obtaining the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, the method also includes: receiving a first request information, the first request information including data collection indication information, the data collection indication information being used to indicate the collection of service traffic characteristic data; determining a measurement task based on the first request information, the measurement task including a measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, a service flow identifier, a service traffic characteristic data type, and a measurement period.

[0037] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, obtaining service traffic characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network includes: sending a third request message, the third request message is used to request the collection of service traffic characteristic data, the third request message includes a measurement task; and receiving service traffic characteristic data.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a name of the collected data.

[0039] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, after sending the service traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including the name of the collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information including the name of the collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method and a reporting threshold; and determining the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data based on the configuration information.

[0040] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first request information further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

[0041] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, after sending the service traffic characteristic data, the method also includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a model category and static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information including a model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication service; and determining the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data based on the configuration information.

[0042] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned second aspect and certain implementation methods of the second aspect can be referred to the corresponding description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] In a third aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a network twin management entity or by a component of the network twin management entity (such as a chip or circuit, etc.). For convenience, the network twin management entity is used as an example for illustration.

[0044] The method includes: obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network; constructing or updating a first model of a network twin based on the first data, wherein the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and is used to simulate the physical network, and the first data stream corresponds to the first model.

[0045] Exemplarily, the first model includes one or more of the following: a topology model, a channel model, a network element model, or a service model.

[0046] In this implementation method, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the first data of the first data stream in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and thus effectively collect twin data for network management.

[0047] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first model is a digital expression of the first data flow, used to simulate transmission of the first data flow in the physical network.

[0048] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, obtaining the first data of the first data stream in the physical network includes: sending a first request message, the first request message including the collection data name or model category, collection cycle, collection strategy, and collection area; and receiving the first data.

[0049] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, before sending the first request information, the method further includes: determining that the model to be constructed or updated is a first model; and / or determining that the data to be collected is first data.

[0050] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, before sending the first request information, the method also includes: receiving a second request information, the second request information being used to construct or update a network twin; determining, based on the second request information, that the model to be constructed or updated is the first model; and / or, based on the second request information, determining that the data to be collected is the first data.

[0051] The beneficial effects of the third aspect and certain implementation methods of the third aspect can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0052] In a fourth aspect, a data collection method is provided, which can be executed by a management system or by a component of the management system (such as a chip or circuit, etc.). For convenience, the execution of the management system is used as an example for description.

[0053] The method includes: obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network, the first data being used to construct or update a first model of a network twin, the network twin being a digital expression of a physical network and being used to simulate a physical network, the first data stream corresponding to the first model; and sending the first data.

[0054] Exemplarily, the first model includes one or more of the following: topology model, channel model, network element model, or service model

[0055] In this implementation method, the existing network management data collection mechanism is enhanced so that the twin network can obtain the first data of the first data stream in the physical network through the management plane channel, realize the modeling and simulation of the network twin, and thus effectively collect twin data for network management.

[0056] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first model is a digital expression of the first data flow, used to simulate the transmission of the first data flow in the physical network.

[0057] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, before obtaining the first data of the first data stream in the physical network, the method also includes: receiving first request information, the first request information including the collection data name or model category, collection period, collection strategy and collection area; determining the measurement task based on the first request information, the measurement task including the measurement object identifier, the measurement category list and the measurement period, the measurement category list is determined based on the collection data name or model category, and the measurement period is determined based on the collection period and the collection strategy.

[0058] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the method for obtaining the first data of the first data stream in the physical network also includes: sending a second request information, the second request information is used to request the collection of the first data, and the second request information includes a measurement task; and receiving the first data.

[0059] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect and certain implementation methods of the fourth aspect can be referred to the corresponding description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0060] In the fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module for obtaining business traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, the business traffic characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network; a processing module for constructing or updating a network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data, the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0061] The transceiver module can perform the reception and transmission processing in the aforementioned first aspect, and the processing module can perform other processing except reception and transmission in the aforementioned first aspect.

[0062] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module for obtaining business traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, the business traffic characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network; the transceiver module is also used to send business traffic characteristic data, the business traffic characteristic data is used to construct or update a network twin, the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0063] The transceiver module can perform the receiving and sending processing in the second aspect mentioned above. Optionally, the communication device also includes a processing module, which can perform other processing in addition to receiving and sending in the second aspect mentioned above.

[0064] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module for obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network; a processing module for constructing or updating a first model in a network twin based on the first data, the network twin being a digital expression of a physical network and used to simulate a physical network, and the first data stream corresponds to the first model.

[0065] The transceiver module can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned third aspect, and the processing module can perform other processing except receiving and sending in the aforementioned third aspect.

[0066] In the eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a transceiver module for obtaining first data of a first data stream in a physical network, the first data is used to construct or update a first model in a network twin, the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and is used to simulate the physical network, and the first data stream corresponds to the first model; the transceiver module is also used to send the first data.

[0067] The transceiver module can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned fourth aspect, and the processing module can perform other processing in addition to receiving and sending in the aforementioned fourth aspect.

[0068] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which is used to call and run the computer program from a memory, so that the communication device executes the method in any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects above.

[0069] Optionally, there are one or more processors.

[0070] Optionally, the communication device further includes one or more memories, and the memories may be integrated with the processor, or the memories may be provided separately from the processor.

[0071] Optionally, the communication device further includes a transmitter (transmitter) and a receiver (receiver).

[0072] In the tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a network twin management entity and a management system, the network twin management entity is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned first aspect or third aspect, and the management system is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned second aspect or fourth aspect.

[0073] Optionally, the communication system may also include a network twin service consumer entity and a functional network element / terminal device.

[0074] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or code. When the computer program or code is run on a computer, the computer executes the method in any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects above.

[0075] In the twelfth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, and the processor being used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that a device equipped with the chip system executes a method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned first to sixth aspects.

[0076] The chip may include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data.

[0077] In the thirteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: computer program code or instructions, which, when the computer program code or the instructions are run on a computer, enable the computer to execute the method in any possible implementation of the above-mentioned first to sixth aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of the network architecture provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0079] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a mapping relationship 300 between a physical network and a twin network provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0080] FIG4 is a flow chart of a data collection method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] FIG5 is a flow chart of a data collection method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] FIG6 is a flow chart of a data collection method 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] FIG7 is a flow chart of a data collection method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] FIG8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] FIG9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0086] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] A network twin is a digital mirror (or virtual entity) of a physical network. Leveraging historical and real-time network data and algorithmic models, it simulates, verifies, predicts, and controls the entire lifecycle of the physical network, digitizing the physical network to enable simultaneous analysis, prediction, and optimization. In other words, a digital twin network is a network system consisting of a physical network and its digital twin, with real-time interactive mapping between the physical and digital networks. A physical network is formed by connecting various physical devices or network elements (such as hosts, routers, switches, etc.) and media (such as optical cables, electrical cables, twisted pair cables, etc.). A physical network can be a mobile access network, transmission network, mobile core network, backbone network, or other network. It can also be a data center network, campus network, or industrial Internet of Things network. Network data, also known as network operation data, represents the operational status of the physical network and can include configuration parameters, alarm data, and performance data of physical devices or network elements. Optionally, the network twin can also be called a digital twin, a network digital twin, or a network digital twin entity, which is not limited in this application.

[0089] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of the communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the communication system 100 in Figure 1 or the communication system 200 in Figure 2, the physical network includes a radio access network (RAN) network element, a user equipment (UE) and a core network (CN) network element, and the network management system (NMS) and the element management system (EMS) can manage the physical network. Among them, NMS is a cross-domain management system, and EMS is a single-domain management system. Therefore, the RAN domain and the CN domain correspond to different EMSs, respectively, and are represented as: EMS (RAN) and EMS (CN). Optionally, NMS and EMS can be collectively referred to as a 3GPP management system, or an Operations Administration and Maintenance (OAM) module. The network twin management entity (NTME) provides a twin service interface to the outside world, which can be called by network twin service consumers. Among them, NTME interacts with the physical network through the management system. As shown in Figure 1, NTME interacts with the physical network through NMS. As shown in Figure 2, NTME interacts with the physical network through EMS. Optionally, NTME can be an independent module or a module integrated with NMS.

[0090] Below, the network elements or devices involved in the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application are described in detail.

[0091] 1) NMS: Responsible for network operation, management, and maintenance. NMS can also be called a cross-domain management system.

[0092] 2) EMS: Used to manage one or more network elements of a certain category. EMS can also be called a domain management system or a single domain management system.

[0093] 3)RAN: Provides wireless access for user devices, allowing users to access the network.

[0094] 4) CN: It mainly provides user connections, user management, and service carrying. It serves as a bearer network and provides an interface to the external network.

[0095] 5) UE: User terminal equipment, which allows users to access the network.

[0096] 6) NTME: Responsible for the management of network twins, including the construction of twin networks / models and twin network management functions. Network twins can provide various external services, such as online simulation services and latency evaluation services.

[0097] 7) Network twin service consumer: the caller of the network twin service.

[0098] For example, the "domains" mentioned above can be referred to as network objects, network elements, etc. A domain is used to indicate a physical or logical entity composed of network devices within the same network management scope. Among them, a domain can be a wireless domain, a core network domain, a transport domain, and a mobile network end-to-end domain. The wireless domain can include base stations, cells, UEs, network devices in a wireless device management system, etc. The core network domain can include core network network elements such as SMF, NWDAF, AMF, network devices in a core network device management system, etc. The transport domain can include switches, routers, network devices in a transport network device management system, etc. The mobile network end-to-end domain includes the wireless domain, the core network domain, the transport domain, and network devices in the NMS, etc., wherein the network management system NM is sometimes also referred to as an operations support system (OSS) / business support system (BSS). A network element is also called a network function. Each domain can include one or more network elements.

[0099] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the mapping relationship 300 between the physical network and the twin network provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the physical network includes UE, RAN, transport network (transport network, TN), CN and network function (network function, NF). The UE and RAN are transmitted through the air interface, and the twin network includes a topology model, a channel model and a network element model. Among them, the twin network needs to collect various modeling-related data from the physical network, such as network configuration, air interface perception, operating status, etc., to build various models mapped to the physical network, and then realize the reconstruction of the mapping body of the physical network in the twin network through the topology model, channel model, network element model, etc. Among them, the network configuration is some configuration parameters or operations for the network, such as adjusting the base station antenna tilt angle to 30 degrees, turning on a certain algorithm switch of the base station, etc.

[0100] Among them, UE / RAN / TN / CN / App can correspond to terminal equipment, access network equipment, transmission network equipment, core network equipment, and application equipment, such as mobile phones, base stations, switches, routers, core network network elements (such as session management function (SMF), access and mobility management function (AMF), network data analytics function (NWDAF), etc.), and various application servers (such as game web pages, video websites, etc.).

[0101] It should be understood that the above-mentioned network architecture applied to the embodiments of the present application is only an example, and any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application. That is, the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0102] It should be noted that the above-mentioned network elements can be network components in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform. The above-mentioned network elements can be implemented by one device or by multiple devices.

[0103] It will be understood that the network elements or devices listed in the above network architecture are only exemplary illustrations, and the network architecture applicable to the present application may also include other network elements or devices, which are not limited in this application. The naming of the above network elements or devices is defined only for the convenience of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of adopting other naming in 4G networks, 5G networks and other networks in the future. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above network elements may use the terminology in 4G / 5G, or may adopt other names.

[0104] As the costs of data storage, computing, and transmission decrease, and data processing capabilities continue to improve, network twins are gradually coming into view and are being applied in many fields. Currently, the communications industry is also considering applying network twin technology to communication networks, using network twins to simulate network data from physical networks for network performance prediction and fault detection. Extensive research and standardization work has been carried out on the application of network twins in networks.

[0105] For example, new services such as virtual reality, video surveillance, and remote control place higher demands on the network. To ensure the user experience of these new services, it is necessary to conduct accurate and rapid service experience quality assessments. On the one hand, this allows service consumers to monitor the service experience quality of the service in real time. On the other hand, when the service experience quality does not meet the requirements, network optimization or capacity expansion can be triggered in a timely manner. Rapid assessment of service experience quality based on digital network twins is a feasible approach. The key lies in collecting relevant service data from the physical network to achieve accurate and rapid modeling and simulation, and to support the simulation of service characteristics and changes in the physical network in the network twin.

[0106] However, the data collected using existing solutions cannot accurately and rapidly assess service quality of experience. On the one hand, existing solutions support the collection of standard-defined data. However, network twins relying solely on this data cannot capture service characteristics for accurate modeling. On the other hand, the data collected by existing solutions is performance statistics at the network element level. However, a single network element contains multiple services, and statistics at this level cannot reflect real-time service characteristics. For example, suppose base station A is transmitting data for two services. The first service is video surveillance, with a packet rate of 10 per second, and the second service is VR, with a packet rate of 1000 per second. When calculating the packet rate, base station A assumes a measurement period of 5 minutes. The total number of packets sent within 5 minutes is calculated as 300 * 1010 = 303,000. The packet rate reported by base station A is 303,000 / 300 = 1010. This means that the packet rate reported by the base station is the total packet rate for all services, which does not accurately reflect the actual traffic characteristics of each service within the base station.

[0107] In response to the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a data collection method and device, which enhances the existing network management data collection mechanism, that is, by obtaining the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, to construct or update the business model in the network twin, which is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network in the network twin, thereby supporting rapid evaluation of the service experience quality and network management of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin.

[0108] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are explained:

[0109] 1) In this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0110] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may not depend on other features in certain scenarios, and may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios, without limitation.

[0111] It can be understood that the solutions in the various embodiments of the present application can be used in combination, and the explanations or descriptions of the various terms, similar operations or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained with each other in the various embodiments, and the present application does not limit this.

[0112] 2) Throughout this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical references are used for descriptive purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they are used to distinguish between different messages, rather than to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that such references are interchangeable, where appropriate, to allow for the description of scenarios beyond the embodiments of this application.

[0113] 3) In this application, the terms "comprise" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product or apparatus.

[0114] 4) In this application, "used to indicate" can include being used for direct indication and being used for indirect indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, and it does not mean that the indication information must carry A.

[0115] 5) In this application, "sending information to XX (device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the device. This can include sending information to the device directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from XX (device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the device, which can include receiving information from the device directly or indirectly. The information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as formatting changes, but the destination can still understand the valid information from the source.

[0116] 6) The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include a fifth generation (5G) network protocol, a new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in sixth generation (6G) or future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0117] The data collection method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment provided by the present application can be applied to any communication scenario in which a transmitting device and a receiving device communicate, for example, it can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 above. In order to achieve rapid evaluation of the quality of service experience, the present application proposes the following method shown in Figures 4 to 7, where the network twin management entity obtains service traffic characteristic data from the management system, and constructs or updates the service model of the network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, thereby achieving the service experience quality evaluation of the communication service in the physical network. It should be understood that the method embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 7 can be combined with each other, and the steps in the method embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 7 can be referenced to each other. For example, in an embodiment of the present application, the method embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6 can be respectively a way of implementing the functions of the method embodiment shown in Figure 4, and the method embodiment shown in Figure 7 can be an implementation method that is independent of the method embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0118] FIG4 is a flow chart of a data bureau collection method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to the network architecture shown in FIG1 or FIG2. The method flow can be executed by a network twin management entity (such as NTME) and a management system (such as NMS or EMS), or by modules and / or devices (such as chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the network twin management entity and management system, which is not limited by the present application. The following description is based on the network twin management entity and the management system as the execution body. As shown in FIG4, the method includes the following multiple steps. For the undetailed parts, please refer to the existing protocol.

[0119] S410, the management system obtains service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network.

[0120] The service traffic characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

[0121] In the first implementation, when the management system is an NMS, the NMS determines the measurement task, sends request message #1 (i.e., the third request message) to the EMS (RAN / CN), and receives service traffic characteristic data from the EMS (RAN / CN). In response, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives request message #1 from the NMS, requests the NF / UE to collect service traffic characteristic data based on request message #1, and reports the service traffic characteristic data to the NMS.

[0122] Request message #1 is used to request the collection of service traffic characteristic data. Request message #1 includes a measurement task, which includes a measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, a service flow identifier, a service traffic characteristic data type, and a measurement period. It should be understood that in request message #1, the measurement data type is the name of the information element. The measurement data type can have multiple values. In the embodiment of the present application, the measurement data type is the service traffic characteristic data type. The measurement data type herein can be referred to as the measurement data name.

[0123] Exemplarily, the NMS determines the measurement task, including: the NMS first determines the service flow identifier based on the service identifier carried in the request information #2 in step S402b, where the service flow identifier is used to identify the network identifier of the communication service (for example, a 5G quality of service identifier (5QI)). Then, the NMS determines whether to send the measurement task to the EMS (RAN) or the EMS (CN) based on the collection domain carried in the request information #2 in step S402b, that is, determines whether to send the measurement task to the EMS that manages the RAN domain or the EMS that manages the CN domain based on the collection domain, and then determines the network identifier of the measurement object (for example, a base station, a cell, etc.) in combination with the geographical location information of the collection area carried in the request information #2 in step S402b.

[0124] In the second implementation, when the management system is EMS (RAN / CN), EMS (RAN / CN) determines the measurement task, requests the NF / UE to collect service traffic characteristic data, and receives the service traffic characteristic data from the NF / UE.

[0125] Exemplarily, EMS (RAN / CN) determines the measurement task, including: EMS (RAN / CN) determines the service flow identifier based on the service identifier carried in the request information #2 in step S402b, where the service flow identifier is a network identifier used to identify the service (e.g., 5QI), and then EMS (RAN / CN) determines the measurement data type and measurement period based on the mapping relationship between the model category and the data, and determines the network identifier of the measurement object (e.g., base station, cell, etc.) based on the geographic location information of the collection area carried in the request information #2 in step S402b.

[0126] Optionally, the mapping relationship between the model category and the data includes the following implementations:

[0127] (1) The mapping relationship between model categories and data is preset in NMS by NTME;

[0128] (2) Sent by NTME to NMS. For example, when NTME sends a model data collection request to NMS, it also sends the mapping relationship to NMS. Optionally, the mapping relationship can be sent only once.

[0129] (3) The NMS queries the NTME to obtain the mapping relationship. Optionally, the mapping relationship may be queried only once.

[0130] Furthermore, the EMS (RAN / CN) sends a data collection request to the NF / UE, and the NF / UE receives the data collection request from the EMS (RAN / CN). The data collection request includes the measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, the service flow identifier, the service traffic characteristic data type, and the measurement period, i.e., the measurement task.

[0131] Optionally, the data collection request is subscription-based, and when the reporting conditions are met, the NF / UE reports the service traffic characteristic data to the EMS (RAN / CN) EMS (RAN / CN), for example, periodically reporting within a specific reporting time.

[0132] S420a, the management system sends business traffic feature data to the network twin management entity, and correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives business traffic feature data from the management system.

[0133] S420b, the network twin management entity obtains service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network.

[0134] In the first implementation method, the management system proactively provides business traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity.

[0135] In the second implementation method, the network twin management entity sends a request message #2 (i.e., a first request message) to the management system (e.g., NMS or EMS), and the network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives the request message #2 from the network twin management entity, determines the measurement task based on the request message #2, sends a measurement task request to the NF / UE to collect service traffic characteristic data, and reports the service traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity. Among them, the request message #2 includes data collection indication information, which is used to indicate the collection of service traffic characteristic data.

[0136] It should be understood that the above step S420a can be regarded as a specific implementation of S420b.

[0137] In the first example, the request information #2 further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a collection data name.

[0138] Optionally, before the network twin management entity sends the request information #2 to the management system, the method 400 further includes:

[0139] The network twin service consumer (NTME consumer) sends request information #3 (i.e., the second request information) to the network twin management entity. Correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives request information #3 from the network twin service consumer and determines the collection requirements of the service traffic feature data based on request information #3. Request information #3 is used to request the network twin management entity to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0140] Exemplarily, the network twin service consumer may be an operator's business support system (BSS), or a third-party application, etc.

[0141] The request information #3 includes the service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service.

[0142] (1) Service Identifier: This identifier is used to identify the service to be evaluated. In the embodiments of the present application, a service can be understood as a collection of service data flows. The service identifier can be a service data flow identification (SDFI) or single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI).

[0143] (2) Deployment area: used to indicate the deployment area of ​​the service to be evaluated, which can also be called the evaluation area, for example, it can be described by a geographical location.

[0144] (3) Service type: used for service type characteristics, which can be a coarse-grained service category description (for example, uplink video, downlink control, voice, etc.), or a specific service name (for example, VR, telecommuting, video surveillance, remote control, etc.).

[0145] Optionally, the request information #3 also includes evaluation indicators and / or indicator requirements.

[0146] (4) Evaluation indicators: used to indicate the type of indicator to be evaluated, which can be service-side indicators (for example, key quality indicators (KQI) or quality of experience (QoE)) or network-side indicators (for example, rate, latency, jitter, or access success rate).

[0147] (5) Indicator requirements: used to indicate the network twin service consumer’s demand for specified communication services and specified indicators, such as requiring a latency of less than 20 milliseconds.

[0148] Optionally, the request information #2 may further include a collection domain and / or a collection direction. The collection domain and the collection direction may be included in the collection data name, and the collection domain and the collection direction are determined according to the service type in the request information #3.

[0149] (6) Collection domain: used to indicate the collection domain of service traffic characteristic data, such as EMS (RAN) or EMS (CN).

[0150] (7) Collection direction: used to indicate the collection direction of service traffic characteristic data, such as uplink or downlink.

[0151] Optionally, the evaluation indicator can be proactively sent by the network twin service consumer to the network twin management entity. For example, the evaluation indicator can be carried in request information #3. If the request information #3 does not carry the evaluation indicator, the network twin management entity can determine the evaluation indicator based on the service type carried in request information #3.

[0152] Optionally, the indicator requirement can be proactively sent by the network twin service consumer to the network twin management entity. For example, the indicator requirement can be carried in request information #3. The network twin management entity can subsequently evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the constructed or updated network twin, and then determine whether the service experience quality of the current communication service in the physical network meets the requirements based on the indicator requirement. If not, the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network can be optimized.

[0153] Optionally, if the request information #3 carries a service type or evaluation indicator (for example, a key quality indicator (KQI) or quality of experience (QoE)), the network twin management entity can map the service type and / or evaluation indicator to a network key performance indicator (KPI) data for evaluating the service experience quality of the communication service, that is, associating the corresponding KPI according to the service type, or converting the service indicator into the corresponding KPI. The mapping relationship is an internal algorithm or indication pre-configured in the network twin management entity. For example, assuming that the service type is video surveillance, the KPIs mapped by the network twin management entity are uplink rate and end-to-end delay.

[0154] Furthermore, the network twin management entity can determine the collection requirements of the service traffic characteristic data based on the request information #3. Exemplarily, the network twin management entity first determines that a service model needs to be established, and then determines the service traffic characteristic data and collection period that need to be collected to establish the service model based on the service type in the request information #3. For example, for the service experience quality evaluation of video surveillance, the collected data is end-to-end service traffic characteristic data, including packet interval, packet rate, packet size, frame rate, or bit rate, etc. The collection domain is UE / RAN / TN / CN, the collection direction is uplink, and the collection period is determined according to the typical change period of the video surveillance service.

[0155] Therefore, the service identifier and collection area carried in Request #2 are also carried in Request #3. The collected data name and collection period are determined based on the service type in Request #3. For example, for video surveillance service quality of experience assessment, the collected data name can be understood as end-to-end service traffic characteristic data, which can be a list such as {uplink RAN ​​side packet transmission interval, uplink RAN ​​side packet transmission rate, uplink RAN ​​side data packet size}.

[0156] In the second example, the request information #2 further includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

[0157] The model category indicates the type of model to be built. For example, for video surveillance service quality of experience evaluation, the model category can be an end-to-end service model or a single-domain service model, such as the RAN service model, CN service model, or TN service model. The specific meanings of the service identifier and collection area can be found in the above description and are not detailed here.

[0158] Compared with the first implementation method of sending the collection data name and collection period to the management system, the second implementation method can reduce transmission overhead by sending the model to the management system.

[0159] Optionally, before the network twin management entity sends the request information #2 to the management system, the method 400 further includes:

[0160] The network twin service consumer sends request information #3 (i.e., the second request information) to the network twin management entity. Correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives request information #3 from the network twin service consumer, and determines that the business model needs to be constructed based on request information #3. Among them, the request information #3 is used to request the network twin management entity to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network. Among them, the request information #3 includes the service identifier, deployment area and service type associated with the communication service. For specific interpretations, please refer to the above-mentioned relevant descriptions, which will not be repeated here.

[0161] Optionally, the request information #2 may further include a collection domain and / or a collection direction, and the collection domain and the collection direction are determined according to the service type in the request information #3.

[0162] S430, the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin based on the business traffic characteristic data.

[0163] Among them, the network twin is a digital representation of the physical network, used to simulate the physical network. The digital representation can also be called a digital mirror or digital twin.

[0164] Exemplarily, the network twin includes a service model corresponding to the communication service, which is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network. It should be understood that the service model is a digital representation of the communication service, which is used to simulate the transmission of the communication service data flow in the physical network.

[0165] The following describes how the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin based on business traffic characteristic data.

[0166] Exemplarily, the network twin management entity can be modeled based on the service traffic characteristic data and statistical probability model of each collection domain (such as RAN / CN / TN). For example, the transmission characteristics of the communication service flow between each node are extracted, and the service traffic model corresponding to each collection domain is constructed respectively. Then, an end-to-end complete service model is constructed according to a specific algorithm. Specifically, for each collection domain, a statistical probability model is first selected according to the service type, such as a Poisson distribution model or a multi-level Batch Deterministic model. Then, the parameters of the selected statistical probability model are estimated based on the service traffic characteristic data. For example, for a Poisson distribution model, the estimated parameter is the mean. After obtaining the service model of each collection domain, the end-to-end complete service model can be obtained by performing convolution calculations on each distribution model.

[0167] In order to maintain the consistency between the twin network and the physical network, the network twin management entity may need to collect business traffic characteristic data from the management system multiple times.

[0168] Optionally, after the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method 400 further includes:

[0169] In the first example, the network twin management entity sends configuration information #1 to the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives configuration information #1 from the network twin management entity, and determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic feature data based on the configuration information #1, and then re-collects the service traffic feature data and sends it to the network twin management entity. Wherein, the configuration information #1 includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information #1 includes the name of the collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method, and a reporting threshold.

[0170] In the second example, the network twin management entity sends configuration information #2 to the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives configuration information #2 from the network twin management entity, and determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data based on the configuration information #2, and then re-collects the service traffic characteristic data and sends it to the network twin management entity. Wherein, the configuration information #2 is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data, and the configuration information #2 includes the model category and static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information #2 includes the model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication service.

[0171] Exemplarily, the reporting conditions include a reporting period and a reporting event.

[0172] Optionally, configuration information #1 and configuration information #2 can be sent simultaneously with request information #2, or they can be sent separately. This application does not limit this.

[0173] The static indication or dynamic indication is used to indicate whether the service traffic characteristic data is static data or dynamic data, and the data change frequency identification method indication is used to identify the period of dynamic data change or measure the speed of dynamic data change.

[0174] For example, if the service traffic characteristic data is static, it means that the service traffic characteristic data generally does not change frequently, so frequent reporting is not required. The measurement period can be set to be relatively long, for example, once a day, and the reporting event is the detection of data changes. Reporting is only required when changes are detected in the service traffic characteristic data. Such service traffic characteristic data can be, for example, antenna configuration or UE capabilities. If the service traffic characteristic data is dynamic, it means that the service traffic characteristic data is in a state of continuous change, so continuous reporting is required. For example, the measurement period is the collection period specified by NTME, and the reporting event is the frequency of data changes exceeding a specified threshold. Such service traffic characteristic data can be, for example, user speed or user location.

[0175] Furthermore, for dynamic business traffic characteristic data, the configuration information may also include: a data change frequency identification method and / or a reporting threshold. Among them, the data change frequency identification method indication may be a calculation formula or model, which can be used to identify the period of dynamic data changes, or to measure the speed of dynamic data changes. For example, for business traffic characteristic data with periodic dynamic changes, the identified change period can be used as the measurement and reporting period; for business traffic characteristic data with non-periodic dynamic changes, a reporting threshold can be set, and reporting is required only when the data change frequency exceeds the specified threshold. Optionally, for business traffic characteristic data with non-periodic dynamic changes, periodic collection or measurement can be performed.

[0176] Optionally, based on the network twin obtained in the above step S430, the method 400 also includes step S440, that is, the network twin management entity can use the created or updated network twin to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, including synchronous analysis and prediction and improvement optimization, such as network performance prediction, fault detection, etc., and then improve and optimize the physical network based on the prediction results (or evaluation results) or fault detection results. The specific implementation method can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S514 to S516, or S525 to S527 in the following method 500, or the specific implementation method can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S611 to S613, or S620 to S622 in the following method 600. For the sake of simplicity, no specific explanation is given here.

[0177] Optionally, after the network twin management entity constructs or updates the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method 400 further includes:

[0178] Exemplarily, the network twin management entity evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the business model and other basic models in the constructed or updated network twin, and obtains an evaluation result. For example, taking the evaluation of the uplink RAN ​​side delay as an example, the business model can be activated to simulate the transmission of the communication service in the physical network. The specific implementation can be that one parameter in the business model is used to maintain the number of packets of the RAN node, and another parameter is used to maintain the number of packets of the next node of the RAN node. At each packet sending moment, the number of data packets is reduced by 1, and the number of data packets of the next node is increased by 1. Among them, the packet sending moment is determined according to the packet sending interval in the service traffic characteristic data. The packet sending moment of the RAN and the packet receiving moment of the next node are recorded. The difference is the transmission delay of a single packet. After a period of time, the average delay value is calculated as the uplink delay evaluation value on the RAN side.

[0179] Furthermore, in response to the request information #3 received from the network twin service consumer, the network twin management entity sends the evaluation result to the network twin service consumer, wherein the evaluation result is used to indicate the value of the evaluation indicator of the communication service, or to indicate whether the evaluation indicator of the communication service meets the indicator requirements.

[0180] Optionally, the value of the evaluation result can be YES or NO, where YES or NO is used to indicate that the current service experience quality meets the indicator requirements carried in the above request information #3; conversely, NO or NO can be used to indicate that the current service experience quality does not meet the indicator requirements carried in the request information #3. At this time, the network twin management entity can optimize the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

[0181] Optionally, if the evaluation results indicate that the evaluation indicators of the communication service do not meet the indicator requirements, the network twin management entity can optimize the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network. For example, when the rate is lower than the service demand rate, the network twin management entity can use expansion measures (for example, adding service sites in the network), first simulate to obtain the number and location of the newly deployed sites, and then instruct the management system to deploy the newly deployed sites.

[0182] Based on the above technical solution, the twin network is supported to collect business traffic feature data through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, and a new service experience quality assessment request (corresponding to the second request information) interface provided by the network twin management entity is added to support twin-based business experience quality assessment. A new management system is added to provide a business traffic feature data collection interface for the twin network, and the management system's measurement task management interface (corresponding to the third request information) is enhanced. New business models and business traffic feature data types in the network twin are added to support the collection of business traffic feature data, thereby supporting the rapid evaluation of business experience quality of communication services in the physical network.

[0183] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a data collection method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Method 500 is a possible implementation of method 400 applied to the architecture shown in Figure 1 above. It is described by taking the network twin service consumer as the NTME consumer, the network twin management entity as the NTME, the network element management system device as the NMS, the network element management system device as the EMS, and the functional network element / communication device as the NF / UE as an example. In this implementation, enhancements are made to the existing network management data collection mechanism to support service experience quality evaluation and network management based on network twins. As shown in Figure 5, the method includes the following multiple steps. For the parts that are not detailed, please refer to the existing protocols.

[0184] S501: The NTME consumer sends a second request message to the NTME. Correspondingly, the NTME receives the second request message from the NTME consumer.

[0185] The second request information includes a service identifier, a deployment area, a service type, a collection domain, and a collection direction associated with the communication service.

[0186] Optionally, the second request information also includes evaluation indicators and / or indicator requirements.

[0187] S502, optionally, the NTME determines the KPI to be evaluated based on the business type / evaluation indicator.

[0188] S503: The NTME determines the collection requirements of the service traffic characteristic data / the constructed service model according to the second request information.

[0189] S504: The NTME sends a first request message to the NMS. Correspondingly, the NMS receives the first request message from the NTME.

[0190] The first request information includes the service identifier associated with the communication service, the collection area, the name of the collected data, the collection period, the collection domain, and the collection direction. Alternatively, the first request information includes the model category, service identifier, collection area, and collection direction. Optionally, the collection domain and collection direction are determined in step S503. Optionally, the collection domain and collection direction are included in the name of the collected data.

[0191] S505: The NMS determines a measurement task according to the first request information.

[0192] The measurement task includes: a measurement object identifier associated with the communication service, a service flow identifier, a service flow characteristic data type, and a measurement period.

[0193] Exemplarily, the NMS determines the measurement task according to the model category carried in the first request information and the mapping relationship between the model category and the service traffic characteristic data.

[0194] S506 , the NMS sends a measurement task request to the EMS (RAN / CN). Correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the measurement task request from the NMS.

[0195] The request to create a measurement task includes one or more of the following: an identifier of a measurement object, a service flow identifier, service flow characteristics, and a measurement period.

[0196] S508 , the EMS (RAN / CN) sends a measurement task response to the NMS. Correspondingly, the NMS receives the measurement task response from the EMS (RAN / CN).

[0197] S507: EMS (RAN / CN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (RAN / CN), wherein the data collection request includes a measurement task.

[0198] Furthermore, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0199] S509: The NMS sends a first request response to the NTME. Correspondingly, the NTME receives the first request response from the NMS. Optionally, in response to step S504, the first request response carries an identifier of the first request.

[0200] S510, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN / CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from NF / UE.

[0201] S511, EMS (RAN / CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from EMS (RAN / CN).

[0202] S512 , the NMS sends the service traffic characteristic data # 1 to the NTME. Correspondingly, the NTME receives the service traffic characteristic data # 1 from the NMS.

[0203] S513, NTME builds or updates the service model of the network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data #1.

[0204] S514, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin, and obtains evaluation result #1.

[0205] S515 , NTME sends evaluation result # 1 to NTME consumer. Correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result # 1 from NTME.

[0206] S516, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #1.

[0207] Optionally, since the actual business and network are constantly changing, the business model needs to be updated regularly. In order to maintain the consistency between the twin network and the physical network, the network twin management entity may need to continuously collect business traffic feature data from the management system, that is, execute the following steps S517 to S527. It can be understood that in the above steps S501 to S516, the NMS performs periodic measurements and reports according to the collection period specified in the first request information sent by the NTME. The following steps S517 to S527 introduce an adaptive data collection strategy (i.e., configuration information), which can adjust the collection and reporting period of business traffic feature data according to the data characteristics, thereby reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead.

[0208] S517 , the NTME sends configuration information to the NMS, and correspondingly, the NMS receives the configuration information from the NTME.

[0209] The configuration information includes but is not limited to: the name of the collected data, and static or dynamic instructions.

[0210] (1) Collection data name: similar to the collection data name specified in the first request information sent by the NTME to the NMS in step S504, such as the packet sending interval, packet sending rate, or data packet size.

[0211] (2) Static or dynamic indication: used to indicate whether the data to be collected is static or dynamic.

[0212] Optionally, the configuration information in step S517 may also be issued simultaneously with the first request information in step S504. Since the frequency of data changes needs to be determined based on historical change data, after step S504, at least one round of service traffic feature data collection must be completed before determining whether the measurement task needs to be adjusted.

[0213] S518: The NMS determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to the configuration information.

[0214] Exemplarily, the NMS determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data based on the configuration information and historical data. It should be understood that the historical data here refers to the service traffic characteristic data #1 obtained in step S511 above.

[0215] S519 , the NMS sends a modification measurement task to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the modification measurement task from the NMS.

[0216] The modified measurement task is used to request the EMS (RAN / CN) to modify the measurement task on the EMS side. The modified measurement task may include the identification of the measurement object, the service flow identification, the service traffic characteristics, and the measurement period. The modified measurement task is different from the measurement task determined in step S505.

[0217] S520: The EMS (RAN / CN) sends a data collection request to the NF / UE. In response, the NF / UE receives the data collection request from the EMS (RAN / CN). The data collection request includes the modified measurement task, such as the required data type and the modified measurement period.

[0218] Furthermore, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0219] Optionally, the data collection request is subscription-based, and when a reporting condition is met, the NF / UE reports the data, for example, periodically at a specific reporting time.

[0220] S521, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to EMS (RAN / CN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN / CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from NF / UE.

[0221] S522, the EMS (RAN / CN) sends the service traffic characteristic data #2 to the NMS, and correspondingly, the NMS receives the service traffic characteristic data #2 from the EMS (RAN / CN).

[0222] S523 , the NMS sends the service traffic characteristic data # 2 to the NTME. Correspondingly, the NTME receives the service traffic characteristic data # 2 from the NMS.

[0223] S524, NTME builds or updates the service model of the network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data #2.

[0224] S525, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin and obtains evaluation result #2.

[0225] S526 , NTME sends evaluation result #2 to NTME consumer. Correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result #2 from NTME.

[0226] S527, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #2.

[0227] It should be noted that the specific implementation methods of the above steps S501 to S512 and S513 to S516, and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S410 to S420b and S430 of the above method 400 respectively. The specific implementation methods of the above steps S518 to S527, and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant descriptions of the above steps S505 to S516. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0228] Based on the above solution, the twin network is supported to collect business traffic characteristic data through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, and a new interface for the business experience quality assessment request (corresponding to the second request information) provided by the network twin management entity is added to support twin-based business experience quality assessment. A new management system is added to provide a business traffic characteristic data collection interface for the twin network, and the management system's measurement task management interface (corresponding to the third request information) is enhanced. The business model and business traffic characteristic data type in the network twin are added to support the collection of business traffic characteristic data, thereby supporting the rapid evaluation of the business experience quality of communication services in the physical network. Furthermore, by introducing an adaptive data collection strategy, it supports adjusting the data collection and reporting cycle according to data characteristics, reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead.

[0229] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a data collection method 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Method 600 is a possible implementation of method 400 applied to the architecture shown in Figure 2 above. It is described by taking the network twin service consumer as the NTME consumer, the network twin management entity as the NTME, the network element management system equipment as the EMS, and the functional network element / communication device as the NF / UE as an example. The difference from the above-mentioned method 400 is that, in this implementation, there is no need to forward the service traffic feature collection request through the NMS. The NTME can determine the collection domain and then send the service traffic feature collection request to the EMS of the corresponding domain. As shown in Figure 6, the method includes the following multiple steps. For the parts that are not detailed, please refer to the existing protocol.

[0230] S601: The NTME consumer sends a second request message to the NTME. Correspondingly, the NTME receives the second request message from the NTME consumer.

[0231] S602, optionally, the NTME determines a network performance KPI to be evaluated based on the service type / evaluation indicator.

[0232] S603: The NTME determines the collection requirements of the service traffic characteristic data / the constructed service model according to the second request information.

[0233] The specific implementation of the above steps S601 to S603 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S501 to S503 of the above method 500, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0234] It should be noted that after the NTME determines the collection domain in step S603, it can send a first request message to the EMS of the corresponding domain to request the collection of service traffic characteristic data. For example, if the collection domain determined in step S603 is RAN, steps S604A to S609A are executed, i.e., the process for the NTME to collect RAN domain data from the EMS (RAN); if the collection domain determined in step S603 is CN, steps S604B to S609B are executed, i.e., the process for the NTME to collect CN domain data from the EMS (CN).

[0235] S604A, NTME sends first request information to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives the first request information from NTME.

[0236] The service traffic feature collection request does not need to include collection domain information.

[0237] S605A: EMS (RAN) determines a measurement task according to the first request information.

[0238] The specific implementation of the above steps S604 and S605 and the meaning of the interactive information can be found in the relevant description of steps S505 and S505 of the above method 500, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0239] S606A, EMS (RAN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (RAN).

[0240] Furthermore, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0241] S607A, EMS (RAN) sends a first request response to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives the first request response from EMS (RAN).

[0242] S608A, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from NF / UE.

[0243] S609A, EMS (RAN) sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from EMS (RAN).

[0244] The specific implementation of the above steps S606A to S608A and the meaning of the interactive information can be found in the relevant descriptions of steps S507, S509 and S510 of the above method 500, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0245] S604B, NTME sends a first request message to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives the first request message from NTME.

[0246] S605B, the EMS (CN) determines a measurement task according to the first request information.

[0247] S606B, EMS (CN) sends a data collection request to NF / UE, and correspondingly, NF / UE receives the data collection request from EMS (CN).

[0248] Furthermore, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0249] S607B, EMS (CN) sends a first request response to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives the first request response from EMS (CN).

[0250] S608B, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from NF / UE.

[0251] S609B, EMS (CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #1 to NTME, and correspondingly, NTME receives service traffic characteristic data #1 from EMS (CN).

[0252] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S605B to S609B and the meaning of the interactive information can be referred to the relevant description of the above steps S605A to S609A. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0253] S610, NTME builds or updates the service model of the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data #1.

[0254] S611, NTME evaluates the service experience quality of communication services in the physical network based on the network twin and obtains evaluation result #1.

[0255] S612, NTME sends evaluation result #1 to NTME consumer, and correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result #1 from NTME.

[0256] S613, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #1.

[0257] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the above steps S610 to S613 and the meaning of the interaction information can be referred to the relevant descriptions of steps S513 to S516 of the above method 500 respectively, and for the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0258] Optionally, the network twin management entity may need to continuously collect business traffic characteristic data from the management system, that is, execute the following steps S614A to S622. It can be understood that in the above steps S601 to S613, the NMS performs periodic measurements and reports according to the collection period specified in the first request information sent by the NTME. The following steps S614A to S622 introduce an adaptive data collection strategy (i.e., configuration information), which can adjust the collection and reporting period of business traffic characteristic data according to data characteristics, thereby reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead. For example, based on the case where the collection domain is RAN in the above steps S604A to S609A, execute the following steps S614A to S618A; based on the case where the collection domain is CN in the above steps S604B to S609B, execute the following steps S614B to S618B.

[0259] S614A, NTME sends configuration information to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives the configuration information from NTME.

[0260] S615A, EMS (RAN) determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to the configuration information.

[0261] S616A: The EMS (RAN) sends a data collection request to the NF / UE. In response, the NF / UE receives the data collection request from the EMS (RAN). The data collection request includes the modified measurement task, such as the required data type and the modified measurement period.

[0262] Furthermore, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, the EMS (RAN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0263] S617A, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to EMS (RAN), and correspondingly, EMS (RAN) receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from NF / UE.

[0264] S618A, EMS (RAN) sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from EMS (RAN).

[0265] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S615A to S618A and the meaning of the interactive information can be referred to the relevant descriptions of the above steps S605A, S606A to S609A. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0266] S614B, NTME sends configuration information to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives the configuration information from NTME.

[0267] S615B, EMS (CN) determines the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data according to the configuration information.

[0268] S616B: The EMS (CN) sends a data collection request to the NF / UE. In response, the NF / UE receives the data collection request from the EMS (CN). The data collection request includes the modified measurement task, such as the required data type and the modified measurement period.

[0269] Furthermore, the NF / UE sends a data collection response to the EMS (CN), and correspondingly, the EMS (CN) receives the data collection response from the NF / UE.

[0270] S617B, NF / UE sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to EMS (CN), and correspondingly, EMS (CN) receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from NF / UE.

[0271] S618B, EMS (CN) sends service traffic characteristic data #2 to NMS, and correspondingly, NMS receives service traffic characteristic data #2 from EMS (CN).

[0272] Among them, the specific implementation method of the above steps S614B to S618B and the meaning of the interactive information can be referred to the relevant description of the above steps S614A to S618A. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0273] S619, NTME builds or updates the service model of the network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data #2.

[0274] S620: NTME evaluates the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin, and obtains evaluation result #2.

[0275] S621, NTME sends evaluation result #2 to NTME consumer, and correspondingly, NTME consumer receives evaluation result #2 from NTME.

[0276] S622, optionally, NTME performs optimization based on evaluation result #2.

[0277] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the above steps S619 to S622 and the meaning of the interaction information can be referred to the relevant description of steps S524 to S527 of the above method 500. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0278] Based on the above solution, the twin network is supported to collect business traffic characteristic data through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, and a new interface for the business experience quality assessment request (corresponding to the second request information) provided by the network twin management entity is added to support twin-based business experience quality assessment. A new management system is added to provide a business traffic characteristic data collection interface for the twin network, and the management system's measurement task management interface (corresponding to the third request information) is enhanced. The business model and business traffic characteristic data type in the network twin are added to support the collection of business traffic characteristic data, thereby supporting the rapid evaluation of the business experience quality of communication services in the physical network. Furthermore, by introducing an adaptive data collection strategy, it supports adjusting the data collection and reporting cycle according to data characteristics, reducing unnecessary collection and reporting overhead.

[0279] It should be pointed out that the solutions of methods 400 to 600 mentioned above mainly support the data collection required for business model construction. In fact, the construction or update of other models / services in the twin also requires data collection. Therefore, this application provides the following Figure 7 to illustrate the general twin data collection solution in the twin network.

[0280] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a data collection method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2. The method flow can be executed by a network twin management entity (such as NTME) and a management system (such as NMS or EMS), or by modules and / or devices (such as chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the network twin management entity and management system, which is not limited by the present application. The following description is based on the network twin management entity and the management system as the execution body. As shown in Figure 7, the method includes the following multiple steps. For the undetailed parts, please refer to the existing protocol.

[0281] S710: The management system obtains first data of a first data flow in a physical network.

[0282] It should be understood that the first data refers to the data required by the network twin management entity to construct or update the first model of the network twin.

[0283] In a first implementation, when the management system is an NMS, the NMS determines a measurement task, sends a request message #a to the EMS (RAN / CN), and receives first data from the EMS (RAN / CN). In response, the EMS (RAN / CN) receives the request message #a from the NMS, requests the NF / UE to collect service traffic characteristic data based on the request message #a, and reports the first data to the NMS.

[0284] The request information #a is used to request the collection of the first data, and the request information #a includes a measurement task, which includes a measurement object identifier associated with the first data stream, a data stream identifier, a first data type, and a measurement period. Optionally, the measurement task also includes reporting conditions, including a reporting period and a reporting event.

[0285] In a second implementation manner, when the management system is EMS (RAN / CN), the EMS (RAN / CN) determines a measurement task, requests the NF / UE to collect data, and receives first data from the NF / UE.

[0286] S720a, the management system sends first data to the network twin management entity, and correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives the first data from the management system.

[0287] S720b, the network twin management entity obtains the first data of the first data flow in the physical network.

[0288] In a first implementation manner, the management system proactively sends first data of the network twin management entity.

[0289] In the second implementation, the network twin management entity sends a request message #b to the management system, and the network twin management entity receives the first data from the management system. Correspondingly, the management system receives the request message #b from the network twin management entity, determines the measurement task based on the request message #b, sends a measurement task request to the NF / UE to collect the first data, and reports the first data to the network twin management entity. The request message #b includes data collection indication information, which is used to instruct the collection of the first data.

[0290] It should be understood that the above step S720a can be regarded as a specific implementation of S720b.

[0291] Exemplarily, the request information #b also includes the collection data name or model category, and the collection area.

[0292] Optionally, the request information #b also includes a collection domain, a collection period, and a collection strategy, wherein the collection strategy corresponds to the collection data name or model category.

[0293] Optionally, the collection policy is not included in request message #b, i.e., the collection policy can be configured via a separate message. The parameters included in the collection policy (e.g., static / dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method indication, or reporting threshold indication) and their interpretations can be found in the description of method 400 above and are not detailed here for the sake of brevity.

[0294] Optionally, before the network twin management entity sends the request information #b to the management system, the method 700 further includes:

[0295] Exemplarily, the network twin service consumer sends a request message #c (for example, twin service request information) to the network twin management entity. Correspondingly, the network twin management entity receives the request message #c from the network twin service consumer and determines the collection requirements of the first data and / or the first model that needs to be constructed based on the request information #c.

[0296] Optionally, the network twin management entity independently determines the requirements for collecting the first data and / or building the first model.

[0297] S730, the network twin management entity constructs or updates a first model of the network twin based on the first data.

[0298] A network twin is a digital representation of a physical network, used to simulate it. A digital representation can also be called a digital mirror. The first data stream corresponds to a first model, which is a digital representation of the first data stream and is used to simulate the transmission of the first data stream in the physical network.

[0299] Exemplarily, the first model includes one or more of the following: a topology model, a channel model, a network element model, or a service model.

[0300] Optionally, based on the first model of the network twin obtained in the above step S730, the method 700 also includes step S740, that is, the network twin management entity can use the created or updated first model of the network twin to simulate or emulate the transmission of the first data stream in the physical network, digitize the physical network, and realize synchronous analysis, prediction and improvement and optimization of the physical network, including evaluation of service experience quality, evaluation of channel transmission quality, etc., to achieve effective management of the physical network.

[0301] Among them, the specific implementation of the above steps S710 to S740 and the meaning of the interactive information can refer to the relevant description of steps S410 to S440 of the above method 400, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0302] Based on the above solution, by enhancing the management plane channel to collect primary data, it is possible to support twin network modeling and simulation. At the same time, a new twin data collection interface provided by the NMS to the network twin is added, and the NMS measurement task management interface is enhanced to support the collection of primary data.

[0303] In summary, this application provides a twin data collection method that supports rapid evaluation of service experience quality. It is based on the existing network management data collection mechanism and is enhanced so that the twin network can collect service traffic characteristic data of communication services through the management plane channel for modeling and simulation, thereby supporting rapid and accurate evaluation of service experience quality and network management based on the twin network. In addition, by configuring the twin data collection strategy, adaptive reporting of service traffic characteristic data can be achieved, thereby improving the efficiency of collecting and modeling service traffic characteristic data.

[0304] The method embodiment of the present application is described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The device embodiment of the present application is described below. It can be understood that the description of the method embodiment and the description of the device embodiment can correspond to each other. Therefore, for parts not described, reference can be made to the previous method embodiment.

[0305] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the interaction between various network elements. It can be understood that each network element, such as a transmitting end device or a receiving end device, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to implement the above functions. Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0306] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the transmitting device or the receiving device can be divided according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0307] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the device 1000 includes a transceiver module 1010 and / or a processing module 1020. The transceiver module 1010 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 1020 is used to perform data processing. In other words, the transceiver module 1010 is used to perform operations related to receiving and sending, and the processing module 1020 is used to perform other operations in addition to receiving and sending. The transceiver module 1010 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0308] Optionally, the device 1000 may also include a storage module 1030, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1020 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device can implement the actions of the device or network element in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0309] In one design, the device 1000 may implement steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the network twin management entity (e.g., NTME) in the above method embodiments, or may be a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) of the network twin management entity.

[0310] The device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the network twin management entity in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 1010 can be used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the network twin management entity in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 1020 can be used to execute the processing-related operations of the network twin management entity in the above method embodiment.

[0311] In another design, the apparatus 1000 may implement the steps or processes executed by a management system (eg, NMS, EMS) corresponding to the above method embodiments, or may be a component of the management system (eg, a chip or circuit).

[0312] The device 1000 can implement the steps or processes executed by the management system in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 1010 can be used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the management system in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 1020 can be used to execute the processing-related operations of the management system in the above method embodiment.

[0313] It should be understood that the specific process of each module executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0314] It should also be understood that the device 1000 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1000 may be specifically the communication device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the communication device in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 1000 may be specifically the network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0315] The device 1000 of each of the above-mentioned schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the equipment (such as a communication device, a network twin management entity, or a management system) in the above-mentioned method. This function can be implemented by hardware, or it can be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing modules, can be replaced by processors to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0316] In addition, the transceiver module 1010 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing module may be a processing circuit.

[0317] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9 , the device 2000 includes a processor 2010 and a transceiver 2020. The processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 communicate with each other via an internal connection path. The processor 2010 is configured to execute instructions to control the transceiver 2020 to transmit and / or receive signals.

[0318] Optionally, the apparatus 2000 may further include a memory 2030, which communicates with the processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 via an internal connection path. The memory 2030 is used to store instructions, and the processor 2010 may execute the instructions stored in the memory 2030.

[0319] As a solution, the device 2000 is used to implement the operations performed by the network twin management entity (such as NTME) in the above various method embodiments.

[0320] As another solution, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement the operations performed by the management system (eg, NMS, EMS) in the above various method embodiments.

[0321] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0322] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0323] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0324] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0325] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 3000 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG10 , the chip system 3000 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 3010 and an input / output interface 3020 .

[0326] Logic circuit 3010 may be a processing circuit in chip system 3000. Logic circuit 3010 may be coupled to a storage unit and call instructions in the storage unit, so that chip system 3000 can implement the methods and functions of various embodiments of the present application. Input / output interface 3020 may be an input / output circuit in chip system 3000, outputting information processed by chip system 3000 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into chip system 3000 for processing.

[0327] As a solution, the chip system 3000 is used to implement the operations performed by the network twin management entity in the above method embodiments.

[0328] As another solution, the chip system 3000 is used to implement the operations performed by the management system in the above various method embodiments.

[0329] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the device in the above-mentioned method embodiments are stored.

[0330] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0331] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, including the aforementioned network twin management entity and management system. Optionally, it also includes the aforementioned network twin service consumer entity and functional network element / terminal device.

[0332] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0333] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0334] 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 application 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. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. 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 by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. 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 integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)). For example, the aforementioned available medium includes, but is not limited to, various media that can store program code, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0335] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A data collection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire service flow characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, wherein the service flow characteristic data is used to describe transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; A network twin is constructed or updated according to the service traffic characteristic data. The network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The network twin includes a service model, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The obtaining of service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network includes: Sending first request information, where the first request information includes data collection indication information, where the data collection indication information is used to instruct collection of the service flow characteristic data; The service flow characteristic data is received.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first request information also includes a service identifier, a collection area, and a collection data name associated with the communication service.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: Before sending the first request information, the method further includes: Receive second request information, where the second request information is used to request evaluation of the service experience quality of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request information includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; According to the second request information, the collection requirements of the business traffic characteristic data are determined.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that After constructing or updating the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method further includes: Send configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the collection data name and static indication associated with the data flow of the communication service, or the configuration information includes the collection data name, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the data flow of the communication service.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

8. The method according to claim 3 or 7, characterized in that: Before sending the first request information, the method further includes: receiving second request information, where the second request information is used to request evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request information includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; According to the second request information, it is determined that the business model needs to be constructed.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7 or 8, characterized in that After constructing or updating the network twin according to the service traffic characteristic data, the method further includes: Send configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used to indicate the measurement period and reporting conditions of the service traffic characteristic data, the configuration information includes the model category and static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information includes the model category, dynamic indication, data change frequency identification method and reporting threshold associated with the communication service.

10. The method according to claim 5 or 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network based on the network twin to obtain an evaluation result; The evaluation result is used to indicate the value of the evaluation index of the communication service, or to indicate whether the evaluation index of the communication service meets the index requirement; In response to the second request information, the evaluation result is sent.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The indicator requirement and / or the evaluation indicator are included in the second request information, and the method further includes: The service type and / or the evaluation index are mapped into network key performance indicator KPI data for evaluating the service experience quality of the communication service.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method further comprises: If the evaluation result indicates that the evaluation index of the communication service does not meet the index requirement, The service experience quality in the physical network is optimized.

13. A data collection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire service flow characteristic data of a communication service in a physical network, wherein the service flow characteristic data is used to describe transmission characteristics of a data flow of the communication service in the physical network; The business traffic characteristic data is sent, and the business traffic characteristic data is used to construct or update a network twin, wherein the network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service, and is used to simulate the transmission of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The network twin includes a service model, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that Before acquiring the service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, the method further includes: Receiving first request information, wherein the first request information includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to instruct to collect the service flow characteristic data; A measurement task is determined according to the first request information, where the measurement task includes a measurement object identifier, a service flow identifier, a service traffic characteristic data type and a measurement period associated with the communication service.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The obtaining of service traffic characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network includes: Sending a third request message, where the third request message is used to request collection of the service traffic characteristic data, and the third request message includes the measurement task; The service flow characteristic data is received.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier, a collection area, and a collection data name associated with the communication service.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that After sending the service flow characteristic data, the method further includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a name of collected data associated with the communication service and a static indication, or the configuration information including a name of collected data associated with the communication service, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method, and a reporting threshold; According to the configuration information, a measurement period and reporting conditions of the service flow characteristic data are determined.

19. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The first request information also includes a service identifier associated with the communication service, a collection area, and a model category of the service model.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16 or 19, characterized in that After sending the service flow characteristic data, the method further includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a model category and a static indication associated with the communication service, or the configuration information including a model category, a dynamic indication, a data change frequency identification method, and a reporting threshold associated with the communication service; According to the configuration information, a measurement period and reporting conditions of the service flow characteristic data are determined.

21. A data collection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The management system obtains service flow characteristic data of the communication service in the physical network, wherein the service flow characteristic data is used to describe the transmission characteristics of the data flow of the communication service in the physical network; The management system sends the service traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system; The network twin management entity constructs or updates a network twin based on the service traffic characteristic data. The network twin is a digital expression of the physical network and the communication service and is used to simulate the transmission of the communication service data flow in the physical network.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The network twin includes a service model, and the service model is used to evaluate the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The management system obtains service flow characteristic data of communication services in the physical network, including: The management system sends third request information to the functional network element or the communication device, and the functional network element or the communication device receives the third request information from the management system, where the third request information is used to request collection of the service traffic characteristic data, and the third request information includes the measurement task; The functional network element or the communication device sends the service traffic characteristic data to the management system, and the management system receives the service traffic characteristic data from The service traffic characteristic data of the functional network element or the communication device.

24. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system, including: The network twin management entity sends a first request message to the management system, and the management system receives the first request message from the network twin management entity, where the first request message includes data collection indication information, and the data collection indication information is used to indicate the collection of the service traffic feature data; The management system sends the service traffic characteristic data to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the service traffic characteristic data from the management system.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that Before the network twin management entity sends the first request information to the management system, the method further includes: The network twin service consumer sends a second request message to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the second request message from the network twin service consumer, where the second request message is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request message includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; The network twin management entity determines the collection requirements of the business traffic characteristic data based on the second request information.

26. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that Before the network twin management entity sends the first request information to the management system, the method further includes: The network twin service consumer sends a second request message to the network twin management entity, and the network twin management entity receives the second request message from the network twin service consumer, where the second request message is used to request an evaluation of the service experience quality of the communication service in the physical network, and the second request message includes a service identifier, a deployment area, and a service type associated with the communication service; The network twin management entity determines that the business model needs to be constructed based on the second request information.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute a computer program stored in a memory, so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

29. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a communication device for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, and a communication device for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 20.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: include: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program; when the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or the computer executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

32. A chip, characterized in that: The invention comprises at least one processor coupled to a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, or the device equipped with the chip executes the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 20.

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