Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and provides a communication method and an apparatus, which are used for connecting in an scenario in which an edge application server (EAS) is shared the EAS to a plurality of operator networks, so as to improve the communication efficiency of an edge network. The method comprises: a first network element determining that a first edge application server (EAS) provides a service for a user of at least one operator among a first operator or a second operator; and sending to a second network element a first request message for requesting deployment of the first EAS, wherein the first network element belongs to the first operator or a first edge computing service provider (ECSP), and the second network element belongs to the second operator or a second ECSP.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on August 25, 2023, with application number 202311093136.7 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, 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 communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] In an edge data network (EDN), terminal data services may be provided by multiple edge application servers (EAS) deployed at different sites. EDNs can be identified by data network access identifiers (DNAIs). An application can deploy one or more EASs in one or more EDNs. EASs deployed and running in different EDNs can be considered different EASs for the same application.

[0004] An application deployed in an edge data network is called an application instance. In existing solutions, EAS can be instantiated first, and then the DNAI information of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) that has a cooperative relationship with the Application Service Provider (ASP) is configured for the EAS, and the EAS is connected to the User Plane Function (UPF) of the PLMN to realize the interaction of user application data.

[0005] However, the existing EAS instantiation process only considers the scenario where EAS is applied to one operator. For the scenario where EAS is shared, such as EAS#1 can be used by users of operator A and operator B, EAS#1 needs to be connected to two UPFs of operator A and operator B. However, the existing implementation method cannot realize the connection of EAS to multiple UPFs.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for enabling EAS to be connected to different UPF network elements of multiple operators in an EAS sharing scenario.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first network element, the method comprising: determining that a first edge application server EAS provides services for users of at least one of a first operator or a second operator; and sending a first request message to a second network element for requesting deployment of the first EAS, wherein the first network element belongs to the first operator or a first edge computing service provider ECSP, and the second network element belongs to the second operator or a second ECSP.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first request message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of the second operator.

[0011] In one embodiment, before sending the first request message to the second network element, the method also includes: receiving a second request message from the application service provider ASP, the second request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, the second request message includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, indication information of the second operator, an identifier of a second public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of the second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method further includes: determining, according to the second indication information, information of a first edge enabling server (EES) corresponding to the first operator.

[0014] In one implementation, the first indication information further includes first EES information corresponding to the first operator.

[0015] In one embodiment, the method further includes: determining information corresponding to the first EAS, where the information corresponding to the first EAS includes a data network access identifier DNAI and operator information corresponding to the DNAI.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a response message from the second network element, indicating one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method further includes: updating configuration information of an edge configuration server ECS, and associating information corresponding to the first EAS with information of a second EES corresponding to the second operator or the second ECSP.

[0018] In one embodiment, the information of the second EES includes at least one of the following information: address information of the EES, identification information of the EES, or ECSP information corresponding to the EES, and operator information corresponding to the EES.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method further includes: sending a notification message to an application service provider (ASP) to indicate that the instantiation of the first EAS is complete, the notification message including EES information, wherein the EES information includes at least one of the first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, the second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and EAS identification information.

[0020] According to a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a second network element. The method includes: receiving a first request message from a first network element, where the first request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, wherein the first network element belongs to a first operator or a first edge computing service provider entity ECSP, and the second network element belongs to a second operator or a second ECSP.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method further includes: sending a third request message to a third network element, wherein the third request message is used to request instantiation of the first EAS; and receiving a response message from the third network element, wherein the response message includes EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first request message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of the second operator.

[0023] In one implementation, the first indication information further includes first EES information corresponding to the first operator.

[0024] In one embodiment, the method further includes: determining information corresponding to the first EAS, where the information corresponding to the first EAS includes a data network access identifier DNAI and operator information corresponding to the DNAI.

[0025] In one embodiment, if the second network element has completed the instantiation of the first EAS before receiving the first request message from the first network element, the method also includes: sending a fourth request message to the third network element, the fourth request message being used to request updating the configuration information of the first EAS, the fourth request message including the EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0026] In one embodiment, the EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS includes at least one of the following: a data network access identifier DNAI corresponding to the first EAS, a DNAI corresponding to the first operator, a DNAI corresponding to the second operator, EES information corresponding to the first operator, EES information corresponding to the second operator, PLMN information corresponding to the first operator, or PLMN information corresponding to the second operator.

[0027] In one embodiment, the method further includes: sending a response message to the first network element, indicating one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0028] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: sending a second request message to a first network element, the second request message being used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, the second request message comprising second indication information being used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator.

[0029] In one embodiment, the second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, indication information of the second operator, an identifier of a second public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of the second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP.

[0030] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a notification message from the first network element, indicating that instantiation of the first EAS is complete, the notification message including EES information, wherein the EES information includes at least one of a first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, a second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and EAS identification information.

[0031] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the above method. The communication device may be the first network element described in the first aspect, or a device including the first network element, or a module in the first network element described in the first aspect, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the first network element.

[0032] Alternatively, the communication device may be the second network element in the second aspect above, or a device comprising the second network element above, or a module in the second network element in the second aspect above, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module or software that can realize part or all of the functions of the second network element.

[0033] Alternatively, the communication device may be the application service provider ASP in the third aspect above, or a device including the application service provider ASP above, or a module in the application service provider ASP in the third aspect above, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement part or all of the functions of the application service provider ASP.

[0034] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0035] In conjunction with the fourth aspect above, in one possible implementation, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The processing module may, for example, be a processor. The transceiver module, also referred to as a transceiver unit, may be configured to implement the transmitting and / or receiving functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0036] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0037] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor is configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading instructions from the memory, execute the method described in any of the above aspects according to the instructions. The communication device can be used to implement the above first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The communication device can be the above-mentioned first network element, or a module in the first network element, such as a chip, chip system, or circuit, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement some or all of the functions of the first network element.

[0038] Alternatively, the communication device can be the second network element in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or a device including the above-mentioned second network element, or a module in the above-mentioned second network element, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module or software that can realize part or all of the functions of the second network element.

[0039] Alternatively, the communication device may be the application service provider ASP in the third aspect above and any possible implementation thereof, or a device including the application service provider ASP above, or a module in the application service provider ASP above, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement part or all of the functions of the application service provider ASP.

[0040] In combination with the fifth aspect above, in a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory, which is used to store necessary program instructions and data.

[0041] In conjunction with the fifth aspect above, in one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit is configured to receive a computer program or instruction and transmit it to the processor; and the processor is configured to execute the computer program or instruction, so that the communication device performs the method described in any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the first network element described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or a device including the first network element, or a module in the first network element, such as a chip, chip system, or circuit, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the first network element.

[0043] Alternatively, the communication device can be the second network element in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or a device including the above-mentioned second network element, or a module in the above-mentioned second network element, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module or software that can realize part or all of the functions of the second network element.

[0044] Alternatively, the communication device may be the application service provider ASP in the third aspect above and any possible implementation thereof, or a device including the application service provider ASP above, or a module in the application service provider ASP above, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit, or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement part or all of the functions of the application service provider ASP.

[0045] In conjunction with the sixth aspect above, in one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0046] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, the computer can execute the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0047] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0048] In the ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a first network element for executing the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, a second network element for executing the method described in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and an application service provider ASP for executing the method described in the above-mentioned third aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0049] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any possible implementation method in the fourth to ninth aspects can be referred to the technical effects brought about by any aspect in the first to third aspects or different possible implementation methods in any aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0050] It is understandable that, provided that the solutions are not contradictory, the solutions in each aspect can be combined. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] FIG1 is an architecture diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a process of edge application context migration provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a process of EES platform discovery and EAS discovery provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a process of instantiating an EAS according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a process for connecting an EAS to a UPF according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an EAS sharing scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG7 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] 8-11 are schematic diagrams 1 to 4 of a process flow of an EAS instantiation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0062] In the following, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the quantity of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0063] In addition, in this application, directional terms such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "horizontal" and "vertical" are defined relative to the orientation of the components in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts. They are used for relative description and clarification, and they can change accordingly according to changes in the orientation of the components in the drawings.

[0064] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0065] First, the application scenarios of the embodiments of the present application are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] The method provided in the embodiments of this application involves edge computing technology (Mobile Edge Computing, MEC). Edge computing refers to providing cloud services and network environments for application developers and service providers at the edge of the network. The goal is to provide computing, storage, and network bandwidth close to data input or users. In other words, edge computing applications can be initiated at the edge of the user or database to generate faster network service responses and meet basic needs such as real-time business, application intelligence, security or privacy protection.

[0067] As shown in FIG1 , the method can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG1 , which includes a terminal device and an edge data network EDN, wherein the terminal device can communicate with the EDN through a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.

[0068] An EDN corresponds to a data network (DN), which includes edge-enabling functions. An EDN can be identified by a DNAI or a Data Network Name (DNN), a logical network concept. Alternatively, an EDN can be considered a central cloud, understood as a local data center based on geographic location, identified by a DNAI. An EDN can include multiple local data networks (local DNs).

[0069] Among them, the terminal device can be a device that includes wireless receiving or transmitting functions and can provide communication services to users. Specifically, the terminal device can be a device in a vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, a device to device (D2D) communication system, a device in a machine type communication (MTC) system, etc. For example, the terminal device can refer to an industrial robot, industrial automation equipment, user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless terminal device, a user agent, or a user device. For example, the terminal device can be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network or a network after 5G, or a terminal device in a future evolution network, and this application does not limit this. The terminal device of the present application can also be a vehicle-mounted module, vehicle-mounted module, vehicle-mounted component, vehicle-mounted chip or vehicle-mounted unit that is built into the vehicle as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the method of the present application through the built-in vehicle-mounted module, vehicle-mounted module, vehicle-mounted component, vehicle-mounted chip or vehicle-mounted unit.

[0070] Specifically, the terminal device can communicate with the 3GPP core network through the access network device, and then establish an application data channel between the terminal device and the EDN through the 3GPP core network to realize the interaction of application data.

[0071] As shown in FIG1 , the EDN includes an edge application server (EAS) and an edge enabling server (EES).

[0072] Application instances / edge applications: Applications deployed in edge data networks are called application instances. Specifically, they refer to server applications, such as social media software, augmented reality (AR), or virtual reality (VR), deployed and running on the EDN.

[0073] An application can deploy one or more EASs in one or more EDNs. EASs deployed and running in different EDNs can be considered different EASs for the same application. Specifically, multiple EASs can share a domain name, use a single Internet Protocol (IP) address, or use different IP addresses. Furthermore, EASs can also be referred to as edge applications, application instances, edge application instances, MEC applications (servers), or EAS functions.

[0074] Edge Enablement Server (EES): This server provides enabling capabilities for application instances deployed in the EDN, better supporting the deployment of applications in the MEC. For example, the EES can support edge application registration, terminal device authentication and authorization, and provide terminal devices with the IP address of the application instance. Furthermore, the EES can further support obtaining the identification and IP address information of the application instance and further transmit this information to the edge data network configuration server.

[0075] In one embodiment, an EAS can be registered on an EES, or information of an EAS can be configured on an EES through a management system; in this case, the EES can be associated with the EAS, referred to as the EES associated with the EAS, so that the EES can implement control, management registration or configuration functions for the EES associated with the EES.

[0076] As shown in FIG1 , the terminal device may include an application client (Application client) and an edge enabler client (Edge Enabler client, EEC).

[0077] The application client is the client program (or entity) of the edge application on the terminal device side. The application client is used by the terminal device to obtain application services from the EAS. The application client can connect to the application server in the cloud to obtain application services, or it can connect to the EAS deployed and running in one or more EDNs to obtain application services.

[0078] EEC is the entity of EES on the terminal device side. EEC is used to register EEC information and application client information with EES, perform security authentication and authorization; it is also used to obtain the EAS IP address from EES, or provide edge computing enabling capabilities to the application client. For example, it can provide EAS discovery service to return the EAS IP address to the application client.

[0079] The communication system can also include an Edge Configuration Server (ECS) responsible for EDN configuration, such as providing EES information to terminal devices. It can also directly provide application instance information to terminal devices and interact with the application's Domain Name System (DNS) to obtain application instance information. Furthermore, the ECS is used to obtain and store application instance and IP address information from other functional entities.

[0080] In the specific implementation process, as shown in Figure 1, an application user can sign a service agreement with the application provider through a terminal device, thereby providing services to the user through the EDN. Specifically, the user can log in to the application client on the terminal device and establish a connection and communicate with the EAS through the application client. In addition, the EEC, as a middleware layer, is generally located in the terminal device's operating system, or between the application client and the operating system. The application client can obtain edge-enabling services from the EEC in the form of an application programming interface (API).

[0081] As can be seen from the above, in edge computing technology, the application services of terminal devices may be provided by multiple EAS deployed at different sites. Multiple EAS carrying the same service can use the same IP address or different IP addresses. Before the terminal device starts to connect to the EAS, it needs to find a suitable edge server IP address so that the service traffic of the terminal device can be diverted to the EAS through the uplink classifier (ULCL) / branching point (BP), thereby optimizing the service latency, routing line and user experience. In addition, when the terminal device moves to a very far place, the source EAS may no longer be the most optimized, and a new target EAS can be used to replace the source EAS to provide services to the terminal device.

[0082] One of the characteristics of edge data networks is application migration. In one embodiment, the user or application context can be transferred from a source EAS to a target EAS via a wireless or wired communication network, and / or an application instance can be relocated to another EAS. For example, when the location of a terminal device changes or the user plane path of the terminal device is updated, application migration can achieve low-latency switching and ensure the continuity of application services.

[0083] Based on the network architecture shown in Figure 1, the process of edge application network elements performing application context migration may include the process shown in Figure 2, which may mainly include the following four stages. Among them, the network element that performs the process of application context migration may be EEC, EES or EAS, which is not limited in this application.

[0084] (1) Detection of application context migration:

[0085] The edge application determines whether application context migration is required. For example, a detection entity may perform detection based on the detection of certain specific events. For example, if a location change of a terminal device or an update to the user plane path of a terminal device is detected, the network device may trigger application context migration for the terminal device.

[0086] (2) Decision-making on application context migration:

[0087] The edge application decides to perform application context migration. For example, after the detection entity performs detection, the detection result can be fed back to the decision entity, which can determine whether application context migration is required or whether the conditions for application context migration are met.

[0088] (3) Execution of application context migration:

[0089] For example, the execution entity can implement application context migration. The decision entity sends the decision result to the execution entity, which can then transfer the application context from the source EAS to the target EAS. Furthermore, the execution entity is also used to notify the terminal device of the target EAS information, notify the network of the completion of the context migration, or notify relevant information of the target EAS, such as the address of the target EAS and the N6 routing information corresponding to the target EAS.

[0090] (4) Clean up after application context migration:

[0091] If the application context migration involves multiple functional entities, it is necessary to notify the relevant entities to perform cleanup work after the application context migration. For example, the application client can initiate a new socket connection to connect to the target EAS.

[0092] In one embodiment, the above-mentioned detection entity, decision entity or execution entity can be the same functional entity, that is, the above-mentioned functions can be integrated into one functional entity, or they can be deployed separately on different functional entities. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0093] Based on the above, the current standard defines the EES platform discovery and EAS discovery processes. The specific architecture and functional design can use a two-level discovery mechanism: the terminal device can first discover the EES platform corresponding to the edge application, and then discover the EAS from the EES platform. Specifically, this process provides a process for discovering the EES platform and application instances at the application layer. EES acts as a local DNS server, and the terminal device can obtain the address of the application instance from the EES platform.

[0094] As shown in FIG3 , the method of EES platform discovery and EAS discovery includes the following process.

[0095] (1) The EEC of the terminal device discovers the EES platform from the ECS:

[0096] 1: EEC requests / subscribes to the EES platform corresponding to the terminal device's location information from ECS.

[0097] Specifically, the EEC may send a request message or a subscription message to the ECS to obtain the EES platform information corresponding to the location information of the terminal device from the ECS.

[0098] 2: ECS determines the corresponding EES platform based on EEC's request / subscription.

[0099] Specifically, the ECS has detailed information about the application instance. Therefore, the ECS can obtain the corresponding DNAI based on the terminal device's location information. Combining the DNAI with the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and EES information, the ECS selects the appropriate EES platform for each application. For example, the ECS can also consider the terminal device's location information and other relevant information when selecting the EES platform.

[0100] In one embodiment, the ECS may request the Session Management Function (SMF) network element to obtain the DNAI information corresponding to the terminal device. For example, the SMF network element may determine the DNAI information corresponding to the terminal device based on the current serving cell information or timing advance (TA) information of the terminal device, combined with the DNAI mapping information. Specifically, the determined DNAI information may be the current DNAI information of the terminal device, or it may be possible to determine the potential DNAI information of the terminal device.

[0101] 3: ECS sends information about one or more EESs to EEC.

[0102] (2) EEC discovered the application example EAS from EES:

[0103] 4: EEC sends an EAS discovery request to EES.

[0104] Specifically, the EAS discovery request may carry identification information of the terminal device and identification information of the application that the terminal device wants to access.

[0105] 5: EES matches the registered application information and determines the EAS.

[0106] Specifically, EES can match the EAS information of edge application instances that meet the user's request based on the information of locally registered edge application instances, or based on the information of online edge application instances, and the discovery filter parameters provided by the user. Optionally, if multiple edge application instances meet the conditions, EES can determine the corresponding multiple EAS information.

[0107] 6: EES sends EAS information to EEC.

[0108] The EEC can send information of one or more EASs to the EEC of the terminal device, so that the application client of the terminal device can connect to the edge application instance deployed on the EAS.

[0109] The following is a brief introduction to the implementation of EAS configuration and instantiation defined in the existing standards, with reference to the accompanying figures. ASP requests EAS configuration and instantiation from the operator's network management system or edge computing service provider (ECSP).

[0110] In the example shown in FIG4 , an ASP is taken to request an ECSP to implement EAS instantiation as an example. The EAS instantiation process may include the following steps.

[0111] Step 1: The ASP sends an EAS deployment request to the ECSP management system.

[0112] Among them, the EAS deployment request is used to request ECSP to execute EAS application instantiation. The EAS deployment request can carry the requested edge application information (such as the installation package of the application image file (Application image), EAS deployment requirements of the edge application, etc.), as well as parameters such as the service area of ​​the EAS.

[0113] Step 2: The ECSP management system indicates to the ASP that the EAS deployment is in progress.

[0114] Step 3: The ECSP management system determines the EDN information of the EAS, the EES information corresponding to the EAS, and the DNAI information.

[0115] The EES information corresponding to the EAS refers to the EES to which the EAS needs to be registered, and specifically may be the address information of the EES. The DNAI information may specifically be the data center identifier corresponding to the EAS.

[0116] Step 4: The ECSP management system requests the network management system to deploy EAS and configure EAS parameters.

[0117] Including EAS's EDN information (edge ​​data network), EES corresponding to EAS (that is, which EES EAS needs to be registered to, which can be the address information of EES), DNAI information (data center identifier corresponding to EAS), etc.

[0118] Specifically, the network management system can be an Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) system, which is used to perform network and service analysis, forecasting, planning, and configuration, as well as daily operational activities such as testing and fault management of the network and its services. Alternatively, the network management system can be the Management and Orchestration (MANO) and NFV Orchestrator (NFVO) within the Network Function Virtualization (NFV) framework defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), which can be abbreviated as ETSI NFV MANO NFVO. This is an architectural framework for managing and coordinating virtualized network functions and supporting software components, supporting deployment and connectivity on virtual machines.

[0119] Step 5: The network management system notifies the ECSP management system of the result of the EAS instantiation.

[0120] For example, the ETSI NFV MANO NFVO sends a notification of EAS instantiation success or EAS instantiation failure to the ECSP management system.

[0121] Step 6: The ECSP management system notifies the ASP of the result of the EAS instantiation.

[0122] After the EAS is instantiated, the EAS can be connected to the UPF, or the EAS can be configured with the UPF information corresponding to the EAS. The data subsequently sent by the EAS can be sent to the Radio Access Network (RAN) through this UPF, and further sent to the UE. As shown in Figure 5, the following process can be included.

[0123] Step 1: The ECSP management system requests the PLMN management system to connect the EAS to the UPF.

[0124] Specifically, the ECSP management system sends a request message to the PLMN management system. The request message may carry one or more of the following parameters: EASDN, EAS address information, EAS service area requirement information, and N6 routing transmission requirement information.

[0125] Step 2: The PLMN management system determines a UPF for connecting to the EAS.

[0126] Specifically, if the PLMN management system determines that a corresponding UPF already exists and finds an available UPF, then the following steps 3 to 6 are executed. If the PLMN management system cannot find the corresponding UPF, then the following steps 8 to 10 are executed.

[0127] Step 3: The PLMN management system creates a UPF connection, including UPF connection information.

[0128] For example, the UPF connection information may specifically include the UPF IP address and UPF DN, etc. The PLMN management system then connects the EAS to the UPF.

[0129] Step 4: The PLMN management system returns the UPF connection information to the ECSP management system.

[0130] Step 5: Create an EP_N6 MOI in the ECSP management system.

[0131] The EAS IP address is localAddress, the UPF IP address is remoteAddress, and the ECSP management system configures upfRef in the EP_N6 MOI as the UPF DN.

[0132] Step 6: The PLMN management system returns the output parameters of the create operation, indicating that the UPF instantiation is in progress.

[0133] Step 7: The PLMN management system requests instantiation from the NFVO.

[0134] Specifically, the PLMN management system calls the instantiation NsRequest operation and requests NFVO to instantiate the NS instance including the UPF VNF instance through the Os-Ma-nfvo interface.

[0135] Step 8: The NFVO sends a notification to the PLMN management system to indicate the instantiation result.

[0136] Next, if the UPF has been instantiated, execute the following steps 9 to 13; if the UPF has not been instantiated, execute the following step 14.

[0137] Step 9: The PLMN management system creates a UPF connection.

[0138] Specifically, the PLMN management system creates a UPF Connection MOI.

[0139] Among them, it contains UPF connection information, including UPF IP address and UPF DN.

[0140] Step 10: The PLMN management system creates an EP_N6 MOI.

[0141] Among them, the UPF IP address is in localAddress and the EAS IP address is in remoteAddress, connecting the UPF to the EAS.

[0142] Step 11: The PLMN management system sends a notification with the UPF connection information in the attribute list.

[0143] For example, send notification MOICreation.

[0144] Step 12: The ECSP management system creates an EP_N6 MOI.

[0145] The EAS IP address is in localAddress, and the UPF IP address is in remoteAddress.

[0146] Step 13: The ECSP management system configures the upfRef in the EP_N6 MOI as the UPF DN.

[0147] Step 14: The PLMN management system sends a notification to the ECSP management system, indicating that the UPF cannot be found.

[0148] The above implementation process only considers the scenario where EAS is applied to one operator. For example, as shown in Figure 6, operator B deploys EAS#2 in operator B's service area. If this EAS#2 can only be used by users of operator B, users can access EAS#2 through operator B's network, such as accessing EAS#2 through operator B's UPF.

[0149] For the EAS sharing scenario, as shown in Figure 6, for example, operator A can request operator B to deploy EAS#1 in operator B's service area. If EAS#1 can only be used by users of operator A, users need to access the EAS through operator A's network; in another case of shared EAS, EAS#1 can be used by users of operator A and operator B. At this time, users can access EAS#1 through the network of operator A or operator B. In the above two cases of shared EAS, EAS#1 needs to establish a connection relationship with the network UPF of operator A or operator B, or EAS#1 needs to provide services to the corresponding users through the network of operator A or operator B. For example, the EAS#1 needs to be connected to two UPFs of operator A and operator B. The existing implementation method only considers the scenario of one operator and cannot realize the connection of EAS to multiple UPFs.

[0150] Based on the above problems, the present application provides a communication method, which enhances the configuration process in EAS instantiation, triggers the EAS instantiation process through the home operator or PLMN to trigger the cooperative operator or ECSP management system, and configures the EAS or determines the corresponding UPF (corresponding to different PLMN IDs) for the EAS through the PLMN management system, so that in the subsequent process of EAS connecting to the UPF (or in the process of configuring the corresponding UPF information for the EAS), it can be connected to the UPFs of multiple operators shared by the EAS, or the EAS can correspond to the UPF of the corresponding operator, so that the users of the corresponding operator can be connected to the EAS through the UPF, thereby ensuring that the EAS can provide services to users of multiple operators. In the following embodiments of the present application, only the application of EAS to two operators is taken as an example, which does not constitute a limitation to the present application.

[0151] The following embodiment takes the interaction between the first network element and the second network element as an example to introduce the implementation scheme of the present application. In the implementation scheme of the present application, the first network element belongs to the first operator or the first ECSP, and the second network element belongs to the second operator or the second ECSP. Among them, the first network element or the second network element can specifically be the PLMN, PLMN management system, PLMN network management system, ECSP, ECSP management system, or ECSP network management system corresponding to the operator, or can be other entities or network elements that can realize EAS instantiation, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0152] The embodiments of the present application are applicable to the two implementation scenarios of EAS sharing shown in Figure 6 above, where the first EAS is a shared EAS that can provide services to users of at least one of the first or second operators. For example, operator A requests operator B to deploy EAS#1 in operator B's service area. EAS#1 can only be used by users of operator A, and users need to access EAS#1 through operator A's network. Alternatively, EAS#1 can be used by users of both operator A and operator B, and users can access EAS#1 through either operator A or operator B's network.

[0153] Next, the embodiments of the present application will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG7 , the communication method may include the following steps.

[0154] 701: A first network element sends a first request message to a second network element, requesting deployment of a first EAS.

[0155] Exemplarily, the first request message may specifically be an EAS deployment request message.

[0156] The first EAS may provide services to users of at least one of the first operator and the second operator, which may specifically include the following scenarios.

[0157] Scenario 1: The first EAS may only provide services to users of the first operator.

[0158] For example, the first network element requests the second network element to deploy a first EAS in the service area of ​​the second operator, wherein the first EAS can only be used by users of the first operator, and the users need to access the first EAS through the network of the first operator (such as UPF).

[0159] Scenario 2: The first EAS is a shared EAS, which can provide services to users of the first operator and the second operator.

[0160] Specifically, in scenario 2, when the first network element determines that the first EAS can provide services to users of the first operator (Operator A, OP A for short) and the second operator (OP B), that is, when it determines that the first EAS can be shared by OP A and OP B, the first network element can send an EAS deployment request message to the second network element, triggering the second network element to implement EAS instantiation. The first operator can be the user's home operator, and the second operator can be a shared cooperative operator.

[0161] In the embodiments of the present application, the PLMN corresponding to the first operator may be referred to as the first PLMN, the PLMN corresponding to the second operator may be referred to as the second PLMN, the EES corresponding to the first operator may be referred to as the first EES, and the EES corresponding to the second operator may be referred to as the second EES. Furthermore, multiple ECSPs corresponding to edge applications may include, for example, ECSP A and ECSP B. This description will not be repeated later.

[0162] In one embodiment, the first request message may include first indication information for indicating that the first EAS can provide services to users of the second operator. In other words, the first request message may carry the first indication information to indicate to the second network element that the first EAS is shared with the second operator.

[0163] In one implementation, the first indication information may include indication information of the second operator, or an identifier of a second network element such as ECSP A, or identification information of a second PLMN, etc.

[0164] Optionally, the first indication information may also include the service scope of the EAS, or the service OP / ECSP / PLMN information of the EAS, or the first indication information may indicate the PLMN / ECSP information corresponding to the EAS, for example, the first indication information is used to indicate PLMN / ECSP / OP A, PLMN / ECSP / OP B.

[0165] Optionally, the EAS deployment request message may further include information such as the service area of ​​the first EAS and the image file (Software image) of the edge application.

[0166] In one embodiment, the EAS deployment request message may also include the location information of the first EAS deployed in the first operator, such as DNAI information. Optionally, it may also carry information of the first operator or first ECSP to which the first network element corresponding to the first EAS belongs, such as PLMN ID, ECSPID.

[0167] In one embodiment, the specific manner in which the first network element determines that the first EAS can be shared by OP A and OP B includes: the first network element may determine based on the contract relationship between the ASP and the ECSP, or may determine based on local policy information.

[0168] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first network element may determine, based on the instruction information of the ASP, that the first EAS can be shared by OP A and OP B. Optionally, in this embodiment, the communication method may further include the following steps 700-1 and 700-2.

[0169] 700-1: The ASP sends a second request message including second indication information to the first network element.

[0170] The second request message is used to request the deployment of the first EAS. For example, the second request message may be an EAS deployment request message. The second indication information may be used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of at least one of the first operator and the second operator.

[0171] That is, the second indication information can be used to indicate that the first EAS is a shared EAS. Furthermore, the second indication information can also indicate the scope of EAS sharing, that is, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS can also be shared with a cooperating operator, such as a second operator.

[0172] Exemplarily, the second indication information can be used to indicate that the first EAS can provide services for users of the first operator and the second operator; or, the second indication information can be used to indicate the service scope of the EAS, or the service OP / ECSP / PLMN information of the EAS, or, the second indication information can indicate the PLMN / ECSP information corresponding to the EAS, for example, the second indication information is used to indicate PLMN / ECSP / OP A, PLMN / ECSP / OP B.

[0173] In one implementation, the second indication information may further include indication information of the second operator, or an identifier of a second network element such as ECSP A, or identification information of a second PLMN, etc.

[0174] In addition, the second request message may also include information such as the service area of ​​the first EAS and the image file (Software image) of the edge application.

[0175] Correspondingly, the first network element receives the second request message and can determine, according to the second indication information, that the first EAS is a shared EAS.

[0176] In one embodiment, specifically, the second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, or indication information of the second operator, or an identifier of the second PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of the second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP, etc.

[0177] 700-2: The first network element determines information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0178] Specifically, when the first network element determines that the EAS can be shared by OP A and OP B, that is, the EAS needs to be deployed in OP B, the first network element can determine information corresponding to the first EAS, such as DNAI information.

[0179] Specifically, the first network element can determine the DNAI closest to the EAS based on the location where the EAS needs to be deployed and the service area of ​​the EAS. It should be noted that the DNAI information is the DNAI information corresponding to OP B. The DNAI refers to identification information used by an operator to identify data network access. The DNAI can be used to identify a data center access location or a data network access location.

[0180] In one implementation, further, the first network element may also determine ECSP information or operator information corresponding to the DNAI, such as ECSPID, PLMN ID and other information.

[0181] In one embodiment, for the EAS instantiation process, optionally, the communication method may further include the following steps.

[0182] 702: The second network element sends a response message to the first network element.

[0183] The response message is used to indicate one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0184] Correspondingly, the first network element can receive a response message from the second network element.

[0185] 703: The second network element determines the information corresponding to the first EAS, and sends a third request message to the third network element.

[0186] The third network element may be a network management system or a PLMN management system corresponding to the ECSP. The third request message is used to request instantiation of the first EAS. Exemplarily, the third request message may be an EAS instantiation request message.

[0187] The second network element may determine the DNAI corresponding to the first EAS according to the received second indication information.

[0188] Furthermore, the second network element may also determine the operator information corresponding to the DNAI, such as ECSPID, PLMN ID and other information.

[0189] In one possible implementation, before the first network element sends the EAS deployment request message to the second network element, the first network element may determine the identification information of the first operator and the EES information corresponding to the first operator based on the second indication information. Then, the EES information corresponding to the first operator may be included in the first indication information.

[0190] 704: The third network element sends an EAS instantiation response message to the second network element.

[0191] The second network element interacts with the third network element to instantiate the first EAS and configure the first EAS, or to update the EAS configuration of the configured EAS. For example, after receiving the EAS instantiation request message from the second network element, the third network element instantiates the application of the first EAS and configures information for the first EAS. For another example, after receiving the EAS configuration update message from the second network element, the third network element, such as a network management system, updates the configuration information of the first EAS. Specifically, the first EAS can be associated with the DNAI of the first operator and the DNAI of the second operator.

[0192] The specific configuration information of the EAS includes: the EDN corresponding to the first EAS, and address information of one or more EESs associated with the first EAS.

[0193] In one embodiment, if dual registration is not possible for an EAS, that is, the first EAS cannot be registered on the EESs of two operators (e.g., OP A and OP B), the EAS is not configured with the EES address information of the two OPs (operator / ECSP), but the EAS needs to be configured with the DNAI information of the two OPs. In this scenario, the EAS configuration information configured by the network management system can include the address information of an EES associated with the first EAS.

[0194] In another embodiment, if an EAS can be dual-registered, that is, a first EAS can be registered with the EESs of two operators, for example, the first EAS is registered with the EESs of both OP A and OP B. Therefore, the network management system of ECSP A needs to determine the corresponding EES information (OP A) for the first EAS. In this scenario, the EAS configuration information configured by the network management system may include the address information of the two EESs associated with the first EAS.

[0195] In one embodiment, after executing step 704, the second network element may further send a response message to the first network element, indicating that the first EAS instantiation is complete, or that the first EAS instantiation request has been received, or that the first EAS instantiation is in progress. After the first network element completes the ECS configuration update, it may associate the information corresponding to the first EAS with the information of the EES of the second operator. The information corresponding to the first EES includes at least one of the following: EES address information, EES identification information, or ECSP information corresponding to the EES.

[0196] In addition, the first network element may also send a notification message to the ASP to indicate that the first EAS instantiation is complete. The notification message may include EES information corresponding to the first operator and the second operator. Specifically, the EES information may include at least one of: the first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, the second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and EAS identification information.

[0197] The above-mentioned implementation mode of the present application realizes the instantiation of EAS by requesting the cooperating operator or ECSP to trigger the home operator or ECPS, realizes the instantiation of shared EAS and the configuration of EAS, configures the DNAI information and ECS information corresponding to the shared EES on the EAS, and configures the DNAI information and EES information corresponding to the shared EAS on the EAS. Therefore, in the EAS sharing scenario, the EAS can be subsequently connected to different UPF network elements of multiple operators or the EAS can be associated with different UPFs of corresponding multiple operators, so that the EAS data can be sent to the UPF of the corresponding operator, and further sent to the users of the corresponding operator, avoiding the problem of data routing failure, thereby improving the edge data network communication efficiency.

[0198] Next, different implementation processes of EAS instantiation based on different scenarios are described in detail in a scenario where EAS or EES can be shared by a first operator and a second operator (such as OP A and OP B).

[0199] It should be noted that the following embodiments only use the ECSP management system and the corresponding network management system as examples of the execution entities of the EAS instantiation. Other possible entity forms of the aforementioned first network element, second network element, or third network element may also be used, and this does not constitute a limitation.

[0200] Example 1: The EAS cannot be registered on the EESs of two or more operators.

[0201] As shown in FIG8 , the instantiation process of EAS may specifically include the following steps.

[0202] 801: The ASP sends a second request message including second indication information to the ECSP A management system.

[0203] The second request message is used to request the deployment of the first EAS. In addition, the second request message may also include information such as the service area of ​​the first EAS and the image file of the edge application. The second indication information may be used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator. Exemplarily, the second indication information may include indication information of the second operator, or an identifier of ECSP A, or identification information of the second PLMN, etc.

[0204] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 700-1, which will not be repeated here.

[0205] 802: The ECSP A management system sends a response message to the ASP, indicating that the EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0206] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 700-1, which will not be repeated here.

[0207] 803: The ECSP A management system determines information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0208] Furthermore, ECSP A can determine the DNAI information corresponding to the first EAS. Specifically, ECSP A can determine the latest DNAI information of the EAS, i.e., the DNAI information corresponding to OP B, such as ECSPID and PLMN ID, based on the location where the EAS needs to be deployed and the service area of ​​the EAS.

[0209] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 700-2, which will not be repeated here.

[0210] 804: ECSP A management system sends a first request message including first indication information to ECSP B management system.

[0211] The first request message is used to request the deployment of the first EAS, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS can provide services to users of the second operator. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the EAS deployment request message and can determine that the first EAS is shared with the second operator based on the first indication information.

[0212] In addition, the EAS deployment request message may also include information such as the service area of ​​the first EAS and the image file (Software image) of the edge application.

[0213] Exemplarily, the first indication information may include indication information of the second operator, or an identifier of ECSP A, or identification information of the second PLMN, etc.

[0214] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 701, which will not be repeated here.

[0215] 805: The ECSP B management system interacts with the network management system to implement EAS instantiation.

[0216] Specifically, the ECSP B management system may send a third request message to the network management system to request instantiation of the first EAS.

[0217] After receiving the EAS instantiation request message from the ECSP B management system, the network management system instantiates the application for the first EAS and configures information for the first EAS. The configured information may include: the EDN corresponding to the first EAS and one EES associated with the EAS.

[0218] Optionally, the network system can configure the OP, ECSP or PLMN information corresponding to the first EES, for example, OP ECSP, or PLMN, the DNAI information of the first EAS and the OP / ECSP / PLMN information corresponding to the DNAI, such as the DNAI of OP A and the DNAI of OP B.

[0219] For details, please refer to the aforementioned steps 703-704, which will not be repeated here.

[0220] 806: ECSP B management system sends a response message to ECSP A management system.

[0221] The response message is used to indicate that the first EAS instantiation is complete, or that the first EAS instantiation request has been received, or that the first EAS instantiation is in progress. For example, the response message may include EES information corresponding to the first operator and the second operator. The response message may carry the EES information corresponding to the first EAS and, further, may carry the OP information corresponding to the EES, such as OP B information.

[0222] 807: ECSP A management system sends a notification message to the ASP.

[0223] This notification message is used to indicate that the EAS instantiation is complete.

[0224] 808: ECSP A management system triggers OP A's ECS to perform configuration update.

[0225] Specifically, the ECSP A management system is further configured to trigger OP A's ECS to update configuration information, associating information corresponding to the first EAS with information about the second EES corresponding to the second operator or ECSP B. Specifically, the EES address information and EES ID of the first EAS and OP B may be updated or configured on the ECS.

[0226] In the above implementation, the first EAS is not configured with the address information of the EESs of the two OPs, but the EAS needs to be configured with the DNAI information of the two OPs. When the EAS can be shared by two OPs, the EAS needs to be configured with the DNAI information of the two OPs to ensure that the EAS can connect to the UPFs of the two OPs. This allows the ECSP management system to subsequently trigger the corresponding PLMN system to connect the EAS to the UPF of the corresponding OP based on the EAS DNAI information and the corresponding OP information, thereby ensuring that the EAS can provide the required edge application services to users of both operators.

[0227] Example 2: The EAS can be registered on the EESs of two or more operators.

[0228] For example, this embodiment is described by taking the example that a first EAS can be registered with the EESs of OP A and OP B. In this case, the network management system of ECSP A can determine the information of the corresponding EES (OP A) for the first EAS.

[0229] As shown in FIG9 , the instantiation process of EAS may specifically include the following steps.

[0230] 901: The ASP sends an EAS deployment request message to the ECSP A management system.

[0231] The EAS deployment request message may include the aforementioned second indication information.

[0232] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 700-1, which will not be repeated here.

[0233] 902: The ECSP A management system sends a response message to the ASP, indicating that the EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0234] 903: The ECSP A management system determines information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0235] Specifically, the ECSP A management system may determine the nearest DNAI corresponding to the first EAS, that is, the DNAI information of OP B, according to the location where the first EAS needs to be deployed and the service area of ​​the EAS.

[0236] In addition, the ECSP A management system may also determine EES information of the OP A associated with the first EAS. The EES information may include at least one of an EES ID or an EES address information.

[0237] 904: ECSP A management system sends an EAS deployment request message to ECSP B management system.

[0238] Similar to the above embodiment, the EAS deployment request message may include second indication information.

[0239] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 701, which will not be repeated here.

[0240] In addition, ECSP A management system needs to determine the corresponding EES information for the first EAS, send the information to ECSP B management system, and configure the parameters on the EES. Therefore, ECSP A management system can also send OP A's EES information to ECSP B management system.

[0241] 905: The ECSP B management system interacts with the network management system to implement EAS instantiation.

[0242] The parameters configured by the network management system for the first EAS include the EDN corresponding to the EAS and the two EESs associated with the EAS, namely, the EES of OP A and the EES of OP B.

[0243] Optionally, the network management system can also indicate the OP / ECSP / PLMN information corresponding to the EES, such as the operator information, ECSP / PLMN information of OP A, the DNAI information of EAS and the OP / ECSP / PLMN information corresponding to DNAI; as well as the operator information, ECSP / PLMN information of OP B, the DNAI information of EAS and the OP / ECSP / PLMN information corresponding to DNAI, etc.

[0244] 906: ECSP B management system sends a response message to ECSP A management system.

[0245] The response message is used to indicate that the EAS instantiation is complete. The notification message may include the EES information corresponding to the first operator and the second operator. The response message may carry the EES information corresponding to the first EAS and, further, the OP information corresponding to the EES, such as OP B information.

[0246] 907: ECSP A management system sends a notification message to the ASP.

[0247] This notification message is used to indicate that the EAS instantiation is complete.

[0248] In the embodiment of the present application, since the first EAS can be registered with the EESs of both OP A and OP B, the ECSP A management system can determine the EES information corresponding to OP A for the first EAS, send this information to the ECSP B management system, and configure the parameters on the EES. Consequently, when requesting EAS instantiation, the ECSP B management system can configure the DNAI information of both OPs for the EAS to ensure that the EAS can connect to the UPFs of both OPs. Subsequently, the ECSP management system can trigger the corresponding PLMN system to connect the EAS to the UPF of the corresponding OP based on the EAS DNAI information and the corresponding OP information, thereby ensuring that the EAS can provide the required edge application services for users of both operators.

[0249] Example 3: EAS configuration update process.

[0250] In one embodiment, if the ECSP B management system has deployed the first EAS, the ECSP A management system may trigger an update of the configuration information of the first EAS.

[0251] As shown in FIG10 , the implementation process of EAS may specifically include the following steps.

[0252] 1000: ECSP B management system completes the first EAS instantiation.

[0253] The ECSP B management system has interacted with the pipe network system, completed the instantiation of the first EAS and configured information for the first EAS. The configuration information of the first EAS may include DNAI information corresponding to OP B of the first EAS, and EES information corresponding to OP B.

[0254] 1001: The ASP sends an EAS deployment request message to the ECSP A management system.

[0255] The EAS deployment request message includes the second indication information. For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 700-1.

[0256] 1002: The ECSP A management system sends a response message to the ASP, indicating that the EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0257] 1003: The ECSP A management system determines information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0258] Specifically, it may be the DNAI information of OP B corresponding to the first EAS.

[0259] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 700-2.

[0260] 1004: ECSP A management system sends an EAS deployment request message to ECSP B management system.

[0261] The EAS deployment request message may include first indication information.

[0262] For details, please refer to the aforementioned step 701.

[0263] 1005: The ECSP B management system interacts with the network management system to update the EAS configuration.

[0264] In one implementation, ECSP B may send a fourth request message to the network management system to request updating of EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS, where the fourth request message includes the EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0265] The network management system may update the configuration information of the EAS to: associate the first EAS with the DNAI of OP A and the DNAI information of OP B. Optionally, the EES information of OP A and the EES information of OP B may also be configured for the first EAS.

[0266] 1006: ECSP B management system sends a response message to ECSP A management system.

[0267] The response message is used to indicate that the EAS instantiation is complete. The response message may include the EES information corresponding to the first operator and the second operator. The response message may carry the EES information corresponding to the first EAS and may further carry the OP information corresponding to the EES, such as OP B information.

[0268] 1007: ECSP A management system triggers the corresponding EES to update configuration information.

[0269] Correspondingly, ECSP A may trigger the EES corresponding to ECSP A to update the configuration information of the EAS, including the EES information of OP B and the identification information of the first EAS.

[0270] 1008: ECSP A management system sends a notification message to the ASP.

[0271] In the above embodiment, the operator's EAS has been deployed. When the roaming, federation and other cooperative relationships change, the configuration update process can be used to update the relevant configuration information of the EAS without re-instantiating the EAS, thereby simplifying the process and improving communication efficiency.

[0272] Example 4: EES sharing scenario, realizing shared EES instantiation.

[0273] In one embodiment, the EES may be shared by two or more operators. In this case, the instantiated network element may be the EES. Specifically, the DNAI information of two OPs may be configured for the EES, and the ECSs of the two OPs may be associated.

[0274] As shown in FIG11 , the EES embodiment process may specifically include the following steps.

[0275] 1101: The ASP sends an EES deployment message to the ECSP A management system to request the deployment of the EES, including the third instruction information.

[0276] The third indication information is used to indicate that the first EES can be shared by the first operator and the second operator.

[0277] 1102: The ECSP A management system sends a response message to the ASP, indicating that the EES instantiation is in progress.

[0278] 1103: The ECSP A management system determines the DNAI information of OP A corresponding to the first EES.

[0279] 1104: ECSP A management system sends an EES deployment request message to ECSP B management system, including the fourth indication information.

[0280] The fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first EES can provide services for users of the second operator. Correspondingly, upon receiving the EES deployment request message, the ECSP B management system can determine that the first EES is shared with OP B based on the fourth indication information.

[0281] 1105: ECSP B determines the EDN information and EES information of management system OP B.

[0282] Optionally, the ECSP B management system may determine the DNAI information corresponding to the first EES on ECSP B according to the received fourth indication information.

[0283] Furthermore, the ECSP B management system may also determine the operator information corresponding to the DNAI, or information such as the ECSPID and PLMN ID.

[0284] 1106: The ECSP B management system interacts with the network management system to implement EES instantiation.

[0285] The network management system instantiates the first EES and configures EES parameters. The configured parameters include: the EDN corresponding to the first EES and the ECS associated with the EES.

[0286] Optionally, the network system can configure the OP, ECSP or PLMN information corresponding to the first EES, for example, OP ECSP, or PLMN, the DNAI information of the first EES and the OP / ECSP / PLMN information corresponding to the DNAI, such as the DNAI of OP A and the DNAI of OP B.

[0287] 1107: ECSP B management system sends a response message to ECSP A management system.

[0288] The response message is used to indicate that the EES instantiation is complete. The notification message may include the ECS information corresponding to the first operator and the second operator. The response message may carry the ECS information corresponding to the first EAS, and further, may also carry the OP information corresponding to the EES, such as OP B information.

[0289] 1108: ECSP A management system sends a notification message to the ASP.

[0290] This notification message is used to indicate that the EES instantiation is complete.

[0291] In the above embodiment, when the EES can be shared by two OPs, the EES needs to be configured with the DNAI information of the two OPs to ensure that the EES can be connected to the UPFs of the two OPs. This allows the ECSP management system to subsequently trigger the corresponding PLMN system to connect the EES to the UPF of the corresponding OP based on the DNAI information of the EES and the corresponding OP information, thereby ensuring that the EES can provide the required edge application services for users of both operators.

[0292] Based on the above embodiments, the present application further provides a communication device for implementing the steps performed by the first network element in the above embodiments. As shown in FIG12 , the communication device 1200 may include a processing module 1201 and a transceiver module 1202 .

[0293] The processing module 1201 is configured to determine that the first edge application server EAS provides services for users of at least one of the first operator and the second operator.

[0294] The transceiver module 1202 is used to send a first request message to the second network element, requesting the deployment of the first EAS, wherein the first network element belongs to the first operator or the first edge computing service provider ECSP, and the second network element belongs to the second operator or the second ECSP.

[0295] In one embodiment, the first request message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of the second operator.

[0296] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is also used to receive a second request message from an application service provider ASP, where the second request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, and the second request message includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator.

[0297] In one embodiment, the second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, indication information of the second operator, an identifier of a second public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of the second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP.

[0298] In one embodiment, the processing module 1201 is further configured to determine, according to the second indication information, information of a first edge enabling server EES corresponding to the first operator.

[0299] In one implementation, the first indication information further includes first EES information corresponding to the first operator.

[0300] In one embodiment, the processing module 1201 is further configured to determine information corresponding to the first EAS, where the information corresponding to the first EAS includes a data network access identifier DNAI and operator information corresponding to the DNAI.

[0301] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is further configured to receive a response message from the second network element, indicating one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0302] In one embodiment, the processing module 1201 is further configured to update configuration information of the edge configuration server ECS, and associate information corresponding to the first EAS with information of the second EES corresponding to the second operator or the second ECSP.

[0303] In one embodiment, the information of the second EES includes at least one of the following information: address information of the EES, identification information of the EES, or ECSP information corresponding to the EES, and operator information corresponding to the EES.

[0304] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is further configured to send a notification message to an application service provider (ASP) to indicate that the instantiation of the first EAS is complete. The notification message includes EES information, where the EES information includes at least one of the first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, the second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and EAS identification information.

[0305] In addition, the present application also provides a communication device for implementing the steps performed by the second network element in the aforementioned embodiment. As shown in FIG12 , the communication device 1200 may include a transceiver module 1202 .

[0306] The transceiver module 1202 receives a first request message from a first network element, where the first request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, where the first network element belongs to a first operator or a first edge computing service provider ECSP, and the second network element belongs to a second operator or a second ECSP.

[0307] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is further configured to send a third request message to a third network element, wherein the third request message is used to request instantiation of the first EAS; and receive a response message from the third network element, wherein the response message includes EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0308] In one embodiment, the first request message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of the second operator.

[0309] In one implementation, the first indication information further includes first EES information corresponding to the first operator.

[0310] In one embodiment, the communication device 1200 may further include a processing module 1201, configured to determine information corresponding to the first EAS, where the information corresponding to the first EAS includes a data network access identifier DNAI and operator information corresponding to the DNAI.

[0311] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is further configured to send a fourth request message to the third network element, where the fourth request message is used to request updating the configuration information of the first EAS, and the fourth request message includes the EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

[0312] In one embodiment, the EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS includes at least one of the following: a data network access identifier DNAI corresponding to the first EAS, a DNAI corresponding to the first operator, a DNAI corresponding to the second operator, EES information corresponding to the first operator, EES information corresponding to the second operator, PLMN information corresponding to the first operator, or PLMN information corresponding to the second operator.

[0313] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is further configured to send a response message to the first network element, indicating one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

[0314] In addition, the present application also provides a communication device for implementing the steps executed by the ASP in the above embodiment. As shown in FIG12 , the communication device 1200 may include a transceiver module 1202 .

[0315] Among them, the transceiver module 1202 is used to send a second request message to the first network element, the second request message is used to request the deployment of a first edge application server EAS, the second request message includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services to users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator.

[0316] In one embodiment, the second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, indication information of the second operator, an identifier of a second public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of the second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP.

[0317] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1202 is further configured to receive a notification message from the first network element, indicating that instantiation of the first EAS is complete, where the notification message includes EES information, where the EES information includes at least one of the following: a first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, a second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and EAS identification information.

[0318] In addition, the network element in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application may include the components shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device applicable to the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 may include at least one processor 1301, a communication line 1302, a memory 1303, and at least one communication interface 1304.

[0319] The processor 1301 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0320] The communication link 1302 may include a path for transmitting information between the above components, such as a bus.

[0321] The communication interface 1304 uses any transceiver or other device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as an Ethernet interface, a RAN interface, a WLAN interface, etc.

[0322] The memory 1303 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory can be independent and connected to the processor via a communication line 1302. The memory can also be integrated with the processor. The memory provided in the embodiment of the present application can generally have non-volatility. Among them, the memory 1303 is used to store the computer execution instructions involved in executing the solution of the present application, and is controlled by the processor 1301 to execute. The processor 1301 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1303, thereby implementing the method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0323] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0324] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1301 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG13 .

[0325] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 1300 may include multiple processors, such as the processor 1301 and the processor 1307 in FIG13 . Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0326] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 1300 may further include an output device 1305 and an input device 1306. The output device 1305 communicates with the processor 1301 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 1305 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 1306 communicates with the processor 1301 and can receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 1306 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0327] In a specific implementation, the communication device 1300 may be any of the above-mentioned possible network elements or a device having a similar structure as shown in Figure 3. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the communication device 1300.

[0328] In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can imagine that the above-mentioned communication device 1200 can adopt the form shown in Figure 13. For example, the processor 1301 in Figure 13 can call the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1303 to enable the communication device 1200 to execute the method performed by each network element / communication device in the above method embodiment.

[0329] Exemplarily, the functions / implementation process of the transceiver module 1202 in FIG12 can be implemented by the processor 1301 in FIG13 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1303. Alternatively, the functions / implementation process of the processing module 1201 in FIG12 can be implemented by the processor 1301 in FIG13 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1303, and the functions / implementation process of the transceiver module 1202 in FIG12 can be implemented by the communication interface 1304 in FIG13.

[0330] It should be noted that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented by software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into an SoC (system on chip) or an ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a logic circuit that implements dedicated logic operations.

[0331] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0332] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, comprising: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instruction in the memory, the method in any of the above method embodiments is executed. In one possible implementation, the chip system also includes a memory. Optionally, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0333] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by a computer program to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it may include the processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the communication device of any of the aforementioned embodiments, such as a hard disk or memory of the communication device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the above-mentioned communication device, such as a plug-in hard disk equipped on the above-mentioned communication device, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flash card), etc. Further, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also include both the internal storage unit of the above-mentioned communication device and an external storage device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above-mentioned computer program and other programs and data required by the communication device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0334] Optionally, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments may be completed by a computer program instructing the relevant hardware. The program may be stored in the above computer program product, and when executed, the program may include the processes of the above method embodiments.

[0335] An optional embodiment of the present application further provides a computer instruction. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by computer instructions to instruct related hardware (such as a computer, a processor, an access network device, a mobility management network element, or a session management network element). The program can be stored in the above computer-readable storage medium or in the above computer program product.

[0336] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0337] 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 merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is merely 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 device, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that 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.

[0338] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed in multiple places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0339] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0340] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited to this. Any changes or substitutions 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 communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element, the method includes: Determine that the first edge application server EAS provides services for users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator; A first request message is sent to a second network element to request deployment of the first EAS, wherein the first network element belongs to the first operator or a first edge computing service provider ECSP, and the second network element belongs to the second operator or a second ECSP.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first request message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services for users of the second operator.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Before sending the first request message to the second network element, the method further includes: A second request message is received from an application service provider ASP, where the second request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, and the second request message includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services for users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, indication information of the second operator, an identifier of a second public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of the second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Determine, according to the second indication information, first edge enabling server EES information corresponding to the first operator.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first indication information also includes first EES information corresponding to the first operator.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Information corresponding to the first EAS is determined, where the information corresponding to the first EAS includes a data network access identifier DNAI and operator information corresponding to the DNAI.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A response message is received from the second network element, indicating one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Update the configuration information of the edge configuration server ECS, and associate the information corresponding to the first EAS with the information of the second EES corresponding to the second operator or the second ECSP.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The information of the second EES includes at least one of the following information: address information of the EES, identification information of the EES, or ECSP information corresponding to the EES, operator information corresponding to the EES.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A notification message is sent to an application service provider ASP to indicate that the instantiation of the first EAS is completed, wherein the notification message includes EES information, wherein the EES information includes at least one of the first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, the second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and identification information of the EAS.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second network element, the method comprises: A first request message is received from a first network element, where the first request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, wherein the first network element belongs to a first operator or a first edge computing service provider entity ECSP, and the second network element belongs to a second operator or a second ECSP.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a third request message to a third network element, where the third request message is used to request instantiation of the first EAS; A response message is received from the third network element, where the response message includes EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The first request message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services for users of the second operator.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The first indication information also includes first EES information corresponding to the first operator.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Information corresponding to the first EAS is determined, where the information corresponding to the first EAS includes a data network access identifier DNAI and operator information corresponding to the DNAI.

17. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that If the second network element has completed the first EAS instantiation before receiving the first request message from the first network element, the method further includes: A fourth request message is sent to the third network element, where the fourth request message is used to request updating of the configuration information of the first EAS, and the fourth request message includes the EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS.

18. The method according to claim 13 or 17, characterized in that The EAS configuration information corresponding to the first EAS includes at least one of the following: The data network access identifier DNAI corresponding to the first EAS, the DNAI corresponding to the first operator, the DNAI corresponding to the second operator, the EES information corresponding to the first operator, the EES information corresponding to the second operator, the PLMN information corresponding to the first operator or the PLMN information corresponding to the second operator.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A response message is sent to the first network element, indicating one or more of the following information: the first EAS instantiation is completed, the first EAS instantiation request is received, or the first EAS instantiation is in progress.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: A second request message is sent to the first network element, where the second request message is used to request deployment of a first edge application server EAS, and the second request message includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first EAS provides services for users of at least one of the first operator or the second operator.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one of the following information: an identifier of the second network element, indication information of the second operator, an identifier of a second public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the second operator, indication information of a second ECSP, or identification information of the second ECSP.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: A notification message is received from the first network element, indicating that the instantiation of the first EAS is completed, wherein the notification message includes EES information, wherein the EES information includes at least one of a first EES, ECSP information corresponding to the first EES, a second EES, ECSP information corresponding to the second EES, and identification information of the EAS.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises: processor; A memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer program code, wherein the computer program code comprises instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is located in a communication device, and the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program code, wherein the computer program code includes instructions, and when the instructions are executed, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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