Method and system for integrating network repository function with a security edge protection proxy

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer) The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit [302], at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. The method comprises identifying, by an identification unit [304], a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). The method comprises selecting, by the identification unit [304], at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations based on the assigned weight and priority. The method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], from the NRF, the traffic to the selected IP and the Port combination.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING NETWORK REPOSITORY FUNCTION WITH A SECURITY EDGE PROTECTION PROXYFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to integrating a network repository function (NRF) with a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP).BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.

[0004] To support In-roamer and Out-roamer traffic for 5G, the Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) Network Function (NF) needs to be deployed to ensure secure communication between different Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) during roaming. RP NF may be not authorized to direct communicate with a Network Repository Function (NRF) as the home network can be exposed externally, so SEPP and NRF solves the problem by modifying the callback URL As partof this deployment, the Network Repository Function (NRF) will need enhancements to handle roaming traffic effectively and also if the SEPP is not registered at the NRF for communication between them, and NRF receives request to send a notification to a different PLMN or operator. Here are the key enhancements required for the NRF :- For other network operator PLMNs request from NFs, currently NRF rejects the requests as other network operator’s PLMNs are not served by any of NRF instances.The NRF is not able to create Roaming Partner NRF address using the MCC+MNC (and NID if applicable) information as defined in 3gpp standard.Although SEPP can register and query from NRF, NRF is not able to forward discovery request for other network operator’s PLMNs to SEPP.

[0005] The NRF should be able to resolve the above challenges while conforming with 3gpp standards. In the current existing 3GPP standards, the problems of runtime static connectivity, identification of traffic from SEPP using custom header, handling of forward subscribe and nonsubscribe messages and notification routing through SEPP are not solved. Further, there does not exist a solution which enables the NRF to integrate with SEPP via SCP. Also, there are no solutions defined as to how the NRF should cater to requests from local NFs for In-roamers, and from Roaming Partners for Out-roamers. If SEPP is only at two PLMN i.e , Delhi & Mumbai. If a user from third (Kolkata) PLMN out roams and subscribe / unsubscribe / update / discovery requests are received from another operator the present solutions will include third PLMN’s MCC & MNC only. So, the problem remains unsolved on how to transfer the subscribe / unsubscribe / update / discovery requests to third PLMN NRF by appending multiple MCC & MNC.

[0006] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to develop methods and systems for integrating Network Repository function (NRF) with a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP).SUMMARY

[0007] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for processing a traffic by a Network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer). The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. Further, the method comprises identifying, by an identification unit, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). Each of the IP and Port combinations from the plurality of IP and Port combinations is assigned a weight and a priority. Furthermore, the method comprises selecting, by the identification unit, at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority.

[0009] Hereinafter, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected the IP and the Port combination.

[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the traffic comprises a plurality of NF discovery requests.

[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the NF Consumer is associated with a first network operator and sends a discovery request to a second network operator.

[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the selected IP and Port combination is assigned the highest priority.

[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the if a first IP and Port combination and a second IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations have the same priority, distributing the traffic between the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination based on the weight associated with each of the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination.

[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises selecting, by the identification unit, at the NRFs the next available lower priority IP and Port combination, in an event one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are unavailable.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises selecting, at the identification unit, at the NRF, the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations, inan event the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are available when the traffic at the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations falls below a threshold.

[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the NRF provides an automated selection and a command-line based selection for selecting the traffic between the plurality of IP and Port combinations.

[0017] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, for the automated switching, the method further comprises running, at a processing unit at the NRF, a configurable timer, based on which the NRF selects an IP and Port combination.

[0018] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, at the NRF, an error code to the NF consumer, if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is unavailable based on the traffic.

[0019] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises triggering, by the transceiver unit at the NRF, an alarm if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is not reachable.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a Roaming Partner (RP) Network Function (NF). The method comprises checking, by a verification unit, at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. Further, the method comprises generating, by a processing unit, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions. Furthermore, the method comprises modifying, by the processing unit, at the NRF, the status notification by adding a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) to the status notification. Hereinafter, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

[0021] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, modifying the status notification by placing the callback URI comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, at the NRF, a status subscribe request from an RP NRF. The method further comprises forwarding, by the transceiver unit, from the NRF, a subscribe response to one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). Furthermore, the method comprises modifying, by a processing unit, at the SEPPs, a callback URI in the subscribe response. Hereinafter, the method comprises transmitting, by a transceiver unit,from the SEPP to the NRF, the modified subscribe response comprising the callback URL The method further comprises identifying, by the processing unit, at the NRF, the callback URI from the modified subscribe response.

[0022] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the status notification is generated at the NRF if the one or more subscribe conditions are met for an existing subscription of RP NF stored at the NRF.

[0023] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the RP NF is registered at the RP NRF.

[0024] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the processing unit, at the one or more SEPPS, applies a topology hiding to the callback URI and one or more discovered NF profiles included in the modified subscribe response.

[0025] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for managing one or more subscription requests at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs). The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). Further, the method comprises checking, by a verification unit, at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the one or more subscription requests. Furthermore, the method comprises identifying, by a processing unit, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF. Hereinafter, the method comprises processing, by a processing unit, at the first NRF, the one or more subscription requests based on the positive status. Hereinafter, the method comprises forwarding, by the transceiver unit, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status.

[0026] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises generating, by the processing unit, at the first NRF, a response comprising a subscription identifier (ID), if the one or more subscription requests is received from a SEPP. The method further comprises forwarding, by the transceiver unit, from the first NRF the generated response to the one or more SEPPs.

[0027] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, forwarding the subscription request to the second NRF is based on identifying that the PLMN is served by the second NRF.

[0028] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the PLMN ID comprises a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC).

[0029] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the subscription ID comprises the MCC and the MNC.

[0030] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the first NRF, an error code to the SEPP if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID fails to be processed by the first NRF and the second NRF.

[0031] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, at the first NRF, a message from the SEPP. The message comprises the subscription ID. Further, the method comprises determining, by the processing unit, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID. Furthermore, the method comprises processing, by the processing unit, at the first NRF, the message based on the positive status. Hereinafter, the method comprises forwarding, by the transceiver unit, from the first NRF, the message to the second NRF based on the negative status.

[0032] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the message is one of a status unsubscribe message and a status update message.

[0033] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the first NRF removes the MCC and MNC from the subscription ID if the message is processed at the first NRF.

[0034] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer). The system comprises a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive, at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. The system comprises an identification unit. The identification unit is configured to identify, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). Each of the IP and Port combinations from the plurality of IP and Port combinations is assigned a weight and a priority. The identification unit is further configured to select, at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated withthe one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority. Further, the transceiver unit is configured to transmit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected IP and the Port combination.

[0035] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF). The system comprises a verification unit. The verification unit is configured to check at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. The system further comprises a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to generate, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions. The processing unit is further configured to modify, at the NRF, the status notification by placing a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

[0036] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs). The system comprises a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive, at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). The system further comprises a verification unit. The verification unit is configured to check at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request. The system further comprises a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to identify, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF. The processing unit is further configured to process, at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status. The transceiver unit is further configured to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status.

[0037] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer), the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system cause a transceiver unit to receive, at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. The instructions when executed by the system further cause an identification unit to identify, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). Each of the IP Port from the plurality of IP Ports isassigned a weight and a priority. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the identification unit to select, at the NRF, an IP Port from the plurality of IP Ports associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the identification unit to transmit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected the IP and the Port.

[0038] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system cause a verification unit to check, at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. The instructions when executed by the system further cause a processing unit to generate, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the processing unit to modify, at the NRF, the status notification by placing a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to transmit, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

[0039] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system cause a transceiver unit to receive at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). The instructions when executed by the system further cause a verification unit to check, at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request. The instructions when executed by the system further cause a processing unit to identify, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the processing unit to process, at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0041] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an ability to Network Repository Function (NRF) to integrate with Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) via Service Communication Proxy (SCP).

[0042] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide an ability to Network Repository Function (NRF) to cater to requests from Local NF for In-roamers.

[0043] Yet another object of the present disclosure to provide an ability to Network Repository Function (NRF) to cater to Requests from Roaming Partners for Out-roamers.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture.

[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for processing a traffic by a Network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 6 illustrates a method flow diagram for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0051] FIG. 7 illustrates a method flow diagram for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0052] FIG. 8 illustrates a method flow diagram for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0053] FIG. 9 illustrates an implementation of a call flow diagram for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0054] FIG. 10 illustrates another implementation of a call flow diagram managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0055] FIG. 11 illustrates an implementation of a call flow diagram for managing unsubscribe requests at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0056] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0058] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0059] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0060] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.

[0061] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniquesknown to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0062] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a (Digital Signal Processing) DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.

[0063] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and / or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment / device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection unit and any other such unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0064] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0065] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0066] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0067] As used herein the transceiver unit include at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units / components within the system and / or connected with the system.

[0068] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing method and system of processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer).

[0069] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the 5GC network architecture

[0100] includes a user equipment (UE)

[0102] , a radio access network (RAN)

[0104] , an access and mobility management function (AMF)

[0106] , a Session Management Function (SMF)

[0108] , a Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[0110] , an Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] , a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)

[0114] , a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] , a Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] , a Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] , a Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] , a Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] , an application function (AF)

[0126] , a User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] , a data network (DN)

[0130] , wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.

[0070] The Radio Access Network (RAN)

[0104] is the part of a mobile telecommunications system that connects user equipment (UE)

[0102] to the core network (CN) and provides access to different types of networks (e.g., 5G network). It consists of radio base stations and the radio access technologies that enable wireless communication.

[0071] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)

[0106] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing access and mobility aspects, such as UE registration, connection, and reachability. It also handles mobility management procedures like handovers and paging.

[0072] The Session Management Function (SMF)

[0108] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing session-related aspects, such as establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions. It coordinates with the User Plane Function (UPF) for data forwarding and handles IP address allocation and QoS enforcement.

[0073] The Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[0110] is a network function in the 5G core network that facilitates communication between other network functions by providing a secure and efficient messaging service. It acts as a mediator for service-based interfaces.

[0074] The Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] is a network function in the 5G core responsible for authenticating UEs during registration and providing security services. It generates and verifies authentication vectors and tokens.

[0075] The Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)

[0114] is a network function that provides authentication and authorization services specific to network slices. It ensures that UEs can access only the slices for which they are authorized.

[0076] The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] is a network function responsible for selecting the appropriate network slice for a UE based on factors such as subscription, requested services, and network policies.

[0077] The Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] is a network function that exposes capabilities and services of the 5G network to external applications, enabling integration with third-party services and applications.

[0078] The Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] is a network function that acts as a central repository for information about available network functions and services. It facilitates the discovery and dynamic registration of network functions.

[0079] The Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] is a network function responsible for policy control decisions, such as QoS, charging, and access control, based on subscriber information and network policies.

[0080] The Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] is a network function that centralizes the management of subscriber data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.

[0081] The Application Function (AF)

[0126] is a network function that represents external applications interfacing with the 5G core network to access network capabilities and services.

[0082] The User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] is a network function responsible for handling user data traffic, including packet routing, forwarding, and QoS enforcement.

[0083] The Data Network (DN)

[0130] refers to a network that provides data services to user equipment (UE) in a telecommunications system. The data services may include but are not limited to Internet services, private data network related services.

[0084] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device

[0200] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device

[0200] may also implement a method for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer) utilising the system. In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] itself implements the method processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a NF Consumer, using one or more units configured within the computing device

[0200] , wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0085] The computing device

[0200] may include a bus

[0202] or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor

[0204] coupled with bus

[0202] for processing information. The hardware processor

[0204] may be, for example, a general-purposemicroprocessor. The computing device

[0200] may also include a main memory

[0206] , such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor

[0204] , The main memory

[0206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor

[0204] , Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor

[0204] , render the computing device

[0200] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device

[0200] further includes a read only memory (ROM)

[0208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing static information and instructions for the processor

[0204] ,

[0086] A storage device

[0210] , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing information and instructions. The computing device

[0200] may be coupled via the bus

[0202] to a display

[0212] , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for displaying information to a computer user. An input device

[0214] , including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus

[0202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor

[0204] , Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller

[0216] , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor

[0204] , and for controlling cursor movement on the display

[0212] , This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e g., x) and a second axis (e g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0087] The computing device

[0200] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and / or program logic which in combination with the computing device

[0200] causes or programs the computing device

[0200] to be a special-purpose machine. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device

[0200] in response to the processor

[0204] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory

[0206] , Such instructions may be read into the main memory

[0206] from another storage medium, such as the storage device

[0210] , Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory

[0206] causes the processor

[0204] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.

[0088] The computing device

[0200] also may include a communication interface

[0218] coupled to the bus

[0202] , The communication interface

[0218] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link

[0220] that is connected to a local network

[0222] , For example, the communication interface

[0218] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface

[0218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface

[0218] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0089] The computing device

[0200] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link

[0220] and the communication interface

[0218] , In the Internet example, a server

[0230] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet

[0228] , the ISP

[0226] , the local network

[0222] , the host

[0224] and the communication interface

[0218] , The received code may be executed by the processor

[0204] as it is received, and / or stored in the storage device

[0210] , or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

[0090] The present disclosure is implemented by a system

[0300] (as shown in FIG. 3), a system

[0400] (as shown in FIG. 4) and a system

[0500] (as shown in FIG. 5). In an implementation, the system

[0300] , the system

[0400] and the system

[0500] may include the computing device

[0200] (as shown in FIG. 2). It is further noted that the computing device

[0200] is able to perform the steps of a method

[0600] (as shown in FIG. 6), a method

[0700] (as shown in FIG. 7) and a method

[0800] (as shown in FIG. 8).

[0091] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system

[0300] for processing a traffic by a Network Repository Function (NRF) from a NF Consumer is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0302] , at least one identification unit

[0304] , at least one processing unit

[0306] and atleast one detection unit

[0308] , Also, all of the components / units of the system

[0300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the FIG. 3 all units shown within the system should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0300] may comprise multiple such units or the system

[0300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the featuresof the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a user device to implement the features of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the system

[0300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system

[0300] may reside partly in the server / network entity.

[0092] The system

[0300] is configured for processing a traffic by a Network Repository Function (NRF) from a NF Consumer, with the help of the interconnection between the components / units of the system

[0300] ,

[0093] The NF Consumer is associated with a first network operator and sends a discovery request to a second network operator.

[0094] A Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is a network established and operated by an administration for the specific purpose of providing land mobile communication services to the public. It provides communication possibilities for mobile users. For communications between mobile and fixed users, interworking with a fixed network is necessary. A PLMN may provide service in one, or a combination, of frequency bands. As a rule, a PLMN is limited by the borders of a country. Depending on national regulations there may be more than one PLMN per country. A relationship exists between each subscriber and his / her home PLMN (HPLMN). If communications are handled over another PLMN, this PLMN is referred to as the visited PLMN (VPLMN). Each PLMN is assigned an identifier (ID). The PLMN ID consists of two parts: a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC).

[0095] The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive, at a Network Repository Function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. The traffic comprises a plurality of NF discovery requests. When the NRF receives the discovery requests from NF Consumer instances, the NRF provides the information of the available NF instances fulfilling certain criteria (e.g., supporting a given service). The NF Service Consumer shall send an HTTP GET request to a resource Unifor Resource Identifier (URI). The URI is determined by the NF Consumer instance. The variable {nflnstancelD} represents an identifier, provided by the NF Consumer, that shall be globally unique inside the PLMN of the NRF where the NF Consumer is being registered. The input filter criteria for the discovery request shall be included in query parameters. On success, "200 OK" shall be returned by the NRF. The response body shall contain a validity period, during which the search result can be cached by the NF Service Consumer, and an array of NF Profile objects, that satisfy the search filter criteria (e.g., all NF Instances offering a certain NF Service name). TheNF profile consists of general parameters of the NF Instance, and also the parameters of the different services exposed by the NF Instance.

[0096] The identification unit

[0304] is configured to identify, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). The SEPP is a non-transparent proxy and supports message filtering and policing on inter-PLMN control plane interfaces. The SEPP protects the connection between NF Consumers and NF Producers from a security perspective. The SEPP also performs topology hiding. The SEPP applies the above functionality to every control plane message in inter-PLMN signalling, acting as a service relay between the actual NF Producer and the actual NF Consumer. For both NF Producer and NF Consumer, the result of the service relaying is equivalent to a direct service interaction. The one or more SEPPs are configured to maintain any correlation, routing to a peer SEPP or a peer NF, blacklisting or whitelisting a public land mobile network (PLMN), setting a rate limit, and the like. Further, each of the IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations is assigned a weight and a priority. The priority determines as to which IP and Port combination will receive the traffic first. For example, for entries with higher priority (Priority = 1 is highest and 100 is lowest) should receive traffic first. The weight determines the distribution of traffic at that combination. For example, when multiple SEPP IP:Port entries have same priority, traffic should be load balanced as per provided weight i.e. if two entries are present with same priority but with weight 50 and 40, messages should be split in ration of 50:40 between the two targets. An exemplary table listing sample entries for the SEPP IP:Port entries is shown below:

[0097] Based on the above, the identification unit

[0304] is configured to select, at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority. The traffic may be received based on the priority where 1 corresponds to highest level of priority and 100 corresponds to lowest level of priority. For instance, based on the above table, the IPLPortl may receive the traffic before other IP and Port combinations. For traffic calculation purpose, target with “0” weight should beconsidered unavailable and if only single target with “0” weight is available, traffic should be catered by lower priority targets.

[0098] The transceiver unit

[0302] is further configured to transmit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected IP and the Port combination. As described earlier, it is understood that the selected IP and Port combination will have the highest assigned priority.

[0099] Further, the identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF selects the next available lower priority IP Port, in an event one or more higher priority IP Ports are unavailable. The identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF, selects the next available lower priority IP and Port combination, in an event one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are unavailable. For example, when all of higher priority targets become unavailable, targets provided with lower priority based on assigned weights should cater to the traffic.

[0100] The identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF, selects the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations, in an event the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are available when the traffic at the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations falls below a threshold. The NRF retries to send the traffic to higher priority IP and Port combinations once combinations catering to existing traffic goes down.

[0101] Further, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the NRF triggers an alarm if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is not reachable The NRF keeps ping-pong communication with all the instances of the SEPP. When a response is not received from an instance and the request timed out, the instance is said to be not reachable. In a condition when the plurality of SEPP IP:Ports are overloaded with traffic and they are not able to take on any more traffic, they do not respond and become unreachable. When the plurality of SEPP IP:Ports are not reachable and the NRF is not able to forward the traffic, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the NRF transmits an error code to the NF consumer. Further, a detection unit

[0308] at the NRF keeps counters for successful and unsuccessful discovery requests and response based on the availability and unavailability of the SEPP IP:Port combinations.

[0102] The NRF provides an automated selection and a command-line based selection for switching the traffic between the plurality of IP and Port combinations. For the automated selection, a processing unit

[0306] at the NRF runs a configurable timer, based on which the NRF tries to create connection towards a primary IP and Port combination based on the assignedpriority. If the primary IP and Port combination is available and up, the NRF sends the traffic to this combination. In case the primary IP and Port combination is not available, the NRF should again retry to establish connection based on the configurable timer. For the command-line based selection, the NRF should provide a command for switching the traffic on a selected IP and Port combination.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 4 an exemplary block diagram of a system for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a Roaming Partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. The system

[0400] comprises at least one verification unit

[0402] , at least one processing unit

[0404] and at least one transceiver unit

[0406] , Further, the system

[0400] is in communication with a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP)

[0408] which comprises a processing unit

[0410] , Also, all of the components / units of the system

[0400] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the FIG. 4 all units shown within the system should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 4 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0400] may comprise multiple such units or the system

[0400] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the system

[0400] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system

[0400] may reside partly in the server / network entity.

[0104] The verification unit

[0402] is configured to check at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. The RP NF needs to be registered at the RP NRF to avail services and notifications. The Network Function Consumers (NF Consumers) can subscribe to notifications from the NRF related to NF instances in the same PLMN or in a different PLMN. The NF Consumers have to create a subscription so they can be notified when NF Instances of a given set, following certain filter criteria are registered / deregistered in the NRF or when their profile is modified. The NF also has to a create a subscription to a specific NF Instance so it can request to be notified when the profile of such NF Instance is modified or when the NF Instance is deregistered from NRF. The subscription request body shall include the data indicating the type of notifications that the NF Consumer is interested in receiving; it also contains a callback URI, where the NF Service Consumer shall be prepared to receive the actual notification from the NRF and it may contain a validity time, suggested by the NF Consumer, representing the time span during which the subscription is desired to be kept active. The request body contains the input parameters for the subscription. These parameters include, e.g.: Target NF type, Target Service Name, Callback URI of the Requester NF, PLMN ID, etc. The subscription to notifications on NFInstances in a different PLMN is done by creating a resource under the collection resource "subscriptions", in the NRF of the Home PLMN. The PLMN ID shall be included when the NF consumer in one PLMN requests a service access authorization for an NF producer from a different PLMN. When present, this parameter shall contain the PLMN ID of the target PLMN (i.e., PLMN ID of the NF producer). The NRF in the present disclosure is in a Home or Serving PLMN and the RP NF is in a visiting PLMN. Therefore, the NF instances registered with the NRF are in Home PLMN and the RP NF requesting services is in a different PLMN. Based on the subscription request, the NRF in the Home PLMN returns a ‘subscriptionlD’ identifying the created subscription. Further, the one or more subscribe conditions may be defined by a number of parameters. The ‘NflnstanceldListCond’ parameter which describes subscription to a list of NF instances. The ‘NfTypeCond’ parameter which describes subscription to a set of NF instances, identified by their NF type. The parameter ‘ ServiceNameCond’ which describes subscription to a set of NF instances that offer a certain service name. These are some examples for the parameters which describe the one or more conditions which are checked by the NRF before responding back with the status notification. In an implementation, the NRF may check the "reqNfType" and "reqNfFqdn" input attributes in the subscription request body. The ‘reqNfType’ contains the NF type of the NF Consumer, i.e. RP NF, that is requesting the creation of the subscription. The NRF shall use it for authorizing the request. The ‘reqNfFqdn’ contains the FQDN of the NF Consumer, i.e. RP NF, that is requesting the creation of the subscription. The NRF shall use it for authorizing the request.

[0105] If the one or more subscribe conditions are met, the processing unit

[0404] is configured to generate, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF. The status notification is generated at the NRF if the one or more subscribe conditions are met for an existing subscription of RP NF. The ‘NFStatusNotify’ service operation is used by the NRF to generate the status notification for RP NF. The ‘NFStatusNotify’ allows the NRF to notify subscribed NF Instances (i.e. RP NF) of changes on the status of NF Instances. This service operation can be invoked directly between the NRF and an NF Instance in a different PLMN (without involvement of the NRF in that PLMN).

[0106] After the status notification is generated, the processing unit

[0404] is configured to modify, at the NRF, the status notification by placing a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). To modify the status notification by placing the callback URI, the transceiver unit

[0406] is configured to receive a status subscribe request from an RP NRF at the NRF, where the RP NRF is in a different PLMN. The service operation ‘NFStatusSubscribe’ allows an NF to subscribe to changes on the status of NF Instances registered in NRF. It also allows an SCP Instance to subscribe tochanges on the status of other SCP Instances registered in NRF. This service operation can be invoked by an NF Instance in a different PLMN (via the local NRF in that PLMN). It cannot be invoked by an SCP instance in a different PLMN. Further, the transceiver unit

[0406] is configured to transmit, from the NRF, a subscribe response to a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP)

[0408] . The SEPP

[0408] is in the Home or Serving PLMN. Furthermore, the processing unit

[0404] , is configured to modify, at the SEPP, the callback URI in the subscribe response. The Callback URI should be modified so that notification messages from the NRF are sent towards the SEPP rather than directly towards RP NF. The transceiver unit

[0406] is further configured to receive, from the SEPP

[0408] at the NRF, the modified subscribe response containing the modified Callback URI. The processing unit

[0404] is further configured to identify, at the NRF, the Callback URI from the modified subscribe response. The method focuses on using the same modified Callback URI for subscription response. Thereafter, the transceiver unit

[0406] transmits, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF. Further, it is to be noted that the RP NF is registered in the RP NRF.

[0107] The processing unit

[0410] , at the one or more SEPPs

[0408] , also applies a topology hiding to the Callback URI and one or more discovered NF profiles included in the modified subscribe response. The topology hiding refers to a technique to conceal network topology from unauthorized users to enhance security of the network. In this way, the network functions outside the trust domain of the home PLMN have no view of the URI (Uniform Resource Identifiers).

[0108] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system

[0500] comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0502] , at least verification unit

[0504] and at least one processing unit

[0506] , Also, all of the components / units of the system

[0500] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the FIG. 5, all units shown within the system should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 5 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0500] may comprise multiple such units or the system

[0500] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system

[0500] may be present in a user device to implement the features of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the system

[0500] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system

[0500] may reside partly in the server / network entity.

[0109] The transceiver unit

[0502] , is configured to receive, at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). The subscription request body shall include the data indicating the type of notifications that the one or more NRFs are interested in receiving; it also contains a callback URI, where the one or more NRFs shall be prepared to receive the actual notification from the first NRF and it may contain a validity time, suggested by the one or more NRFs, representing the time span during which the subscription is desired to be kept active. The subscription request may also include additional parameters indicating the list of attributes in the NF Profiles to be monitored (or to be excluded from monitoring), in order to determine whether a notification from the first NRF should be sent, or not, when any of those attributes is changed in the profiles. The one or more NRFs may request the creation of a subscription to a specific NF Instance, or to a set of NF Instances, where the set is determined according to different criteria specified in the request body, in the "subscrCond" attribute of the "SubscriptionData" object type included in the subscription request. The subscription request shall include a PLMN ID when subscribing to NF services in a different PLMN. When included, this parameter shall contain the PLMN ID(s) of the requester NF, i.e. the one or more NRFs.

[0110] The verification unit

[0504] is configured to check at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request. The PLMN ID comprises the mobile country code (MCC) and the mobile network code (MNC). The NID attribute contains the target NID that, together with the PLMN ID attribute, identifies the Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) of the NF Instance(s) whose status is requested to be monitored.

[0111] The processing unit

[0506] is configured to identify, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF. An NRF can be configured with multiple PLMN IDs and shall support registering, updating and deregistering the profile of Network Function (NF) Instances from any of these PLMN IDs. The positive status refers to determining that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is configured with / served by the first NRF. The negative status refers to determining that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is not configured with / not served by the first NRF.

[0112] The processing unit

[0506] is further configured to process, at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status. Once, the processing unit

[0506] has identified that the first NRF is configured to serve the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID, the first NRF processes thesubscription request. The processing unit

[0506] is further configured to generate, at the first NRF, a response comprising a subscription ID. The subscription ID comprises the MCC and the MNC. Further, the transceiver unit

[0502] is configured to forward, from the first NRF the generated response to the one or more SEPPs.

[0113] The transceiver unit

[0502] is further configured to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs, based on the negative status. The subscription request is forwarded to the second NRF based on identifying that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the second NRF.

[0114] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit

[0502] , is configured to receive, at the first NRF, a message from the one or more SEPPs, wherein the message comprises the subscription ID. Thereafter, the processing unit

[0506] determines, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID. Further, the message is one of a status unsubscribe message and a status update message.

[0115] The processing unit

[0506] is configured to determine, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID. The processing unit

[0506] then processes the message at the first NRF, based on the positive status. The positive status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates the PLMN ID associated with the first NRF.

[0116] The transceiver unit forwards, from the first NRF, the message to the second NRF based on the negative status. The negative status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates PLMN ID associated with the second NRF.

[0117] Further, the transceiver unit

[0502] , transmits from the first NRF, an error code to the one or more SEPPs if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID fails to be processed at the first NRF and the second NRF. In such a case, the NRF keeps counters for successful and unsuccessful NFStatusUnSubscribe and Update NF Status Sub scribe request / response for RP PLMN.

[0118] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, following two scenarios are described below. The first scenario relates to a case when the NRF receives an unsubscribe / update subscribe message directly from a SEPP. In this case MCC+MNC should be appended already andthe NRF (first NRF) should make decision to either process locally or forward to other NRF (Second NRF) based on MCC / MNC derived from SubscriptionlD. In case, MCC / MNC combination indicates local NRF (first NRF) only, NRF should remove the MCC / MNC and lookup for Subscription ID. In case MCC / MNC is of another NRF (second NRF), message should be forwarded accordingly. Fhe second scenario describes when the NRF (first NRF) indirectly receives UnSubscribe / Update Subscribe message from a SEPP. In this case, MCC+MNC may or may not be present as part of SubscriptionlD at target NRF (first NRF). In case, MCC / MNC combination indicates local NRF (first NRF) only, NRF should remove the MCC / MNC and lookup for Subscription ID. In case MCC / MNC is not present, NRF should assume that message is for local NRF (first NRF) only and should process accordingly. In case MCC / MNC is of another NRF (second NRF), message should be forwarded accordingly. Further, it is to be noted that NRF is able to check for SubscriptionlD both with / without SubscriptionlD.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0600] for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a NF Consumer, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method

[0600] is performed by the system

[0300] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the method

[0600] starts at step

[0602] .

[0120] At step

[0604] , the method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit

[0302] , at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. The traffic comprises a plurality of NF discovery requests. The Nnrf_NFDiscovery service allows a NF Instance (or NF Consumer) to discover other NF Instances with the potential services they offer, by querying the NRF. The NF Consumer is associated with a first network operator and sends a discovery request to a second network operator.

[0121] At step

[0606] , the method comprises identifying, by an identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). The SEPP is a non-transparent proxy and supports message filtering and policing on inter-PLMN control plane interfaces. The SEPP protects the connection between NF Consumers and NF Producers from a security perspective. The SEPP also performs topology hiding. The SEPP applies the above functionality to every control plane message in inter- PLMN signalling, acting as a service relay between the actual NF Producer and the actual NF Consumer. For both NF Producer and NF Consumer, the result of the service relaying is equivalentto a direct service interaction. The one or more SEPPs are configured to maintain any correlation, routing to a peer SEPP or a peer NF, blacklisting or whitelisting a public land mobile network (PLMN), setting a rate limit, and the like. Further, each of the IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations is assigned a weight and a priority. The priority determines as to which IP and Port combination will receive the traffic first. For example, for entries with higher priority (Priority = 1 is highest and 100 is lowest) should receive traffic first. The weight determines the distribution of traffic at that combination. For example, when multiple SEPP IP:Port entries have same priority, traffic should be load balanced as per provided weight i.e. if two entries are present with same priority but with weight 50 and 40, messages should be split in ration of 50:40 between the two targets. An exemplary table listing sample entries for the SEPP IP:Port entries is shown below:

[0122] Next, at Step

[0608] , the identification unit

[0304] is configured to select, at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority. The traffic may be received based on the priority where 1 corresponds to highest level of priority and 100 corresponds to lowest level of priority. For instance, based on the above table, the IPEPortl may receive the traffic before other IP and Port combinations. For traffic calculation purpose, target with “0” weight should be considered unavailable and if only single target with “0” weight is available, traffic should be catered by lower priority targets.

[0123] If a first IP and Port combination and a second IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations have the same priority, the traffic is distributed between the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination based on the weight associated with each of the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination. In one example, if the priority of one or more IP and Port combinations is same, the identification unit

[0304] may split the traffic on the one or more IP and Port combinations based on the weight. For instance, if two IP and Port combinations have same priority but the weight is 50 and 40, messages should besplit in ration of 50:40 between the two IP and Port combination. The selected IP and Port combination is assigned the highest priority.

[0124] Further, at step

[0610] , the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , from the NRF, the traffic to the selected the IP and the Port combination. As described earlier, it is understood that the selected IP and Port combination will have the highest assigned priority.

[0125] Further, the identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF selects the next available lower priority IP Port, in an event one or more higher priority IP Ports are unavailable. The identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF, selects the next available lower priority IP and Port combination, in an event one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are unavailable. For example, when all of higher priority targets become unavailable, targets provided with lower priority based on assigned weights should cater to the traffic.

[0126] The identification unit

[0304] , at the NRF, selects the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations, in an event the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are available when the traffic at the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations falls below a threshold. The NRF retries to send the traffic to higher priority IP and Port combinations once combinations catering to existing traffic goes down.

[0127] Further, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the NRF triggers an alarm if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is not reachable The NRF keeps ping-pong communication with all the instances of the SEPP. When a response is not received from an instance and the request timed out, the instance is said to be not reachable. In a condition when the plurality of SEPP IP:Ports are overloaded with traffic and they are not able to take on any more traffic, they do not respond and become unreachable. When the plurality of SEPP IP:Ports are not reachable and the NRF is not able to forward the traffic, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the NRF transmits an error code to the NF consumer. Further, a detection unit

[0308] at the NRF keeps counters for successful and unsuccessful discovery requests and response based on the availability and unavailability of the SEPP IP:Port combinations.

[0128] The NRF provides an automated selection and a command-line based selection for switching the traffic between the plurality of IP and Port combinations. For the automated selection, a processing unit

[0306] at the NRF runs a configurable timer, based on which the NRF tries to create connection towards a primary IP and Port combination based on the assignedpriority. If the primary IP and Port combination is available and up, the NRF sends the traffic to this combination. In case the primary IP and Port combination is not available, the NRF should again retry to establish connection based on the configurable timer. For the command-line based selection, the NRF should provide a command for switching the traffic on a selected IP and Port combination.

[0129] The method

[0600] herein terminates at step

[0612] ,

[0130] Referring to FIG. 7, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0700] for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method

[0700] is performed by the system

[0400] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0400] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the method

[0700] starts at step

[0702] ,

[0131] At step

[0704] , the method comprises checking, by a verification unit

[0402] , at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. The RP NF is registered at the RP NRF. The one or more subscribe conditions may be defined by a number of parameters. The ‘NflnstanceldListCond’ parameter which describes subscription to a list of NF instances. The ‘NITypeCond’ parameter which describes subscription to a set of NF instances, identified by their NF type. The parameter ‘ ServiceNameCond’ which describes subscription to a set of NF instances that offer a certain service name. These are some examples for the parameters which describe the one or more conditions which are checked by the NRF before responding back with the status notification. In an implementation, the NRF may check the "reqNIType" and "reqNfFqdn" input attributes in the subscription request body. The ‘reqNffype’ contains the NF type of the NF Consumer, i.e. RP NF, that is requesting the creation of the subscription. The NRF shall use it for authorizing the request. The ‘reqNfFqdn’ contains the FQDN of the NF Consumer, i.e. RP NF, that is requesting the creation of the subscription. The NRF shall use it for authorizing the request.

[0132] Next at step

[0706] , the method comprises generating, by a processing unit

[0404] , at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions. The status notification is generated at the NRF if the one or more subscribe conditions are met for an existing subscription of RP NF stored at the NRF. The ‘NFStatusNotify’ service operation is used by the NRF to generate the status notification for RP NF. The ‘NFStatusNotify’ allows the NRF to notify subscribed NF Instances (i.e. RP NF) of changes on the status of NFInstances. This service operation can be invoked directly between the NRF and an NF Instance in a different PLMN (without involvement of the NRF in that PLMN).

[0133] Next at step

[0708] , the method comprises modifying, by the processing unit

[0404] , at the NRF, the status notification by adding a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) to the status notification. The callback URI refers to a specific URI to define a callback endpoint. The endpoint corresponds to a device where a response or notification is received back after checking that the one or more subscribe conditions are met. In one example, the NRF places the callback URI received during subscription under headers of Authority and Path. To modify the status notification by placing the callback URI, the transceiver unit

[0406] is configured to receive a status subscribe request from an RP NRF at the NRF, where the RP NRF is in a different PLMN. Further, the transceiver unit

[0406] is configured to transmit, from the NRF, a subscribe response to a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). The SEPP is in the Home or Serving PLMN. Furthermore, the processing unit

[0404] , is configured to modify, at the SEPP, the callback URI in the subscribe response. The Callback URI should be modified so that notification messages from the NRF are sent towards the SEPP rather than directly towards RP NF. The transceiver unit

[0406] is further configured to receive from the SEPP at the NRF, the modified subscribe response containing the modified Callback URI. The processing unit

[0404] is further configured to identify, at the NRF, the Callback URI from the modified subscribe response. The method focuses on using the same modified Callback URI for subscription response. Thereafter, the transceiver unit

[0406] transmits, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF. Further, it is to be noted that the RP NF is registered in the RP NRF.

[0134] The status subscribe request allows the RP NF to receive notifications about the status changes of other NFs. The status change may be one of a registration, deregistration, profile change, and the like. The status subscribe request includes but may not be limited to a NF instance identifier (ID), the one or more subscribe conditions, the notification endpoint and the like.

[0135] The processing unit

[0404] , at the one or more SEPPs, also applies a topology hiding to the Callback URI and one or more discovered NF profiles included in the modified subscribe response. The topology hiding refers to a technique to conceal network topology from unauthorized users to enhance security of the network. In this way, the network functions outside the trust domain of the home PLMN have no view of the URI (Uniform Resource Identifiers).

[0136] Further the method comprises forwarding, by the transceiver unit

[0406] , from the NRF, a subscribe response to Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). In one example, when an NF Service Consumer subscribes to a set of NFs, a change in the profile of the monitored NF instance may result in the NF becoming a part of the NF set or stops becoming a part of the NF set. In such case, the NRF shall use the "NF PROFILE CHANGED" event type in the notification.

[0137] The method further comprises modifying, by the processing unit

[0404] , where the processing unit

[0404] is located at the SEPP

[0408] , the callback URI in the subscribe response. The method further comprises transmitting, by a transceiver unit

[0406] , from the SEPP to the NRF, the modified subscribe response comprising the callback URI. Furthermore, the method comprises identifying, by the processing unit

[0404] , at the NRF, the callback URI from the modified subscribe response. The method includes applying, by the processing unit

[0404] , at the SEPPS, a topology hiding to the callback URI and one or more discovered NF profiles included in the modified subscribe response.

[0138] Further, at step

[0710] , the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0406] , from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

[0139] Referring to FIG. 8, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0800] for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method

[0800] is performed by the system

[0500] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0500] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the method

[0800] starts at step

[0802] ,

[0140] At step

[0804] , the method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit

[0502] , at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, a subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). The subscription request body shall include the data indicating the type of notifications that the one or more NRFs are interested in receiving; it also contains a callback URI, where the one or more NRF s shall be prepared to receive the actual notification from the first NRF and it may contain a validity time, suggested by the one or more NRFs, representing the time span during which the subscription is desired to be kept active. The subscription request may also include additional parameters indicating the list of attributes in the NF Profiles to be monitored (or to be excluded from monitoring), in order to determine whether a notification from the first NRF should be sent, or not, when any of those attributes is changed in the profiles. The one or moreNRFs may request the creation of a subscription to a specific NF Instance, or to a set of NF Instances, where the set is determined according to different criteria specified in the request body, in the "subscrCond" attribute of the "SubscriptionData" object type included in the subscription request. The subscription request shall include a PLMN ID when subscribing to NF services in a different PLMN. When included, this parameter shall contain the PLMN ID(s) of the requester NF, i.e. the one or more NRFs.

[0141] Next at step

[0806] , the method comprises checking, by a verification unit

[0504] , at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request. The PLMN ID comprises the mobile country code (MCC) and the mobile network code (MNC). The NID attribute contains the target NID that, together with the PLMN ID attribute, identifies the Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) of the NF Instance(s) whose status is requested to be monitored.

[0142] Further at step

[0808] , the method comprises identifying, by a processing unit

[0506] , at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status. An NRF can be configured with multiple PLMN IDs and shall support registering, updating and deregistering the profile of Network Function (NF) Instances from any of these PLMN IDs. The positive status refers to determining that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is configured with / served by the first NRF. The negative status refers to determining that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is not configured with / not served by the first NRF.

[0143] Further at step

[0810] , if the status is the positive status, the method comprises processing, by a processing unit

[0506] , at the first NRF, the subscription request. Once, the processing unit

[0506] has identified that the first NRF is configured to serve the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID, the first NRF processes the subscription request. The processing unit

[0506] is further configured to generate, at the first NRF, a response comprising a subscription ID. The subscription ID comprises the MCC and the MNC. Further, the transceiver unit

[0502] is configured to forward, from the first NRF the generated response to the one or more SEPPs.

[0144] The transceiver unit

[0502] is further configured to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs, based on the negative status. The subscription request is forwarded to the second NRF based on identifying that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the second NRF.

[0145] The method further comprises generating, by the processing unit

[0506] , at the first NRF, a response comprising a subscription identifier (ID) if the one or more subscription requests is received from the SEPP. The subscription ID comprises the MCC and the MNC. To generate the response, the processing unit

[0506] checks if the request is received from the SEPP only. In one example, if the request is not received from the SEPP, the response may not be generated. Further, the method includes forwarding, by the transceiver unit

[0502] , from the first NRF the generated response to the one or more SEPPs.

[0146] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit

[0502] , is configured to receive, at the first NRF, a message from the one or more SEPPs, wherein the message comprises the subscription ID. Thereafter, the processing unit

[0506] determines, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID. Further, the message is one of a status unsubscribe message and a status update message.

[0147] The processing unit

[0506] is configured to determine, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID. The processing unit

[0506] then processes the message at the first NRF, based on the positive status. The positive status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates the PLMN ID associated with the first NRF.

[0148] The transceiver unit forwards, from the first NRF, the message to the second NRF based on the negative status. The negative status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates PLMN ID associated with the second NRF.

[0149] Further, the transceiver unit

[0502] , transmits from the first NRF, an error code to the one or more SEPPs if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID fails to be processed at the first NRF and the second NRF. In such a case, the NRF keeps counters for successful and unsuccessful NFStatusUnSubscribe and Update NF Status Sub scribe request / response for RP PLMN.

[0150] The method

[0800] terminates at step

[0814] ,

[0151] Referring to FIG. 9, an implementation of a call flow diagram

[0900] for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP)Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown.

[0152] At Step [1], the NRF

[0902] of a serving PLMN sends a NFStatusNotify request service operation towards a SEPP

[0408] , The NFStatusNotify service operation allows the NRF

[0902] to notify subscribed NF of changes on the status of NF Instances. This service operation can be invoked directly between the NRF and an NF Instance in a different PLMN (without involvement of the local NRF in that PLMN). Further, the NRF

[0902] and the SEPP

[0408] are in the Home or Serving PLMN. The NRF

[0902] send the NFStatusNotify request to SEPP

[0408] in response to the subscribe request from a Roaming Partner (RP) Network Function (NF). After the NRF

[0902] has verified the subscription conditions in the subscribe request, the NRF

[0902] send the NFStatusNotify request to the SEPP

[0408] , The NRF

[0902] may check the one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. The one or more subscribe conditions may be met or may not met. If the one or more subscribe conditions are met, a status notification for the RP NF is generated at the NRF

[0902] ,

[0153] The SEPP

[0408] , on receiving the NFStatusNotify request from the NRF

[0902] , modifies the callback URI included in the request. The Callback URI should be modified so that notification messages from the NRF are sent towards the SEPP rather than directly towards RP NF.

[0154] At Step [2], the modified subscribe response is transmitted from the SEPP

[0408] to the NRF

[0902] , the modified subscribe response comprising the modified callback URI.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 10, another implementation of a call flow diagram

[1000] to notify for subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown.

[0156] At Step [1], a NFStatusSubscribe Create Request received at a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) is sent to a Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[1002] , Then at Step [2], the SCP

[1002] forwards the subscription request to the First NRF

[1004] , The subscription request shall include a PLMN ID when subscribing to NF services in a different PLMN. When included, this parameter shall contain the PLMN ID(s) of the requester NF, i.e. the one or more NRFs.

[0157] The First NRF

[1004] , checks the Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request. The PLMN ID comprises the mobile country code (MCC) and the mobile network code (MNC). The NID attribute contains the target NID that, together with the PLMN ID attribute, identifies the Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) of the NF Instance(s) whose status is requested to be monitored. An NRF can be configured with multiple PLMN IDs and shall support registering, updating and deregistering the profile of Network Function (NF) Instances from any of these PLMN IDs. Therefore, the First NRF

[1004] determines if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the First NRF

[1004] or not. If it is determined that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is not configured with / not served by the first NRF

[1004] , then the First NRF

[1004] forwards the request to the Second NRF

[1006] at Step [3], If it is determined that the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is configured with / served by the first NRF

[1004] , then the First NRF

[1004] serves the requests locally.

[0158] Next, the request gets processed at the Second NRF

[1006] and then the Second NRF

[1006] transmits a NFStatusSubscribe Response to the First NRF

[1004] at Step [4], The response comprises a subscription ID. The subscription ID comprises the MCC and the MNC.

[0159] At Step [5], the First NRF

[1004] forwards the response to the SCP

[1002] , which then forwards the response to SEPP

[0408] at Step [6],

[0160] Referring to FIG. 11, an implementation of a call flow diagram

[1100] for managing subscriptions at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), where message is for unsubscribing, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown.

[0161] The first NRF

[1104] receives an NFStatusUnSubscribe request from the SEPP

[0408] via the SCP

[1102] at Steps [1] and [2], The NFStatusUnsubscribe request allows an NF instance to unsubscribe to changes on the status of NF registered in an NRF. The NFStatus Unsubscribe operation may be invoked by an NF Instance in a different PLMN (via a local NRF in that PLMN) for changes on the status of NF Instances. Further the NFStatusUnsubscribe request contains the Sub serf ptionlD of the already created subscription.

[0162] The mobile country code (MCC) and the mobile network code (MNC) may already be added in the of NFStatusUnSubscribe message. The NRF makes decision to either process locally or forward to a second NRF based on the MCC and the MNC derived from Subscription ID. Wherethe MCC and the MNC combination indicates a local NRF, the NRF should remove the MCC and the MNC and lookup for Subscription ID. In another example, if the MCC and the MNC is of another NRF, the message should be forwarded to the other NRF accordingly.

[0163] If the First NRF

[1104] determines that the NFStatusUnsubscribe request cannot be processed locally, it forwards the NFStatusUnsubscribe request to Second NRF

[1106] at Step [3],

[0164] Next at Step [4], the Second NRF

[1106] send back NFStatusUnsubscribe response which is further forwarded by the First NRF

[1104] at Step [5] to SCP

[1006] , which then forwards the same to SEPP

[0408] at Step [6],

[0165] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, following two scenarios are described below. The first scenario relates to a case when the NRF receives an unsubscribe / update subscribe message directly from a SEPP. In this caseMCC+MNC should be appended already and the NRF (first NRF) should make decision to either process locally or forward to other NRF (Second NRF) based on MCC / MNC derived from SubscriptionlD. In case, MCC / MNC combination indicates local NRF (first NRF) only, NRF should remove the MCC / MNC and lookup for Subscription ID. In case MCC / MNC is of another NRF (second NRF), message should be forwarded accordingly. The second scenario describes when the NRF (first NRF) indirectly receives UnSubscribe / Update Subscribe message from a SEPP. In this case, MCC+MNC may or may not be present as part of SubscriptionlD at target NRF (first NRF). In case, MCC / MNC combination indicates local NRF (first NRF) only, NRF should remove the MCC / MNC and lookup for Subscription ID. In case MCC / MNC is not present, NRF should assume that message is for local NRF (first NRF) only and should process accordingly. In case MCC / MNC is of another NRF (second NRF), message should be forwarded accordingly. Further, it is to be noted that NRF is able to check for SubscriptionlD both with / without SubscriptionlD.

[0166] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a NF Consumer, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, cause a transceiver unit to receive, at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer. The instructions when executed by the system further cause an identification unit to identify, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP). Each of the IP Port from the plurality of IP Ports is assigned a weight and a priority. The instructions whenexecuted by the system further cause the identification unit to select, at the NRF, an IP Port from the plurality of IP Ports associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the identification unit to transmit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected the IP and the Port.

[0167] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system cause a verification unit to check, at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF. The instructions when executed by the system further cause a processing unit to generate, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the processing unit to modify, at the NRF, the status notification by placing a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to transmit, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

[0168] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system cause a transceiver unit to receive at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs). The instructions when executed by the system further cause a verification unit to check, at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request. The instructions when executed by the system further cause a processing unit to identify, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the processing unit to process, at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status.

[0169] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a NF Consumer. The present solution provides ability to integrate with Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) viaService Communication Proxy (SCP). The present disclosure further provides ability to cater to requests from Local NF for In-roamers. The present disclosure provides ability to cater to Requests from Roaming Partners for Out-roamers.

[0170] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

[0171] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components / units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method [600] for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer), the method comprising: receiving, by a transceiver unit [302], at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer; identifying, by an identification unit [304], at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Port combinations associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), wherein each of the IP Port from the plurality of IP and Port combinations is assigned a weight and a priority; selecting, by the identification unit [304], at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority; and- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], from the NRF, the traffic to the selected IP and the Port combination.

2. The method [600] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traffic comprises a plurality of NF discovery requests.

3. The method [600] as claimed in claim 2, wherein the NF Consumer is associated with a first network operator and sends a discovery request to a second network operator.

4. The method [600] as claimed in claim 1, wherein if a first IP and Port combination and a second IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations have the same priority, distributing the traffic between the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination based on the weight associated to each of the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination.

5. The method [600] as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the method further comprises selecting, by the identification unit [304], at the NRF, the next available lower priority IP and Port combination, in an event one or more higher priority IP Ports are unavailable.

6. The method [600] as claimed in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises selecting, at the identification unit [304], at the NRF, the one or more higher priorityIP and Port combinations, in an event the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are available when the traffic at the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations falls below a threshold.

7. The method [600] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the NRF provides an automated selection and a command-line based selection for switching the traffic between the plurality of IP Ports, wherein the automated selection comprises running a configurable timer, based on which the NRF selects an IP and Port combination.

8. The method [600] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], at the NRF, an error code to the NF consumer, if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is unavailable based on the traffic and triggering, an alarm if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is not reachable.

9. A method [700] for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF) and, the method comprising: checking, by a verification unit [402], at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF; generating, by a processing unit [404], at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions; modifying, by the processing unit [404], at the NRF, the status notification by adding a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) to the status notification; and transmitting, by the transceiver unit [406], from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

10. The method [700] as claimed in claim 9, wherein modifying the status notification by placing the callback URI comprises: receiving, by a transceiver unit [406], at the NRF, a status subscribe request from an RP NRF; forwarding, by the transceiver unit [406], from the NRF, a subscribe response to a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP); modifying, by a processing unit [404], at the SEPP, a callback URI in the subscribe response;- transmitting, by a transceiver unit [406], from the SEPP to the NRF, the modified subscribe response comprising the callback URI; and identifying, by the processing unit [404], at the NRF, the callback URI from the modified subscribe response.

11. The method [700] as claimed in claimed 9, wherein the status notification is generated at the NRF if the one or more subscribe conditions are met for an existing subscription of RP NF stored at the NRF.

12. The method [700] as claimed in claim 11, wherein the RP NF is registered at the RP NRF.

13. The method [700] as claimed in claim 10, wherein, the processing unit [404], at the one or more SEPPs, applies a topology hiding to the callback URI and one or more discovered NF profiles included in the modified subscribe response.

14. A method [800] for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the method comprising: receiving, by a transceiver unit [502], at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP); checking, by a verification unit [504], at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request; identifying, by a processing unit [506], at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF; processing, by a processing unit [506], at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status; forwarding, by the transceiver unit [502], from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status; generating, by the processing unit [506], at the first NRF, a response comprising a subscription identifier (ID); and forwarding, by the transceiver unit [502], from the first NRF the generated response to the SEPP.

15. The method [800] as claimed in claim 14, wherein forwarding the subscription request to the second NRF is based on identifying that the PLMN is served by the second NRF.

16. The method [800] as claimed in claim 14, wherein the PLMN ID and the subscription ID comprise a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC).

17. The method [800] as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transceiver unit [502], transmits from the first NRF, an error code to the SEPP if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID fails to be processed by the first NRF and the second NRF.

18. The method [800] as claimed in claim 16, the method further comprises: receiving, by a transceiver unit [502], at the first NRF, a message from the SEPP, wherein the message comprises the subscription ID and wherein the message is one of a status unsubscribe message and a status update message; determining, by the processing unit [506], at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID; processing, by the processing unit [506], at the first NRF, the message based on the positive status; and forwarding, by the transceiver unit [502], from the first NRF, the message to the second NRF based on the negative status.

19. The method [800] as claimed in claim 18, wherein the positive status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates PLMN ID associated with the first NRF.

20. The method [800] as claimed in claim 18, wherein the negative status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates PLMN ID associated with the second NRF.

21. The method [800] as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first NRF removes the MCC and MNC from the subscription ID if the message is processed at the first NRF.

22. A system [300] for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer), the system comprising: a transceiver unit [302], configured to receive, at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer; an identification unit [304], configured to identify, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), wherein each of the IP Port from the plurality of IP Ports is assigned a weight and a priority;- the identification unit [304], configured to select, at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority; and- the transceiver unit [302], configured to transmit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected IP and port combination.

23. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein the traffic comprises a plurality of NF discovery requests.

24. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein the NF Consumer is associated with a first network operator and sends a discovery request to a second network operator.

25. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein if a first IP and Port combination and a second IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations have the same priority, distributing the traffic between the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination based on the weight associated with each of the first IP and Port combination and the second IP and Port combination.

26. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein, the identification unit [304], at the NRF selects the next available lower priority IP and Port combination, in an event one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are unavailable.

27. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein the identification unit [304], at the NRF selects the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations, in an event the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations are available when the traffic at the one or more higher priority IP and Port combinations falls below a threshold.

28. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein the NRF provides an automated switching and a command-line based switching for switching the traffic between the plurality of IP and Port combinations, wherein for the automated switching a processing unit [306] at the NRF runs a configurable timer, based on which the NRF selects an IP and Port combination.

29. The system [300] as claimed in claim 22, wherein the transceiver unit [302] at the NRF transmits an error code to the NF consumer, if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is unavailable based on the traffic and triggers an alarm if the plurality of IP and Port combinations is not reachable.

30. A system [400] for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF) and, the system comprising: a verification unit [402], configured to check, at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF; a processing unit [404], configured to generate, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions; the processing unit [404], configured to modify, at the NRF, the status notification by placing a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI); and- the transceiver unit [406], configured to transmit, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

31. The system [400] as claimed in claim 30, wherein modifying the status notification by placing the callback URI comprises: the transceiver unit [406], further configured to: o receive, at the NRF, a status subscribe request from an RP NRF; o transmit, from the NRF, a subscribe response to a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP); the processing unit [404], configured to modify, at the SEPP, a callback URI in the subscribe response; the transceiver unit [406], further configured to transmit, from the SEPP to the NRF, the modified subscribe response containing the callback URI; and the processing unit [404], further configured to identify, at the NRF, the callback URI from the modifies subscribe response.

32. The system [400] as claimed in claimed 30, wherein the status notification is generated at the NRF if the one or more subscribe conditions are met for an existing subscription of RP NF.

33. The system [400] as claimed in claim 32, wherein the RP NF is registered at the RP NRF.

34. The system [400] as claimed in claim 31, wherein, the processing unit [404], at the SEPP, applies a topology hiding to the callback URI and one or more discovered NF profiles included in the modified subscribe response.

35. A system [500] for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the system comprising: a transceiver unit [502], configured to receive, at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs); a verification unit [504], configured to check, at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request; a processing unit [506], configured to identify, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF;- the processing unit [506], configured to process, at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status; and- the transceiver unit [502], configured to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status;- the processing unit [506], configured to generate, at the first NRF, a response comprising a subscription ID; and the transceiver unit [502], configured to forward, from the first NRF the generated response to the one or more SEPPs.

36. The system [500] as claimed in claim 35, wherein forwarding the subscription request to the second NRF is based on identifying that the PLMN is served by the second NRF.

37. The system [500] as claimed in claim 35, wherein the PLMN ID and subscription ID comprise a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC).

38. The system [500] as claimed in claim 35, wherein the transceiver unit [502], transmits from the first NRF, an error code to the one or more SEPPs if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID fails to be processed at the first NRF and the second NRF.

39. The system [500] as claimed in claim 37, the system further comprises:- the transceiver unit [502], configured to receive, at the first NRF, a message from the SEPP, wherein the message comprises the subscription ID and wherein the message is one of a status unsubscribe message and a status update message;- the processing unit [506], configured to determine, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status, based on the MCC and MNC derived from the subscription ID; the processing unit [506], configured to process, at the first NRF, the message based on the positive status;- the transceiver unit [502], configured to forward, from the first NRF, the message to the second NRF based on the negative status.

40. The system [500] as claimed in claim 39, wherein the positive status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates PLMN ID associated with the first NRF.

41. The system [500] as claimed in claim 39, wherein the negative status is determined when the MCC and MNC combination indicates PLMN ID associated with the second NRF.

42. The system [500] as claimed in claim 40, wherein the first NRF removes the MCC and MNC from the subscription ID if the message is processed at the first NRF.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for processing a traffic by a network Repository Function (NRF) from a Network Function Consumer (NF Consumer), the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes:a transceiver unit [302], to receive, at a network repository function (NRF), the traffic from the NF Consumer; an identification unit [304], to identify, at the NRF, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) and Ports combination associated with one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), wherein each of the IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations is assigned a weight and a priority;- the identification unit [304], to select, at the NRF, an IP and Port combination from the plurality of IP and Port combinations associated with the one or more SEPPs based on the assigned weight and priority; and- the transceiver unit [302], to transmit, from the NRF, the traffic to the selected IP and Port combination.

44. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for processing subscribe notifications from a Network Repository Function (NRF) to a roaming partner (RP) Network Function (NF), the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [400], causes: a verification unit [402], configured to check, at the NRF, one or more subscribe conditions for a subscription of the RP NF; a processing unit [404], configured to generate, at the NRF, a status notification for the RP NF, based on the checking of the one or more subscribe conditions;- the processing unit [404], configured to modify, at the NRF, the status notification by placing a callback Uniform Resource Identifier (URI); and the transceiver unit [406], configured to transmit, from the NRF the modified status notification to the RP NF.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for managing a subscription request at one or more Network Repository Functions (NRFs), the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [500], causes: a transceiver unit [502], to receive, at a first NRF from the one or more NRFs, the subscription request from one or more Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPPs); a verification unit [504], to check at the first NRF, a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a Network Identifier (NID) associated with the subscription request;a processing unit [506], to identify, at the first NRF, one of a positive status and a negative status based on determining if the PLMN associated with the PLMN ID is served by the first NRF;- the processing unit [506], to process, at the first NRF, the subscription request based on the positive status; and- the transceiver unit [502], to forward, from the first NRF the subscription request to a second NRF from the one or more NRFs based on the negative status.

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