Digital twin network construction method, apparatus, device and storage medium

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure are a digital twin network construction method, an apparatus, a device and a storage medium. The method comprises: an orchestration function receives a first request sent by a consumer, the first request being used for requesting construction of a digital twin network, and the first request comprising related information of the digital twin network; the orchestration function performs analysis on the basis of the first request and network deployment information, and generates an orchestration result of a digital twin network instance; and the orchestration function sends the orchestration result to a control function, such that the control function performs control on the digital twin network instance on the basis of the orchestration result, the control comprising at least one of the following control over the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, starting and state monitoring.

Description

A method, device, equipment and storage medium for constructing a digital twin network

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311424327.7 filed in China on October 30, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for constructing a digital twin network. Background Art

[0004] Current approaches to building digital twin networks generally involve constructing a complete digital twin network. This involves collecting and storing data from the physical network, modeling network objects and topology based on the collected data, and finally generating a complete digital twin of the network based on the model. The digital twin can interact and control the physical network in real time, enabling network optimization strategies to be pre-verified in the digital twin before being deployed to the physical network, improving the accuracy and reliability of network optimization.

[0005] However, the current approach of centrally collecting data and building a complete digital twin network fails to fully consider the real-time requirements of data collection and network simulation when mirroring real-time services on the physical network. While unified data collection and training are feasible during the offline modeling phase of the digital twin network, centralized digital twin network platforms cannot meet the requirements of mirroring real-time networks and services during the real-time simulation phase.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve existing technical problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, device and storage medium for constructing a digital twin network.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure is implemented as follows:

[0009] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for constructing a digital twin network, which is applied to an orchestration function and includes:

[0010] The orchestration function receives a first request sent by a consumer, where the first request is used to request the construction of a digital twin network; the first request includes relevant information about the digital twin network;

[0011] The orchestration function analyzes the first request and the network networking information to generate an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance;

[0012] The orchestration function sends the orchestration result to the control function so that the control function controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following controls on the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring.

[0013] In the above solution, the method also includes: the orchestration function receives a second request sent by the consumer, and sends the second request to the control function, where the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance.

[0014] In the above solution, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance;

[0015] The orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship among digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a method for constructing a digital twin network, which is applied to a control function and includes:

[0017] The control function receives the orchestration results of the digital twin network instance sent by the orchestration function, and controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration results. The control includes at least one of the following: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring of the digital twin network instance.

[0018] In the above solution, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance;

[0019] The orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship among digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

[0020] In the above solution, the control function deploys the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function obtains the twin model corresponding to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and determines the deployment location of the digital twin network instance;

[0021] The control function deploys the digital twin network instance according to the deployment location and the twin model.

[0022] In the above solution, the control function configures the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function configures at least one of the following to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result:

[0023] The connection and interaction relationships between digital twin network instances;

[0024] Data collection and processing instance attribute information.

[0025] In the above solution, the control function starts the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function sends a first instruction to the digital twin network instance, and the first instruction is used to start the digital twin network instance.

[0026] In the above scheme, the control function monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function obtains the status information sent by the digital twin network instance, and monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the status information.

[0027] In the above solution, the method further includes: the control function receiving a second request sent by the orchestration function, where the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance;

[0028] The control function sends a second instruction to the digital twin network instance based on the second request, and the second instruction is used to stop running the digital twin network instance and reclaim the resources of the digital twin network instance.

[0029] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a device for constructing a digital twin network, which is applied to an orchestration function and includes: a first communication unit and a first processing unit; wherein,

[0030] The first communication unit is configured to receive a first request sent by a consumer, where the first request is used to request the construction of a digital twin network; the first request includes relevant information about the digital twin network;

[0031] The first processing unit is configured to analyze the first request and the network networking information to generate an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance;

[0032] The first communication unit is also used to send the orchestration result to the control function so that the control function controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following controls on the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a device for constructing a digital twin network, which is applied to a control function and includes: a second communication unit and a second processing unit; wherein,

[0034] The second communication unit is used to receive the orchestration result of the digital twin network instance sent by the orchestration function;

[0035] The second processing unit is used to control the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring of the digital twin network instance.

[0036] In the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method for constructing a digital twin network described in the first aspect or the second aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0037] In the sixth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a network function, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and runnable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method for constructing a digital twin network described in the first or second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0038] The digital twin network construction method, apparatus, equipment and storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure propose orchestration functions and control functions for the orchestration and control of digital twin network instances, support the dynamic generation of digital twin network instances that meet business needs based on consumer needs, run digital twin network instances to provide digital twin network services, thereby providing digital twin network services for specific needs, and solve the data transmission overhead and latency problems brought by centralized digital twin networks in actual applications through distributed deployment of digital twin network instances. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG1 is a flow chart of a method for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship and interaction relationship between instances in the method for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG3 is a second flow chart of a method for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a digital twin network functional architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the interactive process of the method for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG6 is a first schematic diagram of the structure of a device for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] FIG7 is a second schematic diagram of the composition structure of the device for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of the network function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems, such as the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) system, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) system. Optionally, the 5G system or 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) system or NR network.

[0049] Exemplarily, the communication system applied in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include a network device and a terminal device (also referred to as a terminal, a communication terminal, etc.); the network device may be a device that communicates with the terminal device. Among them, the network device can provide communication coverage within a certain area and can communicate with terminals located in the area. Optionally, the network device can be a base station in each communication system, such as an evolved base station (Evolutional Node B, eNB) in an LTE system, or a base station (the next Generation Node B, gNB) in a 5G system or an NR system.

[0050] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, devices with communication functions in a network / system may be referred to as communication devices. Communication devices may include network devices and terminals with communication functions. The network devices and terminal devices may be the specific devices described above and will not be described in detail here. Communication devices may also include other devices in the communication system, such as network controllers, mobility management entities, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0052] The terms "first," "second," and the like in the specification and claims of the present disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequential sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can, for example, be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, e.g., a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0053] The present disclosure provides a method for constructing a digital twin network. FIG1 is a flow chart of the method for constructing a digital twin network according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the method includes:

[0054] Step 101: The orchestration function receives a first request sent by a consumer, where the first request is used to request the construction of a digital twin network; the first request includes relevant information about the digital twin network;

[0055] Step 102: The orchestration function analyzes the first request and the network networking information to generate an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance;

[0056] Step 103: The orchestration function sends the orchestration result to the control function so that the control function controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following controls on the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring.

[0057] The method for constructing a digital twin network in this embodiment is applied to the orchestration function, where the orchestration function can also be called a digital twin orchestration function, and its main function is to orchestrate related instances of the digital twin network.

[0058] In this embodiment, the orchestration function receives a digital twin network construction request (i.e., a first request) from a consumer, orchestrates relevant instances of the digital twin network according to the information carried in the first request, and generates an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance.

[0059] In some optional embodiments, the first request includes relevant information of the digital twin network. The relevant information of the digital twin network may include relevant information of the constructed digital twin network, for example, at least one of the following information: the target network identifier of the digital twin, the target time period, the target business identifier (Identifier, ID), the target business model and the business volume, etc. Among them, the target network identifier is used to determine the target network to be twinned, and the target network can be an end-to-end network or a part of an end-to-end network; the target time period refers to a certain time period in the past, present or future of the target network to be digitally twinned; the target business ID is used to identify the business or business combination running on the target network to be digitally twinned; the target business model and business volume refer to the traffic model and business volume of the business running on the target network of the digital twin. For example, the target business model can be reflected by the traffic model identifier of the business, and the business volume can be reflected by the specific value, numerical threshold or numerical range of the business volume. Optionally, the relevant information of the constructed digital twin network is expressed or indicated as: constructing a digital twin network for extended reality (XR) business assurance. The relevant information of the digital twin network may also include relevant information of nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network; wherein, the node or object that has an interactive relationship with the digital twin network refers to, for example, the consumer that issues the first request, and may also refer to the user node or object of the digital twin network, and the source data node of the digital twin network, etc. The relevant information of the node or object that has an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network may refer to the location information (such as geographic location information) of the node or object that has an interactive relationship with the digital twin network.

[0060] In this embodiment, after receiving the first request, the orchestration function may analyze the information in the first request and the network configuration information to generate an orchestration result. The network configuration information specifically refers to the physical network configuration information, which may include, for example, the function or type of each network node, the connection relationship between the network nodes, and the location information of each network node.

[0061] In some optional embodiments, the orchestration function may determine the digital twin network instances required for the digital twin network, as well as the connection relationships and interaction relationships between the digital twin network instances based on the relevant information of the digital twin network in the first request, and determine the deployment location of the digital twin network instances determined based on the network networking information. In other optional embodiments, after the orchestration function determines the digital twin network instances required for the digital twin network, it may also determine the deployment location based on the network networking information and the relevant information of the nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network. For example, the relevant digital twin network instances may be deployed at a location close to the nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the digital twin network, etc.

[0062] In some optional embodiments, the orchestration function may determine the digital twin network instance required for the digital twin network based on the relevant information of the digital twin network in the first request and the twin model of the digital twin network already in the model library.

[0063] In some optional embodiments, the consumer may be implemented through a network function, or may be implemented through a network entity or node. Then the orchestration function may directly receive the first request sent by the consumer, or the orchestration function may also receive the first request sent by the consumer through a network management interface.

[0064] In this embodiment, after obtaining the orchestration results, the orchestration function sends the orchestration results to the control function, which then performs relevant control processing on the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration results. The control function, which can also be called the digital twin control function, mainly controls and manages the digital twin network instance throughout its lifecycle based on the orchestration results of the digital twin network.

[0065] In some optional embodiments, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance; the orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one of a connection relationship and an interaction relationship between digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances. In other optional embodiments, the orchestration result may also include information such as the deployment location of each digital twin network instance.

[0066] In this embodiment, a digital twin network instance is the execution entity of the digital twin network, which can perform corresponding processing according to the corresponding function. In this embodiment, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance; the data acquisition and processing instance is mainly used to collect data and transmit the collected data; the digital twin network function instance is mainly used to implement the corresponding network function. The digital twin network instances cooperate with each other to jointly implement the required digital twin network, that is, to realize a virtual network mirroring oriented to business needs.

[0067] In some optional embodiments, the digital twin network function instance can specifically be a twin instance of at least part of the functions of a network element or network function in a simulated communication network, or it can also be a twin instance of the joint functions of multiple network elements or network functions in the simulated communication network. The digital twin network function instance, for example, is an access and mobility management function (AMF) registration processing instance, a session management function (SMF) session creation processing instance, a user plane function (UPF) flow processing instance, or a combination instance of multiple network functions, etc., and is also a twin instance of a simulated network service flow model, a twin instance of a simulated terminal behavior model, and the like.

[0068] For example, taking the construction of a core network digital twin for XR service assurance as an example, data collection and processing examples may include:

[0069] 1. Air interface service traffic collection instance, used to generate air interface service traffic consistent with the current network XR service; this instance can be deployed near the Radio Access Network (RAN) side location; 2. RAN load information collection and processing instance, used to generate a RAN background environment consistent with the current RAN performance status; this instance is deployed near the RAN side node location; 3. Core network load information collection and processing instance, used to generate a core network background environment consistent with the current network performance status; this instance can be deployed near the core network function node location; 4. Core network service traffic collection and processing instance, used to generate core network service traffic consistent with the current network XR service; this instance is deployed near the UPF location.

[0070] Examples of digital twin network capabilities may include:

[0071] 5. RAN context instance generated based on collected RAN load information; 6. Air interface service flow instance constructed based on the input of the air interface service traffic collection instance and the service flow mapping model; 7. RAN scheduling processing behavior instance constructed based on the air interface resource scheduling and forwarding model; 8. Radio parameter adjustment instance constructed based on the radio parameter adjustment model; 9. Air interface service assessment instance constructed based on the air interface service assessment model; 10. Core network context instance generated based on core network load information; 11. Core network service flow instance constructed based on the input of the core network service traffic collection instance and the core network service flow mapping model; 12. Core network service scheduling and forwarding behavior instance constructed based on the core network flow feature behavior model; 13. Core network service assessment instance constructed based on the core network service assessment model; 14. Core network parameter adjustment instance constructed based on the core network parameter adjustment model. An example of the connections and interactions between these instances is shown in Figure 2.

[0072] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: the orchestration function receives a second request sent by the consumer, and sends the second request to the control function, where the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance.

[0073] In this embodiment, the orchestration function receives a digital twin network deletion request (i.e., a second request) from a consumer, and the orchestration function sends the second request to the control function so that the control function deletes the deployed, configured, and started digital twin network instance according to the second request.

[0074] Based on the above embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a method for constructing a digital twin network. FIG3 is a second flow chart of the method for constructing a digital twin network according to the present disclosure embodiment; as shown in FIG3 , the method includes:

[0075] Step 201: The control function receives the orchestration result of the digital twin network instance sent by the orchestration function, and controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result. The control includes at least one of the following: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring of the digital twin network instance.

[0076] The digital twin network construction method of this embodiment is applied to the control function, where the control function can also be called the digital twin control function, whose main function is to control and manage the digital twin network instance throughout its life cycle based on the orchestration results of the digital twin network.

[0077] In this embodiment, after the control function receives the orchestration results sent by the orchestration function, it deploys, configures and starts the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration results; it can also monitor the status of each digital twin network instance after each digital twin network instance is started.

[0078] Among them, the control function deploys the digital twin network instances, specifically deploying the twin models corresponding to each digital twin network instance at the specified deployment location. Specifically, the twin models can be transmitted to the corresponding deployment location through messages or signaling, so that the network element or twin object where it is located can run the twin model. The control function configures the digital twin network instances, specifically the attribute parameters of the twin models corresponding to each digital twin network instance, as well as the connection relationship and interaction relationship between the digital twin network instances, the environmental information required for operation, etc., so that the network element or twin object where the digital twin network instance is located can run the twin model normally and realize the interaction between each digital twin network instance. The control function starts the digital twin network instance, specifically, it can start or run each digital twin network instance through instructions or signaling.

[0079] In some optional embodiments, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance; the orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship between digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

[0080] In this embodiment, a digital twin network instance is the execution entity of the digital twin network, which can perform corresponding processing according to the corresponding function. In this embodiment, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance; the data acquisition and processing instance is mainly used to collect data and transmit the collected data; the digital twin network function instance is mainly used to implement the corresponding network function. The digital twin network instances cooperate with each other to jointly implement the required digital twin network, that is, to realize a virtual network mirroring oriented to business needs.

[0081] In some optional embodiments, the digital twin network function instance can specifically be a twin instance of at least part of the functions of a network element or network function in the simulated communication network, or it can also be a twin instance of the joint functions of multiple network elements or network functions in the simulated communication network. The digital twin network function instance, for example, is an AMF registration processing instance, an SMF session creation processing instance, a UPF flow processing instance, or a combination instance of multiple network functions, and for example, it is a twin instance of a simulated network service flow model, a twin instance of a simulated terminal behavior model, and so on.

[0082] For example, taking the construction of a core network digital twin for XR service assurance as an example, data collection and processing examples may include:

[0083] 1. Air interface service traffic collection instance, used to generate air interface service traffic consistent with the current network XR service; this instance can be deployed near the RAN side; 2. RAN load information collection and processing instance, used to generate a RAN background environment consistent with the current RAN performance status; this instance is deployed near the RAN side node; 3. Core network load information collection and processing instance, used to generate a core network background environment consistent with the current network performance status; this instance can be deployed near the core network function node; 4. Core network service traffic collection and processing instance, used to generate core network service traffic consistent with the current network XR service; this instance is deployed near the UPF position.

[0084] Examples of digital twin network capabilities may include:

[0085] 5. RAN context instance generated based on collected RAN load information; 6. Air interface service flow instance constructed based on the input of the air interface service traffic collection instance and the service flow mapping model; 7. RAN scheduling processing behavior instance constructed based on the air interface resource scheduling and forwarding model; 8. Radio parameter adjustment instance constructed based on the radio parameter adjustment model; 9. Air interface service assessment instance constructed based on the air interface service assessment model; 10. Core network context instance generated based on core network load information; 11. Core network service flow instance constructed based on the input of the core network service traffic collection instance and the core network service flow mapping model; 12. Core network service scheduling and forwarding behavior instance constructed based on the core network flow feature behavior model; 13. Core network service assessment instance constructed based on the core network service assessment model; 14. Core network parameter adjustment instance constructed based on the core network parameter adjustment model. An example of the connections and interactions between these instances is shown in Figure 2.

[0086] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the control function deploys the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function obtains the twin model corresponding to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and determines the deployment location of the digital twin network instance; the control function deploys the digital twin network instance according to the deployment location and the twin model.

[0087] In this embodiment, the control function can obtain the twin model required to build the digital twin network based on the orchestration results. In some optional embodiments, the control function can obtain the required twin model from a model library or through an online learning model in a running digital twin instance.

[0088] The control function deploys the acquired twin model at the deployment location of the corresponding digital twin network instance. In some optional embodiments, if the arrangement result includes the deployment location corresponding to each digital twin network instance, the control function can directly deploy the digital twin network instance according to the deployment location. In other optional embodiments, if the arrangement result does not include the deployment location corresponding to each digital twin network instance, the control function can comprehensively consider factors such as the digital twin network requirements and data transmission costs, and deploy the digital twin network instance and the twin object nearby, or centrally or hierarchically deploy them at appropriate locations. Optionally, the arrangement result can also carry relevant information (such as location information) of nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network, and the control function can determine the deployment location corresponding to each digital twin network instance based on the location information. Then the control function deploys the corresponding twin model at the corresponding deployment location through messages or signaling according to the determined deployment location.

[0089] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the control function configures the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function configures at least one of the following to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result:

[0090] The connection and interaction relationships between digital twin network instances;

[0091] Data collection and processing instance attribute information.

[0092] In this embodiment, on the one hand, the control function configures the digital twin network instance, specifically including configuring the connection relationship and interaction relationship between the digital twin network instances, such as the connection relationship and interaction relationship between the digital twin network instances shown in Figure 2. The control function can send messages or signaling to each digital twin network instance, and configure the connection relationship and interaction relationship between the digital twin network instances through messages or signaling. On the other hand, the control function also needs to configure the attribute information of the digital twin network instance. For example, for a data acquisition and processing instance, the configuration of its related attributes may include at least one of the following: acquisition scope, content, acquisition frequency, reporting frequency, output object, etc.; for another example, for a digital twin network function instance, its related attribute parameters may also be configured. In other optional embodiments, the control function may also configure the operating environment information of each digital twin network instance, etc. Of course, other parameters related to the operation of the digital twin network instance also need to be configured by the control function, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0093] In some optional embodiments, when an existing data acquisition and processing instance can meet the data acquisition requirements, the control function can be updated based on the configuration of the existing data acquisition and processing instance to meet the requirements of the digital twin instance.

[0094] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the control function starts the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function sends a first instruction to the digital twin network instance, where the first instruction is used to start the digital twin network instance.

[0095] In this embodiment, after configuration is complete, the control function activates the digital twin network instances. Specifically, this can be done through commands or signaling to start or run each digital twin network instance. Multiple digital twin network instances operate together and exchange information, realizing the digital twin network that meets consumer needs.

[0096] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the control function performs status monitoring on the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: the control function obtains status information sent by the digital twin network instance, and monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the status information.

[0097] In this embodiment, the control function can interact with each digital twin network instance. For example, the digital twin network instance can report information according to a specified strategy (such as periodicity, or reporting when an anomaly is detected). The control function receives the information reported by the digital twin network instance, thereby determining the status information of the digital twin network instance, and monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the status information.

[0098] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method also includes: the control function receives a second request sent by the orchestration function, and the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance; the control function sends a second instruction to the digital twin network instance based on the second request, and the second instruction is used to stop running the digital twin network instance and reclaim the resources of the digital twin network instance.

[0099] In this embodiment, the orchestration function receives a digital twin network deletion request (i.e., a second request) from a consumer, and sends the second request to the control function. After receiving the second request, the control function deletes the deployed, configured, and started digital twin network instances according to the second request. Specifically, the control function sends messages or instructions to each digital twin network instance, deletes the deployed, configured, and started digital twin network instances through messages or instructions, and reclaims the resources of the digital twin network instances.

[0100] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the digital twin network functional architecture of an embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in Figure 4, the architecture includes a digital twin orchestration function (i.e., orchestration function) and a digital twin control function (i.e., control function). The digital twin orchestration function can orchestrate digital twin network instances based on the construction requirements of the digital twin network, the existing digital twin-related twin models, and the networking information of the physical network to generate orchestration results. The digital twin control function controls and manages the digital twin network instances throughout their life cycle based on the orchestration results of the digital twin network instances. Among them, both the digital twin orchestration function and the digital twin control function can interact with the model library for information. The digital twin orchestration function can obtain relevant information of the existing digital twin-related twin models through the model library to generate orchestration results; the digital twin control function can obtain relevant twin models from the model library based on the orchestration results to perform subsequent related control of the digital twin network instances.

[0101] A digital twin network instance is the execution entity of a digital twin network. It can include digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances. The data acquisition and processing instances are used to collect and transmit data, while digital twin network function instances are primarily used to implement corresponding network functions. Digital twin network instances work together to jointly implement the required digital twin network, that is, to achieve a virtual network mirroring oriented to business needs.

[0102] The embodiments of the present disclosure propose orchestration functions and control functions for the orchestration and control of digital twin network instances, support dynamic generation of digital twin network instances that meet business needs based on consumer needs, run digital twin network instances to provide digital twin network services, and thus provide digital twin network services for specific needs. The distributed deployment of digital twin network instances solves the data transmission overhead and latency problems brought by centralized digital twin networks in actual applications. In addition, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure improves resource utilization while meeting business needs.

[0103] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an interactive process of a method for constructing a digital twin network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the method includes:

[0104] Step 301: The digital twin consumer sends a digital twin network construction request to the orchestration function.

[0105] Here, the digital twin network construction request includes relevant information of the digital twin network. The relevant information of the digital twin network may include relevant information of the constructed digital twin network, for example, it may include at least one of the following information: the target network identifier of the digital twin, the target time period, the target business identifier (ID), the target business model and business volume, etc. Among them, the target network identifier is used to determine the target network to be twinned, and the target network can be an end-to-end network or a part of an end-to-end network; the target time period refers to a time period in the past, present, or future of the target network to be digitally twinned; the target business ID is used to identify the business or business combination running on the target network to be digitally twinned; the target business model and business volume refer to the traffic model and business volume of the business running on the target network of the digital twin. For example, the target business model can be reflected by the traffic model identifier of the business, and the business volume can be reflected by the specific value, numerical threshold or numerical range of the business volume. Optionally, the relevant information of the constructed digital twin network, for example, represents or indicates: building a digital twin network for XR business assurance. The relevant information of the digital twin network may also include relevant information of nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network; wherein, the node or object that has an interactive relationship with the digital twin network refers to, for example, the consumer that issues the first request, and may also refer to the user node or object of the digital twin network, and the source data node of the digital twin network, etc. The relevant information of the node or object that has an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network may refer to the location information (such as geographic location information) of the node or object that has an interactive relationship with the digital twin network.

[0106] Step 302: The orchestration function analyzes the digital twin network construction request, the existing digital twin network twin model and the network networking information to generate the orchestration result of the digital twin network instance.

[0107] Here, the orchestration function performs a comprehensive analysis based on the construction requirements of the digital twin network, the existing digital twin network related models and the networking information of the physical network, and generates the orchestration results of the digital twin network instance. Among them, the orchestration function can specifically determine the digital twin network instance required for the digital twin network, as well as the connection relationship and interaction relationship of each digital twin network instance, and determine the deployment location of the digital twin network instance determined according to the network networking information based on the relevant information of the digital twin network in the construction requirements. In other optional embodiments, after the orchestration function determines the digital twin network instance required for the digital twin network, it can also determine the deployment location based on the network networking information and the relevant information (such as location information) of the nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the constructed digital twin network. For example, the relevant digital twin network instance can be deployed in a position close to the nodes or objects that have an interactive relationship with the digital twin network, etc. Among them, the nodes that have an interactive relationship with the digital twin network, such as the source data node of the digital twin network, the consumer node of the digital twin network, etc.

[0108] Among them, the orchestration result may include: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship between digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances. In other optional embodiments, the orchestration result may also include information such as the deployment location of each digital twin network instance. The digital twin network function instance, for example, is an AMF registration processing instance, an SMF session creation processing instance, a UPF flow processing instance, or a combination instance of multiple network functions, etc., and for example, it is a twin instance of a simulated network business flow model, a twin instance of a simulated terminal behavior model, etc.

[0109] For example, taking the construction of a core network digital twin for XR service assurance as an example, data collection and processing examples may include:

[0110] 1. Air interface service traffic collection instance, used to generate air interface service traffic consistent with the current network XR service; this instance can be deployed near the RAN side; 2. RAN load information collection and processing instance, used to generate a RAN background environment consistent with the current RAN performance status; this instance is deployed near the RAN side node; 3. Core network load information collection and processing instance, used to generate a core network background environment consistent with the current network performance status; this instance can be deployed near the core network function node; 4. Core network service traffic collection and processing instance, used to generate core network service traffic consistent with the current network XR service; this instance is deployed near the UPF position.

[0111] Examples of digital twin network capabilities may include:

[0112] 5. RAN context instance generated based on collected RAN load information; 6. Air interface service flow instance constructed based on the input of the air interface service traffic collection instance and the service flow mapping model; 7. RAN scheduling processing behavior instance constructed based on the air interface resource scheduling and forwarding model; 8. Radio parameter adjustment instance constructed based on the radio parameter adjustment model; 9. Air interface service assessment instance constructed based on the air interface service assessment model; 10. Core network context instance generated based on core network load information; 11. Core network service flow instance constructed based on the input of the core network service traffic collection instance and the core network service flow mapping model; 12. Core network service scheduling and forwarding behavior instance constructed based on the core network flow feature behavior model; 13. Core network service assessment instance constructed based on the core network service assessment model; 14. Core network parameter adjustment instance constructed based on the core network parameter adjustment model. An example of the connections and interactions between these instances is shown in Figure 2.

[0113] Step 303: The orchestration function sends the orchestration results to the control function. Based on the orchestration results, the control function can deploy, configure, start, and manage the entire life cycle of the digital twin network function instance and data acquisition and processing instance.

[0114] Step 304: The control function obtains the twin model from the model library based on the orchestration result.

[0115] Here, the control function can obtain the required twin model from the model library, or obtain the required twin model through the online learning model in the running digital twin instance.

[0116] Step 305: Control function deployment and configuration of digital twin network function instances.

[0117] Here, the control function can be based on a comprehensive consideration of factors such as orchestration results and data transmission costs, deploying digital twin network function instances close to the twinned objects, or deploying them centrally or hierarchically at appropriate locations. After determining the deployment location, the twin models corresponding to the acquired digital twin network function instances are deployed through signaling or messaging, and information such as the association between the digital twin network function instances and the operating environment is configured.

[0118] Step 306: Control function deployment and data collection processing instance.

[0119] Here, the control function can determine the deployment location of the data acquisition and processing instance based on the orchestration results. Exemplarily, the data acquisition and processing instance is usually deployed near the data source. After determining the deployment location, the twin model corresponding to the acquired data acquisition and processing instance is deployed through signaling or messages, as well as the relevant information of the configuration data acquisition and processing instance and the association information between the configuration data acquisition and processing instance and the digital twin network function instance. Among them, the relevant information of the configuration data acquisition and processing instance, for example, the relevant attributes of the configuration data acquisition and processing instance, including the collection scope, content, collection frequency, reporting frequency, output object, etc.

[0120] Optionally, when the existing data acquisition and processing instance can meet the data acquisition requirements, the control function can be updated based on the configuration of the existing data acquisition and processing instance, that is, a message or instruction is sent to the existing data acquisition and processing instance, and the message or instruction includes updated configuration information to meet the needs of the digital twin instance.

[0121] Step 307: The control function starts each digital twin network instance.

[0122] After the configuration and deployment preparations are completed, the control function starts all corresponding digital twin function instances.

[0123] Step 308: The control function monitors the status of each digital twin network instance.

[0124] Here, the control function can interact with each digital twin network instance to conduct information exchange. For example, the digital twin network instance can report information according to a specified strategy (such as periodicity, or reporting when an anomaly is detected). The control function receives the information reported by the digital twin network instance, thereby determining the status information of the digital twin network instance, and monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the status information, and performs timely processing and optimization when an abnormal situation is found.

[0125] Step 309: The digital twin consumer sends a digital twin network deletion request to the orchestration function, and the orchestration function sends the digital twin network deletion request to the control function.

[0126] Step 310: The control function sends instructions to each digital twin network instance to instruct it to stop running the digital twin network instance and reclaim the resources of the digital twin network instance.

[0127] Based on the above embodiments, the present disclosure provides a device for constructing a digital twin network, which is applied to the orchestration function. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the device for constructing a digital twin network according to the present disclosure embodiment; as shown in Figure 6, the device includes: a first communication unit 11 and a first processing unit 12; wherein,

[0128] The first communication unit 11 is configured to receive a first request sent by a consumer, where the first request is used to request the construction of a digital twin network; the first request includes relevant information about the digital twin network;

[0129] The first processing unit 12 is configured to analyze the first request and the network networking information to generate an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance;

[0130] The first communication unit 11 is also used to send the orchestration result to the control function so that the control function controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following controls on the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring.

[0131] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 11 is further used to receive a second request sent by the consumer, and send the second request to the control function, where the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance.

[0132] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance;

[0133] The orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship among digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

[0134] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processing unit 12 in the device can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in actual applications; the first communication unit 11 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in actual applications.

[0135] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a device for constructing a digital twin network, which is used for control functions. Figure 7 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the device for constructing a digital twin network according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in Figure 7, the device includes: a second communication unit 21 and a second processing unit 22; wherein,

[0136] The second communication unit 21 is used to receive the orchestration result of the digital twin network instance sent by the orchestration function;

[0137] The second processing unit 22 is used to control the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring of the digital twin network instance.

[0138] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance;

[0139] The orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship among digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

[0140] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 22 is used to obtain the twin model corresponding to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result and determine the deployment location of the digital twin network instance; and is also used to deploy the digital twin network instance through the second communication unit 21 according to the deployment location and the twin model.

[0141] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 22 is configured to configure at least one of the following to the digital twin network instance through the second communication unit 21 based on the orchestration result:

[0142] The connection and interaction relationships between digital twin network instances;

[0143] Data collection and processing instance attribute information.

[0144] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 22 is used to send a first instruction to the digital twin network instance through the second communication unit 21, where the first instruction is used to start the digital twin network instance.

[0145] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 22 is used to obtain status information sent by the digital twin network instance through the second communication unit 21, and monitor the status of the digital twin network instance based on the status information.

[0146] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 21 is further used to receive a second request sent by the orchestration function, and the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance; based on the second request, a second instruction is sent to the digital twin network instance, and the second instruction is used to stop running the digital twin network instance and reclaim the resources of the digital twin network instance.

[0147] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 22 in the device can be implemented by a CPU, DSP, MCU or FPGA in actual applications; the second communication unit 21 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in actual applications.

[0148] It should be noted that the digital twin network construction device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above program modules as an example to illustrate the construction of the digital twin network. In actual applications, the above processing can be assigned to different program modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different program modules to complete all or part of the processing described above. In addition, the digital twin network construction device provided in the above embodiment and the digital twin network construction method embodiment belong to the same concept. The specific implementation process is detailed in the method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0149] The present disclosure also provides a network function, which may be an orchestration function or a control function. FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the network function of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the communication device includes a memory 32, a processor 31, and a computer program stored in the memory 32 and executable on the processor 31. When the processor 31 executes the program, the steps of the method for constructing a digital twin network for the orchestration function or the control function are implemented.

[0150] Optionally, the network function also includes at least one network interface 33. The various components within the network function are coupled together via a bus system 34. It will be appreciated that bus system 34 is used to enable connectivity and communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, bus system 34 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, in FIG8 , all of these buses are labeled as bus system 34.

[0151] It is understood that the memory 32 can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic random access memory (FRAM), a flash memory, a magnetic surface memory, an optical disk, or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); the magnetic surface memory can be a magnetic disk or a magnetic tape. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Synchronous Static Random Access Memory (SSRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (ESDRAM), SyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus Random Access Memory (DRRAM).The memory 32 described in the embodiments of the present disclosure is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0152] The methods disclosed in the above embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to the processor 31 or implemented by the processor 31. The processor 31 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, the steps of the above methods can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor 31 or instructions in software form. The above processor 31 may be a general-purpose processor, a DSP, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The processor 31 can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium, which is located in the memory 32. The processor 31 reads the information in the memory 32 and completes the steps of the above methods in combination with its hardware.

[0153] In an exemplary embodiment, the network function may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), FPGAs, general-purpose processors, controllers, MCUs, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the aforementioned method.

[0154] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory 32 including a computer program. The computer program can be executed by the network function processor 31 to complete the steps of the aforementioned method. The computer-readable storage medium can be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface storage, optical disk, or CD-ROM; or various devices including any one or any combination of the aforementioned memories.

[0155] The computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure stores a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method for constructing a digital twin network for orchestration or control functions applied in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0156] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0157] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0158] The features disclosed in several method or device embodiments provided in this disclosure may be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments or device embodiments.

[0159] In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or components can be combined, or can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or units can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0160] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units; some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0161] In addition, all functional units in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may be separately used as a unit, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit; the above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0162] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, disks or optical disks, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0163] Alternatively, if the above-mentioned integrated unit of the present disclosure is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in each embodiment of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks or optical disks.

[0164] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for constructing a digital twin network, the method being applied to an orchestration function, the method comprising: The orchestration function receives a first request sent by a consumer, where the first request is used to request building a digital twin network; The first request includes relevant information of the digital twin network; The orchestration function analyzes the first request and the network networking information to generate an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance; The orchestration function sends the orchestration result to the control function so that the control function controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following controls on the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The orchestration function receives a second request sent by the consumer, and sends the second request to the control function, where the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance; The orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship among digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

4. A method for constructing a digital twin network, the method being applied to a control function, the method comprising: The control function receives the orchestration results of the digital twin network instance sent by the orchestration function, and controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration results, wherein the control includes at least one of the following: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring of the digital twin network instance.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The digital twin network instance includes: a digital twin network function instance and a data acquisition and processing instance; The orchestration result includes: at least one digital twin network function instance, at least one data acquisition and processing instance, and at least one connection relationship and interaction relationship among digital twin network function instances, between data acquisition and processing instances, and between digital twin network function instances and data acquisition and processing instances.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The control function deploys the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: The control function obtains the twin model corresponding to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and determines the deployment location of the digital twin network instance; The control function deploys the digital twin network instance according to the deployment location and the twin model.

7. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The control function configures the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: The control function configures at least one of the following to the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result: The connection and interaction relationships between digital twin network instances; Data collection and processing instance attribute information.

8. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The control function starts the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, including: The control function sends a first instruction to the digital twin network instance, where the first instruction is used to start the digital twin network instance.

9. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The control function monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration results, including: The control function obtains status information sent by the digital twin network instance, and monitors the status of the digital twin network instance based on the status information.

10. The method according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising: The control function receives a second request sent by the orchestration function, where the second request is used to request deletion of the digital twin network instance; The control function sends a second instruction to the digital twin network instance based on the second request, and the second instruction is used to stop running the digital twin network instance and reclaim the resources of the digital twin network instance.

11. A device for constructing a digital twin network, the device being applied to an orchestration function, the device comprising: A first communication unit and a first processing unit; wherein, The first communication unit is used to receive a first request sent by a consumer, where the first request is used to request to build a digital twin network; the first request includes relevant information of the digital twin network; The first processing unit is used to analyze the first request and the network networking information to generate an orchestration result of the digital twin network instance; The first communication unit is also used to send the orchestration result to the control function so that the control function controls the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following controls on the digital twin network instance: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring.

12. A device for constructing a digital twin network, the device being applied to a control function, the device comprising: A second communication unit and a second processing unit; wherein, The second communication unit is used to receive the orchestration result of the digital twin network instance sent by the orchestration function; The second processing unit is used to control the digital twin network instance based on the orchestration result, and the control includes at least one of the following: deployment, configuration, startup, and status monitoring of the digital twin network instance.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein: When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are implemented; or When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 4 to 10 are implemented.

14. A network function, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein: When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are implemented; or, When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 4 to 10 are implemented.

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