Virtual network group configuration method, device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application discloses a virtual network group configuration method, a device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: receiving service information sent by a terminal, and obtaining a virtual network group list subscribed by the terminal, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; and on the basis of the service information, determining a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list, and generating packet forwarding policy information based on the second target virtual network group for the terminal. Thus, the packet forwarding policy information can be added to the second target virtual network group, to enable the terminal to communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

Description

Virtual network group configuration method, device and storage medium

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 8, 2024, with application number 202410029703.0 and invention name “Virtual network group configuration method, device and storage medium”. The entire contents of the application are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a virtual network group configuration method, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0004] When a terminal accesses a 5G LAN (Local Area Network), the UDF (Unified Data Management) usually sends a list of virtual network groups corresponding to the terminal's contract to the SMF (Session Management Function), and the SMF randomly selects any virtual network group from the list of virtual network groups as the virtual network group to be joined by the terminal.

[0005] That is, the terminal can only communicate by relying on the virtual network group randomly configured by the SMF, and the configuration scheme of the virtual network group has the problem of poor configuration flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of this application is to provide a virtual network group configuration method, device and storage medium.

[0007] The present application provides a virtual network group configuration method, which includes the following steps: receiving service information sent by a terminal and obtaining a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; determining a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the service information, and generating message forwarding policy information for the terminal based on the second target virtual network group; and adding the message forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0008] The present application also provides a virtual network group configuration device, which includes: a receiving module for receiving business information sent by a terminal and obtaining a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the business information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; a generating module for determining, from the virtual network group list, a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal based on the business information, and generating message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group; a modifying module for adding the message forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0009] The present application also provides a virtual network group configuration device, which includes: a memory, a processor, and a virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the virtual network group configuration program is configured to implement the steps of the virtual network group configuration method described above.

[0010] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a virtual network group configuration program is stored. When the virtual network group configuration program is executed by a processor, the steps of the virtual network group configuration method described above are implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the core network architecture of a 5G communication service according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an interactive process for determining a virtual network group through SMF in an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] FIG3 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for configuring a virtual network group according to the present application;

[0014] FIG4 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a method for configuring a virtual network group according to the present application;

[0015] FIG5 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a method for configuring a virtual network group according to the present application;

[0016] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an interactive process for determining a virtual network group through a UPF in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an interactive process for accurately selecting a virtual network group in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG8 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of a method for configuring a virtual network group according to the present application;

[0019] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the interactive process of replacing a virtual network group in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG10 is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of a device for configuring a virtual network group according to the present application;

[0021] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the device structure of the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiment of the present application.

[0022] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0024] It should be noted that the current application scenario of terminal configuration of virtual network group has the problem of inflexible configuration. Specifically, Figure 1 shows the existing 5G system architecture, including UE (User Equipment), RAN (Radio Access Network), UPF (User Plane Function), DN (Destination Network), AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), PCF (Policy Control Function), AF, NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), AUSF (Authentication Server Function), NSSAAF (Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), SMF (Service Management Function), and NSACF (Network Slice Admission Control Function).

[0025] Among them, SMF can usually serve as a management center, and a VNGroup (virtual network group) can be selected for the UE through the SMF, and the user terminal can communicate with other terminals in the virtual network group. Among them, the NF (Network Functions) related to SMF include: AMF, PCF, UDM and UPF, among which N1-N18 are markers for the communication interaction between the above units.

[0026] Specifically, based on the above-mentioned 5G system framework, the process of configuring a virtual network group for the terminal mainly involves communication interaction between UE, SMF, UPF, and UDM. The specific interaction process can be referred to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart of a solution for implementing a terminal to join a virtual network group in a related technology. The main steps for configuring the virtual network group of the terminal in this solution include:

[0027] The terminal (5G LAN) is connected normally.

[0028] Step 13: UDM sends the signed VNGroup list.

[0029] In step 14, SMF selects VNGroup1 from the list as the terminal's VNGroup based on the configuration.

[0030] Step 18: SMF issues the forwarding rules for VNGroup1.

[0031] Finally, users can communicate only within VNGroup1.

[0032] That is, in the current solution, when the terminal is connected, it is necessary to select a virtual network group for the terminal through SMF. During this process, SMF needs to receive the corresponding VNGroup list signed by the terminal issued by UDM. SMF can select VNGroup1 as the virtual network group that the terminal needs to join from the VNGroup list based on the current terminal configuration. At the same time, the forwarding rules of VNGroup1 under SMF are used to notify the corresponding UPF that the current terminal has joined VNGroup1, and the messages sent by the terminal need to be forwarded to VNGroup1.

[0033] In summary, in the relevant technologies, when the core network needs to configure a virtual network group to the UE, it is mainly through information interaction between the UE, CPE (Customer Premise Equipment), RAN, AMF, SMF, UDM and UPF. Usually, the corresponding request initiated by the UE is used as a trigger condition. The SMF analyzes and responds to the information or other request content sent by the UE, retrieves the corresponding virtual network group list from the UDM, selects a virtual network group from the virtual network group list, and adds the terminal to the virtual network group to realize the allocation of the virtual network. However, in this solution, the terminal cannot independently select the virtual network group.

[0034] Therefore, the current related technologies have the following defects: the virtual network group of the terminal is determined by the core network (UDM, SMF), and the setting is not flexible enough. At the same time, after the core network selects the virtual network group, the terminal cannot switch the virtual network group, which is not conducive to the terminal using various different services.

[0035] In order to solve the above problems, in this embodiment, a method for solving the problem of terminal selection of virtual network group is proposed. This method, based on the existing 5G communication framework, enables the terminal to autonomously select the virtual network group it needs to join, that is, the terminal decides the virtual network group to join according to its own needs, thereby achieving the effect of flexible configuration of the virtual network group required by the terminal.

[0036] FIG3 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for configuring a virtual network group according to the present application. As shown in FIG3 , the method for configuring a virtual network group includes the following steps:

[0037] Step S10: receiving service information sent by a terminal, and acquiring a list of virtual network groups subscribed by the terminal, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal.

[0038] In this embodiment, the terminal sends service information to the core network, and the service information is associated with the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, wherein the first target virtual network group is the virtual network group selected by the terminal according to its own needs, that is, the information sent by the terminal in this embodiment carries the virtual network group that the terminal decides to join according to its own needs, and uses the service information to instruct the SMF to select a virtual network group that matches the first target virtual network group from the virtual network group list.

[0039] It should be noted that the business information may be information associated with the first target virtual network group. For example, some fields are added to the business information to indicate the first target virtual network group. In addition, the business information may also be identification information related to the first target virtual network group. For example, the business information is the ID of the first virtual network group, thereby ensuring that the SMF can determine the virtual network group currently selected or currently required by the terminal through the business information.

[0040] It is understandable that in the core network, through information interaction between SMF and UDM, SMF can obtain the corresponding virtual network group list from UDM, and the virtual network group list is a collection list of all virtual network groups signed by the current terminal.

[0041] Step S20: Determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information, and generate message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group.

[0042] It is understandable that after obtaining the virtual network group list, a suitable second target virtual network group may be selected from the list according to the service information.

[0043] The process of selecting the second target virtual network group is equivalent to selecting a network group that matches the first target virtual network group from the list. The second target virtual network group may be consistent with the first target virtual network group or may be the network group closest to the first target virtual network group.

[0044] The difference between the first target virtual network group and the second target virtual network group is that the first target virtual network group is the network group corresponding to the business information or the identification information carried in the business information, and the second target virtual network group is the corresponding network group in the list.

[0045] It can be understood that the message forwarding policy information is used when the UPF receives information sent by the terminal. The UPF forwards the information sent by the terminal to the second target virtual network group corresponding to the message forwarding policy information according to the message forwarding policy information, so that the terminal can interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, that is, the message forwarding policy is generated based on the second target virtual network group, which enables the UPF to know the virtual network group that the current terminal expects to join.

[0046] Step S30: Add the message forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group, so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0047] It can be understood that after determining the second target virtual network group, the second target virtual network group can be determined as a network group determined based on the selection of the terminal, and the terminal can be added to the second target virtual network group so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group in the second target virtual network group.

[0048] It is understandable that by adding the message forwarding policy information to the corresponding second target virtual network group, the UPF and the second target virtual network group can know that the current terminal needs to communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0049] This embodiment receives service information sent by a terminal and obtains a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, and based on the service information, determines a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the list of virtual network groups, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so that the message forwarding policy information can be added to the second target virtual network group for the terminal to communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, that is, according to the service information sent by the terminal, selects a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so as to achieve the effect that the terminal communicates and interacts with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, thereby achieving the effect that the terminal relies on autonomous selection of the virtual network group.

[0050] FIG4 is a second embodiment of the virtual network group configuration method of the present application based on the first embodiment. As shown in FIG4 , in this embodiment, step S10 specifically includes:

[0051] Step S111: receiving service information actively sent by the terminal.

[0052] It is understandable that the business information is information associated with the first target virtual network group. The business information can establish an association relationship between the business information and the first target virtual network group by carrying relevant information of the first target virtual network group.

[0053] Step S112: identifying relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal in the service information, so as to determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the relevant information.

[0054] It is understandable that after receiving the business information, the business information can be identified to obtain relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal in the business information, so that the corresponding second target virtual network group can be matched from the virtual network group list based on the relevant information.

[0055] The relevant information may refer to identification information, ID information or other field information used to establish a connection between the two.

[0056] Among them, in order to achieve the effect of selecting the second target virtual network group from the virtual network group list, additional information should be added to the virtual network group list. Through this additional information, the attributes, ID or other meanings corresponding to each virtual network group in the virtual network group list are indicated, so that the SMF can match the second target virtual network group according to the business information and the additional information added in the virtual network group.

[0057] It should be noted that the core network side can obtain the relevant information through UPF. In this embodiment, when the core network side can identify the prerequisite for obtaining the relevant information, when the terminal sends the corresponding service information, it needs to actively carry the relevant information, and actively report the relevant information to notify the core network side that the current terminal side has the expectation of selecting the corresponding target virtual network group.

[0058] Specifically, the business information carries relevant information of the first target virtual network group. In order for the core network to select the corresponding second target virtual network group from the virtual network group list after receiving the business information, the virtual network group list needs to carry a list identifier corresponding to the virtual network group list, wherein the list identifier has a mapping relationship with the business information.

[0059] It can be understood that this is equivalent to adding information for determining the first target virtual network group in the business information, and also adding information that matches the business information in the virtual network group list, so that after the SMF receives the business information, the virtual network group that matches the business information can be selected from the virtual network group list.

[0060] The matching process specifically includes, when the service information matches the list identifier, determining a second target virtual network group corresponding to the service information in the virtual network group list.

[0061] For example, taking the example of a terminal that has pre-signed for three virtual network groups, the network groups in the virtual network group list composed of the three virtual network groups can be marked as VNGroup1, VNGroup2 and VNGroup3 respectively. Similarly, corresponding tags can be added in the business information. Taking the addition of VNGroup1 as an example, after adding VNGroup1 in the business information, it can be determined that the terminal needs to select the virtual network group corresponding to the tag VNGroup1.

[0062] This embodiment receives the service information actively sent by the terminal, thereby identifying the relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal in the service information, so that according to the relevant information, the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal is determined from the virtual network group list. The core network side can actively identify the relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, and use the relevant information to match the corresponding second target virtual network group, thereby achieving the effect of accurately selecting the virtual network group.

[0063] FIG5 is a third embodiment of the virtual network group configuration method of the present application based on the first embodiment. As shown in FIG5 , in this embodiment, step S10 specifically further includes:

[0064] Step S121: determining the service information sent by the terminal, wherein the service information corresponds to the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal.

[0065] It is understandable that the service information also includes business information, and the business information corresponds to the first virtual network group, wherein the business information may refer to a specific field or other content data, so as to indicate the business used by the current terminal through the business information.

[0066] For example, the business information is load to indicate loading business.

[0067] In this embodiment, the core network includes UPF and SMF, and the step of receiving the service information sent by the terminal includes: actively identifying the service information sent by the terminal through the UPF, so that the SMF selects the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal based on the service information actively identified by the UPF.

[0068] Among them, the core network includes UPF and SMF, and the UPF can be set to have the corresponding active identification function of business information, so that after the terminal reports the corresponding business information, the UPF can actively identify the business information and forward the identified business information to SMF, so that the SMF can.

[0069] In this embodiment, before the step of determining the service information from the terminal through the UPF, the method also includes: sending indication information through the SMF to instruct the UPF to report the service information determined by it, and receiving the service information reported by the UPF, so that the SMF can determine the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the service information reported by the UPF.

[0070] It should be noted that when configuring the reporting function of the UPF, corresponding instructions need to be sent through the SMF to instruct the UPF to implement the function of reporting the content corresponding to the identified business information.

[0071] Step S122: Determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information and the corresponding relationship.

[0072] It is understandable that the second target virtual network group corresponding to the business information can be determined through the business information and the corresponding relationship. Therefore, the corresponding second target virtual network group can be determined from the virtual network group list based on the business information and the corresponding relationship.

[0073] Specifically, based on this embodiment and the above embodiments, it can be seen that the corresponding second target virtual network group is selected directly from the virtual network group list mainly based on the relevant information or business information corresponding to the first target virtual network group in the business information, thereby achieving the effect of accurately selecting the virtual network group to ensure flexible configuration of the virtual network group.

[0074] In which, the virtual network group list carries a list identifier corresponding to the virtual network group list, wherein there is a mapping relationship between the list identifier and the service identifier. Specifically based on the list identifier, the step of determining the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information includes: when the service information matches the list identifier, determining the second target virtual network group corresponding to the service identifier in the virtual network group list as the second target virtual network corresponding to the terminal.

[0075] It is understandable that the service identifier refers to identification information corresponding to the service information. For example, by marking the service as 1, the 1 indicates that the current service is a loading service.

[0076] It is understandable that the virtual network group list contains multiple target virtual network groups. Therefore, a list identifier can be added accordingly according to the business situation corresponding to the target virtual network group, so that the second target virtual network corresponding to the terminal can be selected from the virtual network group based on the correspondence between the list identifier, business information and business identifier.

[0077] Specifically, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process of determining the virtual network group by UPF. The specific implementation scheme of determining the virtual network group by UPF in Figure 6 involves the interaction end on the UE side and the core network side. The interaction end includes UE, CPE, RAN, AMF, SMF, UDM and UPF, and the corresponding process includes the following:

[0078] Step 11: The UE sends a PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request (create session request) to the SMF. At this time, the UE wants to join the corresponding virtual network group and needs to initiate the create session request.

[0079] Step 12: SMF sends Nudm_SDM_Get Request (get contract information request) to UDM. At this time, SMF currently needs to obtain the VNGroup list signed by the terminal, and SMF needs to send the get contract information request to UDM.

[0080] Step 13: UDM sends Nudm_SDM_GetResponse (get contract information response) to SMF, carrying the VNGroup list of the user's contract. At this time, UDM will respond to the get contract information request sent by SMF and send the corresponding VNGroup list. At this time, UDM needs to feedback the corresponding response information. Among them, when UDM feedbacks the corresponding virtual network list, it is necessary to add a field to carry the list identifier corresponding to each VNGroup, which is used for subsequent SMF to select the corresponding VNGroup. The list identifier is specifically referred to in Table 1:

[0081] Table 1 List identification table

[0082] Among them, it should be noted that for step 13, in the related technology, UDM will only send the virtual network group list to SMF, and SMF will select the virtual network group that the terminal needs to join from the virtual network group list. In this embodiment, the business information sent by the terminal is related to the virtual network group, and the corresponding field is also added to the virtual network group list sent by UDM, so that the business information and the corresponding list identifier in the virtual network group list can be matched, so that SMF can accurately select the virtual network group suitable for the current terminal.

[0083] Step 14: SMF selects a VNGroup1 from the list as the VNGroup of the terminal and sends a PDUSession_CreateSMContext Response (Create Session Response) to the UE. At this time, the SMF needs to respond to the UE's request and feedback the response information.

[0084] Step 15: SMF sends a PFCP Session Establishment Request (session attachment request) to UPF. At this time, SMF needs to configure the corresponding virtual network group for the UE and initiate a session attachment request to UPF.

[0085] Step 16: UPF sends PFCP Session Establishment Response (session attachment response) to SMF. At this time, UPF needs to feedback the session attachment response.

[0086] Step 17: The UE sends Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request (update session request) to the SMF. At this time, the UE will initiate a new session request, that is, send the update session request to the SMF.

[0087] Step 18: SMF sends PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF, and issues the data forwarding policy of VNGroup1. In this forwarding policy, it is necessary to instruct UPF to configure the reporting function, and it is necessary to add a flag bit in the message to indicate that UPF needs to report the flag. For details, please refer to Table 2:

[0088] Table 2 Reporting Identification Table

[0089] Among them, it should be noted that for step 18, in this embodiment, in addition to selecting the virtual network group that the current terminal needs to join based on the business information actively reported by the terminal through SMF, the UPF can also actively identify the content of the business information sent by the terminal, thereby realizing the active identification result based on UPF, and cooperating with the selection of the virtual network group that the terminal needs to join. Therefore, in order to realize the UPF's active reporting function, when the SMF sends the data forwarding policy, it directly instructs the UPF to configure the reporting function, and it is necessary to add a mark bit in the message to indicate that the UPF needs to report the identification.

[0090] Step 19: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF. At this time, UPF needs to feedback the session modification response.

[0091] Step 20: SMF sends Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response (update session response) to the UE. At this time, SMF needs to feedback the update session response.

[0092] Step 31: The UE sends a data message to the UPF.

[0093] Step 32: UPF sends a PFCP Session Report Request to SMF. At this time, SMF will receive the data message and needs to send a corresponding session report request to UPF to report MAC.

[0094] Step 33: SMF sends PFCP Session Report Response to UPF. At this time, UPF needs to feedback the session report response.

[0095] Step 34: SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF. At this time, SMF selects the corresponding VNGroup1 according to the VNGroup list and configures it to the terminal, and initiates a session modification request to UPF to update the data forwarding rules.

[0096] Step 35: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF. At this time, UPF needs to feedback the session modification response.

[0097] At this point, the UE can transmit data packets in VNGroup1.

[0098] Step 41: The UE sends a data message to the UPF, including the identifier of another service 2. For example, the message header data 0x75, 0x6E, 0x6C, 0x6F, 0x61, and 0x64 correspond to "unload" in English, indicating an unloading service.

[0099] Among them, it should be noted that with respect to step 41, when the terminal uploads business information, the core network can select the corresponding virtual network group based on the business information sent by the terminal. Therefore, the specifications of the message header data of the corresponding business information can be specified in advance. By establishing a mapping relationship between the message header data and the corresponding business, after the terminal sends the corresponding business information, the corresponding virtual network group can be directly selected based on the business information, thereby achieving a flexible configuration effect.

[0100] Step 42: UPF identifies this type of message and sends a PFCP Session Report Request to SMF. It is necessary to add a field in this message to carry the identifier obtained by UPF identifying the service information. For details, refer to Table 3:

[0101] Table 3 Business related identifiers

[0102] Among them, it should be noted that for step 42, UPF can actively identify the new business content corresponding to the business sent by the current terminal. At this time, after UPF identifies it, it is also necessary to send the identification result to SMF, so that SMF can select the virtual network group corresponding to the business used by the terminal from the virtual network group list. At the same time, in order to achieve the above-mentioned effect of sending the identification result, it is necessary to add a corresponding field to the information sent by UPF to SMF, and carry the result identified by the UPF through this field.

[0103] Step 43: SMF sends a PFCP Session Report Response to UPF.

[0104] Step 44: SMF matches VNGroup2 based on the service identifier reported by UPF and the VNGroup service identifier data issued by UDM (see step 13), sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF, and issues the message forwarding policy of VNGroup2.

[0105] Among them, it should be noted that for step 44, according to the above steps, SMF will receive the service identifier reported by UPF, and the service identifier data of the network group issued by UDM. At this time, SMF can match the virtual network group corresponding to the current terminal service identifier from the virtual network group based on the above two service identifiers and service identifier data, so that SMF can generate a new message forwarding strategy based on the newly matched virtual network group. At this time, the message forwarding policy needs to be forwarded to UPF, so that the UPF can forward the information sent by the terminal to the corresponding virtual network group according to the message forwarding strategy.

[0106] Step 45: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF.

[0107] At this point, the UE switches from VNGroup1 to VNGroup2, and the UE can transmit data packets in VNGroup2.

[0108] It should be noted that the interaction process involved in the above Figure 6 is equivalent to first determining a virtual network group (not the target virtual network selected by the terminal) from the virtual network group list through SMF, and identifying the business information involved in the business information through UPF, and selecting a matching second target virtual network group from the virtual network group list according to the identifier corresponding to the business information, and using the second target virtual network group to replace the originally selected virtual network group to achieve the effect of flexible configuration of virtual network groups.

[0109] In addition, a message field is configured in the service information so that the SMF can select the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal according to the message field, wherein the message field is used to carry relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal.

[0110] It can be understood that the relevant information and business information serve as reference information for the SMF to select the virtual network group, and are additional information content added in this embodiment compared to the related technology. Therefore, it is equivalent to additionally configuring the message field corresponding to the relevant information and business information corresponding to the first target virtual network group in the information sent by the UE to the SMF or UPF in the related technology, and achieving the effect of adding the above two types of information in the form of this message field.

[0111] Among them, the message field can be a field of message header data or a control plane data field, which is equivalent to that the service information can be directly transmitted to the corresponding interactive end as data transmitted in the message, or the service information can be used as control plane data to specify the interactive end that transmits data communication with the UE.

[0112] Specifically, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process for accurately selecting a virtual network group. The specific implementation plan for determining the virtual network group involves the interaction ends on the UE side and the core network side. The interaction ends include UE, CPE, RAN, AMF, SMF, UDM and UPF, and the corresponding process includes the following:

[0113] Step 11: The UE sends a PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request to the SMF. It should be noted that when the UE sends the corresponding information, a field needs to be added to carry the service identifier, for example, "load" indicates a loading service. See Table 3 for details.

[0114] Among them, what needs to be explained for step 11 is that when the terminal sends the corresponding business information to the SMF, the terminal actively reports information so that the SMF can select the virtual network group that matches the terminal. Therefore, in the information uploaded by the terminal, in addition to the information content that needs to be interacted normally, the corresponding business identifier needs to be added to ensure that the SMF can determine the virtual network group specified by the current terminal.

[0115] Step 12: SMF sends Nudm_SDM_Get Request (request to obtain contract information) to UDM.

[0116] Step 13: The UDM sends a Nudm_SDM_Get Response (Get Subscription Information Response) to the SMF, carrying the list of VNGroups to which the user has subscribed. It should be noted that when the UDM returns the VNGroup list, a field is added to carry the list identifier corresponding to each VNGroup, which is used by the SMF to select the corresponding VNGroup. See Table 1 for details.

[0117] Step 14: SMF selects VNGroup1 from the VNGroup list as the terminal's VNGroup according to the service identifier, and sends a PDUSession_CreateSMContext Response (Create Session Response) to the UE.

[0118] Step 15: SMF sends a PFCP Session Establishment Request to UPF.

[0119] Step 16: UPF sends PFCP Session Establishment Response (session attachment response) to SMF.

[0120] Step 17: The UE sends an Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request (update session request) to the SMF.

[0121] Step 18: SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF and issues the data forwarding policy of VNGroup1.

[0122] Step 19: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF.

[0123] Step 20: SMF sends Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response (update session response) to the UE.

[0124] Step 31: The UE sends a data message to the UPF.

[0125] Step 32: UPF sends a PFCP Session Report Request to SMF and reports MAC.

[0126] Step 33: SMF sends PFCP Session Report Response to UPF.

[0127] Step 34: SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF to update the data forwarding rules.

[0128] Step 35: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF.

[0129] At this point, the UE can transmit data packets in VNGroup1.

[0130] It should be noted that the process involved in the above Figure 7 is mainly to select a suitable second virtual network group from the virtual network group list through the relevant information of the first target virtual network group carried in the business information, and achieve the effect of precise configuration, avoiding the action of switching virtual network groups and improving the efficiency of configuring virtual network groups.

[0131] This embodiment determines the business information sent by the terminal, wherein the business information corresponds to the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, and determines the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the business information and the correspondence. The business information can be identified accordingly, and the correspondence between the business information and the corresponding first target virtual network group can be determined. Therefore, based on the correspondence and the business information, the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal can be selected from the virtual network group list, thereby improving the effect of actively identifying business information and selecting a suitable virtual network group for the terminal.

[0132] FIG8 is a fourth embodiment of the virtual network group configuration method of the present application proposed based on the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment. As shown in FIG8 , in this embodiment, the method further includes:

[0133] Step S40: If the terminal has been configured with a virtual network group, switch the virtual network group configured for the terminal to the second target virtual network group.

[0134] It is understandable that when the terminal uses a virtual network group, different virtual network groups correspond to different services. For example, virtual network group 1 may correspond to loading services, and virtual network group 2 may correspond to unloading services. The current terminal communicates with other terminals through virtual network group 1 to process loading services. After the loading services are completed, the terminal may want to communicate with other terminals through virtual network group 2 to process unloading services. At this time, the terminal needs to switch to different virtual network groups to interact with different terminals and process different services.

[0135] Therefore, when the second target virtual network group is determined, there is a situation where the terminal has already been configured with a corresponding virtual network group. At this time, it is necessary to switch the virtual network group configured by the terminal to the second target virtual network group, so that the terminal can select a suitable virtual network group and achieve the effect of flexible configuration of the virtual network group.

[0136] Specifically, when the terminal has been configured with a virtual network group, a message forwarding strategy for the target virtual network group is generated based on the business information, and according to the message forwarding strategy, the virtual network group configured by the terminal is switched to the second target virtual network group, and the message information initiated by the terminal is forwarded in the target virtual network group.

[0137] It can be understood that the message forwarding strategy is used to instruct the UPF to forward the information sent by the UE to the corresponding terminal through the virtual network group specified by the message forwarding strategy.

[0138] Specifically, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process for replacing the virtual network group. The specific implementation plan of switching the virtual network group involves the interaction end on the UE side and the core network side. The interaction end includes UE, CPE, RAN, AMF, SMF, UDM and UPF, and the corresponding process includes the following:

[0139] Step 11: The UE sends a PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request (create session request) to the SMF.

[0140] Step 12: SMF sends Nudm_SDM_Get Request (request to obtain contract information) to UDM.

[0141] Step 13: The UDM sends Nudm_SDM_Get Response (Get Subscription Information Response) to the SMF, carrying the list of VNGroups to which the user has subscribed. A field needs to be added to carry the list identifier of each VNGroup, which is used by the SMF to select the corresponding VNGroup. See Table 1 for details.

[0142] Step 14: SMF selects a VNGroup1 from the list as the VNGroup of the terminal and sends a PDUSession_CreateSMContext Response (Create Session Response) to the UE.

[0143] Step 15: SMF sends a PFCP Session Establishment Request to UPF.

[0144] Step 16: UPF sends PFCP Session Establishment Response (session attachment response) to SMF.

[0145] Step 17: The UE sends an Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request (update session request) to the SMF.

[0146] Step 18: SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF and issues the data forwarding policy of VNGroup1.

[0147] Step 19: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF.

[0148] Step 20: SMF sends Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response (update session response) to the UE.

[0149] Step 31: The UE sends a data message to the UPF.

[0150] Step 32: UPF sends a PFCP Session Report Request to SMF and reports MAC.

[0151] Step 33: SMF sends PFCP Session Report Response to UPF.

[0152] Step 34: SMF sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF to update the data forwarding rules.

[0153] Step 35: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF.

[0154] At this point, the UE can transmit data packets in VNGroup1.

[0155] Step 41: The UE sends a PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request (update session request) to the SMF, in which a field needs to be added to carry the service identifier, for example, "unload" to indicate an unloading service. See Table 3 for details.

[0156] Step 42: SMF sends PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response (update session response) to the UE.

[0157] Step 43: SMF matches VNGroup2 based on the service identifier reported by UPF and the VNGroup service identifier data issued by UDM (see step 13), sends a PFCP Session Modification Request to UPF, and issues the message forwarding policy of VNGroup2.

[0158] Step 44: UPF sends PFCP Session Modification Response to SMF.

[0159] At this point, the UE switches from VNGroup1 to VNGroup2, and the UE can transmit data packets in VNGroup2.

[0160] It should be noted that the process corresponding to Figure 9 is mainly that after the terminal uses virtual network group 1, it may need to switch to another service in the subsequent process. At this time, it is necessary to replace the virtual network group added by the terminal accordingly, for example, switching from virtual network group 1 to virtual network group 2, so that the terminal can use the corresponding service. According to the changes in the service used by the terminal, the virtual network group configured by the terminal is replaced accordingly, thereby achieving the effect of flexible configuration of the virtual network group.

[0161] In this embodiment, when the terminal has been configured with a virtual network group, the virtual network group configured for the terminal is switched to the second target virtual network group, thereby achieving the effect of flexibly configuring the virtual network group of the terminal.

[0162] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a virtual network group configuration device. FIG10 is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of the virtual network group configuration device. As shown in FIG10 , the virtual network group configuration device includes:

[0163] A receiving module 10 is used to receive business information sent by a terminal and obtain a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the business information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; a generating module 20 is used to determine, from the virtual network group list, a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal based on the business information, and generate message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group; an adding module 30 is used to add the message forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0164] This embodiment receives service information sent by a terminal and obtains a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, and based on the service information, determines a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the list of virtual network groups, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so that the message forwarding policy information can be added to the second target virtual network group for the terminal to communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, that is, according to the service information sent by the terminal, selects a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so as to achieve the effect that the terminal communicates and interacts with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, thereby achieving the effect that the terminal relies on autonomous selection of the virtual network group.

[0165] It should be noted that the modules in the above-mentioned device can be used to implement the various steps in the above-mentioned method and achieve the corresponding technical effects, which will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0166] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of a device of a hardware operating environment involved in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, the device may include: a processor 1001, such as a CPU, a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005. Among them, the communication bus 1002 is used to realize the connection and communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen (Display), an input unit such as a keyboard (Keyboard), and the optional user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface and a wireless interface. In one embodiment, the network interface 1004 may include a standard wired interface and a wireless interface (such as a WI-FI interface). The memory 1005 may be a high-speed RAM memory, or a stable memory (non-volatile memory), such as a disk memory. In one embodiment, the memory 1005 may also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0167] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in FIG11 does not constitute a limitation on the device, and may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or a different arrangement of components.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 11 , the memory 1005 as a computer storage medium may include an operating system, a network communication module, a user interface module, and a virtual network group configuration program.

[0169] In the device shown in FIG11 , the network interface 1004 is primarily used for data communication with an external network; the user interface 1003 is primarily used for receiving user input instructions; the device invokes the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005 via the processor 1001 and performs the following operations:

[0170] Receive business information sent by a terminal and obtain a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the business information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the business information, and generate message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group; add the message forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0171] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: receive the business information actively sent by the terminal; identify the relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal in the business information, so as to determine the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the relevant information.

[0172] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: determine the business information sent by the terminal, wherein the business information corresponds to the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; and determine the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the business information and the correspondence.

[0173] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: actively identify the service information sent by the terminal through the UPF, so that the SMF can select a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal based on the service information actively identified by the UPF.

[0174] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: sending an indication message through the SMF to instruct the UPF to report the business information determined by it; receiving the business information reported by the UPF, so that the SMF can determine the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the business information reported by the UPF.

[0175] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: a message field is configured in the business information so that the SMF can select the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal according to the message field, wherein the message field is used to carry relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal.

[0176] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 may call a virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005 and further perform the following operations: the virtual network group list carries a list identifier corresponding to the virtual network group list, wherein the list identifier is mapped to the service identifier.

[0177] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: when the service information matches the list identifier, determine the second target virtual network group corresponding to the service identifier in the virtual network group list as the second target virtual network corresponding to the terminal.

[0178] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 may call a virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005 and further perform the following operations: if the terminal has been configured with a virtual network group, switch the virtual network group configured for the terminal to the second target virtual network group.

[0179] In one embodiment, the processor 1001 can call the virtual network group configuration program stored in the memory 1005, and also perform the following operations: generate a message forwarding policy for the target virtual network group based on the business information; according to the message forwarding policy, switch the virtual network group configured by the terminal to the second target virtual network group, and forward the message information initiated by the terminal in the target virtual network group.

[0180] This embodiment receives service information sent by a terminal and obtains a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, and based on the service information, determines a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the list of virtual network groups, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so that the message forwarding policy information can be added to the second target virtual network group for the terminal to communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, that is, according to the service information sent by the terminal, selects a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so as to achieve the effect that the terminal communicates and interacts with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, thereby achieving the effect that the terminal relies on autonomous selection of the virtual network group.

[0181] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium, on which a virtual network group configuration program is stored. When the virtual network group configuration program is executed by a processor, the following operations are performed: receiving service information sent by a terminal and obtaining a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; determining a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list based on the service information, and generating message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group; adding the message forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group so that the terminal can communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

[0182] This embodiment receives service information sent by a terminal and obtains a list of virtual network groups to which the terminal is subscribed, wherein the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal, and based on the service information, determines a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the list of virtual network groups, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so that the message forwarding policy information can be added to the second target virtual network group for the terminal to communicate and interact with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, that is, according to the service information sent by the terminal, selects a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal, and generates message forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group, so as to achieve the effect that the terminal communicates and interacts with other terminals in the second target virtual network group, thereby achieving the effect that the terminal relies on autonomous selection of the virtual network group.

[0183] It should be noted that when the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium is executed by a processor, it can also implement the various steps in the above-mentioned method and achieve the corresponding technical effects. This embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0184] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or system. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system comprising the element.

[0185] The serial numbers of the above embodiments of the present application are for description only and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0186] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus the necessary general hardware platform, and of course can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0187] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A virtual network group configuration method, wherein, Applied to the core network, the virtual network group configuration method includes the following steps: Receive service information sent by a terminal, and obtain the list of virtual network groups subscribed by the terminal, where the service information is associated with a first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; Determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information, and generate packet forwarding policy information of the terminal based on the second target virtual network group; Add the packet forwarding policy information to the second target virtual network group for the terminal to communicate with other terminals in the second target virtual network group.

2. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of receiving service information sent by the terminal includes: Receive service information actively sent by the terminal; Identify relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal in the service information, so that a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal can be determined from the virtual network group list according to the relevant information.

3. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 1, wherein, After the step of receiving service information sent by the terminal, it further includes: Determine the service information sent by the terminal, where the service information has a corresponding relationship with the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal; Determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information and the corresponding relationship.

4. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 3, where the core network includes a UPF and an SMF, and the step of receiving service information sent by the terminal includes: Actively identify the service information sent by the terminal through the UPF for the SMF to select a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal according to the service information actively identified by the UPF.

5. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 4, wherein, Before the step of determining service information from the terminal through the UPF, the method further includes: Send indication information through the SMF to indicate that the UPF is used to report the service information determined by it; Receive the service information reported by the UPF for the SMF to determine a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information reported by the UPF.

6. The virtual network group configuration method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The service information is configured with a message field for the SMF to select a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal according to the message field, where the message field is used to carry relevant information of the first target virtual network group selected by the terminal.

7. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 1, wherein, The virtual network group list carries a list identifier corresponding to the virtual network group list, where the list identifier has a mapping relationship with a service identifier.

8. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 7, wherein, The step of determining a second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information includes: In the case where the service information matches the list identifier, determine the second target virtual network group corresponding to the service identifier in the virtual network group list as the second target virtual network corresponding to the terminal.

9. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 1, wherein, After the step of determining the second target virtual network group corresponding to the terminal from the virtual network group list according to the service information, the method further includes: In the case where the virtual network group is already configured for the terminal, switching the virtual network group already configured for the terminal to the second target virtual network group.

10. The virtual network group configuration method according to claim 9, wherein, The step of switching the virtual network group already configured for the terminal to the second target virtual network group includes: Generating a packet forwarding policy for the target virtual network group according to the service information; According to the packet forwarding policy, switching the virtual network group already configured for the terminal to the second target virtual network group, and forwarding the packet information initiated by the terminal in the target virtual network group.

11. A virtual network group configuration device, wherein, The virtual network group configuration device includes: a memory, a processor, and a virtual network group configuration program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, and the virtual network group configuration program is configured to implement the steps of the virtual network group configuration method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A storage medium, wherein, A program for implementing the virtual network group configuration method is stored on a storage medium, and the program for implementing the virtual network group configuration method is executed by a processor to implement the steps of the virtual network group configuration method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images