Cross-domain network element selection method and apparatus, device, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

A cross-domain network element selection method, comprising: a consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway sending, across domains to a service side, a service provider network element discovery request carrying an identifier indicating that the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supports delegated service provider network element selection; and determining a target service provider network element on the basis of at least one of the following: a list of service provider network element information meeting a condition and returned from the service side by means of a service-side cross-domain relay gateway or the like, and an identifier indicating service provider network element selection performed at the service side.

Description

Cross-domain network element selection method, device, equipment, storage medium and program product

[0001] The present disclosure is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410479807.1, filed on April 19, 2024, entitled “Cross-domain network element selection method, device, equipment, storage medium and program product”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of wireless communication, and particularly relates to a cross-domain network element selection method, device, equipment, computer readable storage medium and computer program product. BACKGROUND

[0003] In the current 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) protocol, when discovering and selecting NF (Network Function) across domains such as cross-PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), cross-NPN (Non-Public Network), PLMN and NPN, the information of the service provider network element (NF Provider, NFp) needs to be provided across domains to the consumer network element (NF Consumer, NFc), which brings the risk of cross-domain information exposure; selecting a network element through a target-side device will conflict with the original cross-domain network element selection solution logic and process.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure provides a cross-domain network element selection method, device, equipment, computer readable storage medium and computer program product, which at least partially solves the problem of low cross-domain network element selection efficiency in the related art.

[0006] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a cross-domain network element selection method is provided, applied to a consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway, comprising: sending a service provider network element discovery request across domains to a service side; receiving at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information returned by the service side and an identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side; and determining a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service provider network element discovery request carries an identifier of the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supporting the delegated service provider network element selection.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of the qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection comprises:

[0009] If the service-side returns the list of the qualified service provider network element information, the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway determines the target service provider network element according to the list of the qualified service provider network element information and sends a service request to the target service provider network element.

[0010] If the service-side returns the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection, the target service provider network element is determined by the service-side cross-domain relay gateway and the service request is sent to the target service provider network element.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cross-domain sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service-side and the receiving of at least one of the list of the qualified service provider network element information returned by the service-side and the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection comprise: cross-domain sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service-side by the consumer-side network repository function; and receiving of at least one of the list of the qualified service provider network element information returned by the service-side and the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection by the consumer-side network repository function.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cross-domain sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service-side by the consumer-side network repository function and the receiving of at least one of the list of the qualified service provider network element information returned by the service-side and the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection by the consumer-side network repository function comprise: sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service-side network repository function through the service-side cross-domain relay gateway of the service-side by the consumer-side network repository function; sending of at least one of the list of the qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection generated according to the service provider network element discovery request to the consumer-side network repository function by the service-side network repository function through the service-side cross-domain relay gateway; and receiving of at least one of the list of the qualified service provider network element information returned by the service-side and the identifier of the service-side service provider network element selection by the consumer-side network repository function.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sending the service provider network element discovery request to the service side across the domain comprises: receiving a network element discovery request sent by a consumer network element; and sending the service provider network element discovery request corresponding to the network element discovery request to the service side across the domain if the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supports commissioning the service provider network element selection.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway comprises at least one of a service communication agent, a signaling interworking gateway, and a security edge protection agent.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cross-domain network element selection method applied to a service side cross-domain relay gateway is also provided, comprising: receiving a service provider network element discovery request sent by a consumer side; and returning at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information and an identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side to the consumer side, so that the consumer side determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service provider network element discovery request carries an identifier of the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supporting commissioning the service provider network element selection.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the returning at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side to the consumer side, so that the consumer side determines the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side comprises: sending the service provider network element discovery request to a service side network repository function, the service side network repository function will generate at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side according to the service provider network element discovery request; and receiving at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side sent by the service side network repository function.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, it further comprises: determining the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side, and sending a service request to the target service provider network element.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service-side cross-domain relay gateway includes at least one of a service communication agent, a signaling interworking gateway, and a security edge protection agent.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cross-domain network element selection apparatus is also provided, comprising:

[0021] A request sending module sends a service provider network element discovery request to a service side across domains;

[0022] An information receiving module receives at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information returned by the service side and an identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side;

[0023] A network element selection module determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cross-domain network element selection apparatus is also provided, comprising:

[0025] A request receiving module receives a service provider network element discovery request sent by a consumption side;

[0026] A network element determination module returns at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information and an identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side to the consumption side, so that the consumption side determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the cross-domain network element selection method described above via execution of the executable instructions.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the cross-domain network element selection method described above.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, which comprises a computer program, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the cross-domain network element selection method described above.

[0030] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. It is to be clearly understood that the drawings are merely representative of some embodiments of the disclosure and that the disclosure can take many other alternative forms.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of a cross-domain network element selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of a cross-domain network element discovery and selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of another cross-domain network element selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of a cross-domain non-directly connected network element discovery and selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a cross-domain network element selection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of another cross-domain network element selection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary system architecture that can be applied to the cross-domain network element selection method or the cross-domain network element selection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 8 shows a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Example implementations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example implementations may, however, be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the example implementations to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in one or more implementations.

[0041] In addition, the accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the same reference numbers identify the same elements throughout the different views. Repetitive descriptions of like elements can be omitted for clarity.

[0042] For ease of understanding, the following first explains several terms related to the present disclosure as follows:

[0043] C-IWF (Control Plane Interworking Function) is a device used for signaling interworking between the Internet and the telecommunications network. It can convert signaling messages to ensure that devices in different networks can understand each other's instructions.

[0044] SCP (Service Communication Proxy) in the 5G or NFV (Network Function Virtualization) environment, SCP may act as a proxy for service requests, coordinating communication between different service nodes.

[0045] SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy) is located at the edge of the network, and its main responsibility is to ensure the security of user plane data transmitted across networks (such as different PLMN or national borders). SEPP implements end-to-end security policies, such as packet filtering, encryption and integrity protection, to prevent unauthorized access or data tampering.

[0046] NF (Network Function) refers to an entity or software component that performs specific tasks or provides specific services in a communication network.

[0047] NFp (NF Provider) in the network function virtualization (NFV) environment, NFp refers to an entity that provides network function services, which can be virtualized or non-virtualized network functions, providing services to other components in the network.

[0048] NFc (NF Consumer) in the network function virtualization (NFV) environment, NFc refers to an entity that needs to use the network function services provided by NFp, which can be another network function or other components or terminal devices in the network.

[0049] NRFp (Network Repository Function Provider) receives the NRF that is commissioned to provide service discovery and NF instance registration management services.

[0050] NRFc (Network Repository Function Consumer) in the network function virtualization (NFV) architecture, is responsible for handling part of the NF consumer service discovery request and NF service instance selection functions.

[0051] 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) is an international standardization organization composed of global telecommunications standard organizations, focusing on formulating and maintaining global standards for mobile communication systems.

[0052] PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) is a mobile communication network that provides services to the public, usually operated by a mobile network operator (MNO), such as the GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G, etc. networks we are familiar with.

[0053] NPN (Non-Public Network) refers to those private mobile communication networks specifically set up for enterprises, organizations or specific groups, which are different from the public-oriented PLMN. Non-public networks usually provide services within a limited area, and can provide more customized services and stronger security guarantees.

[0054] The present example embodiment will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0055] First, the present example embodiment provides a cross-domain network element selection method, which can be executed by any electronic device with computing processing capability.

[0056] Figure 1 shows a flowchart of a cross-domain network element selection method in the present example embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the cross-domain network element selection method provided in the present example embodiment is applied to a consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway, and includes the following steps:

[0057] S102, send the service provider network element discovery request across domains to the service side.

[0058] The consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: service communication proxy SCP, signaling interworking gateway C-IWF, security edge protection proxy SEPP, etc.

[0059] In one embodiment, the service provider network element discovery request carries an identifier indicating that the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supports delegated service provider network element selection, and the NRFp corresponding to the target domain, the cross-domain relay gateway, etc. perform NFp selection identification, i.e. the target domain NRFp supports NFp selection identification in the target domain.

[0060] In one embodiment, the service provider network element discovery request is sent to the service side through the consumer side network storage function; specifically, a network element discovery request sent by a consumer network element is received; if the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supports delegated service provider network element selection, a service provider network element discovery request corresponding to the network element discovery request is sent to the service side.

[0061] S104, receiving at least one of the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions returned by the service side and the identification of service provider network element selection on the service side.

[0062] At least one of the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions returned by the service side and the identification of service provider network element selection on the service side is received through the consumer side network storage function; specifically, the service provider network element discovery request is sent to the service side network storage function through the service side cross-domain relay gateway of the service side by the consumer side network storage function; at least one of the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions and the identification of service provider network element selection on the service side generated according to the service provider network element discovery request is sent to the consumer side network storage function by the service side network storage function through the service side cross-domain relay gateway; and the consumer side network storage function sends at least one of the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions and the identification of service provider network element selection on the service side to the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway.

[0063] S106, determining the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions and the identification of service provider network element selection on the service side.

[0064] If the service side returns the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions, the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway and / or the consumer side network storage function determines the target service provider network element according to the list of service provider network elements meeting the conditions and sends a service request to the target service provider network element.

[0065] If the service side returns the identification of service provider network element selection on the service side, the target service provider network element is determined through the service side cross-domain relay gateway and / or the service side network storage function and a service request is sent to the target service provider network element.

[0066] It should be noted that the consumer side network storage function and the service side network storage function can respond to the service provider network element discovery request and filter the registered service provider network element information according to the conditions in the service provider network element discovery request; the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway and the service side cross-domain relay gateway determine which service provider network element is more suitable for the current service demand based on the list or according to their own routing strategy, QoS demand and other local strategies and initiate a service request.

[0067] In the above embodiments, when the consumer network element (NFc) performs cross-domain to provide a network element (NFp) discovery, the consumer network element can select whether to perform selection of the service provider network element (NFp) by the consumer network element side, i.e., the consumer side cross-domain service relay gateway (for example, a service communication proxy SCP, a security edge protection proxy SEPP, a signaling interworking gateway C-IWF, etc.), according to the reply of the consumer side network storage function corresponding to the consumer network element and the service side network storage function corresponding to the service provider network element, whether the cross-domain network element discovery and selection scene can support the selection by other network elements; the risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, the principles and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution are coordinated, no conflict or resistance is caused, consistency and compatibility are maintained, and efficient resource selection and communication in the entire network service are ensured.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a cross-domain network element discovery and selection method in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the cross-domain network element discovery and selection method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a consumer side cross-domain relay gateway, and includes the following steps:

[0069] S202, receiving a network element discovery request sent by a consumer network element.

[0070] In one embodiment, the network element discovery request includes but is not limited to: a service type identifier, a service capability parameter, geographical location information, network slice information, identity information of a subscriber or service user, a service instance or NF instance identifier, a version requirement, etc.; it needs to be noted that the network element discovery request does not require whether to carry an identifier of the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supporting the selection of the service provider network element.

[0071] S204, if the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supports the selection of the service provider network element, sending a service provider network element discovery request corresponding to the network element discovery request to the service side through the consumer side network storage function.

[0072] In one embodiment, whether the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supports the selection of the service provider network element is determined by checking whether the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway has an interface for NF discovery and NF selection, whether the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway can accept and execute an NFp selection instruction from a network management layer, or whether the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway can automatically respond to a discovery result of a network function registry (NRF) to dynamically adjust the service provider.

[0073] In one embodiment, if the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supports the selection of the service provider network element, an identifier of the consumer side cross-domain relay gateway supporting the selection of the service provider network element is added in the network element discovery request to generate a service provider network element discovery request and send the service provider network element discovery request to the service side cross-domain relay gateway of the service side.

[0074] In an embodiment, the service-side cross-domain relay gateway at the service side sends a service provider network element discovery request to the service-side network repository function; the service-side network repository function sends at least one of the following to the consumer-side network repository function, the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway, via the service-side cross-domain relay gateway: a list of service provider network element information that meets the conditions generated according to the service provider network element discovery request, and an identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side.

[0075] In an embodiment, the service-side network repository function screens the registered service provider network element information according to the conditions in the service provider network element discovery request, generates a list of service provider network element information that meets the conditions, the list containing all NF instances that can provide the requested service and meet the preset conditions, and sends the list to the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway via the network elements, the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway making service provider network element selection according to the list, for example, based on the list, or further determining which service provider network element is more suitable for the current service demand according to its own routing strategy, QoS requirement and other local strategies.

[0076] In an embodiment, the consumer-side network repository function screens the registered service provider network element information according to the conditions in the service provider network element discovery request, generates a list of service provider network element information that meets the conditions, the list containing all NF instances that can provide the requested service and meet the preset conditions, and directly or indirectly sends the list to the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway, the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway making service provider network element selection according to the list.

[0077] The identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side supports service provider network element selection at the corresponding service side by the service-side cross-domain relay gateway and / or the service-side network repository function.

[0078] S206, receiving at least one of the following via the consumer-side network repository function: the list of service provider network element information that meets the conditions returned by the service side, and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side.

[0079] In an embodiment, if the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway receives the list of service provider network element information that meets the conditions returned by the service side via the consumer-side network repository function, the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway makes service provider network element selection based on the list, or further determines which service provider network element is more suitable for the current service demand according to its own routing strategy, QoS requirement and other local strategies.

[0080] In an embodiment, if the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway receives the identification of the service-side returned service provider network element selection by the service-side network storage function through the consumer-side network storage function, the service-side network storage function and / or the service-side cross-domain relay gateway can respond to the service provider network element discovery request; for example, the service-side network storage function screens the registered service provider network element information according to the conditions in the service provider network element discovery request, and the service-side cross-domain relay gateway further decides which service provider network element is more suitable for the current service demand based on the list or according to its own routing strategy, QoS demand and other local strategies.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the cross-domain relay gateway of the consumer side and the service side adds support for the delegated cross-domain network element discovery function and the corresponding identification, and adds the cross-domain network element selection function according to the NRF reply (NF list or identification of network element selection by the target domain); the network storage function of the consumer side and the service side adds support for the delegated cross-domain network element discovery function; the risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, the principle and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution are coordinated, and efficient resource selection and communication in the entire network service are ensured.

[0082] FIG. 3 shows another cross-domain network element selection method flowchart in the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-domain network element selection method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to the service-side cross-domain relay gateway, and includes the following steps:

[0083] S302, receiving a service provider network element discovery request sent by the consumer side.

[0084] In an embodiment, the service-side cross-domain relay gateway includes at least one of the following: service communication agent, signaling interworking gateway, security edge protection agent, etc.

[0085] In an embodiment, the service provider network element discovery request carries the identification of the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supporting the delegated service provider network element selection, i.e., the identification of the target domain NRFp supporting the NFp selection in the target domain.

[0086] S304, returning at least one of the following to the consumer side: the list of service provider network element information meeting the conditions, the identification of the service-side service provider network element selection, so that the consumer side determines the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of service provider network element information meeting the conditions and the identification of the service-side service provider network element selection.

[0087] In an embodiment, the service provider network element discovery request is sent to the service side network storage function, and the service side network storage function generates at least one of the following according to the service provider network element discovery request: a list of qualified service provider network element information, and an identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side; and the list of qualified service provider network element information or the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side sent by the service side network storage function is received.

[0088] In an embodiment, the target service provider network element is determined according to at least one of the following: the list of qualified service provider network element information, and the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side, and a service request is sent to the target service provider network element.

[0089] If the service side network storage function generates the identifier of service provider network element selection at the service side according to the service provider network element discovery request, the service side cross-domain relay gateway can determine the target service provider network element according to the list of qualified service provider network element information generated by the service side network storage function according to the service provider network element discovery request, and send a service request to the target service provider network element.

[0090] In the above embodiment, when the consumer network element (NFc) performs cross-domain discovery of the provider side network element (NFp), whether the selection of the service provider network element (NFp) is performed by the consumer network element side, i.e., the consumer side cross-domain service relay gateway (such as the service communication proxy SCP, the security edge protection proxy SEPP, the signaling interworking gateway C-IWF, etc.), can be determined according to the reply of whether the cross-domain network element discovery and selection scenario can support the selection by other network elements, which is fed back by the consumer side network storage function corresponding to the consumer network element and the service side network storage function corresponding to the service provider network element. The risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, the principles and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution are coordinated, no conflict or resistance is caused, consistency and compatibility are maintained, and efficient resource selection and communication in the entire network service are ensured.

[0091] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a cross-domain non-directly connected network element discovery and selection method in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the cross-domain non-directly connected network element discovery and selection method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following steps:

[0092] S402, the NFc sends a discovery request of the NFp to the cross-domain relay gateway 1 (SCP / SEPP / C-IWF, etc.).

[0093] It should be noted that the NFc is a consumer network element, the cross-domain relay gateway 1 is a consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway; the discovery request of the NFp is a service provider network element discovery request; the discovery request of the NFp sent by the NFc to the cross-domain relay gateway 1 can not carry the identifier of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the NFp delegated selection.

[0094] S404, the cross-domain relay gateway 1 forwards the discovery request of the NFp to the NRFc, and if the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supports the delegated selection of the NFp, the identifier of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the NFp delegated selection should be carried in the request.

[0095] It should be noted that the NRFc is a consumer-side network repository function.

[0096] S406, the NRFc sends the discovery request of the NFp to the NRFp via the cross-domain service relay gateway 2, and the identifier of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the NFp delegated selection should be carried in the request.

[0097] It should be noted that the NRFp is a service-side network repository function; the cross-domain service relay gateway 2 is a service-side cross-domain relay gateway.

[0098] S408, the NRFp returns the list of qualified NFp and NFp Profile to the NRFc according to the request, or the identifier of the target domain (i.e. domain 2) NRFp supporting the NFp selection in the target domain, i.e. the identifier of the service provider network element selection in the service side.

[0099] S410, the NRFc returns the message received in S408 to the cross-domain relay gateway 1.

[0100] S412, the cross-domain relay gateway 1 determines the cross-domain service relay gateway initiating the service request according to the received information.

[0101] In one embodiment, if the list of qualified NFp and NFp Profile is received, the cross-domain relay gateway 1 performs the selection of the NFp.

[0102] In one embodiment, if the identifier of the target domain (i.e. domain 2) NRFp supporting the NFp selection in the target domain is received, the cross-domain relay gateway 1 does not perform the selection of the NFp, and does not need to jump to S414, and then the cross-domain service relay gateway 2 initiates the service request to the NFp.

[0103] S414, the cross-domain service relay gateway 1 or the cross-domain service relay gateway 2 initiates the service request to the NFp.

[0104] In the above embodiments, the cross-domain relay gateway of the consumer side and the service side adds support for the delegated cross-domain network element discovery function and the corresponding identifier, and adds the cross-domain network element selection function according to the NRF reply (NF list or identifier for network element selection by the target domain); the network storage function of the consumer side and the service side adds support for the delegated cross-domain network element discovery function; the risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, the principle and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution are coordinated, and efficient resource selection and communication in the entire network service are ensured.

[0105] Based on the same inventive concept, the disclosure embodiments also provide a cross-domain network element selection device, as follows. Since the principles of the device embodiments for solving problems are similar to those of the above method embodiments, the implementation of the device embodiments can be referred to the implementation of the above method embodiments, and the repeated parts will not be described herein.

[0106] FIG. 5 shows a cross-domain network element selection device in the embodiments of the disclosure, as shown in FIG. 5, the cross-domain network element selection device 5 includes a request sending module 501, an information receiving module 502, and a network element selection module 503.

[0107] The request sending module 501 sends the service provider network element discovery request across domains to the service side.

[0108] The information receiving module 502 receives at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information returned by the service side and the identifier for service provider network element selection in the service side.

[0109] The network element selection module 503 determines the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier for service provider network element selection in the service side.

[0110] In one embodiment, the request sending module 501 is further configured to receive a network element discovery request sent by a consumer network element; and if the cross-domain relay gateway of the consumer side supports delegated service provider network element selection, send a service provider network element discovery request corresponding to the network element discovery request across domains to the service side.

[0111] In one embodiment, the information receiving module 502 is further configured to send the service provider network element discovery request to the service side network storage function through the service side cross-domain relay gateway of the service side via the network storage function of the consumer side; the service side network storage function sends at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information generated according to the service provider network element discovery request and the identifier for service provider network element selection in the service side to the consumer side network storage function through the service side cross-domain relay gateway; and the consumer side network storage function receives at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information returned by the service side and the identifier for service provider network element selection in the service side through the consumer side network storage function.

[0112] In one embodiment, the network element selection module 503 is further configured to, if the service side returns a list of qualified service provider network elements, the cross-domain relay gateway in the consumer side determines a target service provider network element according to the list of qualified service provider network elements and sends a service request to the target service provider network element; if the service side returns an identifier of the service provider network element selection performed in the service side, the cross-domain relay gateway determines a target service provider network element and sends a service request to the target service provider network element.

[0113] In the above embodiments, the risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, the principles and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution are coordinated, no conflict or contradiction is caused, consistency and compatibility are maintained, and efficient resource selection and communication in the whole network service are ensured.

[0114] FIG. 6 shows another cross-domain network element selection device in the embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 6, the cross-domain network element selection device 6 includes a request receiving module 601, a network element determining module 602, a service request module, and a network element selection module 603.

[0115] The request receiving module 601 receives a service provider network element discovery request sent by the consumer side.

[0116] The network element determining module 602 returns at least one of a list of qualified service provider network elements and an identifier of the service provider network element selection performed in the service side to the consumer side, so that the consumer side determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network elements and the identifier of the service provider network element selection performed in the service side.

[0117] The network element determining module 602 is further configured to send the service provider network element discovery request to a service side network repository function, and the service side network repository function generates at least one of the list of qualified service provider network elements and the identifier of the service provider network element selection performed in the service side according to the service provider network element discovery request; and receives at least one of the list of qualified service provider network elements and the identifier of the service provider network element selection performed in the service side sent by the service side network repository function.

[0118] The cross-domain network element selection device 6 further includes a service request module, configured to determine a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network elements and the identifier of the service provider network element selection performed in the service side and send a service request to the target service provider network element.

[0119] In the above embodiments, the risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, and the principles and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution can be coordinated without causing conflicts or contradictions, maintaining consistency and compatibility, and ensuring efficient resource selection and communication in the entire network service.

[0120] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary system architecture applicable to a cross-domain network element selection method or apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this diagram, domain 1 (herein, a PLMN is used as an example) submits an NF discovery request to domain 2 (herein, an NPN is used as an example). Domain 1 corresponds to the consumer side, and domain 2 corresponds to the service side.

[0121] Domain 1 PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) is a wide area network that provides cellular mobile communication services. It is operated and managed by mobile network operators and covers multiple technologies such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. It includes the following network function (NF) entities, each of which is responsible for different network function components:

[0122] NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) is responsible for the selection and management of network slices.

[0123] NRF (Network Repository Function): acts as a service registration and discovery center, storing network function (NF) instance information for NF consumers (NFc) to query and discover services.

[0124] AUSF (Authentication Server Function): responsible for user identity authentication.

[0125] UDM (Unified Data Management): stores and manages user contract data.

[0126] AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function): Access and mobility management function, responsible for handling UE access control and mobility management.

[0127] PCF (Policy Control Function): formulates and executes network policies.

[0128] In the NFV environment, Nnssf, Nnrf, Nausf, Nudm, Namf, Npcf represent that these network functions exist in the form of virtualized instances, facilitating rapid deployment, expansion and flexible adjustment to adapt to changing business needs.

[0129] Domain 2 NPN (Non-Public Network): refers to a private 5G network built and managed for a specific organization or enterprise, with higher customization, security and controllability compared to public land mobile networks (PLMN); includes the following network function (NF) entities, each responsible for different network function components:

[0130] PCF (Policy Control Function): responsible for formulating and implementing network policies, including QoS (Quality of Service), usage limits, charging policies, etc., to guide network resource allocation and data processing.

[0131] NRF (Network Repository Function): as the center of service registration and discovery, it stores the metadata of network function services (NF) to help NF consumers (such as AMF, SMF, etc.) discover and select appropriate service providers.

[0132] AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function): responsible for UE (User Equipment) access control, mobility management, paging and NAS signaling processing.

[0133] SMF (Session Management Function): responsible for establishing, modifying and releasing UE data sessions, as well as managing UE network connections, UPF selection and policy implementation.

[0134] UE (User Equipment): also known as the terminal device in the 5G network, such as mobile phones, Internet of Things devices, etc.

[0135] UPF (User Plane Function): handles user data streams, performs data packet forwarding, QoS policy implementation, charging data collection, etc.

[0136] 5G AN (5G Access Network): includes gNB (Next Generation NodeB) and other wireless access nodes, responsible for wireless side connection and data transmission.

[0137] A service network refers to an Internet, an enterprise internal network or other service provider network connected to the 5G network, and the UE accesses the DN through the 5G network to obtain various services and contents.

[0138] Nsmf, Nnrf, Namf, Npcf, n2, n4, n3, n6 represent the abbreviations of different functional modules or interfaces of these network functions.

[0139] For example, the AMF, SMF, etc. in domain 1 are NFc when they need to obtain other NF services, and the NRF itself provides the functions of service discovery and NF registration management; the NF in the PLMN initiates an NF discovery request to the NPN, and the cross-domain service relay gateway 1 selects whether to select the NFp by the cross-domain service relay gateway 1 according to the support of the NRF in the PLMN and the NPN for the commissioned network element discovery.

[0140] The PCF, AMF, etc. in domain 2 are NFp when they provide network function services, and the NRF itself provides the functions of service discovery and NF registration management, and the cross-domain service relay gateway 1 selects whether to select the NFp by the cross-domain service relay gateway 1 according to the support of the NRF in the PLMN and the NPN for the commissioned network element discovery.

[0141] In the above embodiment, the risk of cross-domain information exposure can be avoided, the principles and steps of the existing cross-domain network element selection solution are coordinated, and efficient resource selection and communication in the entire network service are ensured.

[0142] Those skilled in the art can understand that various aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented as a system, a method or a program product. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure can be embodied as a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining hardware and software aspects, which can be collectively referred to as "circuitry", "module" or "system" here.

[0143] The electronic device 800 according to this embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows the electronic device 800 only as an example, and should not bring any limitation to the functions and use range of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic device 800 is in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 800 can include but are not limited to the above-mentioned at least one processing unit 810, the above-mentioned at least one storage unit 820, and a bus 830 connecting different system components including the storage unit 820 and the processing unit 810.

[0145] The storage unit stores program codes which can be executed by the processing unit 810, so that the processing unit 810 performs the steps of various exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure described in the above “Exemplary Method” section of the present specification. For example, the processing unit 810 can perform the following steps of the above method embodiments: the Nfc sends a discovery request of the NFp to the cross-domain relay gateway 1 (SCP / SEPP / C-IWF, etc.), the cross-domain relay gateway 1 forwards the discovery request of the NFp to the NRFc, and if the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supports the delegated selection of the NFp, the identification of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the delegated selection of the NFp should be carried in the request; the NRFc sends the discovery request of the NFp to the NRFp via the cross-domain service relay gateway 2, and the identification of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the delegated selection of the NFp should be carried in the request; the NRFp returns the list of the NFp Profile and the NFp that meet the conditions of the NRFc according to the request, or the identification of the target domain (i.e., domain 2) NRFp supporting the selection of the NFp in the target domain, i.e., the identification of the service provider network element selection on the service side; the NRFc returns the received message to the cross-domain relay gateway 1; and the cross-domain relay gateway 1 determines the cross-domain service relay gateway initiating the service request according to the received information.

[0146] For example, the processing unit 810 can perform the following steps of the above method embodiments: the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway sends a service provider network element discovery request carrying the identification of the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supporting the delegated selection of the service provider network element to the service side, and determines the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of the service provider network element information meeting the conditions returned by the service-side cross-domain relay gateway, etc., and the identification of the service provider network element selection on the service side.

[0147] The storage unit 820 can include a readable medium in the form of volatile storage unit, such as a random access memory (RAM) 8201 and / or a cache memory 8202, and can further include a read-only memory (ROM) 8203.

[0148] The storage unit 820 can further include a program / utility 8204 having a set of programs / modules 8205, including an operating system, one or more application programs, other programs, and programmatic data, each of which can implement aspects of a network environment, alone or in combination with another.

[0149] The bus 830 can be representative of one or more of several types of bus structures, including a storage unit bus or bus controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit bus, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0150] The electronic device 800 can also communicate with one or more external devices 840 such as a keyboard or pointing device, a Bluetooth device, or a device for reading media. Communication with one or more devices can enable a user to interact with the electronic device 800 in order to use the electronic device 800. In addition, communication with one or more devices can enable the electronic device 800 to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communication can permit the electronic device 800 to communicate with other devices or systems through a network 860, for example, one or more local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs). Such network communication can occur with or without the use of a wireless adapter 860.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the example embodiments described herein can be implemented by software and / or by hardware coupled with software, as described above. Thus, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product. The software product can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash disk, a mobile hard disk, or the like) or a network, and includes a number of instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to perform the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0152] In the example embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, which can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A program product capable of implementing the methods of the present disclosure is stored on the computer readable storage medium. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of the present disclosure can also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes program codes for causing an end device to perform the steps according to various example embodiments of the present disclosure described in the above “Example Method” section of the specification when the program product is run on the end device.

[0153] For example, the program product in the embodiments of the present disclosure, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the following steps: the NFc sends a discovery request of the NFp to the cross-domain relay gateway 1 (SCP / SEPP / C-IWF, etc.); the cross-domain relay gateway 1 forwards the discovery request of the NFp to the NRFc, and if the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supports the delegated selection of the NFp, the identification of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the delegated selection of the NFp should be carried in the request; the NRFc sends the discovery request of the NFp to the NRFp via the cross-domain service relay gateway 2, and the identification of the cross-domain relay gateway 1 supporting the delegated selection of the NFp should be carried in the request; the NRFp returns the list of the NFp Profile and the NFp meeting the conditions of the NRFc according to the request, or the identification of the target domain (i.e., domain 2) NRFp supporting the selection of the NFp in the target domain, i.e., the identification of the service provider network element selection on the service side; the NRFc returns the received message to the cross-domain relay gateway 1; and the cross-domain relay gateway 1 determines the cross-domain service relay gateway initiating the service request according to the received information.

[0154] For example, the program product in the embodiments of the present disclosure, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the following steps: the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway sends a service provider network element discovery request carrying the identification of the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supporting the delegated selection of the service provider network element to the service side, and determines the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of the service provider network element information meeting the conditions returned by the service-side cross-domain relay gateway, etc., and the identification of the service provider network element selection on the service side.

[0155] More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium in the present disclosure can include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0156] In the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium can include a data signal carried in a baseband or as a part of a carrier wave propagating through the transmission medium, in which readable program codes are borne. Such a propagating data signal can take various forms, including but not limited to an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The readable signal medium can also be any readable medium other than the readable storage medium, which can send, propagate or transmit programs for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device.

[0157] The program code contained in the computer-readable storage medium can be transmitted by any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0158] In an implementation, the program code, which can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages, is executable by the user computing device to perform operations described herein. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partly on the user's device, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's device and partly on a remote computing device or entirely on the remote computing device or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection can be made to an external computing device, such as through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider.

[0159] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of devices for action execution are mentioned in the foregoing detailed description, such division is not mandatory. Indeed, features and functionalities of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Conversely, features and functionalities of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units.

[0160] Furthermore, although various steps of the methods in the present disclosure are described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that particular order, or that all of the illustrated steps must be performed to achieve the desired results. Additionally or alternatively, certain steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be combined into one step, one step can be split into multiple steps, and / or the like.

[0161] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily perceive that the example embodiments described herein can be implemented by software and / or by hardware and / or by a combination of software and hardware. The embodiments according to the present disclosure can be realized in the form of a software product including one or more instructions executable by a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) to perform the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. The software product can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or a network, and includes a plurality of instructions to cause a computing device to perform the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0162] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the features disclosed herein. It is intended that the disclosure be construed as including any patents, patent applications, publications, publications, or other disclosure of complementary subject matter that is within the scope of the disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A cross-domain network element selection method, wherein, The application is applied to a consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway, comprising: sending a service provider network element discovery request to a service side across domains; receiving at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information returned by the service side and an identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side; determining a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side.

2. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 1, wherein, The service provider network element discovery request carries an identifier of the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supporting commissioned service provider network element selection.

3. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 1, wherein, The determining of the target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side comprises: if the service side returns the list of qualified service provider network element information, the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway determines the target service provider network element according to the list of qualified service provider network element information and sends a service request to the target service provider network element; if the service side returns the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side, the target service provider network element is determined through a service-side cross-domain relay gateway and the service request is sent to the target service provider network element.

4. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 1, wherein, The sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service side across domains; receiving at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information returned by the service side and an identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side comprises: sending the service provider network element discovery request to the service side across domains through a consumer-side network storage function; receiving at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side returned by the service side through the consumer-side network storage function.

5. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 4, wherein, The sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service side across domains through the consumer-side network storage function and the receiving of at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side returned by the service side through the consumer-side network storage function comprises: sending the service provider network element discovery request to a service-side network storage function through a service-side cross-domain relay gateway of the service side through the consumer-side network storage function; the service-side network storage function sends at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side generated according to the service provider network element discovery request to the consumer-side network storage function through the service-side cross-domain relay gateway; receiving at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side returned by the service side through the consumer-side network storage function.

6. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 1, wherein, The sending of the service provider network element discovery request to the service side across domains comprises: receiving a network element discovery request sent by a consumer network element; If the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supports entrusting the service provider network element selection, the service provider network element discovery request corresponding to the network element discovery request is sent to the service side in a cross-domain manner.

7. The cross-domain network element selection method of any of claims 1-6, wherein, The consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a service communication agent, a signaling interworking gateway, and a security edge protection agent.

8. A cross-domain network element selection method, wherein, The application is applied to a service-side cross-domain relay gateway, and includes: receiving a service provider network element discovery request sent by a consumer side; returning at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information and an identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side to the consumer side, so that the consumer side determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side.

9. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 8, wherein, The service provider network element discovery request carries an identifier of the consumer-side cross-domain relay gateway supporting entrusting the service provider network element selection.

10. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 8, wherein, The returning at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side to the consumer side, so that the consumer side determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side includes: sending the service provider network element discovery request to a service-side network repository function, and the service-side network repository function will generate at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side according to the service provider network element discovery request; receiving at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side sent by the service-side network repository function.

11. The cross-domain network element selection method of claim 8, wherein, Further includes: determining a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side and sending a service request to the target service provider network element.

12. The cross-domain network element selection method of any of claims 8-11, wherein, The service-side cross-domain relay gateway includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a service communication agent, a signaling interworking gateway, and a security edge protection agent.

13. A cross-domain network element selection apparatus, wherein, includes: a request sending module that sends a service provider network element discovery request to a service side in a cross-domain manner; an information receiving module that receives at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information and an identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side returned by the service side; a network element selection module that determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service provider network element selection on the service side.

14. A cross-domain network element selection apparatus, wherein, includes: a request receiving module that receives a service provider network element discovery request sent by a consumer side; The network element determining module returns at least one of a list of qualified service provider network element information and an identifier of service-side service provider network element selection to the consumption side, so that the consumption side determines a target service provider network element according to at least one of the list of qualified service provider network element information and the identifier of service-side service provider network element selection.

15. An electronic device, comprising: Comprise: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the cross-domain network element selection method of any one of claims 1-12 via execution of the executable instructions.

16. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, wherein, The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the cross-domain network element selection method of any one of claims 1-12.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the cross-domain network element selection method of any one of claims 1-12. The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the cross-domain network element selection method of any one of claims 1-12.

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