Methods and systems for inducing a network failure scenario in a network digital twin in wireless communication system

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. The present disclosure provides methods and systems for inducing a network failure scenario in a NDT. The method includes receiving a request to create the NDT. The request includes one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario. The one or more simulation data parameters include at least one of management data, a threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data. The method includes creating the NDT based on the receiving request. The method includes updating the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario and monitoring the updated NDT to identify at least one issue for at least one of a performance degradation and a network failure.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INDUCING A NETWORK FAILURE SCENARIO IN A NETWORK DIGITAL TWIN IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication, and more particularly relates to methods and systems for inducing a network failure scenario in a network digital twin (NDT) in wireless communication system.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technologies define broad frequency bands such that high transmission rates and new services are possible, and can be implemented not only in “Sub 6GHz” bands such as 3.5GHz, but also in “Above 6GHz” bands referred to as mmWave including 28GHz and 39GHz. In addition, it has been considered to implement 6G mobile communication technologies (referred to as Beyond 5G systems) in terahertz (THz) bands (for example, 95GHz to 3THz bands) in order to accomplish transmission rates fifty times faster than 5G mobile communication technologies and ultra-low latencies one-tenth of 5G mobile communication technologies.

[0003] At the beginning of the development of 5G mobile communication technologies, in order to support services and to satisfy performance requirements in connection with enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), there has been ongoing standardization regarding beamforming and massive MIMO for mitigating radio-wave path loss and increasing radio-wave transmission distances in mmWave, supporting numerologies (for example, operating multiple subcarrier spacings) for efficiently utilizing mmWave resources and dynamic operation of slot formats, initial access technologies for supporting multi-beam transmission and broadbands, definition and operation of BWP (BandWidth Part), new channel coding methods such as a LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code for large amount of data transmission and a polar code for highly reliable transmission of control information, L2 pre-processing, and network slicing for providing a dedicated network specialized to a specific service.

[0004] Currently, there are ongoing discussions regarding improvement and performance enhancement of initial 5G mobile communication technologies in view of services to be supported by 5G mobile communication technologies, and there has been physical layer standardization regarding technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) for aiding driving determination by autonomous vehicles based on information regarding positions and states of vehicles transmitted by the vehicles and for enhancing user convenience, NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) aimed at system operations conforming to various regulation-related requirements in unlicensed bands, NR UE Power Saving, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) which is UE-satellite direct communication for providing coverage in an area in which communication with terrestrial networks is unavailable, and positioning.

[0005] Moreover, there has been ongoing standardization in air interface architecture / protocol regarding technologies such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through interworking and convergence with other industries, IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) for providing a node for network service area expansion by supporting a wireless backhaul link and an access link in an integrated manner, mobility enhancement including conditional handover and DAPS (Dual Active Protocol Stack) handover, and two-step random access for simplifying random access procedures (2-step RACH for NR). There also has been ongoing standardization in system architecture / service regarding a 5G baseline architecture (for example, service based architecture or service based interface) for combining Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) for receiving services based on UE positions.

[0006] As 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices that have been exponentially increasing will be connected to communication networks, and it is accordingly expected that enhanced functions and performances of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operations of connected devices will be necessary. To this end, new research is scheduled in connection with eXtended Reality (XR) for efficiently supporting AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR (Mixed Reality) and the like, 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction by utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), AI service support, metaverse service support, and drone communication.

[0007] Furthermore, such development of 5G mobile communication systems will serve as a basis for developing not only new waveforms for providing coverage in terahertz bands of 6G mobile communication technologies, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas and large-scale antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas for improving coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional space multiplexing technology using OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum), and RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface), but also full-duplex technology for increasing frequency efficiency of 6G mobile communication technologies and improving system networks, AI-based communication technology for implementing system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI (Artificial Intelligence) from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology for implementing services at levels of complexity exceeding the limit of UE operation capability by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources.

[0008] The present disclosure provides method and system for inducing a network failure scenario in a network digital twin.

[0009] According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided method and system for inducing a network failure scenario in a network digital twin.

[0010] Aspects of the present disclosure provide efficient communication methods in a wireless communication system.

[0011] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an NDT implemntationincluding a system for inducing a network failure scenario in a Network Digital Twin (NDT), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a signal flow diagram for inducing the network failure scenario in the NDT, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram depicting a method for inducing the network failure scenario in the NDT, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a terminal or user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a base station (BS) according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a network entity according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that those elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0019] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, disclosed herein is a method for inducing a network failure scenario in a Network Digital Twin (NDT). The method includes receiving, by an NDT producer from an NDT consumer, a request to create a NDT. The request includes one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario. The one or more simulation data parameters include at least one of management data, a threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data. The method further includes creating, by the NDT producer, the NDT based on the receiving request. The method further includes, updating, by the NDT producer, the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario. The method furthermore includes monitoring, by the NDT producer, the updated NDT to identify at least one issue for at least one of a performance degradation and a network failure.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, disclosed herein is a system for inducing a network failure scenario in a Network Digital Twin (NDT). The system includes a memory and a processor. The processor is coupled to the memory and configured to receive, from an NDT consumer, a request to create a NDT. The request includes one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario. The one or more simulation data parameters include at least one of management data, a threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data. The processor is further configured to create the NDT based on the receiving request. The processor is further configured to update the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario. The processor is furthermore configured to monitor the updated NDT to identify at least one issue for at least one of a performance degradation and a network failure.

[0022] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawing. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In describing the embodiments, descriptions related to technical contents well-known in the art and not associated directly with the disclosure will be omitted. Such an omission of unnecessary descriptions is intended to prevent obscuring of the main idea of the disclosure and more clearly transfer the main idea.

[0025] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some elements may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated. Further, the size of each element does not completely reflect the actual size. In the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are provided with identical reference numerals or different reference numerals.

[0026] The advantages and features of the disclosure and ways to achieve them will be apparent by making reference to embodiments as described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments set forth below, but may be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided only to completely disclose the disclosure and inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the disclosure is defined only by the scope of the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same or like reference numerals designate the same or like elements. Furthermore, in describing the disclosure, a detailed description of known functions or constitution incorporated herein will be omitted in the case that it is determined that the description may make the subject matter of the disclosure unnecessarily unclear. The terms which will be described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the disclosure, and may be different according to users, intentions of the operators, or customs. Therefore, the definitions of the terms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

[0027] Herein, it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations, may be performed based on computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded collectively onto at least one processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which perform through any one of, or in any combination of, the at least one processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for performing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions may also be stored in a non-transitory computer usable or computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer usable or computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that perform the function specified in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a computer executed process such that the instructions that perform on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus provide steps for executing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s).

[0028] Further, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executable instructions for executing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order. For example, two blocks(or functions) shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be performed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.

[0029] As used in embodiments of the disclosure, a “~unit” may refer to a software element or a hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which performs a predetermined function. However, the term including the word “~unit” does not always have a meaning limited to software or hardware. The “~unit” may be constructed either to be stored in an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Therefore, the “~unit” includes, for example, software elements, object-oriented software elements, components such as class elements and task elements, processes, functions, properties, procedures, sub-routines, segments of a program code, drivers, firmware, micro-codes, circuits, data, database, data structures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The components and functions provided by the “~unit” may be either combined into a smaller number of components and a “~unit,” or divided into additional components and a “~unit.” Moreover, the components and “~units” may be implemented to reproduce one or more central processing units (CPUs) within a device or a security multimedia card. Further, in the embodiments, the “~unit” may include one or more processors.

[0030] It should be appreciated that the blocks in each flowchart and combinations of the flowcharts may be performed by one or more computer programs which include instructions. The entirety of the one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device or the one or more computer programs may be divided with different portions stored in different multiple memory devices.

[0031] Any of the functions or operations described herein can be processed by one processor or a combination of processors. The one processor or the combination of processors is circuitry performing processing and includes circuitry like an application processor (AP, e.g. a CPU), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near field communication (NFC) chip, connectivity chips, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a finger-print sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio CODEC chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on chip (SoC), an IC, or the like.

[0032] It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure according to the claims and description in the specification can be realized in the form of hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software.

[0033] Any such software may be stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media. The non-transitory computer readable storage media store one or more computer programs (software modules), the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform a method of the disclosure.

[0034] Any such software may be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatile storage such as, for example, a storage device like read only memory (ROM), whether erasable or rewritable or not, or in the form of memory such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), memory chips, device or integrated circuits or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic disk or magnetic tape or the like. It will be appreciated that the storage devices and storage media are various embodiments of non-transitory machine-readable storage that are suitable for storing a computer program or computer programs comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a program comprising code for implementing apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of the claims of this specification and a non-transitory machine-readable storage storing such a program.

[0035] Hereinafter, the determination of priority between A and B in the present disclosure may refer to various actions such as selecting the one having a higher priority based on a predefined priority rule and performing an operation corresponding thereto, or omitting or dropping an operation corresponding to the one having a lower priority.

[0036] Hereinafter, "A or B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0037] In addition, "at least one of A, B, and C" as described in the present disclosure may be understood to include A, or B, or C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0038] In addition, "at least one of A, B, or C" as described in the present disclosure may be understood to include A, or B, or C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0039] Furthermore, "A / B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0040] Furthermore, "A, B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0041] Furthermore, "A and B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0042] Furthermore, “if condition A and condition B are satisfied,” as described in the present disclosure, may not be limited to a case where both condition A and condition B are satisfied, but may be understood to include a case where either condition A or condition B is individually satisfied, both condition A and condition B are satisfied, or one or more additional conditions are satisfied in combination.

[0043] Furthermore, throughout this disclosure, ordinal terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc., (and similar qualifiers) are used merely to distinguish between different instances, occurrences, configurations, messages, stages, or aspects of elements, operations, or information as described herein. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the use of such ordinal terms does not itself require that the elements, operations, or information distinguished by these terms be structurally different, numerically distinct, or substantively dissimilar. For example, a "first signal" and a "second signal" may refer to instances of the same signal transmitted at different times or containing the same core information despite minor variations, or they may refer to signals with different content or characteristics, depending on the specific context. Similarly, a "first value" and a "second value" may represent the same magnitude but measured or applied in different circumstances, or they may represent different magnitudes. The interpretation should be guided by the specific technical context, function, and relationship described in the relevant portion of the specification and claims.

[0044] Furthermore, the terms “first ~”, “second ~”, etc., as described in the present disclosure with respect to various elements (e.g., information, objects, operation, sequences, or the like), should not limit those elements. These terms may only be intended to distinguish one element from another, and may not be intended to indicate a specific order. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element.

[0045] Furthermore, even if “first ~” and “second ~” are described in the present disclosure, it may be understood that element(s) referred to by “first ~” and “second ~” may be the same or different. For example, in case of element(s) being information, first information and second information may both be same information and, in some cases, are separate and different information.

[0046] In addition, the terms “if ~” and “in case that ~” as used in the disclosure or claims may be interpreted to include the meanings of “when (or upon) ~,” “in response to ~,” “based on ~,” or “according to ~,” and may be used interchangeably with these expressions. In addition, expressions other than those exemplified herein may also be used, as long as they have substantially the same meaning and do not impair the technical features of the present disclosure.

[0047] For example, the physical layer signaling may be referred to as Layer 1 (L1) signaling and may include downlink control information (DCI). In addition, the higher layer signaling may include a medium access control (MAC) control message, a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message, a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message, or an application layer message. The RRC signaling message may be referred to as L3 (layer 3) signaling. It should be noted, however, that the higher layer signaling is not limited to the aforementioned examples.

[0048] In addition, the term "not perform" as used in the present disclosure or claims may, in context, be understood to mean that the corresponding step is omitted or skipped. Such a term may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially equivalent meaning.

[0049] In addition, "transmitting a message including A and B" as described in the present disclosure, may be understood as encompassing both (i) transmitting A and B in a single message, and (ii) transmitting A and B separately via multiple messages (e.g., transmitting a first message including A and a second message including B). This interpretation may also apply to messages that include two or more items (e.g., A, B, C), transmitted either together or separately.

[0050] In addition, "transmitting a message including A and transmitting a message including B" may also be interpreted as transmitting a message including A and B in a single message.

[0051] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described below, terms or components included in the disclosure may be expressed in singular or plural form depending on the specific embodiments presented. However, such singular or plural expressions are selected appropriately for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to a singular or plural number of components. A component expressed in the plural form may be implemented as a single component, and a component expressed in the singular form may be implemented as multiple components.

[0052] The drawings or flowcharts described below illustrate exemplary methods that may be implemented according to the principles of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the methods illustrated in the flowcharts of the present disclosure. For example, although illustrated as a series of steps, various steps in each drawing or flowchart may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or be repeated. In other examples, any step may be omitted or replaced with another step.

[0053] The methods and apparatuses proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to each embodiment individually, but may also be applied in combination of all or some of the embodiments proposed in the disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified and applied without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0054] In this case, even if certain wordings are described differently across embodiments, they may be used interchangeably or in substitution or in combination if their underlying concepts are equivalent. For example, for the same or equivalent concept, even if one embodiment uses the expression "A" and another embodiment uses the expression "B", such expressions may be understood interchangeably, in substitution, or in combination.

[0055] The terms used in the following description to refer to access nodes, network entities, messages, interfaces between network entities, various types of identification information, and the like, are provided merely for the convenience of explanation by way of example. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms having equivalent technical meanings may also be used. Such terms may also be interchangeable with terms defined in any 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) technical specifications (TS) where appropriate.

[0056] Hereinafter, a base station is an entity that allocates resources to terminals, and may be at least one of a gNode B, an eNode B, a Node B, a base station (BS), a wireless access unit, a BS controller, or a node on a network.

[0057] Furthermore, the base station of the present disclosure may include a split architecture comprising a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). In this structure, the CU is configured to process the higher layers of the control and user planes, while the DU is configured to process lower-layer radio resource functions. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be equally applicable to 5G base station architectures in which such CU and DU functional splits are implemented.

[0058] A terminal may include a UE, a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions.

[0059] In the disclosure, a downlink (DL) refers to a radio link through which a BS transmits a signal to a UE, and an uplink (UL) refers to a radio link through which a UE transmits a signal to a BS.

[0060] Furthermore, hereinafter, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication technologies (e.g., 5G new radio (NR)), 6th generation (6G) mobile communication technologies may be described by way of example, but the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or channel types. For example, newly evolved mobile communication systems developed after 5G and 6G may be included. Furthermore, based on determinations by those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems (e.g., Wi-Fi systems) through some modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure

[0061] In the following description, the terms physical channel and signal may be used interchangeably with data or control signal. For example, the term physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) refers to a physical channel through which data is transmitted, but the term PDSCH may also be used to refer to the data itself. That is, in the present disclosure, the expression "transmit a physical channel" may be interpreted as being equivalent to the expression "transmit data or a signal via a physical channel."

[0062] Hereinafter, in the context of the present disclosure, higher layer signaling may refer to signaling corresponding to at least one or any combination of the following: master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB) or SIB M (M = 1, 2, ...), radio resource control (RRC), or medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message, or an application layer message. The RRC signaling message may be referred to as L3 (layer 3) signaling.

[0063] In addition, L1 signaling may refer to signaling corresponding to at least one or any combination of signaling techniques using the at least one or any combination of the following physical layer channels or signaling: physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), downlink control information (DCI), user equipment (UE)-specific DCI, group-common DCI, common DCI, scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI used for scheduling downlink or uplink data), non-scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI not used for scheduling downlink or uplink data) physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or uplink control information (UCI). The L1 signaling message may be referred to as a physical layer signaling.

[0064] Hereinafter, the expression that information is configured by the BS, as used in the present disclosure or claims, may, in context, be understood to mean that the terminal receives the corresponding information from the BS via a physical layer signaling or a higher layer signaling. Such an expression may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially equivalent meaning.

[0065] Hereinafter, the operational principle of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the various embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates.

[0067] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory of the present disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

[0068] Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element does not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more…” or “one or more elements is required.”

[0069] Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and / or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and / or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfill the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

[0070] Use of the phrases and / or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and / or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and / or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and / or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and / or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

[0071] Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

[0072] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components proceeded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices or other sub-systems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional sub-systems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.

[0073] The term “couple” and the derivatives thereof refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with each other. The terms “transmit”, “receive”, and “communicate” as well as the derivatives thereof encompass both direct and indirect communication. The term “or” is an inclusive term meaning “and / or”. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, refer to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The term “controller” refers to any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. The functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C, and any variations thereof. As an additional example, the expression “at least one of a, b, or c” may indicate only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof. Similarly, the term “set” means one or more. Accordingly, the set of items may be a single item or a collection of two or more items.

[0074] Moreover, multiple functions described below may be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from computer readable program code and embodied in a computer readable medium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code. The phrase “computer readable program code” includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes any type of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Video Disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A “non-transitory” computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transport transitory electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computer readable medium includes media where data may be permanently stored and media where data may be stored and later overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disc or an erasable memory device.

[0075] Digital twin (DT) technology plays a crucial role in supporting emerging technologies by creating an accurate virtual representation of corresponding physical network processes. DT technology leverages models, operational history, and additional data to replicate a physical network. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) uses a Network Resource Model (NRM) to define the attributes of a mobile network. Building on this, the concept of a Network Digital Twin (NDT) expands to include not only a virtual model of the network's infrastructure but also its behavior. This behavior can be modeled by simulating or emulating either the entire mobile network or specific aspects of it.

[0076] Digital Twin (DT) technology has become integral in supporting the development and implementation of emerging technologies by creating highly accurate virtual representations of corresponding physical processes within a network. DT technology allows for the replication of physical networks by leveraging models, operational history, and real-time data. Thus, DT technology enables advanced simulation, monitoring, and optimization.

[0077] In the field of telecommunications, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has established a Network Resource Model (NRM) to define the key attributes, configurations, and operational characteristics of mobile network infrastructure. Leveraging this framework, the concept of a Network Digital Twin (NDT) has been introduced to extend DT principles to mobile networks. An NDT represents not only the physical components of a network but also its dynamic behavior under varying operational conditions. Such behavior may be modeled through simulation or emulation of the entire network or specific network subsystems.

[0078] The NDT functions as a virtual counterpart of the live 3GPP mobile network, enabling safe experimentation, evaluation, and validation of configurations, without impacting live operations. By emulating the behavior of the actual network, the NDT can generate results that closely approximate real-world outcomes, thereby supporting predictive analysis and informed decision-making.

[0079] Standardization efforts for NDT within 3GPP primarily focus on accurately modeling discrete aspects of network behavior and functionality. One key application of the NDT is to serve as a testbed for network policies and configuration changes. For example, the 3GPP management system may first apply intended configurations to the NDT to assess performance impacts, identify potential issues, and refine parameter settings before deploying them to the operational network. This pre-validation capability enhances reliability, reduces operational risks, and accelerates innovation cycles within telecommunications networks.

[0080] Moreover, the NDT provides an effective platform for simulating network faults and stress conditions, which is essential for designing and validating resilient network architectures. However, current implementations of NDTs exhibit significant limitations in their ability to fully simulate or induce complex network issues, such as cascading failures or multi-layered anomalies.

[0081] Accordingly, there exists a need for improved techniques and systems for enhancing the functional capabilities of NDTs.

[0082] In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides techniques for inducing network failure scenarios within a Network Digital Twin (NDT). A network digital twin is a virtual model of a physical (wired or wireless) network. The NDT accurately mirrors the real-time state, configuration, and behavior of its physical counterpart, including all relevant network devices, their connections, characteristics, traffic profiles, and configurations. A resilient physical network requires that the behavior and performance of the physical network are monitored during certain network failure issues e.g. node / functionality failure, service degradation etc. The NDT enables the controlled induction of such failure conditions without impacting the live network. Thus, NDT allows network operators to simulate and evaluate adverse events in a safe environment.

[0083] By inducing a specific failure or performance issue in the NDT, the network operators can observe and analyze changes in network performance, identify faults, degradations, or failures, and determine appropriate mitigation strategies. For example, the NDT can simulate network slice performance degradation, such as reduced Packet Data Unit (PDU) session establishment success rates or increased latency to evaluate how underlying network functions react. Similarly, inducing a coverage hole in the NDT provides insights into service impact and helps formulate corrective measures. Fault injection experiments can also be conducted in the NDT to test fault tolerance and resilience mechanisms while avoiding any disruption to the actual physical network.

[0084] Further, NDT-based simulations improve root cause analysis by offering a clearer understanding of the sequence and impact of network events. Accordingly, the present invention discloses techniques to provide NDT-based simulations by inducing network fail scenarios in the NDT.

[0085] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086] For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2. Further, similar reference numerals have been used to represent similar components in the Figures.

[0087] FIG. 1 illustrates an NDT implemntation 100 including a system 120 for inducing a network failure scenario in a Network Digital Twin (NDT), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the environment 100 includes an NDT producer 101 connected to an NDT consumer 103. The NDT producer 101 may be responsible for creating and maintaining the NDT by modelling the network and its behaviour, collecting real-time data from the network and ensuring synchronization with the actual network. The NDT producer 101 may include, but is not limited to, infrastructure vendors, cloud platforms, or specialized NDT tools. On the other hand, the NDT consumer 103 may utilize the NDT to analyze network behavior, run simulations, validate performance, and support decision-making. The NDT consumer may include, but is not limited to, network operations teams, automation systems, or Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven analytics platforms. Accordingly, the NDT producer 101 provides an up-to-date, interactive representation of a physical network, while the NDT consumer 103 uses this representation to optimize performance, ensure reliability, and plan changes effectively. The communication between the NDT consumer 103 and the NDT producer 101 may occur using a genereic provisioning Management Service (MnS) producer (not shown) as defined in 3GPP TS 28.532.

[0088] Further, as shown, the NDT producer may include a system 120 for inducing a network failure scenario in the NDT. It should be noted that even though the system 120 has been shown as a part of the NDT producer 101, the system 120 may be outside the NDT producer 101 and may be operatively connected to the NDT producer 101. In such a scenario, the system 120 may be operatively connected to the NDT producer 101 via techniques known to a person skilled in the art, such as any suitable wireless communication network.

[0089] The system 120 may include one or more processors 102 (hereinafter referred to as the processor 102), a memory 104, modules 106, and an interface 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more processors 102 may be operatively coupled to the memory 104, the modules 106, and the interface 108.

[0090] In one embodiment, the processor 102 may include at least one data processor for executing processes in a Virtual Storage Area Network. The processor 102 may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc. In one embodiment, the processor 102 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or both. The processor 102 may be one or more general processors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other now-known or later developed devices for analyzing and processing data. The processor 102 may execute a software program, such as code generated manually (i.e., programmed) to perform the desired operation. The processor 102 may implement various techniques, such as, but not limited to, image processing, data extraction, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), and so forth, to achieve the desired objective.

[0091] In one embodiment, the processor 102 may be configured to perform the functions of the system 120 or the NDT producer 101.

[0092] The processor 102 may be disposed in communication with one or more Input / Output (I / O) devices, such as the NDT consumer 103, via the interface 108. The interface 108 may employ communication Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, Wi-Fi, or the like, etc.

[0093] In an embodiment, the processor 102 may be disposed in communication with a communication network via a network interface. In an embodiment, the network interface may be the interface 108. The network interface may connect to the communication network to enable connection of the system 120 with the outside environment and / or device / system. The network interface may employ connection protocols, including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10 / 100 / 1000 Base T), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), token ring, IEEE 802.11 / b / g / n / x, etc. The communication network may include, without limitation, a direct interconnection, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), wireless network (e.g., using Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)), the Internet, etc. Using the network interface and the communication network, the system 120 may communicate with other devices. The network interface may employ connection protocols including, but not limited to, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10 / 100 / 1000 Base T), TCP / IP, token ring, IEEE 802.11 / b / g / n / x, etc.

[0094] The memory 104 may be communicatively coupled to the processor 102. The memory 104 may be configured to store data and instructions executable by the processor 102. In one embodiment, the memory 104 may communicate via a bus within the system 120. The memory 104 may include, but is not limited to, a non-transitory computer-readable storage media, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media including, but not limited to, random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic tape or disk, optical media and the like. In one example, the memory 104 may include a cache or random-access memory for the processor 102. In alternative examples, the memory 104 is separate from the processor 102, such as a cache memory of a processor, the system memory, or other memory. The memory 104 may be an external storage device or database for storing data. The memory 104 may be operable to store instructions executable by the processor 102. The functions, acts, or tasks illustrated in the figures or described may be performed by the programmed processor 102 for executing the instructions stored in the memory 104. The functions, acts, or tasks are independent of the particular type of instruction set, storage media, processor, or processing strategy and may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, micro-code, and the like, operating alone or in combination. Likewise, processing strategies may include multiprocessing, multitasking, parallel processing, and the like. The memory 104 may further include a database to store the data. Further, the memory 104 may include an operating system for performing one or more tasks of the system 120, as performed by a generic operating system in the communications domain.

[0095] For the sake of brevity, the architecture and standard operations of the processor 102 and the memory 104 are not discussed in detail. In one embodiment, the memory 104 may be configured to store the information as required by the processor 102 to perform the techniques described herein.

[0096] The modules 106, amongst other things, include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement data types. The modules 106 may also be implemented as signal processor(s), state machine(s), logic circuits, and / or any other device or component that manipulates signals based on operational instructions. The modules 106 may be configured to one or more operations of the system 120 and / or the processor 102.

[0097] Further, the modules 106 can be implemente1857d in hardware, instructions executed by a processing unit, or by a combination thereof. The processing unit can comprise a computer, the processor 102, a state machine, a logic array, or any other suitable device capable of processing instructions. The processing unit can be a general-purpose processor that executes instructions to cause the general-purpose processor to perform the required tasks or the processing unit can be dedicated to performing the required functions. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the modules 106 may be machine-readable instructions (software) that, when executed by a processor / processing unit, perform any of the described functionalities. Furthermore, the data serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data processed, received, and generated by one or more of the modules. The modules 106 may include a transceiver module 110, a creation module 112, an updating module 114, and a monitoring module 116.

[0098] In an embodiment, the transceiver module 110 may be configured to receive a request to create an NDT. The transceiver module 110 may be configured to receive the request from the NDT consumer 103. In an embodiment, the request may include, but is not limited to, one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario. In an embodiment, the one or more simulation parameters may provide information related to simulation data that need to be voluntarily updated to induce the network failure issue in the NDT. In an embodiment, the one or more simulation data parameters may include, but are not limited to, management data, a threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data. Further, in an embodiment, the management data may include, but is not limited to, a performance data, Minimization of Drive Test (MDT) data, trace data, and configuration data. The performance data may indicate performance measurements or the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) as defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 28.552 [7] and 3GPP TS 28.554 [8] respectively. Further, the MDT data / tract data may indicate name of MDT measurements as defined in 3GPP TS 32.422

[0012] . Further, the configuration data may indicate names of the attribute from any of the available Managed Object Instances (MOIs).

[0099] Further, the threshold parameter may indicate a threshold value for triggering the updation of the NDT. The one or more condition parameters may indicate a location or a time constraint for updating the NDT. Further, the one or more update parameters may indicate one or more values for updating the NDT to induce the network failure scenario. The various parameters have been defined in the detail in the following paragraphs.

[0100] Further, the creation module 112 may be configured to create the NDT based on the receiving request. In an embodiment, the creation module 112 may also be configured to activate the NDT to emulate operational conditions of a corresponding physical network. For example, the operational conditions may include network traffic patterns, resource usage, latency, failure scenarios, or configuration changes of the corresponding physical network. By emulating the behavior of the actual network environment, the creation module 112 may enable testing, validation, and optimization of network functions without impacting the live infrastructure of the corresponding physical network.

[0101] Further, the updating module 114 may be configured to update the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario. In an embodiment, the updating module 114 may be configured to modify the management data when the threshold parameter and at least one of the one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data is satisfied. In an embodiment, the updating module 114 may update the NDT based on the one or more update parameters. In particaulr, the updating module 114 may modify the management data based on the one or more update parameters. Accordingly, the updating module 114 may update the NDT. For example, the network failure to be induced in the NDT is “Increased Call Drop in gNodeB (gNB). Accordingly, the management data associated with the one or more simulation data parameters may indicate the following:

[0102] increase “Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilization (RRU.PrbDl {Clause 5.1.1.2.1 of 28.552})” and “Handover failure (MM.HoExeInterFail.UeCtxtRelCmd{Clause 5.1.1.6.1.9 of 28.552})”.

[0103] Accordingly, the threshold parameter may indicate a threshold value of 40% of the PRB utilization. The one or more conditions parameters may indicate that the NDT is to be updated at 2.30 PM. The one or more conditions parameters may also indicate that a particular node of the NDT located at a particular geographical location is to be updated. Further, the one or more update parameters may indicate that the PRB utilization is to be increased to 90%. Accordingly, when the corresponding threshold parameter and the one or more condition parameters are met, the updating module 114 may modify the corresponding management data to update the NDT, i.e., increase the PRB utilization to 90%.

[0104] Then, the monitoring module 116 may be configured to monitor the updated NDT to identify at least one issue for at least one of a performance degradation and a network failure. In continuation with the above example, the monitoring module 116 may identify the at least one issue as the handover failure even after increasing the PRB utilization.

[0105] Thereafter, the updating module 114 may determine at least one mitigation action, in response to identifying the at least one issue. In an embodiment, the updating module 114 may determine the at least one mitigation action based on the one or more mitigation parameters. For example, in continuation with the above-discussed example, the one or more mitigation parameters may indicate “assign more PRB to the gNB”. Accordingly, the updating module 114 may determine the at least one mitigation action as assigning more PRBs to the gNB. Then, the updating module 114 may be configured to perform the determined at least one mitigation action, to update one or more network configurations associated with the one or more mitigation parameters in order to mitigate the induced network failure issue. For example, the updating module 114 may increase the PRB resource allocation to mitigate the induced network failure issue.

[0106] In another example, if the network failure issue to be induced is “Excessive downlink packet delay at User Equipment (UE)”. Accordingly, the management data may indicate “Increase M4 (PDCP SDU Data volume measurement {clause 5.10 of 32.422})”. The one or more mitigation parameters may indicate “Prioritize UE service request”. The threshold parameter may indicate a threshold value of 40Kilobits (Kb) of the data volume reported by M4. The one or more conditions parameters may indicate that the NDT is to be updated at 3.30 PM. The one or more conditions parameters may also indicate that a particular node of the NDT located at a particular geographical location is to be updated. Further, the one or more update parameters may indicate that the data volume reported by M4 is to be increased to 90Kb Accordingly, the updating module 114 may update the NDT to induce the failure scenario, i.e., increase the data volume to 90Kb. Further, the updating module 114 may also determine the at least one mitigation action as “Prioritize UE service request”.

[0107] In a further embodiment, the transceiver module 110 may be configured to notify the NDT consumer 103 of the updated one or more network configurations related to the one or more mitigation actions. Accordingly, the NDT consumer 103 may store the received updated one or more network configurations and optimize the NDT.

[0108] FIG. 2 illustrates a signal flow diagram 200 for inducing the network failure scenario in the NDT, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, at operation 202, the NDT producer 101 may receive the requests to create the NDT, from the NDT consumer 103. In an embodiment, the request may correspond to the request as explained in reference to FIG. 1. At operation 204, the NDT producer 101 may create the NDT. At operation 206, the NDT producer 101 may create the NDT and transmit a response to the NDT consumer 103. At operation 208, the NDT producer 104 may activate the NDT and monitor the NDT for performance with the help of a Provisioning MnS producer 201. The provisioning MnS producer 201 may be responsible for sending required performance measurementto the NDT producer 101 and to execute mitigation action as decided by the NDT Producer 101. At operation 210, the NDT producer 101 may check the simulation data information, received in operation 202, to confirm whether the indicated simulation data needs to be updated. At operation 212, the NDT producer 101 may update the simulation data and update the NDT. At operation 214, the NDT producer 101 may monitor the NDT for performance degradation and network failure issue. Then, the NDT producer 101 may identify the at least one issue based on the monitoring. Then, at operation 216, the NDT producer 101 may determine the at least one mitigation action based on the identified at least one issue, and update the NDT consumer 103 with the same. Then, at operation 218, the NDT producer 101 may notify the NDT consumer 103 about the updating of NDT characteristics related to mitigation actions.

[0109] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram 300 for inducing the network failure scenario in the NDT, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, at operation 302, the method 300 includes receiving, by the NDT producer 101 from the NDT consumer 102, the request to create the NDT. The request includes the one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario. The one or more simulation data parameters include at least one of management data, the threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, the one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, the one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and the one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data. At operation 304, the method 300 includes creating, by the NDT producer 101, the NDT based on the receiving request. At operation 306, the method 300 includes The method further includes updating, by the NDT producer 101, the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario. At operation 308, the method 300 includes monitoring, by the NDT producer 101, the updated NDT to identify the at least one issue for at least one of the performance degradation and the network failure.

[0110] While the above-discussed steps in FIG. 3 are shown and described in a particular sequence, the steps may occur in variations to the sequence in accordance with various embodiments. Further, a detailed description related to the various steps of FIG. 3 is already covered in the description related to FIGS. 1-2 and is omitted herein for the sake of brevity.

[0111] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides various advantages. For example, the present disclosure provides techniques for inducing the network failure issues in the NDT. Accordingly, the present disclsoure enables network operators to proactively decide network configurations to handel the induced failure issues, when / if they occur in the physical network.

[0112] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a terminal or user equipment (UE) 400 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0113] The terminal is an electronic device capable of wireless communication, may include a User Equipment (UE), a portable phone, a smartphone, a tablet, an Internet of things (IoT) device, etc., having various form factors, and may perform wireless communication with a base station (BS) through a wireless channel.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 4, the UE 400 may include at least one transceiver (hereinafter, referred to as simply "transceiver") 401, at least one processor (hereinafter, referred to as simply "processor") 402, and at least one memory (hereinafter, referred to as simply "memory") 403. According to at least one or a combination of methods corresponding to the embodiments described in the present disclosure, the transceiver 401, the processor 402, and the memory 403 of the UE 400 may operate. However, components of the UE 400 are not limited to the exemplary components illustrated in FIG. 4. In another embodiment, the UE 400 may further include additional components in addition to the above-mentioned components, or some components may be omitted. Further, in some embodiments, any combination of the transceiver 401, the processor 402, or the memory 403 may be integrated in the form of one component.

[0115] The transceiver 401 may be a communication circuit or communication circuitry that enables the UE 400 to perform wireless communication with a node or an entity of a network. For example, the transceiver 401 may enable the UE 400 to transmit or receive a signal to or from a BS through cellular communication, or to transmit or receive a signal to or from another UE through cellular communication. For example, the transceiver 401 may support at least one of various cellular communication technologies including 3rd generation (3G), 4thgeneration (4G), long term evolution (LTE), 5th generation (5G) NR, 6thgeneration (6G), and various cellular wireless communication technologies supported by the transceiver (401) may include all subsequent generations of evolved wireless communications.

[0116] According to an embodiment, the UE 400 may include a plurality of transceivers. For example, in the case of supporting evolved-universal terrestrial radio access-new radio (E-UTRA-NR) sual connectivity (EN-DC), the UE 400 may include a first transceiver supporting the 4G LTE wireless communication and a second transceiver supporting the 5G NR wireless communication. According to another embodiment, in the case of supporting NR-dual connectivity (NR-DC), the UE 400 may include a plurality of transceivers supporting the 5G NR wireless communication. According to still another embodiment, in the case of supporting near field wireless communication, the UE 400 may separately include a transceiver supporting at least one standard in the group of wireless communication protocol standards as defined in the protocol standards for Bluetooth®, wireless local area network (WLAN) network (including institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802.11-2016 standard or its amendments, e.g., 802.11ah, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be, without being limited thereto).

[0117] According to an embodiment, the transceiver 401 may include various circuit structures used to transmit or receive signals to or from a BS through a wireless channel. The signals may include control information and data. For example, the transceiver 401 may include a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of a transmitted signal and an RF receiver for low-noise-amplifying a received signal and down-converting the frequency thereof. The transceiver 401 may output a signal received through a wireless channel to the processor 402 and may transmit, through a wireless channel, a signal output from the processor 402.

[0118] The processor 402 may control general operations of the UE 400 according to embodiments of the disclosure. The processor 402 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuit (or circuitry) (IC) chips and may execute various data processings. The processor 402 may include at least one electric circuit, and may execute instructions (or a program, codes, data, etc.) stored in the memory 403, individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. Further, the processor 402 may include a single-core processor or multi-core processor, and may include a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits (circuitry) according to a specific implementation scheme.

[0119] The processor 402 may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the transceiver 401 to control the transceiver 401.

[0120] The processor 402 may include at least one processor (or processing circuitry), and the at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. For example, the processor 402 may include a communication processor (CP) configured to control communication operations and an application processor (AP) configured to control execution of an upper layer (for example, an application layer) . In a specific embodiment, at least a part of the processor 402 may be included in one chip and the other part of the processor 402 may be included in another chip. Otherwise, at least one processor may be included in another component, for example, the transceiver 401 or the memory 403.

[0121] The processor 402 may perform or control or cause an operation of the UE 400 for executing at least one or a combination of methods according to embodiments of the disclosure. For example, the processor 402 may control operations of the UE 400 for processing a downlink signal received from a BS or generating and transmitting an uplink signal to a BS. To this end, the processor 402 may execute a computer program, codes, or instructions stored in the memory 403, so as to control other components of the UE 400 to enable execution of various operations.

[0122] The memory 403 corresponds to a hardware storage device capable of temporarily or permanently storing information and may include one or more storage media. For example, the memory 403 may include a memory assembly including one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include permanent memory, such as a hard drive, flash memory, or read-only memory (ROM), semipermanent memory, such as random access memory (RAM), cache memory, or a combination thereof.

[0123] The memory 403 may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the processor 402 and may be accessed by the processor 402.

[0124] The memory 403 may store a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 402. According to an embodiment, a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 402 may be either stored in a single memory device or separated and distributedly stored in two or more memory devices. By executing the instructions stored in the memory 403, the processor 402 may perform various functions according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0125] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, operations of the UE 400 may be caused to be performed based on execution of instructions (or a computer program or codes) stored in the memory 403 by at least one processor (or processing circuitry) configured to execute the same individually, collectively, or in any combination thereof, based on processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions.

[0126] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a base station (BS) 500 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0127] The BS 500 may perform wireless communication with at least one user equipment (UE) located within the area of the BS 500 through a wireless channel.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 5, the BS 500 may include at least one transceiver (hereinafter, referred to as simply "transceiver") 501, at least one processor (hereinafter, referred to as simply "processor") 502, and at least one memory (hereinafter, referred to as simply "memory") 503. According to at least one or a combination of methods corresponding to the embodiments described in the present disclosure, the transceiver 501, the processor 502, and the memory 503 of the BS 500 may operate. However, components of the BS 500 are not limited to the exemplary components illustrated in FIG. 5. In another embodiment, the BS 500 may further include additional components in addition to the above-mentioned components, or some components may be omitted. Further, in some embodiments, any combination of the transceiver 501, the processor 502, or the memory 503 may be integrated in the form of one component.

[0129] The transceiver 501 may be a communication circuit or communication circuitry that enables the BS 500 to perform wireless communication with a node or an entity of a network. For example, the transceiver 501 may enable the BS 500 to transmit or receive a signal to or from the UE X00 through cellular communication, or to transmit or receive a signal to or from another network entity through wireless communication. For example, the transceiver 501 may support various cellular communication technologies including 3rd generation (3G), 4thgeneration (4G), long term evolution (LTE), 5th generation (5G) NR, 6thgeneration (6G), and various cellular wireless communication technologies supported by the transceiver (501) may include all subsequent generations of evolved wireless communications.. According to an embodiment, the transceiver 501 may include various circuit structures used to transmit or receive signals to or from a UE through a wireless channel. The signals may include control information and data. For example, the transceiver 501 may include a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of a transmitted signal and an RF receiver for low-noise-amplifying a received signal and down-converting the frequency thereof. The transceiver 501 may output a signal received through a wireless channel to the processor 502 and may transmit, through a wireless channel, a signal output from the processor 502.

[0130] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the BS 500 may perform communication with a node or an entity of a network through wired or wireless communication. For example, the BS 500 may perform wired or wireless communication with an adjacent BS, or a node or an entity of a core network through a backhaul network. Although not illustrated in FIG. 5, when the BS 500 performs wired communication, the BS 500 may further include a separate network interface for wired communication in addition to the transceiver 501. The network interface may be referred to as network interface circuitry or communication interface circuitry.

[0131] The processor 502 may control general operations of the BS 500 according to embodiments of the disclosure. The processor 502 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuit (or circuitry) (IC) chips and may execute various data processings. The processor 502 may include at least one electric circuit, and may execute instructions (or a program, codes, data, etc.) stored in the memory 503, individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. Further, the processor 502 may include a single-core processor or multi-core processor, and may include a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits (circuitry) according to a specific implementation scheme.

[0132] The processor 502 may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the transceiver 501 to control the transceiver 501.

[0133] The processor 502 may include at least one processor (or processing circuitry), and the at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. In a specific embodiment, at least a part of the processor 502 may be included in one chip and the other part of the processor 502 may be included in another chip. Otherwise, at least one processor may be included in another component, for example, the transceiver 501 or the memory 503.

[0134] The processor 502 may perform or control or cause an operation of the BS 500 for executing at least one or a combination of methods according to embodiments of the disclosure. For example, the processor 502 may control operations of the BS 500 for generating and transmitting a downlink signal to a UE or processing an uplink signal received from a UE. Otherwise, the BS 500 may transmit or receive a signal to or from a neighboring BS, transfer a signal received from a UE to an upper node of the network, or transmit a signal transferred from an upper node of the network to a UE. To this end, the processor 502 may execute a computer program, codes, or instructions stored in the memory 503, so as to control other components of the BS 500 to enable execution of various operations.

[0135] The memory 503 corresponds to a hardware storage device capable of temporarily or permanently storing information and may include one or more storage media. For example, the memory 503 may include a memory assembly including one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include permanent memory, such as a hard drive, flash memory, or read-only memory (ROM), semipermanent memory, such as random access memory (RAM), cache memory, or a combination thereof.

[0136] The memory 503 may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the processor 502 and may be accessed by the processor 502.

[0137] The memory 503 may store a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 502. According to an embodiment, a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 502 may be either stored in a single memory device or separated and distributedly stored in two or more memory devices. By executing the instructions stored in the memory 503, the processor 502 may perform various functions according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0138] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, operations of the BS 500 may be caused to be performed based on execution of instructions (or a computer program or codes) stored in the memory 503 by at least one processor (or processing circuitry) configured to execute the same individually, collectively, or in any combination thereof, based on processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions.The UE or the base station may perform various communication procedures related to the control plane or the user plane by cooperating with one or more network entities based on wireless communication. For example, the UE may communicate with network entity such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) or a Session Management Function (SMF) via the base station, or the base station may perform at least one communication procedure by directly transmitting and receiving signals to / from, or relaying signals between, the network entities.

[0139] The structure of the above-described network entity will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0140] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a network entity 600 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0141] The network entity 600 may include an entity (apparatus, device, or server, etc.) that performs one or more network functions (NFs) or a part of a network function constituting a core network (e.g., a 5th generation (5G) core (5GC)) in a communication system. In this case, multiple NFs may be implemented within a single network entity, or a single NF may be distributed and implemented across a plurality of network entities. In addition, when an NF is implemented within the network entity, the NF may be implemented in the form of software, and in such a case, a program for operating the NF may be stored in memory of the network entity 600.

[0142] A single NF may be implemented by one or more instances, which may be deployed on the same network entity or distributed across multiple network entities to operate. The instance may be a software unit that logically executes a specific network function, and may be implemented in a form that is decoupled from physical hardware resources. Further, one or more NFs may be implemented in the form of one network slice to operate to satisfy specifications required by a particular service.

[0143] The NF may include at least one of an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a local session management function (L-SMF), a user plane function (UPF), a local user plane function (L-UPF), a policy control function (PCF), a unified data management (UDM), a unified data repository (UDR), a network exposure function (NEF), a network repository function (NRF), an application function (AF), a network slice selection function (NSSF), a network data analytics function (NWDAF), a network slice admission control function (NSACF), an authentication server function (AUSF), or a data network (DN).

[0144] Referring to FIG. 6, the network entity 600 may include at least one network interface 601, at least one processor 602 (hereinafter, "processor"), and at least one memory 603 (hereinafter, "memory"). As described above, a NF may be implemented in the form of a physical device such as the network entity 600, or may be virtualized and executed in the form of an instance. When implemented as an instance, the NF need not necessarily include physical components as illustrated in FIG. 6. In such a case, the instance may be logically represented as comprising one or more logical functional elements.

[0145] According to at least one or a combination of methods corresponding to the embodiments described in the present disclosure, the network interface 601, the processor 602, and the memory 603 of the network entity 600 may operate. However, components of the network entity 600 are not limited to the exemplary components illustrated in FIG. 6. In another embodiment, the network entity 600 may further include additional components in addition to the above-mentioned components, or some components may be omitted. Further, in an embodiment, the network interface 601, the processor 602, or the memory 603 may be integrated in the form of one component.

[0146] The network interface 601 is a collective term for a transmitter part of the network entity 600 and a receiver part of the network entity 600, and may be a communication circuit for transmitting or receiving a signal to or from a user equipment (UE), a base station (BS), or another network entity. Here, the communication circuit may include both a communication circuit for wireless communication and a communication circuit for a wired communication. For example, the network interface 601 may include a circuit, logic, hardware, etc., configured to exchange a control plane message or a user plane message with a UE, a BS, or other core network entities through wireless communication or wired communication. The network interface 601 may operate using various protocols (e.g., non-access stratum (NAS) protocol). The network interface 601 may also be referred to, for convenience of description or depending on implementation, as communication circuitry, network interface circuitry, or a communication interface circuitry.

[0147] The processor 602 may control general operations of the network entity 600 according to embodiments of the disclosure. The processor 602 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuit (or circuitry) (IC) chips and may execute various data processings. The processor 602 may include at least one electric circuit, and may execute instructions (or a program, codes, data, etc.) stored in the memory 603, individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. Further, the processor 602 may include a single-core processor or multi-core processor, and may include a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits (circuitry) according to a specific implementation scheme. Further, it should be noted that, according to another embodiment, in a case where NF is implemented in the form of an instance, the network function may be not necessarily configured by physical hardware.

[0148] According to an embodiment, the processor 602 may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the network interface 601 to control the network interface 601.

[0149] The processor 602 may include at least one processor (or processing circuitry), and the at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. In a specific embodiment, at least a part of the processor 602 may be included in one chip and the other part of the processor 602 may be included in another chip. Otherwise, at least one processor may be included in another component, for example, the network interface 601 or the memory 603.

[0150] The processor 602 may perform or control or cause an operation of the network entity 600 for executing at least one or a combination of methods according to embodiments of the disclosure. For example, the processor 602 may control operations of the network entity 600 for exchanging a control plane message or a user plane message with a UE, a BS, or other core network entities through wireless or wired communication, using various protocols (e.g., NAS protocol). To this end, the processor 602 may execute a computer program, codes, or instructions stored in the memory 603, so as to control other components of the network entity 600 to enable execution of various operations.

[0151] The memory 603 corresponds to a hardware storage device capable of temporarily or permanently storing information and may include one or more storage media. For example, the memory 603 may include a memory assembly including one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include permanent memory, such as a hard drive, flash memory, or read-only memory (ROM), semipermanent memory, such as random access memory (RAM), cache memory, or a combination thereof.

[0152] The memory 603 may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the processor 602 and may be accessed by the processor 602.

[0153] The memory 603 may store a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 602. According to an embodiment, a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 602 may be either stored in a single memory device or separated and distributedly stored in two or more memory devices. By executing the instructions stored in the memory 603, the processor 602 may perform various functions according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0154] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, operations of the network entity 600 may be caused to be performed based on execution of instructions (or a computer program or codes) stored in the memory 603 by at least one processor (or processing circuitry) configured to execute the same individually, collectively, or in any combination thereof, based on processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions.

[0155] In a various embodiments, a method for inducing a network failure scenario in a Network Digital Twin (NDT) is provided. the method comprising:receiving , by an NDT producer from an NDT consumer, a request to create a NDT, wherein the request includes one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario, and wherein the one or more simulation data parameters include at least one of management data, a threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data; creating, by the NDT producer , the NDT based on the receiving request; updating , by the NDT producer , the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario; and monitoring , by the NDT producer , the updated NDT to identify at least one issue for at least one of a performance degradation and a network failure.

[0156] In another embodiment, the method further comprising: determining, based on the one or more mitigation parameters, at least one mitigation action, in response to identifying the at least one issue; and performing the determined at least one mitigation action, to update one or more network configurations associated with the one or more mitigation parameters in order to mitigate the induced network failure issue.

[0157] In another embodiment, the method further comprising: notifying the NDT consumer of the updated one or more network configurations related to the one or more mitigation actions.

[0158] In another embodiment, wherein updating the NDT comprises: modifying the management data when the threshold parameter and at least one of the one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data is satisfied.

[0159] In another embodiment, wherein the management data includes at least one of a performance data, Minimization of Drive Test (MDT) data, trace data, and configuration data.

[0160] In another embodiment, wherein the threshold parameter indicates a threshold value for triggering the updation of the NDT.

[0161] In another embodiment, wherein the one or more condition parameters indicate a location or a time constraint for updating the NDT.

[0162] In another embodiment, wherein the one or more update parameters indicate one or more values for updating the NDT to induce the network failure scenario.

[0163] In another embodiment, wherein prior to updating the NDT, the method (300) comprises: activating the NDT to emulate operational conditions of a corresponding physical network.

[0164] In a various embodiments, a system for inducing a network failure scenario in a Network Digital Twin (NDT) is provided. the system comprising: a memory ; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: receive, from an NDT consumer , a request to create a NDT, wherein the request includes one or more simulation data parameters corresponding to the network failure scenario, and wherein the one or more simulation data parameters include at least one of management data, a threshold parameter corresponding to the management data, one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data, one or more update parameters corresponding to the management data, and one or more mitigation parameters corresponding to the management data; create the NDT based on the receiving request; update the NDT based on the one or more simulation data parameters to induce the network failure scenario; and monitor the updated NDT to identify at least one issue for at least one of a performance degradation and a network failure.

[0165] In another embodiment, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine, based on the one or more mitigation parameters, at least one mitigation action, in response to identifying the at least one issue; and perform the determined at least one mitigation action, to update one or more network configurations associated with the one or more mitigation parameters in order to mitigate the induced network failure issue.

[0166] In another embodiment, wherein the processor is further configured to: notify the NDT consumer of the updated one or more network configurations related to the one or more mitigation actions.

[0167] In another embodiment, wherein to update the NDT, the processor is configured to modify the management data when the threshold parameter and at least one of the one or more condition parameters corresponding to the management data is satisfied.

[0168] In another embodiment, wherein the management data includes at least one of a performance data, Minimization of Drive Test (MDT) data, trace data, and configuration data.

[0169] In another embodiment, wherein the threshold parameter indicates a threshold value for triggering the updation of the NDT.

[0170] In another embodiment, wherein the one or more condition parameters indicate a location or a time constraint for updating the NDT.

[0171] In another embodiment, wherein the one or more update parameters indicate one or more values for updating the NDT to induce the network failure scenario.

[0172] In another embodiment, wherein prior to updating the NDT, the processor (106) is configured to: activate the NDT to emulate operational conditions of a corresponding physical network.

[0173] In this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of the singular includes the plural, and the use of "or" means "and / or." Furthermore, the use of the terms "including" or "having" is not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints. Features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined, rearranged, omitted, etc., within the scope of the invention to produce additional embodiments. Furthermore, certain features may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

[0174] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist.

[0175] Meanwhile, although specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1.A method performed by a network digital twin (NDT) producer in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:receiving, from an NDT consumer, a request to create an NDT, wherein the request includes one or more simulation data for inducing a network issue, and wherein the one or more simulation data include at least one of a management data, or condition parameter corresponding to the management data; andcreating the NDT based on the request.2.The method of claim 1,wherein the management data includes at least one of a performance data, a minimization of drive test (MDT) data, a trace data, or a configuration data.3.The method of claim 1, further comprising:updating the NDT based on the one or more simulation data in case that the condition parameter is satisfied.4.The method of claim 1,wherein the condition parameter is defined based on a location and a time.5.The method of claim 3, further comprising:monitoring the updated NDT to identify at least one issue of a performance degradation and a network failure,identifying, based on one or more mitigation parameters, at least one mitigation action, in response to identifying the at least one issue; andperforming the at least one mitigation action, to update one or more network configurations associated with the one or more mitigation parameters in order to mitigate the induced network failure issue,wherein the one or more mitigation parameters are included in the request.6.A method performed by a network digital twin (NDT) consumer in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:transmitting, to an NDT producer, a request to create an NDT, wherein the request includes one or more simulation data for inducing a network issue, and wherein the one or more simulation data include at least one of a management data, or condition parameter corresponding to the management data.7.The method of claim 6,wherein the management data includes at least one of a performance data, a minimization of drive test (MDT) data, a trace data, or a configuration data.8.The method of claim 6,wherein the condition parameter is defined based on a location and a time.9.A network digital twin (NDT) producer in a wireless communication system, the NDT producer comprising:at least one processor; andat least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, storing instructions executable by the at least one processor individually or in any combination to cause the NDT producer to:receive, from an NDT consumer, a request to create an NDT, wherein the request includes one or more simulation data for inducing a network issue, and wherein the one or more simulation data include at least one of a management data, or condition parameter corresponding to the management data; andcreate the NDT based on the request.10.The NDT producer of claim 9,wherein the management data includes at least one of a performance data, a minimization of drive test (MDT) data, a trace data, or a configuration data.11.The NDT producer of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the NDT producer to:update the NDT based on the one or more simulation data in case that the condition parameter is satisfied.12.The NDT producer of claim 9,wherein the condition parameter is defined based on a location and a time.13.A network digital twin (NDT) consumer in a wireless communication system, the NDT consumer comprising:at least one processor; andat least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, storing instructions executable by the at least one processor individually or in any combination to cause the NDT producer to:transmit, to an NDT producer, a request to create an NDT, wherein the request includes one or more simulation data for inducing a network issue, and wherein the one or more simulation data include at least one of a management data, or condition parameter corresponding to the management data.14.The NDT consumer of claim 13,wherein the management data includes at least one of a performance data, a minimization of drive test (MDT) data, a trace data, or a configuration data.15.The NDT consumer of claim 13,wherein the condition parameter is defined based on a location and a time.

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