Network service processing method and apparatus, and readable storage medium

By receiving and sending service discovery request responses and defining a second node with multiple protocol types, the problem of service binding limitations in the 5G network architecture is solved, enabling on-demand service composition and efficient communication.

WO2026021322A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-01-29CHINA MOBILE COMM LTD RES INST +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/CN2025/109013
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-07-24
Filing Date
2025-07-17
Publication Date
2026-01-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the 5G network architecture, the binding relationships between services restrict the free combination of services, making it impossible to combine them on demand.

Method used

By receiving service discovery requests and sending service discovery request responses, defining and obtaining the registration information of the second node, the service discovery process supports multiple interface protocol types, enabling on-demand combination of services.

Benefits of technology

It enables on-demand combination of services, improves communication efficiency and flexibility between services, and adapts to the differentiated and fragmented needs of the industry.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a network service processing method and apparatus, and a readable storage medium. The network service processing method comprises: receiving a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; and sending a first service discovery request response, wherein the first service discovery request response comprises registration information of a second node, and the second node is a network function or a network unit that can provide the at least two first services.
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Description

Processing method, device and readable storage medium of network service

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] The present disclosure claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202410995627.9 filed on July 24, 2024 in China, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of wireless communication, and particularly refers to a processing method, device and readable storage medium of network service. BACKGROUND

[0004] In related technologies, the 5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology (5G) network architecture adopts a service-oriented design, which is a change to the traditional telecommunication network architecture. However, in the 5G architecture, services still need to be attached to a certain network function (NF), which can also be referred to as a network element. That is, there is a binding relationship between network functions and services in the network architecture. This mode limits the free combination of services to some extent, and services cannot be combined as needed. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a processing method, device and readable storage medium of network service to solve the problem that services cannot be combined as needed based on the network architecture in related technologies.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a processing method of network service, applied to a first node, comprising:

[0007] receiving a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services;

[0008] sending a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0009] Optionally, after receiving the first service discovery request, the method further comprises:

[0010] defining a second node according to the first service discovery request, and obtaining registration information of the second node.

[0011] Optionally, in the case where the first node is a Network Repository Function (NRF), the obtaining of the registration information of the second node comprises:

[0012] sending a creation request of the second node to a service communication proxy, SCP;

[0013] obtaining a creation response sent by the SCP or obtaining registration information sent by the second node, the creation response including the registration information of the second node.

[0014] Optionally, the first service discovery request further includes at least one of the following:

[0015] a first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element;

[0016] requirements of the at least two first services.

[0017] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes:

[0018] obtaining registration information corresponding to the service, the registration information including an interface protocol type supported by the service and / or a protocol version associated with the interface protocol type, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types.

[0019] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes:

[0020] obtaining a second service discovery request, the second service discovery request being used to request discovery of a service provider providing a second service;

[0021] determining, according to the second service discovery request and the registration information corresponding to the service, an interface protocol type used by the second service and a network service provider;

[0022] sending a second service discovery request response, the second service discovery request response including the interface protocol type used by the second service and the network service provider.

[0023] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes:

[0024] obtaining a third service discovery request, the third service discovery request including a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; and sending a third service discovery request response, the third service discovery request response including at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type expected by a consumer, and the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type;

[0025] Alternatively, a fourth service discovery request is acquired, the fourth service discovery request being used to request to discover service providers providing a fourth service; and a fourth service discovery response is sent, the fourth service discovery response including all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and an interface protocol type supported by each of the service providers;

[0026] Alternatively, routing policy information is sent, the routing policy information being a routing policy related to an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version, and the routing policy information being used for the consumer to determine an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version of a service.

[0027] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a processing method of a network service, applied to a third node, comprising:

[0028] A first service discovery request is sent, the first service discovery request including information of at least two first services;

[0029] A first service discovery request response is acquired, the first service discovery request response including registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0030] Optionally, the first service discovery request further includes at least one of the following:

[0031] A first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element;

[0032] Requirements of the at least two first services.

[0033] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0034] Registration information corresponding to a service is acquired, the registration information including an interface protocol type supported by the service and / or a protocol version associated with the interface protocol type, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types;

[0035] An interface protocol type used by the service and a service provider are determined according to the registration information corresponding to the service.

[0036] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0037] sending a third service discovery request, the third service discovery request comprising a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; obtaining a third service discovery request response, the third service discovery request response comprising at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type desired by a consumer, the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type;

[0038] Alternatively, sending a fourth service discovery request, the fourth service discovery request being used for requesting to discover service providers providing a fourth service; obtaining a fourth service discovery response, the fourth service discovery response comprising all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and interface protocol types supported by each of the service providers;

[0039] Alternatively, obtaining routing policy information, the routing policy information being routing policies related to interface protocol types and / or protocol versions; determining an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version of a service according to the routing policy information.

[0040] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a processing apparatus of network service, comprising:

[0041] a first receiving module, configured to receive a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services;

[0042] a first sending module, configured to send a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0043] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a processing apparatus of network service, comprising:

[0044] a second sending module, configured to send a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services;

[0045] a second receiving module, configured to obtain a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0046] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a processing device of network service, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor; the processor implements the processing method of network service as described above when executing the program or instructions.

[0047] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a readable storage medium, which has a program or instruction stored thereon, and the program or instruction is executed by a processor to implement the processing method of the network service.

[0048] The above technical solutions of the present disclosure have the following beneficial effects:

[0049] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a first service discovery request is received, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; a first service discovery request response is sent, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or network element capable of providing the at least two first services. In the above solution, the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element through a service discovery process, that is, the at least two first services are integrated into the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0050] Fig. 1 is a flow diagram of a processing method of a network service provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Fig. 2 is an interaction diagram of a processing method of a network service provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] Fig. 3 is an interaction diagram of a processing method of a network service provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] Fig. 4 is an interaction diagram of a processing method of a network service provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] Fig. 5 is a communication model diagram of mode A in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] Fig. 6 is a communication model diagram of mode B in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] Fig. 7 is a communication model diagram of mode C in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] Fig. 8 is a communication model diagram of mode D in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0058] Fig. 9 is a communication model diagram of mode E in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0059] Fig. 10 is a communication model diagram of mode F in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0060] Fig. 11 is a communication model diagram of mode G in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] Fig. 12 is an interaction diagram of a processing method of a network service provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0062] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a method for processing network services according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0063] FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a processing apparatus for network services according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0064] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a processing apparatus for network services according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0065] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a processing device for network services according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0066] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a processing device for network services according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] To make the technical problems solved by the present disclosure, technical solutions and advantages clearer, the following will be described in detail with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0068] It should be understood that the terms "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" as used throughout this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. In addition, these particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0069] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the size of the serial number of the following processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of the processes should be determined according to their functions and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0070] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the present disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second" are usually a category, not limited to the number of objects, for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "or" in the present disclosure means at least one of the connected objects. For example, "A or B" covers three scenarios, namely, scenario one: including A and not including B; scenario two: including B and not including A; scenario three: including A and B. The character " / " generally represents that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0071] In addition, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this document.

[0072] In the embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined according to A. However, it should also be understood that the determination of B according to A does not mean that B is determined only according to A, but B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing method of a network service, applied to a first node, the first node comprising at least one of a network storage function (NRF) and a service communication proxy (SCP), the method comprising:

[0074] Step 101: receiving a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services.

[0075] Optionally, the step specifically comprises that the first node receives the first service discovery request sent by a third node, the third node being an application function (AF), a user equipment (UE), a core network (CN) network function or a radio access network (RAN) network function.

[0076] Optionally, the at least two first services can come from the same network function, or come from different network functions, or come from different independent services.

[0077] The independent service mentioned above refers to a service independent of a network function, that is, there is no binding relationship between the service and the network function. In the case that the at least two first services come from the same network function or come from different network functions, the existing technology can be compatible, that is, the service can depend on the network function, and in the case that the at least two first services come from different independent services, the service can exist independently.

[0078] Step 102: sending a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network unit capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0079] For example, the registration information of the second node comprises an identifier of the second node, a function of the second node, an interface protocol type supported by the second node, and / or a protocol version, etc.

[0080] The second node mentioned above is a network function or a network unit, and the at least two first services can be provided through the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0081] Optionally, the network element comprises a set of network functions of different types, which can be used to adapt to specific scenarios.

[0082] Optionally, the first service supports at least two interface protocol types.

[0083] Optionally, the first service supports a first interface protocol type and a second interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type is a standard defined service interface protocol, which is used for interconnection of devices from different manufacturers or is used to ensure backward compatibility with a 5G network, and the second interface protocol type is a high-performance interface protocol, which can be specific to a manufacturer and is mainly used for internal communication of an NF or a network element.

[0084] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first service discovery request is received, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; a first service discovery request response is sent, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services. In the above scheme, the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element through a service discovery process, that is, the at least two first services are integrated into the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0085] Optionally, after receiving the first service discovery request, the method further comprises:

[0086] According to the first service discovery request, a second node is defined, and registration information of the second node is obtained.

[0087] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, defining the second node comprises defining a name, an ID, a function, a supported interface protocol type, and / or a protocol version of the node.

[0088] As an implementation manner, in a case where the first node is an NRF, the obtaining of the registration information of the second node comprises:

[0089] A creation request of the second node is sent to an SCP;

[0090] A creation response sent by the SCP or registration information sent by the second node is obtained, the creation response comprising the registration information of the second node.

[0091] For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the processing method of the network service in the embodiments of the present disclosure comprises:

[0092] Step 1: A third node sends a first service discovery request;

[0093] Step 2: An NRF defines a second node.

[0094] Step 3: The NRF sends a create request of the second node to the SCP.

[0095] Step 4: The SCP creates the second node.

[0096] Step 5a: The SCP sends a create response to the NRF, the create response including registration information of the second node.

[0097] Step 5b: The second node sends the registration information of the second node.

[0098] The step 5b and the step 5a are parallel steps.

[0099] Step 6: The NRF sends a first service discovery request response to the third node.

[0100] As another implementation manner, the first node is an SCP having the function of the NRF, and the obtaining the registration information of the second node includes:

[0101] creating the second node and obtaining the registration information of the second node.

[0102] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the processing method of the network service of the embodiment of the disclosure includes:

[0103] Step 1: The third node sends a first service discovery request.

[0104] Step 2: The SCP defines the second node.

[0105] Step 3: The SCP creates the second node.

[0106] Step 4: The SCP sends a first service discovery request response to the third node, the first service discovery request response including the registration information of the second node.

[0107] Optionally, the first service discovery request further includes at least one of:

[0108] a first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element;

[0109] requirements of the at least two first services, for example, location information of the at least two first services.

[0110] In the embodiment of the disclosure, the first node can integrate the at least two first services into one network element or network function based on the above first indication. In the case that the above first service discovery request includes the requirements of the at least two first services, the first node can define and create the second node meeting the requirements based on the requirements of the first service.

[0111] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0112] obtaining registration information corresponding to the service, the registration information comprising an interface protocol type supported by the service and / or a protocol version associated with the interface protocol type, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types.

[0113] The second node is determined based on the registration information corresponding to the service.

[0114] As shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3, the scheme of the embodiments of the present disclosure can also perform service-level registration. Traditional service registration is network function-level registration. The embodiments of the present disclosure can support both service-level registration, i.e., independent service registration, and network function registration. In this way, based on service-level registration, subsequent on-demand combination of multiple services can be facilitated, for example, multiple services are integrated into a network function or network element.

[0115] In related technologies, it is defined that NFs and NFs, and NFs and service agents interact through a South Bound Interface (SBI) interface, and the SBI interface protocol is unique, i.e., based on REST-HTTP / 2. However, how NF services interact is not defined in the standard. Since the SBI interface protocol is unique, the end-to-end latency performance under the service-oriented architecture is significantly reduced, especially in the indirect communication mode (i.e., NFs interact through SCP), kernel processing, etc. increase the processing delay. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each network function or each network function service supports at least two types of interface protocols, such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) / 2 over Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC), HTTP / 3 over QUIC, gRPC over HTTP / 2, gRPC over HTTP / 3, RDMA over HTTP / 2, etc. One of them is a standard-defined service-oriented interface protocol, which is used for interconnection of devices from different manufacturers or to ensure backward compatibility with 5G networks; at least one other is a high-performance interface protocol, which can be manufacturer-specific, and is mainly used for internal communication of NFs or elements.

[0116] The gRPC (google Remote Procedure Call Protocol) protocol is a high-performance, general-purpose RPC open source software framework based on the HTTP2 protocol released by Google;

[0117] The above-mentioned QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) protocol is a brand-new web development protocol based on the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

[0118] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0119] obtaining a second service discovery request, the second service discovery request being used to request to discover a service provider providing a second service;

[0120] determining, according to the second service discovery request and registration information corresponding to the service, an interface protocol type used by the second service and a network service provider;

[0121] sending a second service discovery request response, the second service discovery request response comprising the interface protocol type used by the second service and the network service provider.

[0122] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a service is registered, an NF or a service informs an NRF or an SCP of an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version supported by the NF or the service.

[0123] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the flow comprises:

[0124] Step 1: A consumer sends a second service discovery request to an SCP.

[0125] Optionally, the consumer can be the third node described above.

[0126] Step 2: The SCP determines an interface protocol used and a service provider (Producer).

[0127] Step 3: The SCP forwards the second service discovery request to the corresponding Producer.

[0128] Step 4: The SCP obtains a second service discovery request response sent by the Producer.

[0129] Step 5: The SCP sends the second service discovery request response to the consumer.

[0130] The inter-service communication mode in the embodiments of the present disclosure comprises the following four communication modes:

[0131] Mode A: direct communication mode without service discovery;

[0132] Mode B: direct communication mode with service discovery;

[0133] Mode C: indirect communication mode without proxy discovery;

[0134] Mode D: Proxy discovery indirect communication mode.

[0135] Overall, direct communication is adopted between services, including Mode A and Mode B. In these two modes, service consumers perform service selection based on local configuration or service producer information (NF profile) obtained from the NRF. The NF profile includes NF type, fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or Internet Protocol (IP) address of the NF, name of supported services, and the like.

[0136] In the related art, indirect communication based on service communication proxies is introduced between services, including Mode C and Mode D. Thus, each NF only needs to focus on its own business processing logic, and hands over its original service discovery, routing forwarding and other functions to the SCP to complete, making the NF function more lightweight. In these two modes, the SCP acts as a proxy function of the service consumer, and performs selection of the service producer based on the NRF or operator policy. The service producer in the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be described as a service provider.

[0137] Among them, the communication model of Mode A is shown in FIG. 5, the communication model of Mode B is shown in FIG. 6, the communication model of Mode C is shown in FIG. 7, and the communication model of Mode D is shown in FIG. 8.

[0138] In order to support the scheme of the embodiments of the present disclosure (each NF or NF service supports at least two types of interface protocols), the existing communication model needs to be enhanced as follows:

[0139] (1) Mode (Model) A: Each NF or NF service stores all the interface protocols supported by the NF or NF service, and indicates the specific interface protocol used in the service request.

[0140] (2) Model B: Each NF or NF service registers the supported interface protocol to the NRF, and selects the producer supporting the required interface protocol through service discovery.

[0141] (3) Model C: Each NF or NF service registers the supported interface protocol to the NRF, and selects the producer supporting the required interface protocol through interaction with the NRF, and the SCP completes message forwarding.

[0142] (4) Model D: Each NF or NF service registers supported interface protocol cases to the NRF, and the SCP selects a producer supporting the required interface protocol after receiving a service request of the consumer, interacting with the NRF.

[0143] On this basis, three new communication models can be added to achieve more efficient communication:

[0144] (5) Model E: Similar to the enhanced Model C, the difference is that there is no service discovery process, and a routing decision interaction process is added; specifically, the SCP generates a routing decision and directly sends it to the consumer through the xDS interface (non-standardized SBI), and the consumer selects the producer based on the routing decision.

[0145] (6) Model F: Similar to the enhanced Model D, the difference is that there is no service discovery process, and a routing decision interaction process is added; specifically, the SCP generates a routing decision and directly sends it to the consumer through the xDS interface (non-standardized SBI), and the consumer selects the producer based on the routing decision. Compared with Model E, Model F also does not have a standardized service registration process.

[0146] The above-mentioned Model E and Model F avoid the latency caused by the need for OS kernel processing when forwarding through the sidecar proxy in the traditional indirect communication mode (i.e., Model C / D), thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0147] (7) Model G: Further enhanced based on Model E, the difference is that there is no routing decision interaction process. The consumer sends a message directly to the SCP, which determines the producer and completes message forwarding.

[0148] In the above-mentioned Model G, the SCP naturally carries the capabilities of the NRF, avoiding the latency caused by interface interaction between the SCP and the NRF, making the service discovery and selection process simpler.

[0149] Among them, the communication model of Model E is shown in FIG. 9, the communication model of Model F is shown in FIG. 10, and the communication model of Model G is shown in FIG. 11.

[0150] In the above-mentioned flow shown in FIG. 4, for Model D, the service is registered to the NRF, and the SCP can obtain relevant information by interacting with the NRF; for Model G, the service is registered to the SCP (with built-in NRF or similar registration function), and the SCP can directly obtain relevant information.

[0151] Optionally, the consumer can also determine the interface protocol to be used. For mode B, mode C, mode E and mode F, the NF or service needs to inform the NRF or SCP of the supported interface protocol type and / or protocol version at service registration, where the protocol version can be used to infer the supported interface protocol type.

[0152] Based on this, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes:

[0153] Method 1: obtaining a third service discovery request, the third service discovery request including a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; sending a third service discovery request response, the third service discovery request response including at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type expected by the consumer, and the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type.

[0154] In this method 1, the consumer sends the expected interface protocol type and / or protocol version to the NRF through the service discovery request to obtain the producer information supporting the interface protocol type when discovering the service.

[0155] Alternatively, method 2: obtaining a fourth service discovery request, the fourth service discovery request being used to request to discover a service provider providing a fourth service; sending a fourth service discovery response, the fourth service discovery response including all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and the interface protocol type supported by each of the service providers.

[0156] In this method 2, the consumer obtains the service provider information (producer profile) meeting the communication requirement through the service discovery request response, the profile carrying the interface protocol type and / or protocol version supported by the producer, and the producer and the interface protocol type to be used are determined based on the producer profile.

[0157] Alternatively, method 3: sending routing policy information, the routing policy information being related to the interface protocol type and / or protocol version, and the routing policy information being used by the consumer to determine the interface protocol type and / or protocol version of the service.

[0158] The routing policy information in the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be described as routing decision information.

[0159] In the method 3, the consumer receives the routing policy related to the interface protocol type and / or protocol version sent by the SCP, and determines the interface protocol type and the producer to be used based on the routing policy. This way is mainly used for the Model E or Model F.

[0160] As shown in FIG. 12, the flow of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0161] Step 1: At the time of service registration, the NF or service needs to inform the NRF or SCP of the supported interface protocol type and / or protocol version.

[0162] Step 2: The consumer determines the interface protocol type and the producer.

[0163] In this embodiment, the consumer can determine the interface protocol type and the producer in the following three implementation manners.

[0164] Implementation manner 1: The consumer determines the interface protocol type and the producer to be used based on the local strategy. This way is mainly used for Model A.

[0165] Implementation manner 2: The interface protocol type and the producer to be used are determined based on service discovery. This way is mainly used for Model B / C. Specifically, the implementation manner includes the following two ways.

[0166] Way 2-1: The consumer sends the expected interface protocol type and / or protocol version to the NRF through the service discovery request to obtain the producer information supporting the interface protocol type at the time of service discovery.

[0167] Implementation manner 2-2: The consumer obtains the service provider information (producer profile) meeting the communication requirement through the service discovery request response. The profile carries the interface protocol type and / or protocol version supported by the producer, and the producer and the interface protocol type to be used are determined based on the producer profile.

[0168] Implementation manner 3: The determination is based on the routing policy. Specifically, the consumer receives the routing policy related to the interface protocol type and / or protocol version sent by the SCP, and determines the interface protocol type and the producer to be used based on the routing policy. This way is mainly used for the Model E or Model F.

[0169] Step 3: The consumer sends the service request message to the corresponding producer / SCP.

[0170] Wherein, for the direct communication mode (i.e. mode A or B), the service request message is sent to the producer, and for the indirect communication mode (i.e. mode C, E or F), the service request message is sent to the SCP.

[0171] Optionally, the service request message can also carry an indication, which is used to inform the NF producer that all subsequent message transmissions of this type use this interface protocol type.

[0172] Optionally, the service request message can be described as a service discovery request message.

[0173] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the on-demand combination of services or network functions is realized by enhancing the service discovery process, thereby breaking the binding relationship between the NF and the service, and more efficiently adapting to the differentiated and fragmented needs of the industry. In addition, the scheme of the embodiments of the present disclosure allows each service or network function to have multiple sets of interface protocols, and by selecting the interface protocol on demand, more efficient inter-service interaction can be realized. For example, within a network element, the NFs can use the gRPC-based interface protocol to realize efficient communication within the element; the interaction between network elements uses the standardized REST-HTTP2-based interface protocol to realize the interconnection and intercommunication between vendor devices.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 13, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a processing method of a network service, applied to a third node, comprising:

[0175] Step 1301: sending a first service discovery request, wherein the first service discovery request comprises information of at least two first services;

[0176] The third node can be an application function (AF), a user equipment (UE), a core network (CN) network function or a radio access network (RAN) network function.

[0177] The third node can be a consumer.

[0178] Optionally, the at least two first services can come from the same network function, or from different network functions, or from different independent services.

[0179] The independent service refers to a service independent of a network function, that is, there is no binding relationship between the service and the network function. In the case that the at least two first services come from the same network function or from different network functions, the existing technology can be compatible, that is, the service can depend on the network function, and in the case that the at least two first services come from different independent services, the service can exist independently.

[0180] Step 1302: obtaining a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response including registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0181] For example, the registration information of the second node includes an identifier of the second node, a function of the second node, an interface protocol type supported by the second node, and / or a protocol version, etc.

[0182] The second node is a network function or a network element, and the at least two first services can be provided through the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0183] Optionally, the network element includes a set of network functions of different types, and the network element can be used to adapt to specific scenarios.

[0184] Optionally, the first service supports at least two interface protocol types.

[0185] Optionally, the first service supports a first interface protocol type and a second interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being a standard-defined service interface protocol, used for interconnection of devices from different manufacturers or for guaranteeing backward compatibility with a 5G network, and the second interface protocol type being a high-performance interface protocol, which can be specific to a manufacturer and is mainly used for internal communication of an NF or a unit.

[0186] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a first service discovery request is sent, the first service discovery request including information of at least two first services; and a first service discovery request response is obtained, the first service discovery request response including registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services. In the above scheme, the at least two first services are integrated into a network function or a network element through a service discovery process, that is, the at least two first services are integrated into the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0187] Optionally, the first service discovery request further includes at least one of the following:

[0188] a first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into a network function or a network element;

[0189] requirements of the at least two first services. For example, location information of the at least two first services.

[0190] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first node can integrate the at least two first services into one network element or network function based on the first indication. In the case that the first service discovery request includes the requirements of the at least two first services, the first node can define and create a second node meeting the requirements based on the requirements of the first services.

[0191] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes:

[0192] obtaining registration information corresponding to the service, the registration information including interface protocol types supported by the service and / or protocol versions associated with the interface protocol types, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types;

[0193] determining, according to the registration information corresponding to the service, an interface protocol type used by the service and a service provider.

[0194] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the third node determines, based on the registration information corresponding to the service and based on a local policy, an interface protocol type used by the service and a service provider.

[0195] Optionally, the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes:

[0196] sending a third service discovery request including a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; and obtaining a third service discovery request response including at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type expected by a consumer, and the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type;

[0197] Alternatively, sending a fourth service discovery request for requesting to discover service providers providing a fourth service, and obtaining a fourth service discovery response including all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and interface protocol types supported by each of the service providers.

[0198] Alternatively, obtaining routing policy information related to interface protocol types and / or protocol versions; and determining, according to the routing policy information, an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version of the service.

[0199] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first service discovery request is sent, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; a first service discovery request response is acquired, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services. In the above scheme, the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element through a service discovery process, that is, the at least two first services are integrated into the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0200] It should be noted that the method corresponds to the method embodiment implemented by the first node, and the interaction process between the two has been described in detail in the method embodiment of the first node, which will not be repeated here.

[0201] As shown in FIG. 14, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a processing apparatus of network service, comprising:

[0202] The first receiving module 1401 is configured to receive a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services;

[0203] The first sending module 1402 is configured to send a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0204] Optionally, the apparatus of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0205] The processing module is configured to define a second node according to the first service discovery request, and acquire registration information of the second node.

[0206] Optionally, in the case where the first node is a network storage function (NRF), the processing module is configured to:

[0207] send a creation request of the second node to a service communication proxy (SCP);

[0208] acquire a creation response sent by the SCP or acquire registration information sent by the second node, the creation response comprising the registration information of the second node.

[0209] Optionally, the first service discovery request further comprises at least one of the following:

[0210] a first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element;

[0211] requirements of the at least two first services.

[0212] Optionally, the apparatus of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0213] The third receiving module is configured to acquire registration information corresponding to the service, wherein the registration information comprises an interface protocol type supported by the service and / or a protocol version associated with the interface protocol type, and the service supports at least two interface protocol types.

[0214] Optionally, the apparatus of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0215] The fourth receiving module is configured to acquire a second service discovery request, wherein the second service discovery request is used to request discovery of a service provider providing a second service;

[0216] The first determining module is configured to determine, according to the second service discovery request and the registration information corresponding to the service, an interface protocol type used by the second service and a network service provider;

[0217] The third sending module is configured to send a second service discovery request response, wherein the second service discovery request response comprises the interface protocol type used by the second service and the network service provider.

[0218] Optionally, the apparatus of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0219] The fifth receiving module is configured to acquire a third service discovery request, wherein the third service discovery request comprises a first interface protocol type of a third service and / or a first protocol version; and the fourth sending module is configured to send a third service discovery request response, wherein the third service discovery request response comprises at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type is an interface protocol type expected by a consumer, and the first protocol version is a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type;

[0220] Alternatively, the sixth receiving module is configured to acquire a fourth service discovery request, wherein the fourth service discovery request is used to request discovery of a service provider providing a fourth service; and the seventh sending module is configured to send a fourth service discovery response, wherein the fourth service discovery response comprises all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and an interface protocol type supported by each of the service providers;

[0221] Alternatively, the eighth sending module is configured to send routing policy information, wherein the routing policy information is a routing policy related to an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version, and the routing policy information is used by a consumer to determine an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version of a service.

[0222] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first service discovery request is received, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; and a first service discovery request response is sent, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services. In the above scheme, the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element through a service discovery process, that is, the at least two first services are integrated into the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0223] It should be noted that the apparatus corresponds to the method embodiments performed by the first node described above, and all implementation manners of the method embodiments can be applied to the apparatus embodiments and achieve the same technical effects, which will not be described here.

[0224] As shown in FIG. 15, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing apparatus of a network service, applied to a third node, comprising:

[0225] A second sending module 1501 is configured to send a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services;

[0226] A second receiving module 1502 is configured to obtain a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

[0227] Optionally, the first service discovery request further comprises at least one of the following:

[0228] A first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element;

[0229] Requirements of the at least two first services.

[0230] Optionally, the apparatus of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0231] A seventh receiving module is configured to obtain registration information corresponding to a service, the registration information comprising an interface protocol type supported by the service and / or a protocol version, the protocol version being associated with the interface protocol type, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types;

[0232] A second determining module is configured to determine an interface protocol type used by a service and a service provider according to the registration information corresponding to the service.

[0233] Optionally, the apparatus of the embodiments of the present disclosure further comprises:

[0234] a ninth sending module, configured to send a third service discovery request, the third service discovery request comprising a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; and an eighth receiving module, configured to obtain a third service discovery request response, the third service discovery request response comprising at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type expected by a consumer, and the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type;

[0235] Alternatively, a tenth sending module is configured to send a fourth service discovery request, the fourth service discovery request being used to request discovery of a service provider providing a fourth service; and a ninth receiving module is configured to obtain a fourth service discovery response, the fourth service discovery response comprising all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and an interface protocol type supported by each of the service providers.

[0236] Alternatively, a tenth receiving module is configured to obtain routing policy information, the routing policy information being a routing policy related to an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version; and a third determining module is configured to determine an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version of a service according to the routing policy information.

[0237] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first service discovery request is sent, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; and a first service discovery request response is obtained, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or a network element capable of providing the at least two first services. In the above scheme, the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element through a service discovery process, that is, the at least two first services are integrated into the second node, thereby achieving the purpose of on-demand combination of services.

[0238] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing device of a network service, as shown in FIG. 16, comprising a transceiver 1610, a processor 1600, a memory 1620, and a program or instruction stored in the memory 1620 and executable on the processor 1600; the processor 1600 implements the steps of the above-mentioned processing method of the network service applied to the first node or the third node when executing the program or instruction.

[0239] The transceiver 1610 is configured to receive and send data under the control of the processor 1600.

[0240] In FIG. 16, the bus architecture can include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically, various circuitry of one or more processors represented by the processor 1600 and memory represented by the memory 1620 are linked together. The bus architecture can also link various other circuitry such as peripheral devices, voltage stabilizers and power management circuitry, which are well known in the art, and thus, further description thereof is not provided herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1610 can be multiple elements, i.e., including a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium. The processor 1600 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1620 can store data used by the processor 1600 in performing operations.

[0241] The disclosure embodiments further provide a readable storage medium having a program or instruction stored thereon, the program or instruction being executed by a processor to implement the steps in the network service processing method as described above and achieve the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, further description is not provided herein.

[0242] The transceiver 1710 is configured to receive and send data under the control of the processor 1700.

[0243] In FIG. 17, the bus architecture can include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically, various circuitry of one or more processors represented by the processor 1700 and memory represented by the memory 1720 are linked together. The bus architecture can also link various other circuitry such as peripheral devices, voltage stabilizers and power management circuitry, which are well known in the art, and thus, further description thereof is not provided herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1710 can be multiple elements, i.e., including a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium. The user interface 1730 can also be an interface capable of connecting to a required device for different user devices, including but not limited to a keypad, a display, a speaker, a microphone, a joystick, etc.

[0244] The processor 1700 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1720 can store data used by the processor 1700 in performing operations.

[0245] The disclosure embodiments further provide a readable storage medium having a program or instruction stored thereon, the program or instruction being executed by a processor to implement the steps in the network service processing method as described above and achieve the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, further description is not provided herein.

[0246] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program product comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement each process of the embodiments of the processing method of the network service, and achieve the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, details are not described herein.

[0247] The processor is the processor in the information transmission device or the information processing device in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes a computer readable storage medium, such as a computer read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0248] It should be further noted that the terminal described in the specification includes but is not limited to a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc., and many functional components described are referred to as modules, so as to more particularly emphasize the independence of their implementation.

[0249] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a module can be implemented in software, so as to be executed by various types of processors. For example, an identified executable code module can include one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which can be constructed as objects, procedures or functions, for example. However, the executable code of the identified module need not be physically located together, but can include different instructions stored in different locations which, when combined logically, constitute the module and achieve the specified purpose of the module.

[0250] In fact, an executable code module can be a single instruction or many instructions, and can even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data can be identified within a module and can be implemented in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data can be collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and can exist at least in part only as electronic signals on a system or network.

[0251] When a module can be implemented using software, considering the current level of hardware technology, modules that can be implemented in software can be implemented using hardware circuits by those skilled in the art to achieve the corresponding functions, without considering cost. These hardware circuits include conventional Very Large Scale Integration Circuits (VLSI) or gate arrays, as well as existing semiconductors such as logic chips and transistors, or other discrete components. Modules can also be implemented using programmable hardware devices, such as field-programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, and programmable logic devices.

[0252] The exemplary embodiments described above are with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many different forms and embodiments are feasible without departing from the spirit and teaching of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure should not be construed as limiting the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided to make this disclosure complete and convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In these drawings, component dimensions and relative dimensions may be exaggerated for clarity. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, unless clearly indicated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include all such forms. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including”, when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or elements, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or groups thereof. Unless otherwise indicated, when stated, a range of values ​​includes the upper and lower limits of the range and any subranges in between.

[0253] The above description represents the preferred embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles described herein, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for processing network service, applied to a first node, comprising: receiving a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; sending a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, After the receiving the first service discovery request, further comprising: defining the second node according to the first service discovery request, and obtaining the registration information of the second node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, In a case that the first node is a network repository function (NRF), the obtaining the registration information of the second node comprises: sending a creation request of the second node to a service communication proxy (SCP) ; obtaining a creation response sent by the SCP or obtaining the registration information sent by the second node, the creation response comprising the registration information of the second node.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first service discovery request further comprises at least one of: a first indication, the first indication being used to indicate that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element; requirements of the at least two first services. 5.The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining registration information corresponding to a service, the registration information comprising interface protocol types supported by the service and / or protocol versions associated with the interface protocol types, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types. 6.The method of claim 5, further comprising: obtaining a second service discovery request, the second service discovery request being used to request discovery of a service provider providing a second service; determining, according to the second service discovery request and the registration information corresponding to the service, an interface protocol type used by the second service and a network service provider; sending a second service discovery request response, the second service discovery request response comprising the interface protocol type used by the second service and the network service provider. 7.The method of claim 5, further comprising: obtaining a third service discovery request, the third service discovery request comprising a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; sending a third service discovery request response, the third service discovery request response comprising at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type expected by a consumer, and the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type; or, obtaining a fourth service discovery request, the fourth service discovery request being used to request discovery of a service provider providing a fourth service; sending a fourth service discovery response, the fourth service discovery response comprising all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and interface protocol types supported by each of the service providers; or, sending routing policy information, the routing policy information being routing policy related to interface protocol types and / or protocol versions, and the routing policy information being used by a consumer to determine interface protocol types and / or protocol versions of a service. 8.A method for processing network service, applied to a third node, comprising: sending a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; obtaining a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first service discovery request further comprises at least one of the following: a first indication, the first indication indicating that the at least two first services are integrated into one network function or network element; requirements of the at least two first services. 10.The method of claim 8, further comprising: obtaining registration information corresponding to a service, the registration information comprising interface protocol types supported by the service and / or protocol versions associated with the interface protocol types, and the service supporting at least two interface protocol types; determining an interface protocol type used by the service and a service provider according to the registration information corresponding to the service. 11.The method of claim 8, further comprising: sending a third service discovery request, the third service discovery request comprising a first interface protocol type and / or a first protocol version of a third service; obtaining a third service discovery request response, the third service discovery request response comprising at least one service provider capable of providing the third service and supporting the first interface protocol type, the first interface protocol type being an interface protocol type expected by a consumer, and the first protocol version being a protocol version associated with the first interface protocol type; alternatively, sending a fourth service discovery request, the fourth service discovery request being used to request discovery of a service provider providing a fourth service; obtaining a fourth service discovery response, the fourth service discovery response comprising all service providers capable of providing the fourth service and interface protocol types supported by each of the service providers; alternatively, obtaining routing policy information, the routing policy information being routing policy related to interface protocol types and / or protocol versions; determining an interface protocol type and / or a protocol version of a service according to the routing policy information. 12.An apparatus for processing network service, comprising: a first receiving module configured to receive a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; a first sending module configured to send a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or network element capable of providing the at least two first services. 13.An apparatus for processing network service, comprising: a second sending module configured to send a first service discovery request, the first service discovery request comprising information of at least two first services; a second receiving module configured to obtain a first service discovery request response, the first service discovery request response comprising registration information of a second node, the second node being a network function or network element capable of providing the at least two first services.

14. A processing device of a network service, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; the processor executes the program or instructions to implement the processing method of the network service according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or implement the processing method of the network service according to any one of claims 8 to 11. 15.A readable storage medium having a program or instructions stored thereon, the program or instructions being executed by a processor to implement the processing method of the network service according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or implement the processing method of the network service according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

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