System and method for suppressing race conditions in a network

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system (108) and a method (400) for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network (106). The method (400) includes receiving, by a Policy Control Function (PCF) (202), at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity. The method (400) includes determining, by the PCF (202), a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive. The method (400) includes performing, by the PCF (202), one or more operations for receiving at least one request to handle the race condition in the network based on the determined status of the configured timer.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPRESSING RACE CONDITIONS IN A NETWORKRESERVATION OF RIGHTS

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to intellectual property rights such as, but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, Integrated Circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

[0002] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to communication networks. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network.DEFINITIONS

[0003] As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used to indicate otherwise.

[0004] The term ‘Race Condition’ refers to a situation and / or condition that occurs when multiple requests or processes are sent to a Policy Control function (PCF) to operate concurrently at a given time, leading to unnecessary messages on a network. Additionally, such race conditions result in inefficiencies and unnecessary rapid creation of requests that may further lead to unexpected error during a communication.

[0005] The term ‘PCF’ refers to a Policy Control Function in a 5thGeneration (5G) core network. The PCF manages different policy rules forcontrolling the network behaviour and ensuring compliance with service requirements.

[0006] The term ‘User Equipment (UE) Policy’ refers to a set of rules applied to a UE, that indicates how the UE should interact with the network. The UE policy are predefined rules or protocols that is essentially followed by every UE connecting to the network.

[0007] The term ‘SMF’ refers to a Session Management Function in the 5G core network. The SMF is responsible for session management, including session establishment, modification, and release.

[0008] The term ‘CHF’ refers to a Charging Function in the 5G core network. The CHF handles a collection and a processing of charging data for billing and accounting purposes.

[0009] The term ‘UE create request’ refers to “Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Create” request. The “Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Create” request is initiated by a network function (NF) service consumer (e.g. Access and mobility management function (AMF), visited -PCF (V-PCF) in roaming case) to create the UE Policy Association.

[0010] The term ‘SM create request’ refers to a “Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create” request. The “Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create” request is sent from the SMF to the PCF to create a session management (SM) Policy associated with the PCF to receive the policy for a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session. The PDU session establishment procedure in the 5G network is essential for setting up a data session between the UE and a network.

[0011] The term ‘SLCR’ refers to a “Nchf_SpendingLimitControl” request. The “Nchf_SpendingLimitControl” enables the NF service consumer (e.g. PCF) to retrieve policy counter status information and spending limit reporting per UE from the CHF. If the spending limit reporting is no more required, the“Nchf_SpendingLimitControl” enables the NF service consumer to unsubscribe from the reporting.

[0012] The term ‘SUPI’ refers to a Subscription Permanent Identifier that is unique and assigned to the subscriber in the network. The SUPI enables the network to identify and authenticate the subscriber accurately and ensures secure communication, by preventing unauthorized access to subscriber information.

[0013] The term ‘Timer’ refers to a parameter that is configured by the PCF. The timer allows a runtime configuration for the time interval for which the PCF pauses creation of the SLCR.

[0014] The term ‘OCS’ refers to Online Charging System which provides processes details about the SUPI, such as charging requests for events like data sessions, voice calls, and messaging via the CHF. Further, the OCS monitors the established session throughout and enforces the policy for the services used by the subscriber

[0015] These definitions are in addition to those expressed in the art.BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE

[0016] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0017] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades. The first generation of wireless communication technology was analog technology that offered only voice services. Further, when the second- generation (2G) technology was introduced, text messaging and data services became possible. The 3 G technology marked the introduction of high-speed internetaccess, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, improved network coverage, and security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, with even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. The sixth generation (6G) technology promises to build upon these advancements, pushing the boundaries of wireless communication even further.

[0018] In telecommunication networks, efficient management of network resources is essential for maintaining high performance and optimal resource utilization. The 5th Generation (5G) network architecture includes several Network Functions (NFs), such as a Policy Control Function (PCF), a Session Management Function (SMF), a Charging Function (CHF), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), and similar. The NFs are designed to facilitate efficient end-to- end data transfer and proper network resource management.

[0019] The actual problem in existing systems is the occurrence of race conditions when the PCF receives simultaneous or overlapping requests for the same SUPI. For example, both UE policy creation and SM session creation procedures may independently initiate spending limit requests towards the CHF. In the absence of a synchronization mechanism, this results in:• Multiple, redundant spending limit creation requests for the same subscriber.• Rapid or redundant interactions with the CHF.• Inefficient handling of unsubscribe requests, which can lead to inconsistencies in subscriber session management.• Increased signalling overhead in the network, leading to unnecessary consumption of network resources and a degradation of system reliability and efficiency.

[0020] The network often faces challenges in operating multiple simultaneous requests, which can result in incomplete operations and increased network load from unwanted messages. This can also degrade the overall quality of a user experience.

[0021] Also, in existing systems, an additional signalling procedure may be implemented to confirm the UE create request and the SM create request synchronization before the full establishment of a new network session. However, the addition of the new signalling procedure increases processing overhead, which may lead to a high network latency, increased complexity during the management of the session, and potential performance restrictions.

[0022] There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide a method and a system that can overcome the shortcomings of the existing prior arts.OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0023] Some of the objectives of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as listed herein below.

[0024] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method to enable a cool-down period for a Policy Control Function (PCF), by managing race conditions between a User Equipment (UE) create request and a Session Management (SM) create request, during the setup of a network session.

[0025] Another objective of the present disclosure is to optimize the utilization of network resources by limiting multiple requests that are received by the PCF.

[0026] Another objective of the present disclosure is to improve overall user experience by optimizing the PCF and ensuring that multiple requests are properly

[0027] Other objectives and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.SUMMARY

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network. The method includes receiving, by a Policy Control Function (PCF), at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity. The method includes determining, by the PCF, a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive. The method includes performing, by the PCF, one or more operations for the received at least one request to handle the race condition in the network based on the determined status of the configured timer.

[0029] In some embodiments, the at least one network entity comprises a Session Management Function (SMF) and a User Equipment (UE).

[0030] In some embodiments, the at least one request comprises one of: a UE create request, a SM create request, a UE delete request, or a SM delete request.

[0031] In some embodiments, for determining the status of the configured timer is active, the PCF compares a time value of the configured timer with a timestamp associated with an existing session information of the SUPI, wherein the timestamp indicates a last modification time of the existing session information. The PCF evaluates whether the time value of the configured timer is within a predefined time interval relative to the timestamp. Upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer falls within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp, the PCF determines the status of the configured timer as active.

[0032] In some embodiments, for determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the PCF compares the time value of the configuredtimer with the timestamp associated with the existing session information of the SUPI. The PCF evaluates whether the time value of the configured timer is within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp. Upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer exceeds the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp, the PCF determines the status of the configured timer as inactive.

[0033] In some embodiments, upon determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the one or more operations includes the PCF o transmit a session-related request to a charging function (CHF) corresponding to the request, wherein the session-related request is one of type: a spending limit request or an unsubscribe request. The PCF retrieves a session information associated with the SUPI from the CHF. The PCF stores the retrieved CHF session information in a local memory. The PCF performs one or more actions based on the session-related request.

[0034] In some embodiments, the session information comprises at least one of: an active session data of the SUPI, a session identifier (ID), a subscription ID of the SUPI, and a policy ID.

[0035] In some embodiments, upon determining that the status of the configured timer is active, the one or more operations include the PCF deferring from transmitting the session-related request to the CHF corresponding to the received at least one request. The PCF retrieves the session information associated with the SUPI from the local memory.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, a system for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network is disclosed. The system includes a receiving unit at a policy control function (PCF) configured to receive at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity. The system includes a processing unit at the PCF configured to: determine a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive and perform one or more operations for the received at leastone request based on the determined status of the configured timer, to handle the race condition in the network.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, a User Equipment (UE) configured to initiate at least one request associated with a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). The UE configured to transmit the at least one request to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). The UE configured to establish a session with a Session Management Function (SMF) based on a response received from the Policy Control Function (PCF) corresponding to the at least one transmitted request.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium is disclosed. The medium includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network. The method includes receiving, by a Policy Control Function (PCF), at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity. The method includes determining, by the PCF, a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive. The method includes performing, by the PCF, one or more operations for the received at least one request to handle the race condition in the network based on the determined status of the configured timer.

[0039] The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments and the following detailed description thereof are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of this disclosure and are not restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0040] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the sameparts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes the disclosure of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary system architecture for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 2B illustrates a block diagram of the system for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary flowchart for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary flow diagram of performing the method for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary computer system in which or with which the system may be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS100 - Network Architecture102-1, 102-2, 102-N - Users104-1, 104-2, 104-3, 104N - One or more computing devices106 - Network108 - System200A - System architecture202 - Policy Control Function (PCF)204 - Session Management Function (SMF)206 - Charging Function (CHF)208 - Online Charging System (OCS)200B - Block diagram222 - Receiving unit224 - Memory226 - Interface(s)228 - Processing engine230 - Database300 - Flow diagram400 - Flow diagram500 - Computer system510 - External storage device520 - Bus530 - Main memory540 - Read only memory550 - Mass storage device560 - Communication port(s)570 - ProcessorDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSURE

[0048] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0049] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0050] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-knowncircuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0051] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0052] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0053] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0054] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0055] In communication networks, such as the Fifth Generation (5G) Core Network, comprise a plurality of network functions (NFs) including but not limited to the Policy Control Function (PCF), Session Management Function (SMF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), and Charging Function (CHF). These NFs collectively support session management, mobility management, charging, and policy enforcement to provide efficient service delivery to user equipment (UE).

[0056] In such networks, subscriber-specific policies and charging sessions are created and managed dynamically. A Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) is used to uniquely identify a subscriber across different network functions. For each subscriber, multiple session-related requests, such as UE create requests, SM create requests, or corresponding delete requests, may be initiated either by the UE or by the SMF. These requests typically trigger the PCF to communicate with the CHF for creating or managing spending limits and session information associated with the subscriber.

[0057] However, in existing systems, race conditions often occur when simultaneous or overlapping requests are received by the PCF for the same SUPI.For example, both UE policy creation and SM session creation procedures may independently initiate spending limit requests towards the CHF. In the absence of a synchronization mechanism, this results in:• multiple spending limit creates requests for the same subscriber,• rapid or redundant interactions with the CHF,• inefficient handling of unsubscribe requests, and• increased signalling overhead in the network.These race conditions not only lead to unnecessary consumption of network resources but also introduce inconsistencies in subscriber session management, thereby degrading the reliability and efficiency of the system.

[0058] Accordingly, there exists a need for a system and a method that can suppress overlapping session-related requests received for the same SUPI, ensure proper synchronization between the PCF and CHF, and avoid redundant creation of spending limits. Such a mechanism would reduce signalling overhead, improve resource utilization, and provide consistent handling of subscriber sessions in a 5G core network.

[0059] Further, during the establishment of a session with the network, there are possibilities of the occurrence of race conditions in the network when multiple requests are transmitted by a User Equipment (UE). The network often faces challenges in operating multiple requests at the same time, which may result in incomplete operations. The network load may increase due to the unnecessary or unwanted messages resulting from incomplete operations. Furthermore, race conditions may also degrade the quality of content or messages a user is supposed to experience in high quality, leading to a poor user experience. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a system and a method that suppresses or handles the race conditions.

[0060] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 1- FIG. 5.

[0061] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network (106), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 1, the network architecture (100) may include one or more computing devices (104-1, 104-2... 104-N) associated with one or more users (102-1, 102-2. . . 102-N) in an environment. In an embodiment, the computing device (104) may also be referred to as a User Equipment (104) interchangeably in the present disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more users (102-1, 102-2... 102-N) may be individually referred to as the user (102) and collectively referred to as the users (102). Similarly, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the one or more computing devices ( 104- 1 , 104- 2... 104-N) may be individually referred to as the computing device (104) and collectively referred to as the computing device (104). Although three computing devices (104) are depicted in FIG. 1, however, any number of the computing devices (104) may be included without departing from the scope of the ongoing description. In an embodiment, each of the computing device (104) may have a first unique identifier attribute associated therewith. In an embodiment, the first unique identifier attribute may be indicative of Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and the like.

[0063] In an embodiment, the computing device (104) may include smart devices operating in a smart environment, for example, an Internet of Things (loT) system. In such an embodiment, the computing device (104) may include but is not limited to, smartphones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices, networked lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories,networked vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, smart television (TV), computers, smart security system, smart home system, other devices for monitoring or interacting with or for the users ( 102) and / or entities, or any combination thereof. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the user equipment (104) may include, but is not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices that can integrate seamlessly with each other and / or with a central server or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected.

[0064] In an embodiment, the computing device (104) may include, but is not limited to, a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smartphone, a phablet device, and so on), a wearable computer device (e.g., a headmounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, and so on), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer, a media playing device, a portable gaming system, and / or any other type of computer device with wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the computing device (104) may include but is not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electro-mechanical, or an equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices such as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other computing device, the computing device (104) may include one or more in-built or externally coupled accessories including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, an audio aid, a microphone, a keyboard, and input devices for receiving input from the user (102) or the entity such as touchpad, touch-enabled screen, electronic pen, and the like. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the computing device (104) may not be restricted to the mentioned devices and various other devices may be used.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 1, the computing device (104) may communicate with a system (108) via the network (106). The computing device (104) may be communicatively coupled with the network (106). The communicative couplingcomprises receiving, from the computing device (104), a connection request by the network (106), sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the computing device (104), and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request. In an embodiment, the network (106) may include at least one of a Fourth Generation (4G) network, a Fifth Generation (5G) network, a Sixth Generation (6G) network, or the like. The network (106) may enable the computing device (104) to communicate with other devices in the network architecture (100) and / or with the system (108). The network (106) may include a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In another embodiment, the network (106) may be implemented as or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like.

[0066] Although FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of the network architecture (100), in other embodiments, the network architecture (100) may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the network architecture (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the network architecture (100).

[0067] FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary system architecture (200A) for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network (106), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The system architecture (200A) depicts the interactions among various network functions, including a User Equipment (UE) (104), a Policy Control Function (PCF) (202), a Session Management Function (SMF) (204), a Charging Function (CHF) (206), and an Online Charging System (OCS) (208).

[0068] The UE (104) initiates communication with the network (106) and is responsible for sending requests that may trigger session and policy creation. When the UE (104) registers with the network (106), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) initiates and transmits a request or a Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Create request to the PCF (202) on behalf of the UE (104) to create a UE policy association. At step 210, the PCF (202) receives a UE create request originating from the UE (104) to initiate a policy session. Similarly, at step 212, the PCF (202) receives an SM create request (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create) originating from the SMF (204). The UE create request and the SM create request are associated with a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and may result in spending limit creation for the subscriber / user (102). Upon receiving the UE create request and the SM create request, the PCF (202) checks a timer associated with the SUPI. The purpose of this check is to determine if a recent request has already been processed, thereby preventing the race condition.

[0069] The PCF (202) is responsible for handling policy decisions and coordinating session-related requests with other network functions. Upon receiving either the UE create request (step 212) or the SM create request (step 214), the PCF (202) checks the status of at least one timer associated with the SUPI. If no timer is associated with the SUPI, the PCF (202) proceeds with the spending limit creation process. The corresponding responses of the UE create request and the SM create request are sent back at steps 218 and 220, respectively, indicating that the spending limit creation process is proceeding. If the PCF (202) determines that no timer is active for the SUPI, it proceeds with the spending limit creation process. The PCF (202) sends an Sy request (214) to the CHF (206) to retrieve all relevant session information, such as policy IDs and session IDs. The PCF (202) then responds to the initial request from either the UE (104) (at step 218) or the SMF (204) (at step 220), indicating that the spending limit creation is proceeding.

[0070] At step 216, when the PCF (202) determines that the spending limit creation should proceed, it transmits a Sy request to the CHF (206). The Sy request may be, for example, a Spending Limit Create Request (SLCR). The CHF (206)responds by retrieving all relevant session information associated with the SUPI, such as a policy identifier (policy ID), session identifier (session ID), subscription identifier, timestamps, and other related data. This information allows the PCF (202) to ensure consistency and avoid redundant session creation.

[0071] In another scenario, if the PCF (202) determines that there is already at least one timer associated with the SUPI, the PCF (202) evaluates the retrieved CHF session information to determine whether a specified time interval has elapsed since the last modification timestamp of the CHF session. If the specified time has elapsed, the PCF (202) proceeds with the spending limit creation process; otherwise, the request is suppressed to prevent duplicate or rapid requests.

[0072] Further, at step 216, the CHF (206) communicates with the OCS (208) by sending a Sy request to retrieve additional charging-related information required for the CHF session. The OCS (208) maintains charging data, spending balances, and quota information that may be referenced by the CHF (206) to complete the spending limit creation or update process.

[0073] Through this coordinated interaction among the UE (104), the SMF (204), the PCF (202), the CHF (206), and the OCS (208) ofthe system (108) ensures suppression of redundant requests, prevents race conditions, and maintains consistency in subscriber session handling.

[0074] Although FIG. 2A shows exemplary components of the system (108), in other embodiments, the system (108) may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 2A. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the system (108) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the system (108).

[0075] FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary block diagram (200B) of the system (108) for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] It should be understood that the PCF (202) described herein and shown in the figures, such as Figure 2B, is a physical hardware component. The PCF (202) may be implemented as a dedicated hardware appliance, a virtualized network function (VNF) running on a server, or a combination of hardware and software. In such implementations, the PCF (202) comprises a receiving unit (222), a memory (224), an interface (226), a processing engine (228) and a database (230) to perform the functions described herein.

[0077] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include the interface(s) (226). The interface(s) (226) may include a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as I / O devices, storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) (226) may facilitate communication of the system (108). The interface(s) (226) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system (108). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, the processing engine (228) and the database (230).

[0078] The processing engine (228) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine (228). In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine (228) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non- transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processing engine (228) may include a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine- readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine (228). In such examples, the system (108) may include the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine- readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system (108) and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine (228) may be implemented by an electronic circuitry.

[0079] Among other capabilities, the processing engine (228) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory (224) of the system (108). The memory (224) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory (224) may include any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as Random-Access Memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.

[0080] In an embodiment, the database (230) may include data that may be either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by the processing engine (228). In an embodiment, the database (230) may be separate from the system (108). In an embodiment, the database (230) may be indicative of including, but not limited to, a relational database, a distributed database, a cloudbased database, or the like.

[0081] In an embodiment, the system (108) is primarily implemented within the Policy Control Function (PCF) (202) and comprises the receiving unit (222). The receiving unit (222) is configured to receive at least one request associated with the Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), from the at least one network entity. The at least one request received by the receiving unit (222) comprises one of: a UE create request, a Session Management (SM) create request, a UE delete request, or a SM delete request. The race condition occurs when both the SMF (204) and the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) send simultaneous or near- simultaneous requests to the PCF (202) for the same user. The UE (104) triggers such requests during session establishment or termination, but the actual signalling toward the PCF (202) is carried out by the AMF (202) (for UE policy creation or deletion) and the SMF (204) (for SM policy creation or deletion). The at least one network entity includes the Session Management Function (SMF) (204) and the User Equipment (UE) (104). The UE (104) may generate aUE create request or UE delete request when initiating or terminating a data session. The SMF (204), in turn,may generate a SM create request or SM delete request in response to session establishment or release procedures. Both the UE (104) and the SMF (204) communicate these requests to the PCF (202) over standardized interfaces. The term ‘UE create request’ refers to “Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Create” request. The “Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Create” request is initiated by a network function (NF) service consumer (e.g. AMF, visited -PCF (V-PCF) in roaming case) to create a user equipment (UE) Policy Association. In an embodiment, the term ‘SM create request’ refers to a “Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create” request. The “Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create” request is sent from the SMF (204) to the PCF (202) to create an SM Policy associated with the PCF (202) to receive the policy for a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session. The PDU session establishment procedure in the 5G network is essential for setting up a data session between the UE (104) and the network (106).

[0082] In an embodiment, the UE create request (Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Create) may be initiated by the AMF to establish a new UE policy context within the network, whereas the SM create request (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create) may be used to establish the session management policy for the PDU session. The UE delete request may be triggered to release or deregister when the AMF initiates termination of the UE policy association, and the SM delete request may be triggered when the SMF (204) terminates the session management context associated with an ongoing UE data session. These requests enable the system (108) to dynamically manage the creation and deletion of the UE context and the SM context, thereby ensuring efficient allocation and release of network resources.

[0083] In an embodiment, the system (108) further comprises the processing engine (228) at the PCF (202). The processing engine (228) is configured to execute functionalities of network entities, such as the PCF (202). The processing engine (228) enables the system (108) to perform the necessary operations such as suppressing race conditions in the network (106).

[0084] In an embodiment, the processing engine (228) is configured to determine the status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the at least one received request. The processing engine (228), also located within the PCF (202), is configured to determine the status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is either active or inactive. The configured timer may include the Sytimer. The primary function of the configured timer is to enforce a minimum waiting or cooldown period to the PCF (202) to ensure that the PCF (202) waits for a specified time interval before initiating the SLCR. The PCF (202) will not initiate the SLCR until the specified time in the configuration sheet is exhausted from the last modified time stamp of a previous Charging Function (CHF) session. The PCF (202) will not initiate the CHF unsubscribe request for the subscriber until all the SMF sessions and the UE sessions are terminated. Based on this determined status, the processing engine (228) then performs specific operations for the received at least one request to effectively handle the race condition in the network (106).

[0085] In an embodiment, the configured timer may be configurable, such that it can be set according to the network’s requirements or various factors such as network load, policy rules, and requirements of the specific user. The configured timer may be configured in a predefined range at the time of sending the at least one request. In an embodiment, the predefined range of the configured timer may lie in a range of 1 second to 30 seconds. In another embodiment, the predefined range of the configured timer may lie within a range of 1 minute.

[0086] In an embodiment, to determine that the status of the configured timer is active, the processing engine (228) is configured to compare a time value of the configured timer with a timestamp associated with an existing session information of the SUPI. The timestamp indicates the last modification time of the existing session information. The processing engine (228) then evaluates whether the time value of the configured timer is within a predefined time interval relative to the timestamp. Upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer fallswithin the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp, the processing engine (228) determines the status of the configured timer as active, signifying that a similar request was handled very recently and the new request should be managed to avoid redundancy.

[0087] In embodiment, to determine that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the processing engine (228) is configured to perform a similar comparison. The processing engine (228) compares the time value of the configured timer with the timestamp associated with the existing session information of the SUPI. The key difference is in the evaluation: if the time value of the configured timer exceeds the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp, the processing engine (228) determines that the timer is inactive. This indicates that sufficient time has passed since the last relevant action, and the system (108) may proceed with the new request without causing a race condition.

[0088] In an embodiment, upon determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the processing engine (228) is configured to perform one or more operations. The processing engine (228) transmits a session-related request to the CHF (206) corresponding to the at least one request. The session-related request is one of type: a spending limit request or an unsubscribe request. The processing engine (228) then retrieves session information associated with the SUPI from the CHF (206) and stores the retrieved CHF session information in a local memory. The processing engine (228) also performs one or more actions based on the session-related request. The existing session information, which is central to this process, comprises at least one of: an active session data of the SUPI, a session identifier (ID), a subscription ID of the SUPI, or a policy. For example, the last modification in the timestamp of the CHF session information is recorded at 10:00 am, and the time interval is set for 5 minutes. If the current time is 10:02 am, the PCF (202) evaluates that 3 minutes are left before the expiration and at least one timer lies within the time interval. The processing engine (228) proceeds with the SUCR creation process. Thus, when the timer has expired, the processing engine (228), via the PCF (202), proceeds with the spending limit creation process. In anembodiment, when the configured timer is still active and the specified time has not elapsed, the processing engine (228), via the PCF (202), refrains from initiating the SLCR at this time.

[0089] In an embodiment, if the processing engine (228) determines that the status of the configured timer is active, it is configured to perform a different set of operations to handle the race condition. Instead of transmitting a new session- related request to the CHF (206), the processing engine (228) defers this action. The deferral prevents the unnecessary and redundant messaging that leads to the race condition. Instead of requesting new information from the CHF (206), the processing engine (228) retrieves the session information associated with the SUPI directly from the local memory. This ensures that the system (108) has the most up- to-date information without having to incur the overhead of a new request to the CHF (206).

[0090] In an embodiment, when the UE delete request or the SM delete request is received by the receiving unit (222), the processing engine (228) evaluates the timer status and the local memory cache prior to initiating any unsubscribe request towards the CHF (206). If the session audit timer is active, the processing engine (228) defers the unsubscribe request until the timer expires to avoid premature deletion of session information that may still be required by ongoing procedures. If the timer is inactive, the processing engine (228) verifies that no other active sessions associated with the UE exist before generating the unsubscribe request. This ensures that unsubscribe requests to the CHF (206) are only triggered under valid conditions, thereby avoiding unnecessary session termination.

[0091] In another embodiment, the processing engine (228) is configured to store the suppressed the at least one request in the database (230) (for e.g. in a queue), such that once the at least one timer expires, the processing engine (228) processes the queued the at least one request based on first come first serve basis. For instance, when the UE create request and the SM create request are received inclose succession, the first request may be processed immediately, while the subsequent request is queued until the expiry of the active timer. The database (230) may include data such as session IDs, SUPIs, spending limits, policy IDs and the like, that may be stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processing engine (228).

[0092] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram (300) for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is explained in conjunction with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0093] At step 302, the UE create request is initiated. The UE create request may originate from the User Equipment (UE) (104) when it attempts to establish a new session or connectivity in the network (106). For example, when the user (102) powers on their smartphone or attempts to access a new service such as video streaming, the UE ( 104) sends a create request to the Policy Control Function (PCF) (202) to initiate session management.

[0094] At step 304, simultaneously, the Session Management (SM) create request is initiated. The SM create request is triggered by the Session Management Function (SMF) (204) to establish the PDU session between the UE (104) and the network (106).

[0095] At step 306, Check Sy Timer. Upon receiving at least one of the UE create request and the SM create request, the PCF (202) checks whether at least one timer associated with at least one received request has lapsed or not within a time interval. The Sy timer tracks the validity of session-related information retrieved earlier from the Charging Function (CHF) (206). For example, if the timer is still active (not expired), it means the PCF (202) already has valid charging session information stored and does not need to request it again. If the timer has expired, the PCF (202) must refresh its session data from the CHF (206).

[0096] At step 308, when the PCF (202) identifies that the at least one active timer is lapsed in the time interval, the PCF (202) initiates at least one SLCR (Sy request) to communicate with the CHF (206). The at least one Sy request is sent to the CHF (206) to retrieve the CHF session information. The at least one Sy request (also referred to as Session Lifecycle Request - SLCR) allows the PCF (202) to synchronize with the CHF (206) and fetch updated charging session details. For example, if the subscriber’s data plan has changed (e.g., a daily data cap was reached), the CHF session information must be refreshed before proceeding with policy enforcement.

[0097] At step 310, Retrieving CHF Session Information. The PCF (202) proceeds to retrieve the CHF session information in response to the Sy request. The CHF session information may include charging session identifiers, quota limits, usage monitoring keys, and applicable rating groups. Alternatively, when the PCF (202) determines that the at least one active timer has not lapsed, the PCF (202) does not initiate the at least one Sy request towards the CHF (206) and retrieve the CHF session information. For example, if the user (102) has a 5 GB monthly data package, the CHF session information retrieved at this step ensures that the PCF (202) enforces the correct charging policy (e.g., blocking access or throttling speed after quota exhaustion).

[0098] Alternatively, if at step 308 the PCF (202) determines that the Sy timer is not lapsed, it does not send a Sy request to the CHF (206). Instead, the PCF (202) continues using the existing CHF session information stored locally. For example, if the user (102) reconnects within a short period (say 5 minutes) after disconnecting, the Sy timer may still be valid, avoiding unnecessary communication with the CHF (206) and reducing signalling load.

[0099] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flowchart of a method (400) for suppressing the one or more requests to handle the race condition in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is explained in conjunction with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

[0100] At step 402, the method (400) begins with receiving, by the Policy Control Function (PCF) (202), the at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from the at least one network entity. The at least one network entity comprises the Session Management Function (SMF) (204) and the User Equipment (UE) (104). The SUPI serves as a unique identifier of the subscriber across network functions, ensuring that incoming requests can be correlated to the correct user and session information.

[0101] At step 404, the method (400) proceeds with determining, by the PCF (202), a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive. In this embodiment, the configured timer is a logical counter implemented in the PCF memory that tracks the last synchronization event with the Charging Function (CHF) (206). To determine if the timer is active, the PCF (202) compares the time value of the configured timer with the timestamp from the existing session information of the user (102). The timestamp specifically indicates the last modification time of that session. The PCF (202) then evaluates whether the time value of the configured timer is within a predefined time interval relative to the timestamp. If the time value of the configured timer falls within this interval, it means a recent action has occurred, and the timer is active.

[0102] In an embodiment, to determine that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the PCF (202) performs a similar comparison and evaluation. The PCF (202) compares whether the time value of the configured timer is within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp. Upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer exceeds the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp. If the configured timer exceeds the predefined interval, the PCF (202) determines the status of the configured timer as inactive, signalling that enough time has passed and a new request can be processed.

[0103] The configured timer determines whether existing session information is still valid or if it must be refreshed. For instance, if a UE createrequest arrives shortly after a previous session update for the same SUPI, the timer may still be active, preventing redundant requests to the CHF (206). Conversely, if the timer has expired, it indicates that session information stored locally in the PCF (202) may be outdated, thereby requiring communication with the CHF (206). The PCF (202) determines the status of the configured timer by comparing the value of the configured timer with timestamps associated with the last known session information of the SUPI.

[0104] At step 406, based on the determined status of the configured timer, the method (400) involves performing, by the PCF (202), one or more operations for the received at least one request to handle the race condition in the network (106). The one or more operations prevent multiple simultaneous requests, originating from the SMF (204) or the UE (104), from triggering redundant or conflicting interactions with the CHF (206), thereby avoiding a race condition. If the status is determined to be inactive, the PCF (202) transmits a session-related request to the CHF (206). The session-related request is one of type: the spending limit request or the unsubscribe request. The PCF (202) then retrieves the new session information associated with the SUPI from the CHF (206) and stores the new session information in the local memory. The PCF (202) then performs one or more actions based on the session-related request. This ensures that the system is updated with the latest session details. The existing session information includes at least one of the active session data, the session ID, the subscription ID, and the policy ID.

[0105] In an embodiment, if the PCF (202) determines that the status of the configured timer is active, the PCF (202) defers from transmitting the session- related request to the CHF (206) corresponding to the received at least one request. Instead of creating a new request and sending it to the CHF (206), the PCF (202) retrieves the most recent session information directly from the local memory. This avoids redundant network traffic and ensures that the system (108) handles the session-related request efficiently without causing congestion or errors.

[0106] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary computer system (500) in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 5, the computer system (500) may include an external storage device (510), a bus (520), a main memory (530), a read-only memory (540), a mass storage device (550), a communication port(s) (560), and a processor (570) . A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system (500) may include more than one processor and communication ports. The processor (570) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port(s) (560) may be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. The communication ports(s) (560) may be chosen depending on a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system (500) connects.

[0108] In an embodiment, the main memory (530) may be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory (540) may be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chip for storing static information e.g., start-up or basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions for the processor (570). The mass storage device (550) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or Firewire interfaces).

[0109] In an embodiment, the bus (520) may communicatively couple the processor(s) (570) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (520) may be, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus(USB), or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (570) to the computer system (500).

[0110] In another embodiment, operator, and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display, keyboard, and cursor control device may also be coupled to the bus (520) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system (500). Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (560). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system (500) limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0111] In an exemplary embodiment, a User Equipment (UE) configured to initiate at least one request associated with a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). The UE configured to transmit the at least one request to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). The UE configured to establish a session with a Session Management Function (SMF) based on a response received from the Policy Control Function (PCF) corresponding to the at least one transmitted request.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium is disclosed. The medium includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network. The method includes receiving, by a Policy Control Function (PCF), at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity. The method includes determining, by the PCF, a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive. The method includes performing, by the PCF, one or more operations for the received at least one request to handle therace condition in the network based on the determined status of the configured timer.

[0113] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made, and many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be implemented merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

[0114] The present disclosure provides a technical advancement in managing subscriber sessions and spending limits in a network by introducing a configurable timer to suppress race conditions. The Policy Control Function (PCF) uses this timer to enforce a cool-down period between successive spending limit requests. The present disclosure ensures that the PCF defers new requests when the timer is active, retrieving existing session information from local memory instead of sending a redundant request to the Charging Function (CHF). This significantly reduces signalling overhead, prevents system overload from duplicate requests, and enhances the overall efficiency and stability of network resource management.ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSUREThe present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of the system and the method that:1. Efficiently handles the race conditions in the network by configuring at least one timer at a policy control function (PCF). This leads to a more streamlined process for enforcing spending limits, and optimizing the handling of spending limit requests in a network decreases unnecessary network load.Ensures proper coordination between the PCF actions and a Session Management Function (SMF) by preventing unnecessary or rapid creation of spending limits and ensuring efficient handling of a Charging Function (CHF) unsubscribe requests. Ensures that the PCF does not initiate the CHF unsubscribe request for a subscriber until all SMF sessions and UE sessions associated with the subscriber are terminated. This avoids premature deletion of subscriber charging data and guarantees consistency across active sessions. Introduces a runtime configurable parameter (ueSyTimer) that allows the operator to flexibly control a cool down period between successive spending limit create requests. This capability enables adaptation of the system to varying network conditions, subscriber policies, and operator requirements. Reduces redundant signalling messages towards the CHF by suppressing duplicate requests within a specified interval, thereby lowering signalling overhead, conserving network resources, and improving system efficiency. Reduces unnecessary signalling and network load by addressing a race condition that leads to the generation of redundant Sy requests and sessions. By suppressing these duplicate requests, the present disclosure optimizes the handling of spending limit requests and reduces unnecessary messages

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method (400) for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network (106), the method (400) comprising: receiving (402), by a Policy Control Function (PCF) (202), at least one request associated with a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity; determining (404), by the PCF (202), a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive; and based on the determined status of the configured timer, performing (406), by the PCF (202), one or more operations for the received at least one request to handle the race condition in the network (106).

2. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one network entity comprises a Session Management Function (SMF) (204) and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

3. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one request comprises one of: a UE create request, a SM create request, a UE delete request, or a SM delete request.

4. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein for determining the status of the configured timer is active, the method (400) comprising: comparing, by the PCF (202), a time value of the configured timer with a timestamp associated with an existing session information of the SUPI, wherein the timestamp indicates a last modification time of the existing session information;evaluating, by the PCF (202), whether the time value of the configured timer is within a predefined time interval relative to the timestamp; and upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer falls within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp, determining, by the PCF (202), the status of the configured timer as active.

5. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein for determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the method (400) comprising: comparing, by the PCF (202), the time value of the configured timer with the timestamp associated with the existing session information of the SUPI; evaluating, by the PCF (202), whether the time value of the configured timer is within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp; and upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer exceeds the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp, determining, by the PCF (202), the status of the configured timer as inactive.

6. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the one or more operations comprising: transmitting, by the PCF (202), a session-related request to a Charging Function (CHF) (206) corresponding to the request, wherein the session-related request is one of type: a spending limit request or an unsubscribe request; retrieving, by the PCF (202), session information associated with the SUPI from the CHF (206);storing, by the PCF (202), the retrieved CHF session information in a local memory; and performing, by the PCF (202), one or more actions based on the session-related request.

7. The method (400) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the session information comprises at least one of: an active session data of the SUPI, a Session Identifier (ID), a subscription ID of the SUPI, and a policy ID.

8. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon determining that the status of the configured timer is active, the one or more operations comprising: deferring, by the PCF (202), from transmitting the session-related request to the CHF (206) corresponding to the received at least one request; and retrieving, by the PCF (202), the session information associated with the SUPI from the local memory.

9. A system (108) for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network (106), the system (108) comprising: a receiving unit (222) at a Policy Control Function (PCF) (202) configured to receive at least one request associated with a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity; a processing engine (228) at the PCF (202) configured to: determine a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive; andperform one or more operations for the received at least one request based on the determined status of the configured timer, to handle the race condition in the network (106).

10. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one network entity comprises a Session Management Function (SMF) (204) and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

11. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one request comprises one of: a UE create request, a SM create request, a UE delete request, or a SM delete request.

12. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein for determining the status of the configured timer is active, the processing engine (228) is configured to: compare a time value of the configured timer with a timestamp associated with an existing session information of the SUPI, wherein the timestamp indicates a last modification time of the existing session information; evaluate whether the time value of the configured timer is within a predefined time interval relative to the timestamp; and determine the status of the configured timer as active upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer falls within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp.

13. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein for determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the processing engine (228) is configured to: compare the time value of the configured timer with the timestamp associated with the existing session information of the SUPI;evaluate whether the time value of the configured timer is within the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp; and determine the status of the configured timer as inactive upon evaluating that the time value of the configured timer exceeds the predefined time interval relative to the timestamp.

14. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein for performing the one or more operations, upon determining that the status of the configured timer is inactive, the processing engine (228) is configured to: transmit a session-related request to a Charging Function (CHF) (206) corresponding to the request, wherein the session-related request is one of type: a spending limit request or an unsubscribe request; retrieve session information associated with the SUPI from the CHF (206); store the retrieved CHF session information in a local memory; and perform one or more actions based on the session-related request.

15. The system (108) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the existing session information comprises at least one of: an active session data of the SUPI, a session identifier (ID), a subscription ID of the SUPI, and a policy ID.

16. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein for performing the one or more operations, upon determining that the status of the configured timer is active, the processing engine (228) is configured to: defer the session-related request to the CHF (206) corresponding to the received at least one request; and retrieve the session information associated with the SUPI from the local memory.

17. A User Equipment (UE) (104), configured to: initiate at least one request associated with a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUP I); transmit the at least one request to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); and establish a session with a Session Management Function (SMF) (204) based on a response received from the Policy Control Function (PCF) (202) corresponding to the at least one transmitted request.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method (400) for suppressing one or more requests to handle a race condition in a network, the method (400) comprising: receiving (402), by a Policy Control Function (PCF) (202), at least one request associated with a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), from at least one network entity; determining (404), by the PCF (202), a status of a configured timer associated with the SUPI corresponding to the received at least one request, wherein the status of the configured timer is one of active or inactive; and based on the determined status of the configured timer, performing (406), by the PCF (202), one or more operations for the received at least one request to handle the race condition in the network (106).

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