Method and apparatus for selecting network entity related to edge computing

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. The present disclosure provides a method performed by an I-SMF in a wireless communication system. The method may comprise the steps of: when first EAS-related information included in a local offloading management policy and second EAS-related information included in EDI do not match, selecting an EASDF on the basis of the EDI; transmitting, to the EASDF, at least one DNS message handling rule determined on the basis of the local offloading management policy; and transmitting, to an SMF, a message including the second EAS-related information and information about the EASDF.

Description

Method and apparatus for selecting network entities related to edge computing

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically to a method for selecting and / or setting a network entity for processing DNS messages in edge computing and an apparatus for doing the same.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in frequency bands below 6 GHz ('Sub 6 GHz'), such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5 GHz), but also in ultra-high frequency bands called millimeter waves (mmWave), such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz ('Above 6 GHz'). In addition, for 6G mobile communication technology, which is referred to as a system beyond 5G, implementation in the terahertz band (e.g., the 3 terahertz (3 THz) band at 95 GHz) is being considered to achieve transmission speeds 50 times faster and ultra-low latency reduced to one-tenth compared to 5G mobile communication technology.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, aiming to satisfy service support and performance requirements for enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), technologies included beamforming and Massive MIMO to mitigate path loss and increase transmission distance in ultra-high frequency bands; support for various numerologies (such as operating multiple subcarrier spacings) and dynamic operation of slot formats for the efficient utilization of ultra-high frequency resources; initial access techniques to support multi-beam transmission and broadband; the definition and operation of Band-Width Parts (BWP); Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for high-volume data transmission; new channel coding methods such as Polar Codes for the reliable transmission of control information; and L2 pre-processing (L2 Standardization has been carried out for pre-processing, network slicing which provides a dedicated network specialized for specific services, and other methods.

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the performance of the initial 5G mobile communication technology, taking into account the services that the 5G mobile communication technology was intended to support. Additionally, standardization of the physical layer is in progress for technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), which helps autonomous vehicles make driving decisions and enhance user convenience based on their own location and status information transmitted by the vehicle; NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed), which aims for system operation in unlicensed bands to comply with various regulatory requirements; NR terminal low power consumption technology (UE Power Saving); Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication for securing coverage in areas where communication with the terrestrial network is impossible; and positioning.

[0005] In addition, standardization is underway in the field of wireless interface architecture / protocols for technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through linkage and convergence with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) which provides nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, Mobility Enhancement including Conditional Handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) Handover, and 2-step Random Access (2-step RACH for NR) which simplifies random access procedures. Standardization is also underway in the field of system architecture / services for 5G baseline architectures (e.g., Service based Architecture, Service based Interface) for incorporating Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), which provides services based on the location of the terminal.

[0006] When such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices, which are increasing explosively, will be connected to communication networks. Accordingly, it is expected that there will be a need to enhance the functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and to integrate the operation of connected devices. To this end, new research is planned to be conducted on 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction, support for AI services, support for metaverse services, and drone communication using eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0007] Furthermore, the advancement of these 5G mobile communication systems encompasses multi-antenna transmission technologies such as new waveforms, Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas to guarantee coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology; metamaterial-based lenses and antennas; high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM); and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology to improve terahertz band signal coverage; as well as full-duplex technology for enhancing frequency efficiency and system networks in 6G mobile communication technology; AI-based communication technologies that realize system optimization by utilizing satellites and Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions; and the realization of services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. It could serve as a foundation for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for effectively selecting and / or configuring an EASDF for processing DNS messages requested by a terminal based on local offloading policy information in an I-SMF that supports local offloading in a wireless communication system.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the network structure and interface of a 5G system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the network structure of a 5G system including an I-SMF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the network structure of a 5G system that supports DNS message processing using a single EASDF between I-SMF and SMF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate a procedure for supporting a local offloading service using a single EASDF in I-SMF and SMF due to a discrepancy between an I-SMF-related local offloading policy and EAS-related information in EDI according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the network structure of a 5G system in which I-SMF and SMF, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, support DNS message processing using their respective EASDFs.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a procedure for supporting local offloading services using respective EASDFs in I-SMF and SMF due to a discrepancy between the I-SMF related local offloading policy and EAS related information in EDI according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the configuration of a terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a base station or network entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0018] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the art to which this disclosure belongs and are not directly related to this disclosure are omitted. This is intended to convey the essence of this disclosure more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0019] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings have been exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing have been assigned the same or different reference numbers.

[0020] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related function or configuration might unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure, such detailed description is omitted. Additionally, the terms described below are defined considering their functions in the present disclosure, and these may vary depending on the intentions or conventions of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout the specification.

[0021] In the present disclosure, it will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams may be performed based on computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions may be optionally loaded into at least one processor of a general-purpose computer, a computer for special purposes, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions performed through any one or any combination of at least one processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions may also be stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory that can be directed toward the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, the instructions stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory may also produce a manufactured item containing means of instruction for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, instructions that perform a series of operation steps on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process executed by the computer can also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0022] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code containing one or more executable instructions for executing a specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks (or functions) described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order according to the corresponding function.

[0023] As used in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “part” refers to a software or hardware component, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the “part” performs certain roles. However, the term including “part” is not limited to software or hardware. The “part” may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to run on one or more processors. Thus, by example, the “part” includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and “parts” may be combined into a smaller number of components and “parts” or further separated into additional components and “parts.” In addition, the components and 'parts' may be implemented to utilize one or more CPUs (central processing units) within the device or secure multimedia card. Also, in the embodiments, 'parts' may include one or more processors.

[0024] As stated above, it should be noted that the blocks of each flowchart and combinations of flowcharts described in this disclosure may be executed by one or more computer programs including instructions. The entirety of one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device, or one or more computer programs may be divided into different parts and stored across multiple memory devices.

[0025] Additionally, any / any function or operation described in this disclosure may be processed by a single processor or a combination of processors. The single processor or combination of processors is a circuitry that performs processing and may include an application processor (AP, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural network processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near-field communication (NFC) chip, a connectivity chip, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio codec (CODEC) chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system-on-chip (SoC), an IC, or similar circuitry.

[0026] Additionally, it should be noted that various embodiments in the claims and description of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0027] Such software may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores one or more computer programs (software modules), and said one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that operate an electronic device to perform a method according to the present disclosure when executed alone or collectively by one or more processors of an electronic device.

[0028] The software may be stored in a transient or non-transient storage device, for example, in the form of read-only memory (ROM) (whether or not it is erasable or rewritable), or random access memory (RAM), memory chips, devices, or integrated circuits (ICs). Additionally, the software may be stored in the form of an optically or magnetically readable medium, for example, a compact disc (CD), a digital multifunction disc (DVD), a magnetic disc, or a magnetic tape. It should be understood that the storage device and the storage medium are examples of non-transient machine-readable storage media suitable for storing programs for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a program containing code for implementing a device or method according to any one of the claims of this specification, and a non-transient machine-readable storage medium storing such program.

[0029] In the following disclosure, determining the priority between A and B may be referred to in various ways, such as selecting the one with the higher priority according to a predetermined priority rule and performing the corresponding action, or omitting or dropping the action for the one with the lower priority.

[0030] Hereinafter, 'A or B' as described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0031] Additionally, 'at least one of A, B, and C' described in the present disclosure may be understood to include 'A', or 'B', or 'C', or 'any combination of A, B, and C'.

[0032] Additionally, 'at least one of A, B, or C' described in the present disclosure may be understood to include 'A', or 'B', or 'C', or 'any combination of A, B, and C'.

[0033] Additionally, 'A / B' as described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0034] Additionally, 'A, B' described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0035] Additionally, 'A and B' described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0036] Furthermore, the phrase "when conditions A and B are satisfied" as described in the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to cases where both conditions A and B are satisfied, but may be understood to include cases where either condition A or condition B is satisfied individually, cases where both conditions A and B are satisfied, or cases where one or more additional conditions are satisfied together.

[0037] Furthermore, throughout this specification, ordinal terms (and similar modifiers) such as 'first', 'second', 'third', etc. are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing various instances, occurrences, configurations, messages, stages, or aspects of elements, operations, or information, as described below. Unless clearly required otherwise by the context, the use of such ordinal terms does not require that the elements, operations, or information distinguished by such terms be structurally different, numerically distinct, or essentially different. For example, 'first signal' and 'second signal' may represent instances of the same signal transmitted at different times, signals containing the same core information even with some variations, or signals having different content or characteristics depending on the specific context. Similarly, 'first value' and 'second value' may represent the same magnitude measured or applied in different situations, or may represent different magnitudes. Such interpretation must be determined based on the specific technical context, function, and relationship described in the relevant parts of the specification and claims.

[0038] Furthermore, although terms such as "first," "second," etc., as used in this disclosure are used for various elements such as information, objects, actions, and sequences, they are not intended to limit such elements to a specific order. These terms may be understood merely as distinguishing one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and likewise, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0039] Additionally, the terms 'first' and 'second' described in this disclosure may be understood to refer to identical or different elements. For example, if an element is information, the first information and the second information may both be information, and depending on the case, they may be the same information or different information.

[0040] Furthermore, the expressions 'if' and 'in case that' described in this disclosure or claims may be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning 'when or upon,' 'in response to,' 'based on,' or 'according to,' and these expressions may be used interchangeably. In addition, other expressions having substantially the same meaning may be used as substitutes, provided that they do not impair the technical features of this disclosure.

[0041] Additionally, the term "not perform" as used in this disclosure or claims may be understood, depending on the context, to mean to omit or skip the corresponding step. Such a term may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially similar meaning.

[0042] Additionally, the phrase "transmitting a message containing A and B" as described in this specification may be interpreted to include not only (i) cases where A and B are transmitted as a single message, but also (ii) cases where A and B are transmitted individually through multiple messages (e.g., transmitting a first message containing A and a second message containing B). This interpretation may also apply to cases where messages containing two or more items, such as A, B, and C, are transmitted together or individually.

[0043] In addition, 'transmitting a message containing A and transmitting a message containing B' can also be interpreted as transmitting a single message containing A and B.

[0044] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described below, terms or components included in the disclosure will be expressed in the singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the circumstances presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural form, it may be composed in the singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed in the plural form.

[0045] The drawings or flowcharts described below illustrate exemplary methods that may be implemented in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the methods illustrated in the flowcharts of the present disclosure. For example, although illustrated as a series of steps, the various steps of each drawing or flowchart may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occur multiple times. In other examples, any step may be omitted or replaced with another step.

[0046] The methods and devices proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure below are not limited to each embodiment and may be utilized as a combination of all or part of the embodiments proposed in the disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied with some modifications within the scope that does not deviate significantly from the scope of the present disclosure, at the judgment of a person skilled in the art.

[0047] In this case, any wording mentioned in different embodiments may be used interchangeably, combined, or substituted if the concepts correspond. For example, regarding the same or corresponding concepts, even if the expression 'A' is used in one embodiment and the expression 'B' is used in another embodiment, they may be understood by interchangeably, substituted, or combined.

[0048] Terms used in the following description to identify connection nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, etc., are examples provided for the convenience of explanation. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects having equivalent technical meanings may be used. Furthermore, where appropriate, such terms may be replaced with terms defined in the 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project) Technical Specifications (TS).

[0049] Hereinafter, the base station, as the entity performing resource allocation for terminals, may be at least one of gNode B, eNode B, Node B, BS (base station), wireless access unit, base station controller, or a node on a network. Additionally, the base station of the present disclosure may include a structure split into a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). In such a structure, the CU is responsible for the upper layer of the control and user plane, and the DU is responsible for wireless resource processing of the lower layer. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be equally applied to a 5G base station structure in which functions are separated into the CU and DU as described above.

[0050] The terminal may include UE (user equipment), MS (mobile station), cellular phone, smartphone, computer, or multimedia system capable of performing communication functions.

[0051] In the present disclosure, a downlink (DL) refers to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted by a base station to a terminal, and an uplink (UL) refers to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted by a terminal to a base station.

[0052] In addition, while a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G, new radio, NR) and a 6th generation mobile communication system (6G) may be described below as examples, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or channel types. For example, new advanced mobile communication systems developed after 5G and 6G may be included therein. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems (e.g., Wi-Fi systems) with some modifications made in the judgment of a person with skilled technical knowledge, without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] In the following description, the terms "physical channel" and "signal" may be used interchangeably with "data" or "control signal." For example, PDSCH (physical downlink shared channel) is a term referring to a physical channel through which data is transmitted, but PDSCH may also be used to refer to data. That is, in this disclosure, the expression "transmits a physical channel" may be interpreted as equivalent to the expression "transmits data or a signal through a physical channel."

[0054] In describing the present disclosure below, the term "upper layer signaling" may be a signaling corresponding to at least one or a combination of at least one of MIB (master information block), SIB (system information block), SIB M (M=1, 2, …), RRC (radio resource control), MAC (medium access control), CE (control element), NAS (non-access stratum) signaling, or application layer messages. The RRC signaling may also be referred to as L3 signaling (layer 3 signaling).

[0055] Additionally, L1 signaling may be a signaling method corresponding to at least one or a combination of at least one of the following: a physical layer channel or signaling of a PDCCH (physical downlink control channel), a DCI (downlink control information), a UE-specific DCI, a group common DCI, a common DCI, a scheduling DCI (e.g., a DCI used for the purpose of scheduling downlink or uplink data), a non-scheduling DCI (e.g., a DCI not used for the purpose of scheduling downlink or uplink data), a PUCCH (physical uplink control channel), or an UCI (uplink control information). The above L1 signaling may also be referred to as physical layer signaling.

[0056] Hereinafter, the expression in the present disclosure or claims that information can be configured from a base station may mean that, depending on the context, a terminal receives said information from a base station through physical layer signaling or upper layer signaling, and such expression may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially similar meaning.

[0057] The operating principle of the present disclosure will be explained in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0058] 3GPP, responsible for cellular mobile communication standards, has named a new core network structure "5G Core" (5GC) and is proceeding with standardization to facilitate the evolution from 4G LTE systems to 5G systems. Compared to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), the network core for 4G, 5GC supports the following differentiated features.

[0059] Network slicing capabilities are introduced in 5GC. As a requirement for 5G, 5GC must support various types of terminals and services (e.g., enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC). Each of these terminals / services requires different conditions from the core network. For example, eMBB services may require high data rates, while URLLC services may require high stability and low latency. Network slicing technology has been proposed to satisfy these diverse service requirements.

[0060] Network slicing refers to a method of creating multiple logical networks (e.g., network slices) by virtualizing a single physical network. An active network slice can be referred to as a network slice instance, and each network slice instance (NSI) can have different characteristics. Mobile operators can satisfy various service requirements for terminals / services by configuring network functions (NFs) suited to the characteristics of each NSI. For example, mobile operators can efficiently support various 5G services (e.g., eMBB, URLLC, or mMTC) by allocating an NSI that matches the characteristics of the service required by each terminal.

[0061] 5GC facilitates support for network virtualization paradigms by separating mobility management functions and session management functions. In 4G LTE, all terminals receive services from the network through signaling exchanges with a single core entity called the Mobility Management Entity (MME), which is responsible for registration, authentication, mobility management, and session management functions. In 5G, as the number of terminals (e.g., including MTC terminals) increases explosively and the mobility and traffic / session characteristics that must be supported vary depending on the terminal type, having a single entity (e.g., MME) support all functions inevitably leads to reduced scalability, which requires adding entities for specific functions. Therefore, to improve scalability in terms of the functional / implementation complexity and signaling load of the core entity responsible for the control plane, various functions are being developed based on a structure that separates mobility management functions and session management functions.

[0062] The present disclosure relates to the operation of a terminal, a base station, and a network entity in a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for selecting and / or configuring an EASDF to process a DNS (domain name service) message requested by a terminal based on information related to an EAS (Edge application server) supported by the network operator (e.g., IP range(s) and / or FQDN(s)) and EDI (EAS deployment information) provided by the edge service provider, by directly transmitting a local offloading policy to the I-SMF in a wireless communication system. In the present disclosure, the local offloading policy transmitted to the I-SMF may be referred to as a local offloading management policy.

[0063] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the network structure and interface of a 5G system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] The network entity included in the network structure of the 5G system of Fig. 1 may include a network function (NF) depending on the system implementation.

[0065] Referring to Fig. 1, the network structure of a 5G system may include various network entities. For example, among the authentication server function (AUSF) entity, access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, session management function (SMF) entity, policy control function (PCF) entity, application function (AF) entity, unified data management (UDM) entity, data network (DN), network exposure function (NEF) entity, network slicing selection function (NSSF) entity, user plane function (UPF) entity, network repository function (NRF), edge application server discovery function (EASDF), (radio) access network ((R)AN), or terminal (e.g., user device (UE)) It may include at least one.

[0066] Each NF entity of a 5G system can support the following functions.

[0067] AUSF can process and store data for UE authentication.

[0068] The AMF provides functions for connectivity and mobility management at the UE level, and one AMF can be connected per UE. Specifically, the AMF provides signaling between CN (core network) nodes for mobility between 3GPP access networks, termination of radio access network (RAN) CP (control plane) interfaces (e.g., N2 interfaces), termination of NAS (non-access stratum) signaling (N1), NAS signaling security (NAS ciphering and integrity protection), AS security control, registration management (e.g., registration area management), connection management, idle mode UE reachability (e.g., which may include control and execution of paging retransmission), mobility management control (e.g., subscriptions and policies), support for intra-system and inter-system mobility, support for network slicing, SMF selection, lawful interception (e.g., for AMF events and interfaces to LI systems), provision of session management (SM) message delivery between the UE and the SMF, a transparent proxy for SM message routing, and access authentication. It can support functions such as access authentication, access authorization including roaming permission checks, provision of SMS message delivery between the UE and SMSF, security anchor functions (SAF) and / or security context management (SCM). Some or all of the functions of an AMF entity can be supported within a single instance of a single AMF entity.

[0069] A DN may mean, for example, operator services, internet access, or third-party services. A DN can transmit downlink protocol data units (PDUs) to a UPF entity or receive PDUs transmitted from a UE from a UPF entity.

[0070] A PCF entity can receive information about packet flows from an application server and provide functions for determining policies such as mobility management and session management. Specifically, a PCF entity can support functions such as supporting a unified policy framework for controlling network behavior, providing policy rules so that control plane function entity(s) (e.g., AMF entity, SMF entity, etc.) can enforce policy rules, and implementing a front end to access relevant subscription information within a user data repository (UDR) for policy decisions.

[0071] SMF entities provide session management functions, and if a UE has multiple sessions, each session can be managed by a different SMF entity. Specifically, the SMF entity can support functions such as session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and termination including maintaining a tunnel between the UPF entity and the (R)AN node), UE IP (internet protocol) address allocation and management (e.g., including optional authentication), selection and control of UP functions, setting up traffic steering to route traffic from the UPF entity to an appropriate destination, termination of interfaces toward policy control functions, enforcement of control parts of policies and QoS (quality of service), lawful interception (e.g., for SM events and interfaces to LI systems), termination of SM parts of NAS messages, downlink data notification, initiation of AN-specific SM information (e.g., transmitted to (R)AN (102) via N2 through the AMF entity), determination of session and service continuity (SSC) mode of the session, and roaming functions. Some or all of the functions of an SMF entity can be supported within a single instance of a single SMF entity.

[0072] A UDM entity can store user subscription data, policy data, etc. A UDM entity (109) may include at least one of two parts, namely an application front end (FE) and a user data repository (UDR).

[0073] The FE may include a UDM FE responsible for location management, subscription management, and credential processing, and a PCF entity responsible for policy control. The UDR may store data required for the functions provided by the UDM-FE and policy profiles required by the PCF entity. The data stored in the UDR may include user subscription data, such as subscription identifiers, security credentials, access and mobility-related subscription data, and session-related subscription data, as well as policy data. The UDM-FE may support functions such as access to subscription information stored in the UDR, authentication credential processing, user identification handling, access authentication, enrollment / mobility management, subscription management, and SMS management.

[0074] The UPF entity forwards downlink PDUs received from the DN to the UE via (R)AN, and can forward uplink PDUs received from the UE to the DN via (R)AN. Specifically, the UPF entity can support functions such as anchor points for intra / inter RAT (radio access technology) mobility, external PDU session points for interconnection to a data network, packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection and policy rule enforcement in the user plane, lawful intercept, traffic usage reporting, uplink classifiers (UL CL) to support routing of traffic flows to the data network, branching points (BP) to support multi-homed PDU sessions, QoS handling for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, or uplink / downlink rate enforcement), uplink traffic verification (e.g., SDF mapping between service data flow (SDF) and QoS flow), transport level packet marking within the uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification triggering. Some or all of the functions of a UPF entity can be supported within a single instance of UPF.

[0075] AF entities can interact with the 3GPP core network to provide services (e.g., supporting functions such as application impact on traffic routing, access to network capability exposure, and interaction with policy frameworks for policy control).

[0076] (R)AN can be a collective term for a new radio access network that supports both evolved E-UTRA, which is an evolved version of 4G radio access technology, and new radio access technology (new radio, NR) (e.g., gNB).

[0077] The gNB provides functions for radio resource management (e.g., radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs on uplink / downlink (e.g., scheduling)), IP (Internet Protocol) header compression, encryption and integrity protection of user data streams, selection of an AMF upon UE attachment when routing to an AMF is not determined from information provided to the UE, routing of user plane data to UPF(s), routing of control plane information to an AMF, connection setup and termination, scheduling and transmission of paging messages (e.g., originating from an AMF), scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (e.g., originating from an AMF or operation and maintenance (O&M)), measurement and measurement reporting settings for mobility and scheduling, transport-level packet marking on the uplink, session management, and support for network slicing. It can support functions such as QoS flow management and mapping to data wireless bearers, support for UEs in inactive mode, NAS message distribution function, NAS node selection function, wireless access network sharing, dual connectivity, and tight interworking between NR and E-UTRA.

[0078] UE can refer to a user device. A user device may be referred to by terms such as terminal, ME (mobile equipment), or MS (mobile station). Furthermore, a user device may be a portable device, such as a laptop, mobile phone, PDA (personal digital assistant), smartphone, or multimedia device. Alternatively, it may be a non-portable device, such as a PC (personal computer) or onboard vehicle.

[0079] The NEF can provide means to securely expose internal exposure / re-exposure, application functions, services and capabilities for edge computing provided by 3GPP network functions (e.g., third party). The NEF can receive information from other NF(s) (e.g., based on the exposed capability(s) of other NF(s). The NEF can store the received information as structured data using a standardized interface to a data storage network function. The stored information may be re-exposed by the NEF entity to other NF entity(s) and AF entity(s) and used for other purposes, such as analysis.

[0080] NRF can support service discovery features. NRF can receive NF discovery requests from NF instances and provide information about discovered NF instances to the NF instances. It can also maintain available NF instances and the services they support.

[0081] FIG. 1 illustrates a reference model for the case where a UE accesses one DN using one PDU session for convenience, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may include the case where one or more DNs are accessed using one or more PDU sessions.

[0082] A UE can simultaneously access two or more (e.g., local and central) data networks using multiple PDU sessions. In this case, two or more SMFs may be selected for different PDU sessions. However, each SMF can control both the local UPF and the central UPF within the PDU session.

[0083] A UE can simultaneously access two or more data networks (e.g., local and central) provided within a single PDU session.

[0084] In a 3GPP system, a conceptual link connecting NFs within a 5G system can be defined as a reference point. For example, the reference point(s) included in the 5G system (100) of FIG. 1 may be as follows.

[0085] - N1: Reference point between UE and AMF

[0086] - N2: Reference point between (R)AN and AMF

[0087] - N3: Reference point between (R)AN and UPF

[0088] - N4: Reference point between SMF and UPF

[0089] - N5: Reference point between PCF and AF

[0090] - N6: Reference point between UPF and DN

[0091] - N7: Reference point between SMF and PCF

[0092] - N8: Reference point between UDM and AMF

[0093] - N9: Reference point between 2 core UPFs

[0094] - N10: Reference point between UDM and SMF

[0095] - N11: Reference point between AMF and SMF

[0096] - N12: Reference point between AMF and AUSF

[0097] - N13: Reference point between UDM and AUSF

[0098] - N14: Reference point between 2 AMFs

[0099] - N15: Reference point between PCF and AMF in non-roaming scenarios, reference point between PCF and AMF within the visited network in roaming scenarios

[0100] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the network structure of a 5G system including an I-SMF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] Unlike an existing I-SMF that selects a UPF by transmitting I-SMF-related N4 session information from an existing SMF, an I-SMF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can directly receive local offloading policy information from a PCF during a PDU session establishment procedure or a PDU session change procedure, and can directly perform the creation of N4 session information and the notification procedure of user plane events in the I-SMF.

[0102] During the terminal registration process, the AMF may receive SMF selection subscription data from the UDM, which includes local offloading policy indication information for each DNN (data network name) and / or S-NSSAI (single-network slice selection assistance information). During the terminal's PDU session establishment process, the AMF may select an I-SMF that supports a local offloading policy based on at least one of the terminal's location information, the S-NSSAI and / or DNN information received from the terminal, and the SMF selection subscription data received during the registration process. The I-SMF may receive a request message for PDU session establishment from the AMF, which includes the local offloading policy indication and / or PDU session-related information received from the terminal (e.g., DNN and / or S-NSSAI), and select a UPF managed by the I-SMF to perform an N4 session establishment operation. Subsequently, I-SMF may forward a PDU session creation request to SMF that includes a list of DNAI (data network access identifier) ​​supported by I-SMF and / or local offloading policy directives. SMF may forward the local offloading policy directives to PCF to receive PCC rules containing local offloading policies. After receiving PCC rules containing local offloading policies from PCF, SMF may forward the local offloading policies to I-SMF. Upon receiving the local offloading policies from SMF, if I-SMF subsequently includes the fact that the terminal supports EDC (Edge DNS Client functionality) in the PCO (protocol configuration option) within the PDU session establishment request message, I-SMF may perform EASDF discovery and selection operations.Subsequently, the I-SMF can transmit configuration information for processing DNS messages within the EASDF based on the EDI. The I-SMF can transmit selected EASDF-related information (e.g., IP address of EASDF) to the AMF, and then include this information (e.g., IP address of EASDF) within a PDU session establishment acceptance message and transmit it to the terminal. The terminal can transmit DNS query messages to the EASDF (local EASDF) received from the I-SMF. Based on the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) information within the DNS query message received from the terminal, the EASDF can transmit the message to the local DNS server configured in the EASDF to receive a DNS response message if the FQDN within the query message is a DNS query message that can be processed by a local DNS server according to the DNS handling rules set by the I-SMF. The DNS response message received from the local DNS server may include the FQDN-related EAS information (e.g., IP address(s) of EAS) requested by the terminal. The EASDF can request an appropriate EAS selection action by forwarding one or more received EAS-related information to the I-SMF. The I-SMF can select an appropriate EAS from among the EASs received by the EASDF from the local DNS server, forward that information to the EASDF, and request the delivery of the selected EAS information to the terminal via a DNS response message. The I-SMF can perform an appropriate EAS selection action based on traffic routing information received through the SMF.

[0103] I-SMF may send a subscribe request message to NEF to receive notifications or reports regarding edge computing service-related information (e.g., EDI (EAS deployment information)) from NEF. The subscribe request message may include at least one of the following: a list of information to be notified from NEF, DNN, S-NSSAI, PLMN ID, UE ID (e.g., GPSI (Generic Public Subscription Identifier), SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier), etc.), and UE Group ID. The list of EDI (EAS deployment information) to be notified from NEF to I-SMF may include at least one of the information listed in Table 1 below.

[0104] [Table 1]

[0105]

[0106] The NEF may transmit a subscribe response message to the I-SMF in response to the I-SMF's subscribe request message. The subscribe response message may include information regarding the result of the successful processing of the subscription. The AF may transmit edge computing service-related information (e.g., EDI) to the NEF. The NEF may perform authorization regarding whether the AF can provide the edge computing service-related information. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the NEF may perform authorization regarding whether the AF can provide EDI. If the authorization is successfully performed, the NEF may perform processing for a request for application within the mobile network regarding edge computing service-related information received subsequently, in accordance with the subscribe request received from the I-SMF. Additionally, the NE may identify a DNN or S-NSSAI corresponding to the AF identifier or AF service identifier information provided by the AF. The NEF can identify a corresponding PDU session or a subscription request received from a previous I-SMF for a DNN / S-NSSAI directly provided by the AF, or for a DNN or S-NSSAI corresponding to AF identifier or AF service identifier information. If there is a subscription request received from the I-SMF corresponding to edge computing service-related information received from the AF, the NEF may decide to provide AF request information to the I-SMF. If a subscription / notification has been generated based on the subscription request received from the I-SMF corresponding to the edge computing service-related information received from the AF, the NEF may decide to notify the I-SMF of the relevant information, and in this process, decide not to store the relevant information in the UDR. Whether or not to store the relevant information in the UDR may be determined according to the operator policy configured in the NEF.NEF may provide AF with the result of authorization regarding edge computing service-related information (e.g., EDI) received from AF. NEF may transmit a notification message to I-SMF containing edge computing service-related information received from AF, depending on the result of the authorization operation regarding whether AF can provide the edge computing service-related information. The notification message may include at least one of a notification identifier, DNN, S-NSSAI, PLMN ID, UE ID (e.g., GPSI, SUPI, etc.), UE group ID, and edge computing service-related information (e.g., EDI) received from AF.

[0107] In the present disclosure, the local offloading policy indication information received by the AMF from the UDM may be referred to as a local offloading policy indication or a local offloading management allowed indication.

[0108] In the present disclosure, the Local Offloading Policy indication that the AMF transmits to the SMF may be referred to as the Local Offloading Management allowed indication.

[0109] In the present disclosure, the Local Offloading Policy indication transmitted by I-SMF to SMF and the Local Offloading Policy indication transmitted by SMF to PCF may be referred to as Local Offloading Management support indication.

[0110] In the present disclosure, the Local Offloading Policy received by the SMF from the PCF and the Local Offloading Policy delivered by the SMF to the I-SMF may be referred to as the Local Offloading Management Policy.

[0111] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the network structure of a 5G system that supports DNS message processing using a single EASDF between an I-SMF and an SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The example of FIG. 3 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the example of FIG. 3, some entities may be omitted and additional entities not exemplified in FIG. 3 may be included.

[0112] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, during a PDU session establishment procedure or a PDU session modification procedure, the local offloading policy containing EAS information supported by the I-SMF, which is received from the PCF according to a network operator policy, and the EAS information requested for support by the I-SMF via EDI received from an edge service provider may be different. For example, the EAS information requested for support by the I-SMF via EDI may include EAS A and B, but the local offloading policy information received from the PCF may include only information related to EAS A. In such cases, the creation of DNS processing rules related to EAS A and the EAS selection operation related to EAS A transmitted via the EASDF may be performed by the I-SMF, while the creation of DNS processing rules related to EAS B and the EAS selection operation may be performed by the SMF. Additionally, depending on the network operator's policy, the I-SMF and the SMF may perform DNS message processing operations transmitted from the terminal via a single EASDF. As described above, if there is a discrepancy between the EAS-related information within the EDI and the EAS-related information supported within the local offloading policy, and a single EASDF is used, the I-SMF can perform a selection operation for an EASDF that supports both EAS A and EAS B based on the EDI. Subsequently, during the PDU session establishment or PDU session modification procedure for the EASDF selected by the I-SMF based on the EDI, the I-SMF can generate DNS processing rules for EAS A-related DNS message processing based on the local offloading policy information received from the PCF via the SMF, and then transmit these rules to the EASDF to perform a configuration operation for EAS A-related DNS message processing. Afterward, the I-SMF can transmit EAS B-related information, which is not supported because it is not included in the local offloading policy, to the SMF.At this time, the information transmitted to the SMF may include at least one of the requested EAS information, EASDF information selected by the I-SMF, and an EASDF context ID. Based on the information received from the I-SMF, the SMF may perform the operation of creating DNS processing rules related to EAS B and / or setting them to the EASDF. The terminal may transmit a DNS query message to the EASDF based on the EASDF information received during the PDU session establishment or modification procedure. If the information within the DNS query message transmitted by the terminal is EAS A-related information (e.g., FQDN(s) of EAS A), the EASDF may request the I-SMF to perform an appropriate UPF selection operation based on the EAS A-related information received from the local DNS server. If the DNS query message transmitted to the EASDF contains EAS B-related information, the EASDF may transmit the EAS B-related information received from the local DNS server (e.g., EAS B IP address(s)) to the SMF and request the SMF to perform an appropriate EAS B selection operation. Subsequently, the SMF can transmit N4 information related to the UPF selected in the SMF to the I-SMF, and perform a UL CL / BP insertion operation containing configuration information for the I-SMF to transmit EAS B related packets to the UPF selected in the SMF. Subsequently, the EASDF can transmit a DNS response message to the terminal regarding the EAS A or EAS B related information (e.g., IP address and / or FQDN) requested by the terminal.

[0113] FIG. 4a illustrates a procedure for supporting a local offloading service using a single EASDF in I-SMF and SMF due to a discrepancy between an I-SMF-related local offloading policy and EAS-related information within EDI, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The example in FIG. 4a is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the example in FIG. 4a, some operations may be omitted, and additional operations not illustrated in FIG. 4a may be included.

[0114] In Step 1, the UE can perform a PDU session establishment request operation. During the terminal registration procedure, the AMF may receive SMF selection subscription data from the UDM, which includes local offloading policy indication information for each DNN and / or S-NSSAI. During the terminal's PDU session establishment process, the AMF may select an I-SMF that supports a local offloading policy based on at least one of the terminal's location information, the S-NSSAI and / or DNN information received from the terminal, and the SMF selection subscription data received during the registration procedure. The I-SMF may receive a request message for PDU session establishment from the AMF, which includes the local offloading policy indication and / or PDU session-related information received from the terminal (e.g., DNN and / or S-NSSAI), and select a UPF managed by the I-SMF to perform an N4 session establishment operation. Subsequently, I-SMF can forward a PDU session creation request to SMF that includes DNAI lists and / or local offloading policy directives supported by I-SMF. SMF can forward the local offloading policy directive to PCF to receive PCC rules containing the local offloading policy. After receiving PCC rules containing the local offloading policy from PCF, SMF can forward the local offloading policy to I-SMF. Upon receiving the local offloading policy from SMF, if I-SMF subsequently includes the fact that the terminal supports EDC functionality (Edge DNS Client functionality) in the PCO within the PDU session establishment request message, I-SMF can perform EASDF discovery and selection operations.I- SMF can receive UE subscription information from the UDM, which includes an indication on UE authorization for EAS discovery via EASDF, indicating whether the terminal can perform EAS discovery via EASDF, and can check whether the terminal has been authorized for EAS discovery via EASDF.

[0115] In Step 2, the I-SMF can perform an EASDF selection operation. In Step 2a, the I-SMF can check the local offloading policy containing EAS information supported by the I-SMF received from the PCF and the EDI received from the edge service provider. At this time, during the PDU session establishment procedure or the PDU session modification procedure, the EAS information supported by the I-SMF within the local offloading policy received from the PCF and the EAS information requested for support by the I-SMF within the EDI received from the edge service provider may not match according to the network operator policy. If the EAS information within the EDI and the EAS information within the local offloading policy do not match, the I-SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit additional information to the SMF to request the creation of a DNS processing rule and an EAS selection operation. If the EAS information in EDI and the EAS information in the local offloading policy match in step 2a, I-SMF does not pass separate information to SMF and can perform DNS processing rule creation / modification and EAS selection operations, PSA (PDU session anchor) UPF selection and / or configuration operations, and UL CL / BP selection and / or configuration operations.

[0116] In step 2b, the I-SMF can perform an EASDF selection operation. If, in step 2a, the EAS information supported by the I-SMF within the local offloading policy (e.g., EAS A) and the EAS information requested for support within the EDI (e.g., EAS A and EAS B) do not match, and the I-SMF and SMF use a single EASDF, the I-SMF can perform an EASDF selection operation that supports the EAS information requested for support within the EDI (e.g., EAS A and EAS B).

[0117] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, step 2b may be performed before step 2a. Specifically, it may be performed before the I-SMF downloads the Local Offloading Policy (or Local Offloading Management Policy) from the PCF via the SMF during the PDU session establishment process according to operator policies, etc. During the PDU session establishment process, the I-SMF may perform at least one of the following operations after receiving the Local Offloading Management allowed indication from the AMF: selecting EASDF, selecting UL CL / BP UPF and L-PSA UPF (Local PSA UPF or PSA UPF in the local site) based on UE location information, obtaining an EASDF IP address based on preset information, and obtaining EASDF DNS security information through the preset information or EASDF. Subsequently, the I-SMF can perform a request to establish a PDU session by transmitting at least one piece of information among the Local Offloading Management support indication, IP address, DNS security information of EASDF, and I-SMF supported DNAI(s) to the SMF. Based on the Local Offloading Management support indication, the SMF can check whether the corresponding I-SMF can perform Local Offloading Management using SM subscription data.If the I-SMF is capable of performing local offloading management, the SMF can receive a Local Offloading Management Policy or an Offload Identifier by passing a Local Offloading Management Support Directive to the PCF. The SMF can pass the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier received from the PCF to the I-SMF. After receiving the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier, the I-SMF can request and receive EDI information via the NEF. Subsequently, the I-SMF can perform Step 2a, which compares the EAS information within the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier received from the SMF with the EAS information within the EDI. The I-SMF can generate DNS processing rules based on the information within the Local Offloading Management Policy received from the SMF.

[0118] In Step 3, the I-SMF may generate DNS message handling rules based on the supported EAS information within the local offloading policy (e.g., Array of EAS A's (FQDN ranges)) and transmit them to the EASDF selected by the I-SMF in Step 2b via a DNS context creation request message (e.g., Neasdf_DNSContext_Create Request). The DNS context creation request message may include at least one of a UE IP address, a DNN, a notification endpoint (e.g., I-SMF), and DNS message handling rules.

[0119] In step 4, EASDF can forward a DNS context creation response message containing EASDF DNS security information, etc., to I-SMF.

[0120] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if the EAS information in the EDI and the EAS information in the local offloading policy do not match in step 2a, the I-SMF may perform steps 5 through 8, in which it requests EAS-related information not included in the local offloading policy from the SMF to process EAS information not present in the local offloading policy. Steps 5 through 8 may be performed after steps 3 and 4, in which the I-SMF transmits DNS processing rules to the EASDF, or after an EAS-related DNS query message not included in the local offloading policy is transmitted according to operator policy, etc.

[0121] In Step 5, the I-SMF can compare the EAS information within the EDI in Step 2a with the EAS information within the local offloading policy and transmit request information for EAS-related processing that is not included in the local offloading policy to the SMF. For example, if the EAS information supported by the I-SMF within the local offloading policy in Step 2a (e.g., EAS A) does not match the EAS information requested within the EDI (e.g., EAS A and EAS B), the I-SMF can include information related to EAS B (e.g., EAS B's Array of (FQDN ranges)) in the EAS information requesting processing (Required EAS information) and transmit it to the SMF. Additionally, if the I-SMF and the SMF are configured to use a single EASDF due to network operator settings or other reasons, the I-SMF can additionally transmit the selected EASDF information to the SMF. The EAS information and EASDF information that the above I-SMF additionally requests processing from the SMF can be transmitted to the SMF through an SM context update request message (e.g., Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request) within the PDU session.

[0122] In step 6, the SMF may perform an operation to create or change a DNS context related to the EAS B after receiving from the I-SMF EAS information that the I-SMF does not support (e.g., EAS B's Array of (FQDN ranges)) and EASDF information selected by the I-SMF (e.g., EASDF ID or IP address of EASDF). The SMF may transmit the created EAS B-related DNS message processing rule to the EASDF via a DNS context creation request message. The DNS context creation request message (e.g., Neasdf_DNSContext_Create Request) may include at least one of a UE IP address (IP address), a DNN, a notification endpoint (e.g., SMF), and a DNS message processing rule.

[0123] In step 7, EASDF can pass a DNS context creation response message (e.g., Neasdf_DNSContext_Create Response) containing EASDF DNS security information, etc., to SMF.

[0124] In step 8, the SMF can transmit to the I-SMF the processing result information of the EAS information (e.g., EAS B's Array of (FQDN ranges)) transmitted by the I-SMF. Subsequently, the I-SMF can include the EASDF IP address in a PDU Session Establishment Accept message and transmit it to the UE.

[0125] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the I-SMF receives EAS information that is not supported by the I-SMF (e.g., EAS B's Array of (FQDN ranges)) and EASDF information selected by the I-SMF (e.g., EASDF ID or IP address of EASDF), and performs an operation to create or change an EAS B-related DNS context, the operation to create or change an EAS B-related DNS context in steps 6 and 8 may be performed by the I-SMF instead of the SMF. For example, if the I-SMF directly performs the operation to create or change an EAS B-related DNS context according to operator policy, etc., the SMF may create EAS B-related DNS context information and transmit the created EAS B-related DNS context information to the I-SMF using a PDU session update (Nsmf_PDUSession_Update) message. The I-SMF, having received the EAS B-related DNS context from the SMF, may directly perform the operation to create or change the related DNS context through the operations from steps 6 to 8.

[0126] In step 9a, the UE may forward a DNS query message containing EAS A-related FQDN information to the EASDF. Upon receiving the DNS query message, the EASDF may decide to forward it to a local DNS server using DNS message processing rules set by the I-SMF.

[0127] In step 10a, the EASDF can forward a DNS query message containing EAS A-related FQDN information to the local DNS server.

[0128] In step 11a, the local DNS server may forward a DNS response message to the EASDF containing information about a server supporting EAS A (e.g., EAS A's IP address or IP addresses) based on the EAS A-related FQDN information in the DNS query message.

[0129] In step 12a, if the EASDF contains information about one or more EASs within the DNS response message, it may forward this to the I-SMF to request the selection of an appropriate EAS.

[0130] In step 13a, the I-SMF may perform an appropriate local PSA UPF selection operation based on the information of one or more EASs received from the EASDF (e.g., EAS A's IP address(es) or the (Arrays of) FQDN) and / or traffic routing information, and then transmit the information of the selected EAS to the EASDF.

[0131] In steps 14a and 17, the I-SMF can perform UL CL / BP and local PSA selection and related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0132] In step 18, the EASDF can transmit a DNS response message to the terminal containing information of the EAS received from the I-SMF (e.g., EAS A's IP address).

[0133] In step 9b, the DNS query message transmitted from the terminal may include FQDN information related to the EAS B. Upon receiving the DNS query message, the EASDF may decide to forward it to a local DNS server using DNS message processing rules set by the SMF.

[0134] In step 10b, the EASDF can forward a DNS query message containing EAS B-related FQDN information to the local DNS server.

[0135] In step 11b, the local DNS server may forward a DNS response message to the EASDF containing information about a server supporting EAS B (e.g., EAS B's IP address or IP addresses) based on the EAS B-related FQDN information in the DNS query message.

[0136] In step 12b, if the DNS response message contains one or more EAS B-related information according to the DNS message processing rules received from the SMF in step 6, the EASDF may forward this to the SMF and request the performance of an appropriate EAS B selection.

[0137] In step 13b, the SMF may perform an appropriate PSA UPF selection operation based on the information of one or more EASs received from the EASDF (e.g., EAS B's IP address(es) or the (Arrays of) FQDN) and / or traffic routing information, and then transmit the information of the selected EAS to the EASDF.

[0138] In step 14b, the SMF can perform PSA selection and related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0139] In step 15, the SMF may transmit N4 information containing EAS B-related PSA information selected and / or configured in step 14b to the I-SMF via a PDU session update request message. The PDU session update request message may include at least one of N4 rules (PDR, FAR, URR, QER, etc.) related with the support of a DNAI) for EAS B-related traffic handling, such as FAR (forward action rule), PDR (packet detection rule), URR (usage report rule), and QER (QoS enforcement rule), and PSA information supporting the EAS B selected by the SMF (PSA CN Tunnel Info).

[0140] In step 16, I-SMF can transmit response information to SMF regarding whether it has successfully received and / or set up EAS B-related N4 information and / or PSA information, etc., received from SMF.

[0141] In step 17, I-SMF can perform UL CL / BP selection and / or setting operations based on N4 information containing N4 rule information for EAS B related traffic processing received from SMF.

[0142] In step 18, the EASDF can forward a DNS response message to the terminal containing information of the EAS received from the SMF (e.g., EAS B's IP address).

[0143] FIG. 4b illustrates a procedure for supporting a local offloading service using a single EASDF in I-SMF and SMF due to a discrepancy between an I-SMF-related local offloading policy and EAS-related information within EDI, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The example in FIG. 4b is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the example in FIG. 4b, some operations may be omitted, and additional operations not illustrated in FIG. 4b may be included.

[0144] In Step 1, the UE can perform a PDU session establishment request operation. During the terminal registration procedure, the AMF may receive SMF selection subscription data from the UDM, which includes local offloading policy indication information (Local Offloading Policy indication or Local Offloading Management allowed indication) for each DNN and / or S-NSSAI. During the terminal's PDU session establishment process, the AMF may select an I-SMF that supports a local offloading policy based on at least one of the terminal's location information, the S-NSSAI and / or DNN information received from the terminal, and the SMF selection subscription data received during the registration procedure. The I-SMF may receive a request message for PDU session establishment from the AMF, which includes the local offloading policy indication (or Local Offloading Management allowed indication) and / or PDU session-related information received from the terminal (e.g., DNN and / or S-NSSAI), and select a UPF managed by an appropriate I-SMF to perform an N4 session establishment operation. Subsequently, I-SMF can forward a PDU session creation request to SMF that includes DNAI lists and / or local offloading policy directives supported by I-SMF. SMF can forward the local offloading policy directives to PCF to receive PCC rules containing the local offloading policy. After receiving PCC rules containing the local offloading policy from PCF, SMF can forward the local offloading policy to I-SMF.I-SMF, having received a local offloading policy from SMF, can perform EASDF discovery and selection operations if it subsequently transmits a PCO within a PDU session establishment request message indicating that the terminal supports EDC functionality (Edge DNS Client functionality). I-SMF can receive UE subscription information from UDM that includes an indication on UE authorization for EAS discovery via EASDF to determine whether the terminal can perform EAS discovery via EASDF, and can check whether the terminal has been authorized for EAS discovery via EASDF.

[0145] In step 2a, the I-SMF may perform an EASDF selection operation. During the PDU session establishment process, after receiving a Local Offloading Management allowed indication from the AMF, the I-SMF may perform at least one of the following operations: EASDF selection, UL CL / BP UPF and L-PSA UPF selection based on UE location information, obtaining an EASDF IP address based on preset information, and obtaining EASDF DNS security information through preset information or EASDF. Subsequently, the I-SMF may perform a PDU session establishment request by transmitting at least one of the following information to the SMF: a Local Offloading Management support indication, an IP address, DNS security information of EASDF, and I-SMF supported DNAI(s).

[0146] Based on the Local Offloading Management support indication, the SMF can check whether the I-SMF can perform Local Offloading Management using SM subscription data. If the I-SMF can perform Local Offloading Management, the SMF can pass the Local Offloading Management support indication to the PCF to receive the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier.

[0147] SMF can pass local offloading management policies or offload identifiers received from PCF to I-SMF.

[0148] I-SMF can request and receive EDI information via NEF after receiving a local offloading management policy or offload identifier.

[0149] In step 2b, the I-SMF may perform an operation to compare the EAS information within the local offloading management policy or offload identifier received from the SMF with the EAS information within the EDI. An I-SMF supporting Local Offloading Management may generate DNS processing rules based on the information within the local offloading management policy received from the SMF. If, in step 2b, there is a discrepancy between the EAS information within the local offloading management policy or offload identifier and the EAS information within the EDI, the I-SMF may generate DNS processing rules based on the EDI information. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the I-SMF may download EDI information from the NEF after receiving the local offloading management policy or offload identifier from the SMF, or may use information that is pre-configured in the I-SMF according to the operator's policy.

[0150] In Step 3, the I-SMF may generate DNS handling rules based on the Local Offloading Management Policy or based on the EDI information, depending on whether the EAS information within the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier matches the EAS information within the EDI. If there is a mismatch between the EAS information within the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier and the EAS information within the EDI in Step 2b, DNS message handling rules may be generated based on the EAS information within the EDI received from the NEF, etc. (e.g., Array of EAS A's & B's (FQDN ranges)), and transmitted to the EASDF selected by the I-SMF in Step 2a via a DNS context creation request message (e.g., Neasdf_DNSContext_Create Request). The DNS context creation request message may include at least one of a UE IP address, a DNN, a notification endpoint (e.g., I-SMF), and DNS message handling rules. In step 2b according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if there is a discrepancy between the EAS information in the local offloading management policy or the EAS information in the EDI, the DNS context creation request message transmitted from the EASDF to the I-SMF may include operation information requesting the I-SMF to transmit an event notification for the DNS query message when it receives a DNS query message containing EAS information (e.g., FQDN information related to EAS B) that is not included in the local offloading management policy.

[0151] In step 4, EASDF can forward a DNS context creation response message containing EASDF DNS security information, etc., to I-SMF.

[0152] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a DNS query message based on EAS information (e.g., EAS A's IP address(s) or FQDN(s)) within a Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier is transmitted from a UE, the operations from steps 5 through 10 are performed, and the operations from steps 11 through 19 may be omitted. If a DNS query message based on EAS information (e.g., EAS B's IP address(s) or FQDN(s)) not included in the Local Offloading Management Policy or Offload Identifier is transmitted from a UE, the operations from steps 5 through 10 are omitted, and the operations from steps 11 through 19 may be performed.

[0153] In step 5, the UE can forward a DNS query message containing EAS A-related FQDN information to the EASDF. Upon receiving the DNS query message, the EASDF can decide to forward it to a local DNS server using DNS message processing rules set by the I-SMF.

[0154] In step 6, EASDF can forward a DNS query message containing EAS A-related FQDN information to the local DNS server.

[0155] In step 7, the local DNS server can forward a DNS response message to the EASDF containing information about a server supporting EAS A (e.g., EAS A's IP address or IP addresses) based on the EAS A-related FQDN information in the DNS query message.

[0156] In step 8, if the EASDF contains information about one or more EASs within the DNS response message, it can forward this to the I-SMF to request the selection of an appropriate EAS.

[0157] In step 9, I-SMF can perform an appropriate local PSA UPF selection operation based on the information of one or more EASs received from EASDF (e.g., EAS A's IP address(es) or the (Arrays of) FQDN) and / or traffic routing information, and then transmit the information of the selected EAS to EASDF.

[0158] In step 10, the I-SMF can perform local PSA selection and related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0159] In step 11, the DNS query message transmitted from the terminal may include FQDN information related to EAS B. Upon receiving the DNS query message, the EASDF may decide to forward it to a local DNS server using DNS message processing rules set by the I-SMF.

[0160] In step 12, EASDF can forward a DNS query message containing EAS B-related FQDN information to the local DNS server.

[0161] In step 13, the local DNS server may forward a DNS response message to the EASDF containing information about a server supporting EAS B (e.g., EAS B's IP address or IP addresses) based on the EAS B-related FQDN information in the DNS query message.

[0162] In step 14, if the DNS response message contains one or more EAS B-related information according to the DNS message processing rules received from I-SMF, the EASDF may forward this to I-SMF to request the performance of an appropriate EAS B selection.

[0163] In step 15, I-SMF can perform an appropriate PSA UPF selection operation based on the information of one or more EASs received from EASDF (e.g., EAS B's IP address(es) or the (Arrays of) FQDN) and / or traffic routing information, and then transmit the information of the selected EAS to EASDF.

[0164] In step 16, the I-SMF can perform PSA selection and related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0165] If information for performing the appropriate EAS B selection and / or traffic handling setting operation requested through the EASDF via step 14 is not pre-configured in the I-SMF, the I-SMF may receive information related to the appropriate EAS B selection and / or traffic handling from the SMF through the operations from step 17 to step 19.

[0166] In step 17, the I-SMF may transmit a PDU session update message (e.g., (I-SMF initiated) Nsmf_PDUSession_Update Request) to the SMF to request information from the SMF for performing appropriate EAS B selection and / or traffic handling configuration actions. The PDU session update message transmitted from the I-SMF to the SMF (e.g., (I-SMF initiated) Nsmf_PDUSession_Update Request) may include at least one of the following: required EAS information (e.g., EAS B's info), DNAI(s) supported by the PSA, indication of UL CL or Branching Point insertion, IPv6 prefix of the PSA, and DL Tunnel Info of the new UL CL / Branching Point.

[0167] In step 18, the SMF may transmit N4 information containing PSA information related to EAS B to the I-SMF via a PDU session update request message (e.g., (SMF initiated) Nsmf_PDUSession_Update Request). The PDU session update request message may include at least one of N4 rules (PDR, FAR, URR, QER, etc.) related with the support of a DNAI) for EAS B traffic handling, including FAR (forward action rule), PDR (packet detection rule), URR (usage report rule), QER (QoS enforcement rule), etc., and PSA information supporting EAS B selected by the SMF (PSA CN Tunnel Info).

[0168] In step 19, I-SMF can transmit to SMF response information regarding whether it has successfully received and / or set N4 information and / or PSA information, etc., including EAS B related information received from SMF.

[0169] In step 20, I-SMF can perform UL CL / BP related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0170] In step 21, the EASDF can transmit a DNS response message to the terminal containing information about the EAS received from the I-SMF (e.g., EAS A's & EAS B's IP addresses).

[0171] Through the above steps, the EASDF can perform an EAS discovery operation including ECS ​​options, etc., through the local DNS, regardless of whether EAS-related information (e.g., Target FQDN) in the DNS query message received from the terminal is included in the local offloading management policy or offload identifier.

[0172] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the network structure of a 5G system in which an I-SMF and an SMF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, support DNS message processing using their respective EASDFs. The example of FIG. 5 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the example of FIG. 5, some entities may be omitted and additional entities not exemplified in FIG. 5 may be included.

[0173] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, during a PDU session establishment procedure or a PDU session modification procedure, the local offloading policy containing EAS information supported by the I-SMF, which is received from the PCF according to the network operator policy, and the EAS information requested for support by the I-SMF via EDI received from the edge service provider may be different. For example, the EAS information requested for support by the I-SMF via EDI may include EAS A and B, but the local offloading policy information received from the PCF may only include information related to EAS A. In such cases, the creation of DNS processing rules related to EAS A and the EAS selection operation related to EAS A transmitted via the EASDF may be performed by the I-SMF, but the creation of DNS processing rules related to EAS B and the EAS selection operation may need to be performed by the SMF. Additionally, depending on the network operator's policy, the I-SMF and the SMF may perform DNS message processing operations transmitted from the terminal via different EASDFs (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF and EASDF for SMF). As described above, if there is a discrepancy between the EAS-related information within EDI and the supported EAS-related information within the local offloading policy, and if I-SMF and SMF use different EASDFs, I-SMF can perform a selection operation for an EASDF that supports EAS A (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) based on the local offloading policy information. Subsequently, during the PDU session establishment or PDU session modification procedure for the EASDF selected by I-SMF based on EDI, I-SMF can generate DNS processing rules for handling EAS A-related DNS messages based on the local offloading policy information received from PCF via SMF, and then transmit these rules to the EASDF to perform an operation to configure the processing of EAS A-related DNS messages.Subsequently, I-SMF may transmit EAS B-related information to SMF that is not supported because it is not included in the local offloading policy of I-SMF. At this time, the information transmitted to SMF may include at least one of the requested EAS information and an EASDF context ID. Based on the information received from I-SMF, SMF may perform actions such as creating EAS B-related DNS processing rules and selecting or / and configuring an EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF). During the PDU session establishment or modification procedure, the terminal may transmit a DNS query message to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) based on the received EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) information. If the information within the DNS query message transmitted by the terminal is EAS A-related information (e.g., FQDN(s) of EAS A), the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) may request an appropriate UPF selection action from I-SMF based on the EAS A-related information received from the local DNS server. If a DNS query message delivered to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) contains information related to EAS B, the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) may forward or deliver the DNS query message to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF). The EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) may receive EAS B information (e.g., EAS B IP address(s)) by delivering it from the local DNS server. The EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) may then deliver the EAS B information (e.g., EAS B IP address(s)) to the SMF to request the appropriate EAS B selection action from the SMF.Subsequently, the SMF can transmit N4 information related to the UPF selected in the SMF to the I-SMF, and perform a UL CL / BP insertion operation containing configuration information for the I-SMF to transmit EAS B related packets to the UPF selected in the SMF. Subsequently, the EASDF can transmit a DNS response message to the terminal regarding the EAS A or EAS B related information (e.g., FQDN) requested by the terminal. The operation of forwarding from the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) can be configured by setting DNS message processing rules in the I-SMF based on the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) information selected in the SMF to perform the corresponding operation.

[0174] FIG. 6 illustrates a procedure for supporting local offloading services using the respective EASDFs in I-SMF and SMF due to a discrepancy between the I-SMF-related local offloading policy and EAS-related information within EDI according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The example of FIG. 6 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the example of FIG. 6, some operations may be omitted, and additional operations not illustrated in FIG. 6 may be included.

[0175] In Step 1, the UE can perform a PDU session establishment request operation. During the terminal registration procedure, the AMF may receive SMF selection subscription data from the UDM, which includes local offloading policy indication information for each DNN and / or S-NSSAI. During the terminal's PDU session establishment process, the AMF may select an I-SMF that supports a local offloading policy based on at least one of the terminal's location information, the S-NSSAI and / or DNN information received from the terminal, and the SMF selection subscription data received during the registration procedure. The I-SMF may receive a request message for PDU session establishment from the AMF, which includes the local offloading policy indication and / or PDU session-related information received from the terminal (e.g., DNN and / or S-NSSAI), and select a UPF managed by an appropriate I-SMF to perform an N4 session establishment operation. Subsequently, I-SMF can forward a PDU session creation request to SMF that includes DNAI lists and / or local offloading policy directives supported by I-SMF. SMF can forward the local offloading policy directive to PCF to receive PCC rules containing the local offloading policy. After receiving PCC rules containing the local offloading policy from PCF, SMF can forward the local offloading policy to I-SMF. Upon receiving the local offloading policy from SMF, if I-SMF subsequently includes the fact that the terminal supports EDC functionality (Edge DNS Client functionality) in the PCO within the PDU session establishment request message, I-SMF can perform EASDF discovery and selection operations.I- SMF can receive UE subscription information from the UDM, including an indication on UE authorization for EAS discovery via EASDF, to determine whether the terminal can perform EAS discovery via EASDF, and can check whether the terminal has been authorized for EAS discovery via EASDF.

[0176] In Step 2, the I-SMF can perform an EASDF selection operation. In Step 2a, the I-SMF can check the local offloading policy containing EAS information supported by the I-SMF received from the PCF and the EDI received from the edge service provider. At this time, during the PDU session establishment procedure or the PDU session modification procedure, the EAS information supported by the I-SMF within the local offloading policy received from the PCF and the EAS information requested for support by the I-SMF within the EDI received from the edge service provider may not match according to the network operator policy. If the EAS information within the EDI and the EAS information within the local offloading policy do not match, the I-SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit additional information to the SMF to request the creation of a DNS processing rule and an EAS selection operation. If the EAS information in EDI and the EAS information in the local offloading policy match in step 2a, I-SMF does not pass separate information to SMF and can perform DNS processing rule creation / modification and EAS selection actions, PSA UPF selection and / or configuration, and UL CL / BP selection and / or configuration actions in I-SMF.

[0177] In step 2b, the I-SMF can perform an EASDF selection operation. If, in step 2a, the EAS information supported by the I-SMF within the local offloading policy (e.g., EAS A) and the EAS information requested for support within the EDI (e.g., EAS A and EAS B) do not match, and the I-SMF and SMF use different EASDFs due to network operator settings related to the I-SMF's EASDF selection operation, the I-SMF can perform a selection operation for the EASDF that supports the EAS information requested for support within the EDI (e.g., EAS A).

[0178] In Step 3, I-SMF may generate DNS message handling rules based on supported EAS information within the local offloading policy (e.g., Array of EAS A's (FQDN ranges)) and transmit them to the EASDF selected by I-SMF in Step 2b (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) via a DNS context creation request message (e.g., Neasdf_DNSContext_Create Request). The DNS context creation request message may include at least one of a UE IP address, a DNN, a notification endpoint (e.g., I-SMF), and DNS message handling rules.

[0179] In step 4, EASDF can forward a DNS context creation response message containing EASDF DNS security information, etc., to I-SMF.

[0180] In Step 5, I-SMF can compare the EAS information within the EDI in Step 2a with the EAS information within the local offloading policy and transmit request information for EAS-related processing that is not included in the local offloading policy to SMF. For example, if the EAS information supported by I-SMF within the local offloading policy in Step 2a (e.g., EAS A) does not match the EAS information requested within the EDI (e.g., EAS A and EAS B), I-SMF can include information related to EAS B (e.g., EAS B's Array of (FQDN ranges)) in the EAS information requesting processing (Required EAS information) and transmit it to SMF. Additionally, the EAS information requested by I-SMF to SMF for processing can be transmitted to SMF via an SM context update request message within the PDU session (e.g., Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request).

[0181] In step 6, an SMF that receives EAS information that is not supported by I-SMF (e.g., EAS B's Array of (FQDN ranges)) from I-SMF can perform an EASDF selection operation that supports EAS B (e.g., EASDF for SMF).

[0182] In step 7, the SMF may perform an operation to create or change an EAS B-related DNS context. The SMF may transmit the created EAS B-related DNS message processing rule to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) via a DNS context creation request message. The DNS context creation request message (e.g., Neasdf_DNSContext_Create Request) may include at least one of a UE IP address, a DNN, a notification endpoint (e.g., SMF), and a DNS message processing rule.

[0183] In step 8, EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) can forward a DNS context creation response message containing EASDF DNS security information, etc., to SMF.

[0184] In step 9, the SMF may transmit EASDF information selected by the SMF (or EASDF information for SMF) (e.g., IP address of EASDF or EASDF ID) to the I-SMF. At this time, the SMF may transmit the EASDF-related information to the I-SMF through the response message to the PDU session SM context update request message of step 5 (e.g., Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response) or through a separate PDU session SM context update request message (e.g., Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request).

[0185] In step 10, I-SMF can perform configuration for processing EAS B-related DNS messages within EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) using a DNS context creation or update message containing DNS message processing rule information for processing EAS B-related DNS query messages based on EASDF information (or EASDF information for SMF) (e.g., IP address of EASDF or EASDF ID) received from SMF. The DNS context creation or update message may include at least one of a UE IP address, a DNN, and DNS message handling rules (including forwarding specific DNS Query (e.g., EAS B) to EASDF for SMF).

[0186] In step 11, EASDF can transmit configuration result information for processing the EAS B-related DNS message requested in step 10 to I-SMF.

[0187] In step 12a, the UE may forward a DNS query message containing FQDN information related to EAS A to the EASDF. Upon receiving the DNS query message, the EASDF may decide to forward it to a local DNS server using DNS message processing rules set by the I-SMF.

[0188] In step 13a, the EASDF can forward a DNS query message containing EAS A-related FQDN information to the local DNS server.

[0189] In step 14a, the local DNS server may forward a DNS response message to the EASDF containing information about a server supporting EAS A (e.g., EAS A's IP address or IP addresses) based on the EAS A-related FQDN information in the DNS query message.

[0190] In step 15a, if the EASDF contains information about one or more EASs within the DNS response message, it may forward this to the I-SMF to request the selection of an appropriate EAS.

[0191] In step 16a, the I-SMF may perform an appropriate local PSA UPF selection operation based on the information of one or more EASs received from the EASDF (e.g., EAS A's IP address(es) or the (Arrays of) FQDN) and / or traffic routing information, and then transmit the information of the selected EAS to the EASDF.

[0192] In steps 17a and 22, the I-SMF can perform UL CL / BP and local PSA selection and related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0193] In step 23, the EASDF can transmit a DNS response message to the terminal containing information of the EAS received from the I-SMF (e.g., EAS A's IP address).

[0194] In step 12b, the DNS query message transmitted from the terminal may include FQDN information related to the EAS B. An EASDF that receives the DNS query message (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) may decide to forward or transmit it to an EASDF selected by the SMF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) using DNS message processing rules set by the SMF.

[0195] In step 13b, the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF) can forward a DNS query message containing EAS B-related FQDN information to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF).

[0196] In step 14b, the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) can forward a DNS query message containing EAS B-related FQDN information to the local DNS server.

[0197] In step 15b, the local DNS server may forward a DNS response message containing information about a server supporting EAS B (e.g., EAS B's IP address or IP addresses) to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) based on the EAS B-related FQDN information in the DNS query message.

[0198] In step 16b, the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) may request the SMF to perform an appropriate EAS B selection by forwarding it to the SMF if the DNS response message contains one or more EAS B-related information according to the DNS message processing rules received from the SMF in step 7.

[0199] In step 17b, the SMF may perform an appropriate PSA UPF selection operation based on information of one or more EAS (e.g., EAS B's IP address(es) or the (Arrays of) FQDN) and / or traffic routing information received from the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF), and then transmit the information of the selected EAS to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF).

[0200] In step 18b, the SMF can perform PSA selection and related setting operations based on the information of the selected EAS.

[0201] In step 19, the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for SMF) can forward a DNS response message containing selected EAS B information (e.g., EAS B IP address or the FQDN) to the EASDF (e.g., EASDF for I-SMF).

[0202] In step 20, the SMF may transmit N4 information containing EAS B-related PSA information selected and / or configured in step 18b to the I-SMF via a PDU session update request message. The PDU session update request message may include at least one of N4 rules (PDR, FAR, URR, QER, etc.) related with the support of a DNAI for EAS B-related traffic handling, and PSA information supporting the EAS B selected by the SMF (e.g., PSA CN Tunnel Info).

[0203] In step 21, I-SMF can transmit response information to SMF regarding whether it has successfully received and / or set up EAS B-related N4 information and PSA information, etc., received from SMF.

[0204] In step 22, I-SMF can perform UL CL / BP selection and / or setting operations based on N4 information containing N4 rule information for EAS B related traffic processing received from SMF.

[0205] In step 23, the EASDF can transmit a DNS response message to the terminal containing information of the EAS received from the SMF (e.g., EAS B's IP address).

[0206] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by an intermediate-session management function (I-SMF) in a wireless communication system may be provided. The method may include the steps of: selecting an EAS discovery function (EASDF) based on the EDI when there is a discrepancy between first edge application server (EAS) related information included in a local offloading management policy and second EAS related information included in EDS deployment information; transmitting at least one domain name service (DNS) message handling rule determined based on the local offloading management policy to the EASDF; and transmitting a message to an SMF containing the second EAS related information and information about the EASDF.

[0207] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of transmitting address information for the EASDF to a terminal.

[0208] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of receiving an EAS selection request message from the EASDF that includes a plurality of EAS IP (internet protocol) addresses.

[0209] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the steps of: selecting an EAS IP address among the plurality of EAS IP addresses; transmitting an EAS selection response message including the EAS IP address to the EASDF; and selecting an L-PSA UPF (local protocol data unit session anchor user plane function) based on the EAS IP address.

[0210] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of receiving second EAS-related PSA (protocol data unit session anchor) information or second EAS-related N4 rule information from the SMF.

[0211] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of selecting a UL CL / BP (uplink classifier / branching point) based on the second EAS-related N4 rule information.

[0212] According to one embodiment, the I-SMF and the SMF may be configured to use a single EASDF.

[0213] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by an edge application server discovery function (EASDF) in a wireless communication system may be provided. The method comprises the steps of: receiving from an intermediate-session management function (I-SMF) at least one first domain name service (DNS) message handling rule associated with a local offloading management policy containing first edge application server (EAS) related information; receiving from an SMF at least one second DNS message handling rule associated with second EAS related information included in EDI (EAS deployment information); and receiving a DNS query containing a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) from a terminal, wherein the first EAS related information and the second EAS related information may be inconsistent.

[0214] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of determining whether to send a DNS query message to a local DNS server based on the first DNS message handing rule when the FQDN is associated with the first EAS.

[0215] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of transmitting the DNS query message to the local DNS server; and the step of receiving a DNS response message from the local DNS server that includes one or more EAS IP (internet protocol) addresses.

[0216] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of transmitting a DNS response including an EAS IP address to the terminal.

[0217] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of transmitting an EAS selection request message including a plurality of EAS IP addresses to the I-SMF when the DNS response message includes a plurality of EAS IP addresses; and the step of receiving an EAS selection response message including the EAS IP addresses from the I-SMF.

[0218] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the steps of: determining whether to transmit a DNS query message to a local DNS server based on the second DNS message handing rule when the FQDN is associated with a second EAS; transmitting the DNS query message to the local DNS server; and receiving a DNS response message from the local DNS server that includes one or more EAS IP (internet protocol) addresses.

[0219] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the steps of: transmitting an EAS selection request message containing a plurality of EAS IP addresses to the SMF when the DNS response message contains a plurality of EAS IP addresses; receiving an EAS selection response message containing an EAS IP address from the SMF; and transmitting a DNS response containing an EAS IP address to the terminal.

[0220] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an intermediate-session management function (I-SMF) may be provided in a wireless communication system. The I-SMF comprises at least one transceiver; at least one processor telecomposed to the at least one transceiver; and at least one memory telecomposed to the at least one processor and storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions may cause the I-SMF to select an EASDF (EAS discovery function) based on the EDI when there is a discrepancy between first edge application server (EAS) related information included in a local offloading management policy and second EAS related information included in EDI, transmit at least one domain name service (DNS) message handling rule determined based on the local offloading management policy to the EASDF, and transmit a message containing the second EAS related information and information about the EASDF to the SMF.

[0221] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0222] A terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a processor (730) that controls the overall operation of the terminal, a transceiver (710) including a transmitter and a receiver, and a memory (720). Of course, it is not limited to the examples described above, and the terminal may include more configurations than those shown in FIG. 7, or fewer configurations.

[0223] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver (710) can transmit and receive signals with network entities or other terminals. The signals transmitted and received with network entities may include control information and data. Additionally, the transceiver (710) can receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to a processor (730), and transmit the signal output from the processor (730) through a wireless channel.

[0224] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (730) can control the terminal to perform any one of the above-described embodiments. Meanwhile, the processor (730), memory (720), and transceiver (710) do not necessarily have to be implemented as separate modules, and can be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. Also, the processor (730) and the transceiver (710) can be electrically connected. Additionally, the processor (730) may include an Application Processor (AP), a Communication Processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, a controller, or at least one processor.

[0225] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory (720) may store data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the terminal. In particular, the memory (720) provides the stored data upon the request of the processor (730). The memory (720) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD. Additionally, the memory (720) may be a plurality of. Furthermore, the processor (730) may perform the aforementioned embodiments based on a program for performing the aforementioned embodiments of the present disclosure stored in the memory (720).

[0226] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a base station or network entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0227] A network entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a processor (830) that controls the overall operation of the network entity, a transceiver (810) including a transmitter and a receiver, and a memory (820). Of course, it is not limited to the example described above, and the network entity may include more or fewer configurations than the configuration shown in FIG. 8.

[0228] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitting and receiving unit (810) may transmit and receive a signal with at least one of other network entities or terminals. The signal transmitted and received with at least one of other network entities or terminals may include control information and data.

[0229] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (830) can control a network entity to perform any one of the above-described embodiments. Meanwhile, the processor (830), memory (820), and transceiver (810) are not necessarily implemented as separate modules, but can be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. Also, the processor (830) and the transceiver (810) can be electrically connected. Additionally, the processor (830) may include an Application Processor (AP), a Communication Processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, a controller, or at least one processor.

[0230] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory (820) may store data such as a basic program, an application program, and configuration information for the operation of a network entity. In particular, the memory (820) provides the stored data upon the request of the processor (830). The memory (820) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD. Additionally, the memory (820) may be a plurality of. Furthermore, the processor (830) may perform the aforementioned embodiments based on a program for performing the aforementioned embodiments of the present disclosure stored in the memory (820).

[0231] It should be noted that the aforementioned configuration diagrams, exemplary diagrams of control / data signal transmission methods, exemplary diagrams of operation procedures, and configuration diagrams are not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present disclosure. That is, all components, entities, or steps of operation described in the embodiments of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as essential components for the implementation of the disclosure, and may be implemented within a scope that does not impair the essence of the disclosure even if only some components are included. The embodiments disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples presented to facilitate the explanation of the technical content of the present disclosure and to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other variations based on the technical concept of the present disclosure are possible. Furthermore, each of the above embodiments may be combined and operated together as needed. For example, at least a portion of each of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined and operated by a base station, a terminal, or a specific network entity.

[0232] Methods according to the claims or embodiments described in the specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0233] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided for storing one or more programs (software modules). One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. One or more programs may include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the claims or embodiments described in the specification of this disclosure.

[0234] Such programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage devices, compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs), or other forms of optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes. Alternatively, they may be stored in memory composed of some or all of these. Additionally, each constituent memory may include multiple units.

[0235] Additionally, the program may be stored on an attachable storage device accessible via a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide LAN (WLAN), or a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure via an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on a communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0236] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the components included in the present disclosure are expressed in a singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the situation presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural, it may be composed of a singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed of a plural form.

[0237] The operations of the network entity or terminal described above can be realized by providing a memory device storing the corresponding program code in any component within the network entity or terminal device. That is, the control unit of the network entity or terminal device can execute the operations described above by reading the program code stored in the memory device by a processor or CPU (central processing unit) and executing it.

[0238] Various components of network entities, base stations, or terminal devices and modules described herein may be operated using hardware circuits, such as, for example, complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based logic circuits, firmware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and firmware and / or software embedded in a machine-readable medium. For example, various electrical structures and methods may be implemented using electrical circuits such as transistors, logic gates, and application-specific semiconductors.

[0239] Although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, it is understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method performed by an I-SMF (intermediate-session management function) in a wireless communication system, If there is a discrepancy between the first EAS (edge ​​application server) related information included in the local offloading management policy and the second EAS related information included in the EDI (EAS deployment information), the step of selecting an EASDF (EAS discovery function) based on the said EDI; The step of transmitting at least one DNS (domain name service) message handling rule determined based on the local offloading management policy to the EASDF; and A method comprising the step of transmitting a message to SMF containing the above-mentioned second EAS-related information and the above-mentioned EASDF information.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting address information for the EASDF to a terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving an EAS selection request message including a plurality of EAS IP (internet protocol) addresses from the EASDF.

4. In claim 3, the step of selecting an EAS IP address among the plurality of EAS IP addresses; A step of transmitting an EAS selection response message including the EAS IP address to the EASDF; and A method further comprising the step of selecting an L-PSA UPF (local protocol data unit session anchor user plane function) based on the above EAS IP address.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving second EAS-related PSA (protocol data unit session anchor) information or second EAS-related N4 rule information from the SMF.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of selecting a UL CL / BP (uplink classifier / branching point) based on the N4 rule information related to the second EAS.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the I-SMF and the SMF are configured to use a single EASDF.

8. A method performed by the EASDF (edge ​​application server discovery function) in a wireless communication system, A step of receiving at least one first DNS (domain name service) message handling rule associated with a local offloading management policy containing information related to a first EAS (edge ​​application server) from an I-SMF (intermediate-session management function); A step of receiving at least one second DNS message handling rule associated with second EAS-related information included in EDI (EAS deployment information) from SMF; and The method includes the step of receiving a DNS query containing an FQDN (fully qualified domain name) from a terminal, wherein A method in which the above-mentioned first EAS-related information and the above-mentioned second EAS-related information are inconsistent.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of determining whether to send a DNS query message to a local DNS server based on the first DNS message handing rule when the FQDN is associated with the first EAS.

10. In claim 9, the step of transmitting the DNS query message to the local DNS server; and A method further comprising the step of receiving a DNS response message containing one or more EAS IP (internet protocol) addresses from the local DNS server.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting a DNS response including an EAS IP address to the terminal.

12. In claim 11, if the DNS response message includes a plurality of EAS IP addresses, the step of transmitting an EAS selection request message including the plurality of EAS IP addresses to the I-SMF; and A method further comprising the step of receiving an EAS selection response message including the EAS IP address from the above I-SMF.

13. In claim 8, if the FQDN is associated with the second EAS, a step of determining whether to transmit a DNS query message to a local DNS server based on the second DNS message handing rule; The step of transmitting the DNS query message to the local DNS server; and A method further comprising the step of receiving a DNS response message containing one or more EAS IP (internet protocol) addresses from the local DNS server.

14. In claim 13, if the DNS response message includes a plurality of EAS IP addresses, the step of transmitting an EAS selection request message including the plurality of EAS IP addresses to the SMF; The step of receiving an EAS selection response message including an EAS IP address from the above SMF; and A method further comprising the step of transmitting a DNS response including an EAS IP address to the above terminal.

15. In the I-SMF (intermediate-session management function) of a wireless communication system, At least one transmitter / receiver; At least one processor communicationly coupled to the above at least one transceiver; and It includes at least one memory that is communicationally coupled to the at least one processor and stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions are the I-SMF If there is a discrepancy between the information related to the first EAS (edge ​​application server) included in the local offloading management policy and the information related to the second EAS included in the EDI (EAS deployment information), an EASDF (EAS discovery function) is selected based on the said EDI, and Transmits at least one DNS (domain name service) message handling rule determined based on the local offloading management policy to the EASDF, and I-SMF causing SMF to transmit a message containing the above-mentioned second EAS-related information and the above-mentioned EASDF information.

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