Network element function orchestration method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium and computer program product

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a network element function orchestration method, an apparatus, an electronic device, a storage medium and a computer program product. The method comprises: determining first information and second information, wherein the first information comprises requirement information of one or more network element functions to be deployed, the second information comprises related information of one or more second devices, and the network element functions are related to artificial intelligence (AI); using the first information and the second information to determine deployment policy-related information of said one or more network element functions; and sending the corresponding deployment policy-related information to the one or more second devices associated with said one or more network element functions.

Description

Network element function orchestration methods, devices, electronic equipment, storage media and computer program products

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411441274.4, filed on October 15, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and computer program product for arranging network element functions. Background Technology

[0004] In related technologies, the integration of communication technology and artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become an important direction for the development of wireless networks. Specifically, this includes providing services by introducing AI-based network element functions (which can also be understood as intelligent network element functions or intelligent AI functions) to improve network performance and ensure user experience.

[0005] However, when deploying AI-based network element functions, there is currently no effective solution for maximizing the utilization efficiency of network resources while meeting the needs of network element functions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the related technical issues, embodiments of this application provide a method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and computer program product for arranging network element functions.

[0007] The technical solution of this application embodiment is implemented as follows:

[0008] This application provides a network element function orchestration method, applied to a first device, including:

[0009] First information and second information are determined. The first information includes the requirement information of one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes the relevant information of one or more second devices. The network element functions are related to AI.

[0010] Using the first and second information, determine the deployment strategy information for one or more network element functions to be deployed;

[0011] Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0012] In the above scheme, the step of using the first information and the second information to determine the deployment strategy-related information of one or more network element functions to be deployed includes:

[0013] For each of the one or more network element functions to be deployed, one or more second devices associated with the network element function are determined using the network element function's requirement information and the second information; deployment strategy information related to the network element function is determined using one or more of the network element function's requirement information and the relevant information of the one or more second devices associated with the network element function.

[0014] In the above scheme, the step of using the network element function's requirement information and the second information to determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes:

[0015] From one or more second devices corresponding to the second information, determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function, and the second devices associated with the network element function meet the requirements of the network element function.

[0016] In the above scheme, the step of determining the deployment strategy information of the network element function by utilizing the demand information of the network element function and the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes:

[0017] Using the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function, one or more cooperative sets are determined. Each cooperative set contains one or more second devices. Among the one or more second devices in the cooperative set is a target second device. The target second device is used to deploy the network element function. The network element function deployed on the target second device can provide services to other second devices in the cooperative set other than the target second device.

[0018] By utilizing the one or more collaboration sets and combining the network element function requirement information, the deployment strategy information of the network element function is determined.

[0019] In the above scheme, the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes one or more of the following:

[0020] Transmission delay information between the second devices;

[0021] Transmission bandwidth information between the second devices;

[0022] Information on congestion between the second devices;

[0023] The geographical location information of the second device.

[0024] In the above scheme, the step of using the first information and the second information to determine the deployment strategy-related information of one or more network element functions to be deployed includes:

[0025] Using the first and second information, combined with the third information, deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined, wherein the third information includes user information associated with each of the one or more second devices.

[0026] The method in the above scheme further includes:

[0027] The fourth information is obtained from the core network, which includes one or more of the following: user experience guarantee contract information of one or more users associated with the one or more second devices, and user location-related information.

[0028] The third information is determined using the fourth information.

[0029] The method in the above scheme further includes:

[0030] Receive fifth information sent by one or more second devices associated with network element functions, the fifth information containing key performance indicator information of one or more deployed network element functions;

[0031] Using the fifth piece of information, combined with the first and second pieces of information, update the deployment strategy information of one or more network element functions;

[0032] Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the deployment policy-related information update.

[0033] In the above scheme, determining the first information includes:

[0034] Obtain the first information;

[0035] or,

[0036] The relevant information of the second device includes the network status information of the second device; the first information is determined using the network status information of one or more second devices.

[0037] In the above scheme, determining the second information includes:

[0038] Obtain relevant information about one or more second devices reported by the second devices;

[0039] The second information is determined using the relevant information obtained from the second device.

[0040] This application embodiment also provides a network element function orchestration device, including:

[0041] The determining unit is configured to determine first information and second information, wherein the first information includes requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes relevant information for one or more second devices, wherein the network element functions are related to AI; and to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed using the first information and the second information.

[0042] The sending unit is configured to send deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0043] This application also provides an electronic device, including:

[0044] The processor is configured to determine first information and second information, the first information including requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information including relevant information for one or more second devices, the network element functions being related to AI; and to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed using the first information and the second information.

[0045] The communication interface is configured to send deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0046] This application also provides an electronic device, including: a processor and a memory configured to store a computer program capable of running on the processor.

[0047] Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the steps of any of the above methods when running the computer program.

[0048] This application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the above methods.

[0049] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the above methods.

[0050] The network element function orchestration method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and computer program product provided in this application embodiment involve a first device determining first information and second information. The first information includes requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes relevant information for one or more second devices. The network element functions are related to AI. Using the first and second information, deployment strategy-related information for the one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined. The corresponding deployment strategy-related information is then sent to one or more second devices associated with the one or more network element functions to be deployed. In the solution provided in this application embodiment, when determining the deployment strategy for the network element functions to be deployed, the first device simultaneously considers the requirements of the network element functions (such as time resources, space resources, and computing power resources) and relevant information for one or more second devices (such as network resources that the second devices can provide). Thus, the determined deployment strategy can both meet the resource requirements of the network element functions and maximize the utilization of the network resources of one or more second devices. Subsequently, the first device can send the deployment strategy to the second devices associated with the network element functions to deploy the network element functions on the associated second devices and provide corresponding services. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the network element function orchestration method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless network element intelligent function dynamic orchestration system, which is an application example of this application.

[0053] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for dynamically orchestrating intelligent functions of network elements, as an application example of this application.

[0054] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another method for dynamically orchestrating intelligent network element functions, as an application example of this application.

[0055] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the network element function orchestration device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the electronic device structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the network element function orchestration system structure according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0059] In related technologies, research on the integration of communication and AI technologies focuses primarily on air interface AI technologies associated with communication technologies, as well as AI-based load balancing, mobility management, and energy-saving technologies. The main research emphasis is on enhancing data acquisition for AI models that enable wireless networks. For example, by enhancing data interaction through the Xn interface, support for AI-based load balancing, mobility management, and energy-saving functions can be achieved.

[0060] Meanwhile, another important direction for improving network AI capabilities (which can also be understood as the capabilities related to the combination of wireless network technology and AI technology) includes: introducing AI-based network element functions into the network, and improving network performance and ensuring user experience through the services provided by these network element functions. For example, in Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN), a non-real-time RAN Intelligent Resource Controller (RIC) can be introduced as the intelligent engine for wireless network management, and a near-real-time RIC can be introduced as the intelligent engine for wireless network element management. Based on actual needs, dedicated AI-based applications (also known as rAPPs) can be deployed in the non-real-time RIC, and dedicated AI-based applications (also known as xAPPs) can be deployed in the near-real-time RIC. Through rAPPs and xAPPs, functions such as improving network automation and optimizing network performance can be achieved (which can also be understood as enhancing network AI capabilities).

[0061] In practical applications, by deploying AI-based network element functions on one or more deployment devices in the network (which can also be understood as deployment network elements, main service devices, deployment nodes, etc., specifically including base stations, terminals, cloud platform nodes, etc.), the network element functions can provide the services corresponding to the network element functions (such as ensuring user experience, improving network performance, etc.) to the deployment devices and one or more cooperating devices (i.e., devices that are provided by the network element function but do not deploy the network element function themselves, also known as the served devices).

[0062] In practical applications, to ensure that network element functions provide services normally, it is necessary to select deployment and collaboration devices that meet the requirements of each network element function. These network element function requirements can include at least one or more of the following:

[0063] 1) Timeframe for deploying and collaborating equipment;

[0064] The time range can also be understood as time resource requirements; for example, when a network element function is used for nighttime network scheduling, the deployment and collaboration devices corresponding to the network element function must at least support nighttime operation (i.e., run at night).

[0065] 2) The spatial range supported by deployed and collaborating equipment;

[0066] The spatial range can also be understood as spatial resource requirements; for example, when a network element function is used to serve a certain cell, the deployment equipment and cooperating equipment corresponding to the network element function need to be located within the cell.

[0067] 3) Deploy the computing resources supported by the equipment;

[0068] The computing power resources mentioned above can also be understood as computing power resource requirements. When AI-based network element functions provide services to deployed and collaborative devices in the network, they need to perform AI-related data collection, training (which can also be understood as inference) and other calculations. Therefore, the deployed devices of this network element function need to be able to provide (or support) the corresponding computing power resources.

[0069] 4) The maximum latency supported by the collaborating devices;

[0070] When using network element functions for AI-related calculations, there may be computational latency requirements. That is, when the collaborating device sends data to the deployment device and the deployment device uses the data for calculations, the data transmission latency needs to be lower than the upper limit threshold.

[0071] As can be seen from the above description, when determining the deployment strategy of network element functions (i.e., determining which devices to deploy network element functions on and which devices the deployed network element functions provide services to), it is necessary to meet the requirements related to the network element functions in order for the network element functions to provide services normally.

[0072] However, due to the spatiotemporal variability of business communication and / or computing loads, information such as available network resources for devices in the network changes dynamically. Therefore, when deploying network element functions, how to dynamically determine deployment strategies based on the relevant information of devices in the network, while meeting the requirements of the network element functions, in order to maximize the utilization efficiency of network resources and achieve maximum network performance (such as return on investment), is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0073] Based on this, in various embodiments of this application, when determining the deployment strategy for a network element function to be deployed, the first device simultaneously considers the requirements of the network element function (such as time resources, space resources, computing power resources, etc.) and the relevant information of one or more (one or more can also be understood as at least one) second devices (i.e., devices used to deploy the network element function). Thus, the determined deployment strategy can both meet the resource requirements of the network element function and maximize the utilization of the network resources of one or more second devices. Subsequently, the first device can send the deployment strategy to the second device associated with the network element function to deploy the network element function on the associated second device and provide corresponding services.

[0074] Simultaneously, by acquiring the requirements of the network element functions to be deployed and timely obtaining relevant information on the dynamic changes of the second device, and considering both perspectives, the deployment strategy for network element functions can be dynamically and on demand determined. This process can also be understood as dynamically and on demand orchestrating and enabling network element functions to achieve on-demand and intelligent provision of corresponding services.

[0075] This application provides a network element function orchestration method, applied to a first device, as shown in Figure 1. The method includes:

[0076] Step 101: Determine the first information and the second information. The first information contains the requirement information of one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information contains the relevant information of one or more second devices. The network element functions are related to AI.

[0077] Step 102: Using the first information and the second information, determine the deployment strategy information of one or more network element functions to be deployed;

[0078] Step 103: Send the corresponding deployment policy information to one or more second devices associated with the one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0079] In practical applications, the network element function orchestration method can also be understood as a network element function configuration method, a network element function management method, or a network element function control method, etc.

[0080] The first device can also be understood as a network function (or network function entity), specifically a network management orchestration and / or control function. The first device can be a base station (e.g., gNB), or one of the non-real-time RICs, near-real-time RICs, etc., defined in the O-RAN architecture. This application embodiment does not limit the name of the first device, as long as its function is implemented.

[0081] The second device may include equipment capable of deploying network element functions, specifically including base stations, terminals, cloud computing nodes (also understood as cloud platform nodes), etc. For example, in a scenario of a cloud-based base station (a base station device implementing containerized or virtualized base station software functions based on cloud infrastructure), the second device may specifically include a cloud computing node for deploying base station functions. This application embodiment does not limit the specific name of the second device, as long as its functions are implemented. The second device is associated with one or more users. For example, when the second device includes a terminal, the users associated with the second device include terminal users; when the second device includes a base station, the users associated with the second device include users within the base station's coverage area who are provided with services by the base station (also understood as users communicating with the base station).

[0082] The network element functions specifically include AI-based network element functions. For example, under the O-RAN architecture, the network element functions may include functions provided by xAPP and rAPP. The network element functions may also be called network element intelligent functions, network intelligent functions, intelligent AI functions, or AI intelligent functions, etc. The specific names of the network element functions are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0083] In practical applications, in step 101, the first device can learn from other devices which network element functions need to be deployed (i.e., determine the network element functions to be deployed), and the requirement information of the network element functions to be deployed (i.e., determine the first information), thereby determining the first information. That is to say, in some optional embodiments, determining the first information includes: acquiring the first information.

[0084] Specifically, the first device can obtain the first information from devices such as network management devices (which can also be understood as network management devices or service management devices). The network management device is at least used for network management, such as monitoring network information, optimizing (or maintaining or controlling) network traffic and data transmission paths, and orchestrating network services.

[0085] Specifically, the first information may include one or more of the following (one or more can also be understood as at least one) requirement information for the network element functions to be deployed:

[0086] Information on the time and resource requirements of network element functions to be deployed;

[0087] Spatial resource requirements for network element functions to be deployed;

[0088] Network resource requirements for network element functions to be deployed;

[0089] Information on the computing resource requirements for network element functions to be deployed.

[0090] Here, the time resource requirement information of the network element function to be deployed can also be understood as time range information or time requirement information. Specifically, the time resource requirement information may include one or more of the following: work start time, work end time, and the length of time to run from the work start time.

[0091] The spatial resource requirement information of the network element function to be deployed can also be understood as spatial range information or spatial requirement information. Specifically, the spatial resource requirement information may include one or more of the following: Tracking Area (TA) range, geographical area range, cell range, etc.

[0092] The network resource requirement information may specifically include one or more of the following: service type information corresponding to the network element function to be deployed (i.e., what types of services the second device deploying the network element function needs to be able to perform), device type information that can be served (i.e., service object information of the network element function), number of users, calculation accuracy information, latency requirement information, etc. In practical applications, the service type information may be represented by one of the following: 5G Quality of Service (QoS) Indicator (5QI), QoS Class Identifier, slice identifier (which can also be understood as network slice identifier), user-defined Internet Protocol (IP) address (which may also include port number information).

[0093] The computing resource requirement information of the network element function to be deployed can also be understood as computing resource requirement information. Specifically, the computing resource requirement information may include one or more of the following: computing resource requirements, information related to the AI ​​and / or machine learning (ML) functions supported by the network element function (such as descriptive information, identification information, etc.).

[0094] Of course, in practical applications, the first device can also obtain the description information of the network element function to be deployed from the other devices. In this case, in step 101, the first device can obtain the first information by analyzing the description information of the network element function to be deployed. That is, in some optional embodiments, determining the first information includes: obtaining the description information of the network element function to be deployed, and using the description information to determine the first information.

[0095] Specifically, the description information of the network element function to be deployed may be associated with one or more of the following:

[0096] The purpose (or function) of the network element to be deployed;

[0097] Applicable scenarios for the network element functions to be deployed;

[0098] Version of network element functions to be deployed.

[0099] Here, the specific uses of the network element functions to be deployed may include one or more of the following (one or more can also be understood as at least one): service application type identification, service experience prediction, user experience (which can be expressed as Quality of Experience, or QoE) optimization, base station energy saving, network load prediction, inter-frequency measurement prediction, wireless link quality (which may specifically include rate, latency, reliability, etc.) prediction, channel quality prediction, intelligent adaptive modulation and coding, intelligent load balancing, intelligent mobility management, slice resource optimization, slice resource prediction, slice performance prediction, positioning, user mobility prediction, etc.

[0100] The applicable scenarios for the network element functions to be deployed may include one or more of the following: high-speed scenarios, low-speed scenarios, densely covered urban areas, high-load scenarios, low-load scenarios, high-interference scenarios, etc. In actual applications, scenario identifiers can be used to represent the applicable scenarios.

[0101] Of course, in step 101, the first device may first determine its own relevant information (i.e., the second information) related to the deployment of network element functions, and determine which network element functions need to be deployed based on the relevant information of the one or more second devices, and then determine the requirement information (i.e., the first information) of the network element functions to be deployed in step 101. The one or more second devices may proactively report their own relevant information to the first device; that is, in some optional embodiments, determining the second information includes:

[0102] Obtain relevant information about one or more second devices reported by the second devices;

[0103] The second information is determined using the relevant information obtained from the second device.

[0104] Specifically, the relevant information of the second device may include the network status information of the second device; in some optional embodiments, determining the first information includes:

[0105] The first information is determined using network status information from one or more second devices. Specifically, the network status information may be associated with one or more of the following: user experience, network load, user edge rate, network power consumption, and transmission latency between the second devices.

[0106] For example, assuming that the network information of a second device associated with a certain area (such as a cell) indicates that the user experience and / or edge rate of that area are lower than a preset threshold (which can also be understood as a preset threshold), and / or that the network load of that area is higher than a preset threshold, the first device can determine that a network element function for service experience assurance (also known as a service experience assurance intelligent function) needs to be deployed in that area; assuming that the network information of a second device associated with a certain area (such as a cell) indicates that the network energy consumption of that area is higher than a preset threshold, the first device can determine that a network element function for energy saving (also known as an energy-saving intelligent function) needs to be deployed in that area; at the same time, the first device can determine the requirement information corresponding to the network element function to be deployed based on the preset correspondence between network element functions and corresponding requirement information.

[0107] In practical applications, after determining the first information, the first device needs to deploy the network element function to be deployed onto a suitable second device. Therefore, in step 101, the first device also needs to obtain relevant information (i.e., the second information) of one or more second devices that can be used to deploy the network element function, in order to determine which second devices are suitable for deploying the network element function. As mentioned above, the first device can receive its own relevant information reported by each second device, and then determine the second information.

[0108] Specifically, the second device can periodically collect its own relevant information and report the collected information to the first device. In this case, the first device can set the collection period and / or reporting period of the second device according to actual needs. Of course, the second device can also collect and report its relevant information in an event-triggered manner. In this case, the first device can set the reporting time and / or collection trigger event of the second device according to actual needs.

[0109] In practical applications, in step 102, the first device can determine the deployment strategy information corresponding to each network element function that needs to be deployed.

[0110] Specifically, in some optional embodiments, the specific implementation of step 102 may include:

[0111] For each of the one or more network element functions to be deployed, one or more second devices associated with the network element function are determined using the network element function's requirement information and the second information; and deployment strategy information related to the network element function is determined using the network element function's requirement information and / or the relevant information of the one or more second devices associated with the network element function.

[0112] Specifically, for each network element function, the first device can select one or more second devices from one or more second devices that match the requirements of the network element function (or can be understood as being able to meet the requirements of the network element function). The selected one or more second devices can also be understood as the service objects of the network element function.

[0113] Based on this, in some optional embodiments, determining one or more second devices associated with the network element function using the network element function's requirement information and the second information includes:

[0114] From one or more second devices corresponding to the second information, determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function, and the second devices associated with the network element function meet the requirements of the network element function.

[0115] In practical applications, the network element function can be deployed only on a subset of the second devices among all the service objects of the network element function (i.e., one or more second devices associated with the network element function). In this case, the network element function can provide services to the device that deploys the network element function (which can also be understood as the deployment device, main service device, deployment node, etc., hereinafter referred to as the target second device) and other second devices among the service objects besides the deployment device (which can also be understood as cooperating devices, served devices, service nodes, etc., hereinafter referred to as cooperating second devices). In this case, the set of each target second device and the set of cooperating second devices served by the network element function on that target second device can be called a cooperation set (or cooperation pool, computing power cooperation pool).

[0116] Based on this, in step 102, the first device can determine one or more cooperation sets for each network element function, thereby determining relevant information for deploying the network element function. That is, in some optional embodiments, determining the deployment strategy information for the network element function using the requirement information of the network element function and the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes:

[0117] Using the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function, one or more cooperative sets are determined. Each cooperative set contains one or more second devices. Among the one or more second devices in the cooperative set is a target second device. The target second device is used to deploy the network element function. The network element function deployed on the target second device can provide services to other second devices in the cooperative set other than the target second device.

[0118] By utilizing the one or more collaboration sets and combining the network element function requirement information, the deployment strategy information of the network element function is determined.

[0119] In practical applications, the first device, for each network element function, combines the user information (i.e., the relevant information of the user associated with the second device) corresponding to the second device (i.e., the service object) associated with that network element function to determine one or more target second devices from the second devices associated with that network element function.

[0120] Specifically, in some optional embodiments, determining the deployment strategy-related information of one or more network element functions to be deployed using the first information and the second information includes:

[0121] Using the first and second information, combined with the third information, deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined, wherein the third information includes user information associated with each of the one or more second devices.

[0122] More specifically, in some optional embodiments, the method may further include:

[0123] The fourth information is obtained from the core network, which includes user experience guarantee contract information and / or user location-related information of one or more users associated with the one or more second devices;

[0124] The third information is determined using the fourth information.

[0125] In practical applications, the first device can utilize the user experience guarantee subscription information and / or user location-related information of one or more users associated with the second device to determine the number of users requiring experience guarantee and / or user traffic for each second device. Thus, the first device can select one or more second devices from the one or more second devices associated with the network element function that have sufficient computing resources and whose corresponding number of users requiring experience guarantee and / or user traffic exceeds a preset threshold, as target second devices. Simultaneously, for each target second device, the first device can select second devices with transmission latency less than a preset threshold as cooperating second devices in the corresponding cooperation set. This results in one or more cooperation sets.

[0126] Specifically, the first device can determine the transmission delay using relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function. In some optional embodiments, the relevant information of the one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes one or more of the following:

[0127] Transmission delay information between the second devices;

[0128] Transmission bandwidth information between the second devices;

[0129] Information on congestion between the second devices;

[0130] The geographical location information of the second device.

[0131] In practical applications, after determining one or more collaboration sets corresponding to a network element function, the first device can use the requirement information of the network element function to determine the relevant information for deploying the network element function (i.e., the deployment strategy information of the network element function) for the second device in each collaboration set.

[0132] Specifically, the information related to deploying this network element function may include the deployment strategy and operating strategy corresponding to the network element function. The deployment strategy may specifically include one or more of the following:

[0133] Identification information of network element functions;

[0134] Description information of network element functions;

[0135] The target secondary device information corresponding to the network element function, such as node identifier, base station identifier, etc.;

[0136] The computing resources required for the deployment of network element functions.

[0137] The work strategy may specifically include one or more of the following:

[0138] Working time range, which is used to indicate the working time period of network element functions;

[0139] Service equipment information for network element functions, such as the node identifier of the target second device corresponding to the network element function, the node identifier of the cooperating second device, etc.

[0140] The network element function has an activation policy and a termination policy; wherein the activation policy is used to instruct the target second device to trigger the automatic activation of the network element function based on environmental information, and the termination policy is used to instruct the target second device to trigger the automatic termination of the network element function based on environmental information; here, the environmental information includes one or more of the following: channel environment, service load, service quality, etc.

[0141] The elastic scaling strategy for network element functions to occupy resources is used to instruct the target second device to trigger automatic elastic scaling of resources.

[0142] For example, assuming a certain network element function is used to ensure service experience, the startup strategy corresponding to the network element function may specifically include: when the user experience or edge rate of the second device is lower than a first preset threshold, it is determined that the network element function needs to be started; the termination strategy corresponding to the network element function may specifically include: when the user experience or edge rate of the second device is higher than a second preset threshold, it is determined that the network element function needs to be terminated (or can be understood as being de-deployed).

[0143] In practical applications, when the first device only determines the first information or only determines the second information, that is, when the first device only knows the requirement information of each network element function to be deployed, or when the first device only knows the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function, the first device can determine the deployment strategy-related information of the network element function to be deployed corresponding to the known information based on historical information (such as historical deployment strategy-related information). Alternatively, the first device can also randomly determine (or blindly determine) the deployment strategy-related information of the network element function to be deployed.

[0144] After determining the deployment strategy information for the network element functions to be deployed, in step 103, the first device can, at the granularity of the network element function, send the deployment strategy and operating strategy of each network element function to one or more second devices associated with that network element function; alternatively, the first device can, at the granularity of the second device, send the deployment strategy and operating strategy of all network element functions associated with that second device to that second device. Specifically, the first device can send the corresponding deployment strategy and operating strategy to each second device through the interface between the first device and the second device.

[0145] Upon receiving the deployment and operational policies, the target second device associated with each network element function can deploy that function according to the received deployment policy. Simultaneously, each target second device can establish a communication channel with the collaborating second devices in the corresponding collaboration set according to the deployment policy. Thus, the deployed network element function can operate based on the operational policy, providing services to the target second device and the collaborating second devices in the corresponding collaboration set.

[0146] Specifically, each cooperating second device can correspond to one or more target second devices. That is, each cooperating second device can be configured with one or more target second devices that can provide services to it. If a cooperating second device corresponds to multiple target second devices, after establishing a communication channel between the cooperating second device and the multiple target second devices, the actual target second device that provides services to the cooperating second device can be determined through the interaction between the cooperating second device and the multiple target second devices. Then, the determined target second device provides the network element function corresponding services to the cooperating second device.

[0147] In practical applications, when one or more network element functions deployed on the target second device are running based on the corresponding working strategy, the target second device can collect key performance indicator information of the one or more network element functions and report the collected key performance indicator information to the first device, so that the first device can use the key performance indicator information to update the deployment strategy and / or working strategy of the network element functions, that is, update the deployment strategy related information of the one or more network element functions, so that the network element functions can provide better services.

[0148] Based on this, in some optional embodiments, the method may further include:

[0149] Receive fifth information sent by one or more second devices associated with network element functions, the fifth information containing key performance indicator information of one or more deployed network element functions;

[0150] Using the fifth piece of information, combined with the first and second pieces of information, update the deployment strategy information of one or more network element functions;

[0151] Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the deployment policy-related information update.

[0152] The key performance indicators of network element functions may specifically include one or more of the following:

[0153] Information on the computing resources used by network element functions;

[0154] Performance information of AI and / or ML models deployed in network element functions (such as model accuracy, prediction precision, etc.);

[0155] Information related to one or more second devices provided by the network element function service (such as the identification, geographical location, power consumption, etc. of the second device);

[0156] Information related to the serving cell (specifically, it may include one or more cells) of one or more second devices provided by the network element function service (such as cell identifier, cell load, average cell rate, cell edge rate, cell coverage, etc. for each cell).

[0157] The network element function orchestration method provided in this application embodiment involves a first device determining first information and second information. The first information includes requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes relevant information for one or more second devices. The network element functions are related to AI. Using the first and second information, deployment strategy-related information for the one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined. The corresponding deployment strategy-related information is then sent to one or more second devices associated with the one or more network element functions to be deployed. In the solution provided in this application embodiment, when determining the deployment strategy for the network element functions to be deployed, the first device simultaneously considers the requirements of the network element functions (such as time resources, space resources, and computing power resources) and relevant information for one or more second devices (such as network resources that the second devices can provide). Thus, the determined deployment strategy can both meet the resource requirements of the network element functions and maximize the utilization of the network resources of one or more second devices. Subsequently, the first device can send the deployment strategy to the second devices associated with the network element functions to deploy the network element functions on the associated second devices and provide corresponding services.

[0158] The following section provides a more detailed description of this application with reference to application examples.

[0159] In practical applications, some devices in the network may not be able to support the deployment of all network element intelligent functions, while some network element intelligent functions do not need to be deployed on all service devices. For example, some devices in the network may have limited computing resources, meaning they may be unable to provide (or not support) the computing resources required for the network element intelligent functions to be deployed (i.e., they cannot enable the network element intelligent function features); or, some devices in the network may not meet the requirements of network element intelligent functions, in which case these devices are not suitable for deploying network element intelligent functions; at the same time, due to the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of service communication load and / or computing load, the computing resources of some devices with strong computing capabilities may not be fully utilized.

[0160] Based on this, as shown in Figure 2, this application example provides a dynamic orchestration system architecture for wireless network element intelligent functions (i.e., the aforementioned network element functions), including: network management orchestration and / or control functions (i.e., the aforementioned first device), and devices in the network such as base stations, terminals, and cloud platform nodes that can be used to deploy network element intelligent functions (i.e., the aforementioned second device). The network element intelligent functions can support AI and / or ML functions (which can also be understood as AL and / or ML applications, specifically including AL and / or ML models).

[0161] Among them, network management orchestration and / or control functions can serve as decision anchors to obtain relevant information such as network functions and computing resources of devices such as base stations, terminals, and cloud platform nodes (i.e., the second information mentioned above), as well as the deployment requirements of network element intelligent functions (i.e., the first information mentioned above, which can also be understood as dynamic orchestration intentions). This allows for the dynamic determination of the devices that deploy network element intelligent functions and the devices that provide network element intelligent function services, thereby completing the deployment and related configuration of network element intelligent functions. In this way, the network element intelligent functions deployed on the devices can simultaneously provide corresponding services to one or more devices.

[0162] Based on this, and in conjunction with the above system architecture, this application example provides a method for dynamically orchestrating intelligent functions of network elements, as shown in Figure 3, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0163] Step 301: The network management orchestration and / or control functions obtain user experience assurance contract information and user location-related information (i.e., the fourth information mentioned above) from the core network; at the same time, the network management orchestration and / or control functions obtain service requests for network element intelligent functions from the intelligent analysis function or optimization personnel.

[0164] Specifically, network management, orchestration, and / or control functions may include Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) or Non-Real Time RIC as defined in the O-RAN standard.

[0165] Here, the service request for obtaining network element intelligent functions from intelligent analysis functions or optimization personnel can also be understood as network operation and maintenance personnel providing dynamic orchestration intentions (or network optimization intention requirements) or policy information related to network element intelligent functions; or, dynamic orchestration intentions or policy information related to network element intelligent functions can be automatically generated by dynamic monitoring of network performance.

[0166] Step 302: The network management orchestration and / or control functions acquire relevant information such as computing resource status and network status reported by network-related devices;

[0167] Each of the network-related devices can be one of a base station, an edge cloud node, or a near-real-time RIC (Near-RT RIC). For example, as shown in Figure 3, the network-related devices can specifically include base station 1, base station 2, and base station 3. Base station 1, base station 2, and base station 3 can be understood as E2 nodes as defined in the O-RAN standard.

[0168] Step 303: The network management orchestration and / or control functions use the information obtained in steps 301 and 302 to determine the strategy information of the network element intelligent functions (specifically, it may include deployment strategies and working strategies, i.e., the above-mentioned deployment strategy related information);

[0169] Specifically, the network management orchestration and / or control functions can utilize user experience assurance subscription information and user location-related information to determine the user information corresponding to each network-related device (i.e., the aforementioned third information); at the same time, the network management orchestration and / or control functions can utilize the service requests of the network element intelligent functions to determine the demand information corresponding to the network element intelligent functions (i.e., the aforementioned first information).

[0170] In practical applications, network management orchestration and / or control functions can then utilize user information, demand information, and information reported by network-related devices to determine which network-related devices to deploy network element intelligent functions (i.e., deployment strategies), as well as the working time range of network element intelligent functions, which network-related devices they serve, start-up timing, and termination timing, etc.

[0171] Specifically, network management orchestration and / or control functions can calculate or predict the number of users and user traffic that need to be guaranteed in each cell based on user experience guarantee subscription information and user location information obtained from the core network; and determine the deployment strategy of network element intelligent functions based on the number of users and traffic information to be guaranteed.

[0172] For example, the network management orchestration and / or control function can select the base station with sufficient computing power and the largest number of users requiring experience guarantee services or the largest experience guarantee service traffic load as the deployment node of the network element intelligent function (i.e., the aforementioned target second device) by statistically analyzing or predicting the number of users subscribed to experience guarantee services and the service load within the coverage area of ​​each base station, as well as the transmission latency and base station computing power status information between multiple base stations. The set of other base stations with transmission latency less than a preset threshold around the selected base station as the deployment node is selected as the base station that can be served by the network element intelligent function (i.e., the aforementioned cooperative second device). That is, the network element intelligent function of the selected base station as the deployment node can simultaneously provide computing services to the set of other base stations around it that meet the latency requirements. At this time, the selected base station and the set of other base stations can form a base station computing power cooperative pool.

[0173] Step 304: The network management orchestration and / or control functions distribute the determined policy information to the network-related devices corresponding to the network element intelligent functions;

[0174] Among them, the network-related equipment corresponding to the network element intelligent function includes base station 1, base station 2, and base station 3. Base station 1 is the deployment node of the network element intelligent function, and base station 2 and base station 3 are the service nodes of the network element intelligent function.

[0175] Step 305: Base station 1 deploys network element intelligent functions according to the policy information; base stations 2 and 3 establish communication channels with base station 1 according to the policy information (i.e., communication channels between the network element intelligent function deployment node and the network element intelligent function served node).

[0176] Step 306: After deploying the network element intelligent function at base station 1, determine whether to enable or disable the intelligent function, or flexibly scale the resource usage of the network element intelligent function, according to the working strategy.

[0177] Step 307: Base station 1 reports the policy execution status and key performance indicators related to network element intelligent functions (i.e., the fifth piece of information mentioned above) to the network management orchestration and / or control functions;

[0178] Step 308: The network management orchestration and / or control functions use the information obtained in steps 301, 302 and 307 to update the policy information of the network element intelligent functions;

[0179] Step 309: The network management orchestration and / or control functions will distribute the updated policy information to the network-related devices corresponding to the network element intelligent functions.

[0180] This application example also provides a method for dynamically orchestrating intelligent functions of network elements, as shown in Figure 4, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0181] Step 401: Network management orchestration and / or control functions obtain service requests from network element intelligent functions;

[0182] Step 402: The network management orchestration and / or control functions acquire relevant information such as computing resource status and network status reported by network-related devices;

[0183] In one scenario, the network management orchestration and / or control function may specifically include an SMO or a Non-RT RIC; each of the network-related devices may specifically be a base station, an edge cloud node, or a Near-RT RIC. A base station can be understood as an E2 node as defined in the O-RAN standard. In this case, in step 401, the network management orchestration and / or control function may obtain service requests for network element intelligent functions from intelligent analysis functions or optimization personnel.

[0184] In another scenario, the network management orchestration and / or control functions may specifically include Near-RT RICs, where each of the network-related devices can be a base station, an edge cloud node, or a Near-RT RIC. In this case, in step 401, the network management orchestration and / or control functions can obtain service requests for network element intelligent functions from either the SMO or the Non-RT RIC.

[0185] Step 403: The network management orchestration and / or control functions use the information obtained in steps 301 and 302 to determine the policy information of the network element intelligent functions (specifically, it may include deployment policies and working policies, i.e., the above-mentioned deployment policy related information);

[0186] Specifically, the network management orchestration and / or control functions can utilize the service requests of the network element intelligent functions to determine the corresponding requirement information (i.e., the aforementioned first information). At this point, the network management orchestration and / or control functions can determine the deployment and operational strategies of the network element intelligent functions solely based on the requirement information corresponding to the network element intelligent functions and the information reported by relevant network devices. Then, steps 404 to 409 are executed. Steps 404 to 409 can be understood in accordance with steps 304 to 309, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0187] The application example provided in this application proposes a dynamic orchestration method for intelligent network element functions. It can dynamically deploy (or enable) and orchestrate intelligent network element functions based on network optimization intent requirements, user subscription information (which can also be understood as user service subscription information or user information), and relevant information such as the computing and communication status of network-related devices (which can also be understood as air interface and transmission resource status).

[0188] Enables dynamic, on-demand deployment and orchestration of intelligent network element functions.

[0189] Meanwhile, the network element intelligence function can serve multiple base stations dynamically at the same time, realizing dynamic pooling and sharing of access network computing resources; improving the utilization efficiency of infrastructure computing resources; at the same time, the working strategies of network element intelligence function such as activation, deactivation and scaling can be dynamically updated according to network status, better matching user needs and optimizing network resource efficiency.

[0190] To implement the method of this application embodiment, this application embodiment also provides a network element function orchestration device, disposed on a first device, as shown in FIG5, the device including:

[0191] The determining unit 501 is configured to determine first information and second information, wherein the first information includes requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes relevant information for one or more second devices, wherein the network element functions are related to AI; and to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed using the first information and the second information.

[0192] The sending unit 502 is configured to send deployment strategy-related information to one or more second devices associated with one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0193] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured as follows:

[0194] For each of the one or more network element functions to be deployed, one or more second devices associated with the network element function are determined using the network element function's requirement information and the second information; and deployment strategy information related to the network element function is determined using the network element function's requirement information and / or the relevant information of the one or more second devices associated with the network element function.

[0195] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured to:

[0196] From one or more second devices corresponding to the second information, determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function, and the second devices associated with the network element function meet the requirements of the network element function.

[0197] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured to:

[0198] Using the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function, one or more cooperative sets are determined. Each cooperative set contains one or more second devices. Among the one or more second devices in the cooperative set is a target second device. The target second device is used to deploy the network element function. The network element function deployed on the target second device can provide services to other second devices in the cooperative set other than the target second device.

[0199] By utilizing the one or more collaboration sets and combining the network element function requirement information, the deployment strategy information of the network element function is determined.

[0200] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured to:

[0201] Using the first and second information, combined with the third information, deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined, wherein the third information includes user information associated with each of the one or more second devices.

[0202] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit is further configured to:

[0203] The fourth information is obtained from the core network, which includes user experience guarantee contract information and / or user location-related information of one or more users associated with the one or more second devices;

[0204] The third information is determined using the fourth information.

[0205] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured to:

[0206] Receive fifth information sent by one or more second devices associated with network element functions, the fifth information containing key performance indicator information of one or more deployed network element functions;

[0207] Using the fifth piece of information, combined with the first and second pieces of information, update the deployment strategy information of one or more network element functions;

[0208] The transmitting unit 502 is further configured to:

[0209] Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the deployment policy-related information update.

[0210] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured to:

[0211] Obtain the first information;

[0212] or,

[0213] The relevant information of the second device includes the network status information of the second device; the first information is determined using the network status information of one or more second devices.

[0214] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 501 is further configured to:

[0215] Obtain relevant information about one or more second devices reported by the second devices;

[0216] The second information is determined using the relevant information obtained from the second device.

[0217] In practical applications, the determining unit 501 can be implemented by a processor in the network element function orchestration device combined with a communication interface, and the sending unit 502 can be implemented by a communication interface in the network element function orchestration device.

[0218] It should be noted that the network element function orchestration device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above-described program units when performing network element function orchestration. In practical applications, the above processing can be assigned to different program units as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different program units to complete all or part of the processing described above. In addition, the network element function orchestration device and the network element function orchestration method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and their specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0219] Based on the hardware implementation of the above program modules, and in order to implement the method of this application embodiment, this application embodiment also provides an electronic device (i.e., the above-mentioned first device), as shown in FIG6, the electronic device 600 includes:

[0220] The communication interface 601 enables information exchange with other devices;

[0221] The processor 602 is connected to the communication interface 601 to enable information interaction with other devices and to execute the methods provided by one or more of the above-mentioned technical solutions when running a computer program;

[0222] The computer program is stored in memory 603.

[0223] Specifically, the processor 602 is configured as follows:

[0224] The process involves determining first information and second information, wherein the first information includes requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes relevant information for one or more second devices, wherein the network element functions are related to AI; and using the first information and the second information, determining deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0225] The communication interface 601 is configured to send deployment strategy-related information to one or more second devices associated with one or more network element functions to be deployed.

[0226] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured as follows:

[0227] For each of the one or more network element functions to be deployed, one or more second devices associated with the network element function are determined using the network element function's requirement information and the second information; and deployment strategy information related to the network element function is determined using the network element function's requirement information and / or the relevant information of the one or more second devices associated with the network element function.

[0228] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0229] From one or more second devices corresponding to the second information, determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function, and the second devices associated with the network element function meet the requirements of the network element function.

[0230] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0231] Using the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function, one or more cooperative sets are determined. Each cooperative set contains one or more second devices. Among the one or more second devices in the cooperative set is a target second device. The target second device is used to deploy the network element function. The network element function deployed on the target second device can provide services to other second devices in the cooperative set other than the target second device.

[0232] By utilizing the one or more collaboration sets and combining the network element function requirement information, the deployment strategy information of the network element function is determined.

[0233] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0234] Using the first and second information, combined with the third information, deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined, wherein the third information includes user information associated with each of the one or more second devices.

[0235] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0236] The fourth information is obtained from the core network, which includes user experience guarantee contract information and / or user location-related information of one or more users associated with the one or more second devices;

[0237] The third information is determined using the fourth information.

[0238] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0239] Receive fifth information sent by one or more second devices associated with network element functions, the fifth information containing key performance indicator information of one or more deployed network element functions;

[0240] Using the fifth piece of information, combined with the first and second pieces of information, update the deployment strategy information of one or more network element functions;

[0241] The communication interface 601 is also used for:

[0242] Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the deployment policy-related information update.

[0243] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0244] Obtain the first information;

[0245] or,

[0246] The relevant information of the second device includes the network status information of the second device; the first information is determined using the network status information of one or more second devices.

[0247] In some optional embodiments, the processor 602 is further configured to:

[0248] Obtain relevant information about one or more second devices reported by the second devices;

[0249] The second information is determined using the relevant information obtained from the second device.

[0250] It should be noted that the specific processing procedures of the processor 602 and the communication interface 601 can be understood with reference to the above method.

[0251] Of course, in practical applications, the various components in electronic device 600 are coupled together through bus system 604. It can be understood that bus system 604 is configured to enable communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, bus system 604 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, all buses are labeled as bus system 604 in Figure 6.

[0252] The memory 603 in this embodiment is used to store various types of data to support the operation of the electronic device 600. Examples of such data include any computer program used to operate on the electronic device 600.

[0253] The methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be applied to the processor 602, or implemented by the processor 602. The processor 602 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor 602 or by instructions in the form of software. The processor 602 may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The processor 602 can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly reflected as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules may be located in a storage medium, which is located in the memory 603. The processor 602 reads the information in the memory 603 and combines its hardware to complete the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0254] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 600 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), general-purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the aforementioned method.

[0255] It is understood that the memory (memory 603) in this embodiment of the application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), ferromagnetic random access memory (FRAM), flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); magnetic surface memory can be disk storage or magnetic tape storage. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Synchronous Static Random Access Memory (SSRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (ESDRAM), SyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus Random Access Memory (DRRAM).The memories described in the embodiments of this application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0256] In an exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a storage medium, namely a computer storage medium, specifically a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory 603 storing a computer program, which can be executed by the processor 602 of the electronic device 600 to complete the steps described in the aforementioned method. The computer-readable storage medium may be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or CD-ROM.

[0257] In an exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that can be executed by the processor 602 of the electronic device 600 to complete the steps described in the aforementioned method.

[0258] To implement the method of the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application also provide a network element function orchestration system, as shown in FIG7. The system includes: a first device 701 and one or more second devices 702.

[0259] It should be noted that the specific processing procedures of the first device 701 and the second device 702 have been detailed above and will not be repeated here.

[0260] It should be noted that terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0261] Furthermore, the technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily without conflict.

[0262] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A network element function orchestration method, applied to a first device, comprising: First information and second information are determined. The first information includes the requirement information of one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes the relevant information of one or more second devices. The network element functions are related to artificial intelligence (AI). Using the first and second information, determine the deployment strategy information for one or more network element functions to be deployed; Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the one or more network element functions to be deployed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of using the first and second information to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed includes: For each of the one or more network element functions to be deployed, one or more second devices associated with the network element function are determined using the network element function's requirement information and the second information; deployment strategy information related to the network element function is determined using one or more of the network element function's requirement information and the relevant information of the one or more second devices associated with the network element function.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The step of using the network element function's demand information and the second information to determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes: From one or more second devices corresponding to the second information, determine one or more second devices associated with the network element function, and the second devices associated with the network element function meet the requirements of the network element function.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The process of determining deployment strategy information for network element functions using demand information and information about one or more second devices associated with those functions includes: Using the relevant information of one or more second devices associated with the network element function, one or more cooperative sets are determined. Each cooperative set contains one or more second devices. Among the one or more second devices in the cooperative set is a target second device. The target second device is used to deploy the network element function. The network element function deployed on the target second device can provide services to other second devices in the cooperative set other than the target second device. By utilizing the one or more collaboration sets and combining the network element function requirement information, the deployment strategy information of the network element function is determined.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The information related to one or more second devices associated with the network element function includes one or more of the following: Transmission delay information between the second devices; Transmission bandwidth information between the second devices; Information on congestion between the second devices; The geographical location information of the second device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of using the first and second information to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed includes: Using the first and second information, combined with the third information, deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed is determined, wherein the third information includes user information associated with each of the one or more second devices.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The method further includes: The fourth information is obtained from the core network, which includes one or more of the following: user experience guarantee contract information of one or more users associated with the one or more second devices, and user location-related information. The third information is determined using the fourth information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Receive fifth information sent by one or more second devices associated with network element functions, the fifth information containing key performance indicator information of one or more deployed network element functions; Using the fifth piece of information, combined with the first and second pieces of information, update the deployment strategy information of one or more network element functions; Send the corresponding deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with the deployment policy-related information update.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The determination of the first information includes: Obtain the first information; or, The relevant information of the second device includes the network status information of the second device; the first information is determined using the network status information of one or more second devices.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The determination of the second information includes: Obtain relevant information about one or more second devices reported by the second devices; The second information is determined using the relevant information obtained from the second device.

11. A network element function orchestration device, comprising: The determining unit is configured to determine first information and second information, wherein the first information includes requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information includes relevant information for one or more second devices, wherein the network element functions are related to AI; and to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed using the first information and the second information. The sending unit is configured to send deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with one or more network element functions to be deployed.

12. An electronic device, comprising: The processor is configured to determine first information and second information, the first information including requirement information for one or more network element functions to be deployed, and the second information including relevant information for one or more second devices, the network element functions being related to AI; and to determine deployment strategy-related information for one or more network element functions to be deployed using the first information and the second information. The communication interface is configured to send deployment policy-related information to one or more second devices associated with one or more network element functions to be deployed.

13. An electronic device, comprising: The processor and memory configured to store computer programs that can run on the processor. Wherein, when the processor is configured to run the computer program, it performs the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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