Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which are used for supporting the deployment of different types of edge application servers. The method comprises: a first network device receiving first request information, wherein the first request information is used for requesting the deployment of a first edge application server, the first request information includes deployment type information of the first edge application server and / or service level protocol requirement information of the first edge application server, the service level protocol requirement information is associated with the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and the deployment type information is used for indicating that the deployment type of the first edge application server is the server being deployed in an edge data network or being deployed in an access network; and the first network device deploying the first edge application server on the basis of the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411600550.7, filed on November 8, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] Edge computing is a distributed computing architecture that pushes computing power and data storage to the network edge, close to the source of data generation (such as IoT devices and smart terminals). Edge computing differs from traditional cloud computing, which relies on centralized, remote data centers. The main purpose of edge computing is to enhance application performance and user experience by reducing data transmission latency, lowering bandwidth requirements, and improving real-time performance.

[0005] Currently, application servers used to perform edge computing can be deployed on edge data networks (EDNs) or access networks. How to deploy different edge application servers is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for supporting the deployment of different types of edge application servers.

[0007] Firstly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a first communication device, or in other words, the method can be applied to a first communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first communication device" in this application can refer to the first network device itself, a component within the first network device, or a logical module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first network device. The first network device can be an edge computing collaborative orchestration function or a cloud resource orchestration function. The components in this application may include, for example, at least one of a chip, a chip system, a processor, a transceiver, a processing unit, a transceiver unit, or other functional modules. Taking the first network device as the executing entity as an example, the method includes:

[0008] A first network device receives a first request message, which requests the deployment of a first edge application server. The first request message includes deployment type information of the first edge application server and / or service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of the first edge application server. The SLA requirement information is associated with the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and the deployment type information indicates whether the deployment type of the first edge application server is in an edge data network or in an access network. The first network device deploys the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0009] Based on the method described in the first aspect, the first network device can deploy the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server in the deployment request of the edge application server, so as to support the deployment of edge application servers in the edge data network or in the access network, and thus can support the deployment of different types of edge application servers. In other words, based on this aspect, the deployment of any type of edge application server can be realized; the type of edge application server can include edge application servers deployed in the edge data network or edge application servers deployed in the access network.

[0010] In this application, "deploy in the access network" can also be replaced with "deploy near the access network".

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first network device can send a deployment command for the first edge application server based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server. The deployment command includes indication information of a first resource, which serves the first edge application server. The indication information of the first resource is used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud.

[0012] Based on this implementation, the first network device can send a deployment command according to deployment type information. This deployment command can be used to deploy a first edge application server in the cloud. The deployment command may include indication information for the first resource; that is, the deployment command can instruct the deployment of the first edge application server on the first resource. The first network device can be an edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0013] This implementation can also be described as determining the first resource based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first network device may send the deployment command based on the resource requirement information of the first edge application server. The resource requirement information may be included in the first request information, or it may be obtained based on the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information.

[0015] Based on this implementation, the first network device can determine the first resource based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and send a deployment command. Optionally, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first resource based on the deployment type information and resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first network device can deploy the application of the first edge application server on a first resource of the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0017] Based on this implementation, the first network device can deploy applications for the first edge application server according to deployment type information. The first network device can be a cloud resource orchestration function. The cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first resource serving the first edge application server based on the deployment type information, and deploy the applications of the first edge application server on the first resource.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first network device may send indication information of the first resource, which is used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud.

[0019] Based on this implementation, the cloud resource orchestration function can send the indication information of the first resource to the same orchestration function of the edge computing after determining the first resource, so as to indicate the first resource serving the first edge application server.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first network device may further send a second request message to the second network device. The second request message is used to request resource status information of the first cloud, which is used to deploy the first edge application server. The second request message includes an identifier of the first cloud, which is determined based on the deployment type information and / or the resource requirement information of the first edge application server. The first network device may also receive resource status information of the first cloud from the second network device. The first resource is determined based on the resource requirement information and the resource status information of the first cloud.

[0021] The first network device is for edge computing collaborative orchestration, and the second network device is for cloud resource orchestration.

[0022] Based on this implementation, the second network device can store the cloud's resource status information. After the first network device selects the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, it can obtain the resource status information of the first cloud from the second network device. Furthermore, based on the resource requirement information of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the first cloud, it can determine the first resource of the first cloud to achieve reasonable resource selection.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first resource is determined based on the deployment type information, the resource requirement information of the first edge application server, the deployment type information of at least one cloud, and the resource status information of the at least one cloud, wherein the at least one cloud includes the first cloud.

[0024] Based on this implementation method, the first cloud can be determined according to at least one of the deployment type information of the first edge application server, resource requirement information, deployment type information of the corresponding cloud, and resource status information of the cloud, so as to achieve a reasonable selection of the cloud to serve the first edge application server.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first request information further includes service range information of the first edge application server. The first network device may also send the service range information of the first edge application server to the second network device and receive resource status information of the at least one cloud from the second network device. The resource status information of the at least one cloud is determined based on the service range information of the first edge application server.

[0026] Based on this implementation method, the cloud serving the first edge application server can be reasonably selected according to the service range information of the first edge application server, thereby further reducing edge computing latency.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the cloud resource status information includes identifiers of occupied resources and / or identifiers of available resources. The cloud resource status information may also include one or more of the following: identifier of the task corresponding to the occupied resource; deployment type information of the task corresponding to the occupied resource; storage type information of the task corresponding to the occupied resource; sharing method information of the task corresponding to the occupied resource; and resource allocation strategy information of the task corresponding to the occupied resource.

[0028] Based on this implementation, resources that serve the first edge application server can be flexibly selected according to information on the availability and / or occupied resources of the cloud.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the first request information further includes resource allocation strategy information of the first edge application server, the resource allocation strategy information being associated with the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server, and the first resource being determined based on the resource allocation strategy information.

[0030] Based on this implementation, resources can be flexibly allocated according to the resource allocation strategy information of the edge application server. For example, if the available resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, resources can be allocated according to the resource allocation strategy information of the edge application server. For instance, the resource allocation strategy information can be used to determine to stop other edge application servers from occupying the first cloud, so that the first cloud can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first network device may also send a first indication message to the second network device, the first indication message being used to instruct the task corresponding to the occupied resources of the first cloud to be stopped.

[0032] Based on this implementation, the first network device can instruct the second network device to stop the task from occupying resources in the first cloud.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher than the resource allocation priority of the task corresponding to the occupied resources of the first cloud.

[0034] Based on this implementation, when the available resources in the first cloud are insufficient, the resource consumption of low-priority tasks in the first cloud can be stopped to meet the resource requirements of high-priority first edge application servers.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first request information includes the service level agreement requirement information. The first network device may also determine latency requirement information based on the service level agreement requirement information, and determine the deployment type information based on the latency requirement information and a first correspondence relationship, wherein the first correspondence relationship includes the correspondence relationship between the latency requirement information and the deployment type information.

[0036] Based on this implementation method, the first network device can reasonably determine the deployment type information according to the service level agreement requirements of the first edge application server.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the first request information includes the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information. The first network device may also send the SLA requirement information to the second network device and receive the deployment type information from the second network device, wherein the deployment type information is determined based on the SLA requirement information.

[0038] Based on this implementation method, the first network device can reasonably determine the deployment type information through the second network device according to the service level agreement requirements of the first edge application server.

[0039] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second communication device, or in other words, the method can be applied to a second communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second communication device" in this application can refer to the second network device itself, a component within the second network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second network device. The components in this application may include, for example, at least one of a chip, chip system, processor, transceiver, processing unit, transceiver unit, or other functional modules. The second network device may be, for example, a cloud resource orchestration function.

[0040] Taking a second network device as the executing entity as an example, the method includes: the second network device receiving a second request message from a first network device, the second request message being used to request resource status information of a first cloud, the first cloud being used to deploy a first edge application server, the second request message including an identifier of the first cloud, the first cloud being determined based on deployment type information and / or resource requirement information of the first edge application server, the deployment type information being used to indicate whether the deployment type of the first edge application server is deployed in an edge data network or in an access network; the second network device sending the resource status information of the first cloud to the first network device based on the identifier of the first cloud.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the second network device may also receive a deployment command from the first network device, the deployment command including indication information of a first resource, the first resource serving the first edge application server, the indication information of the first resource being used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud, the first resource being determined based on the resource status information of the first cloud; the second network device may also deploy the application of the first edge application server on the first resource.

[0042] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and its possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the beneficial effects of the first aspect and its corresponding implementation methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second communication device, or in other words, the method can be applied to a second communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second communication device" in this application can refer to the second network device itself, a component within the second network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second network device. The components in this application may include, for example, at least one of a chip, chip system, processor, transceiver, processing unit, transceiver unit, or other functional modules. The second network device may be, for example, a cloud resource orchestration function.

[0044] Taking a second network device as the executing entity as an example, the method includes: the second network device receiving service range information from a first edge application server of a first network device; the second network device sending resource status information of at least one cloud to the first network device, wherein the resource status information of the at least one cloud is determined based on the service range information of the first edge application server.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the second network device may also receive a deployment command from the first network device, the deployment command including indication information of a first resource, the first resource serving the first edge application server, the indication information of the first resource being used to indicate the first resource of a first cloud, the at least one cloud including the first cloud; the second network device may also deploy the application of the first edge application server on the first resource.

[0046] The beneficial effects of the third aspect and its possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the beneficial effects of the first aspect and its corresponding implementation methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0047] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second communication device, or in other words, the method can be applied to a second communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second communication device" in this application can refer to the second network device itself, a component within the second network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second network device. The components in this application may include, for example, at least one of a chip, chip system, processor, transceiver, processing unit, transceiver unit, or other functional modules. The second network device may be, for example, a cloud resource orchestration function.

[0048] Taking a second network device as the executing entity as an example, the method includes: the second network device receiving service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of a first edge application server from a first network device; the second network device sending deployment type information of the first edge application server to the first network device, wherein the deployment type information is determined based on the SLA requirement information.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the second network device may also receive a deployment command from the first network device, the deployment command including indication information of a first resource, the first resource serving the first edge application server, the indication information of the first resource being used to indicate the first resource of a first cloud, the at least one cloud including the first cloud; the second network device may also deploy the application of the first edge application server on the first resource.

[0050] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect and its possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the beneficial effects of the first aspect and its corresponding implementation methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0051] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. The device can implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects. The device possesses the functions of the first or second communication device described above. The device is, for example, a terminal device, a functional module within a terminal device, a network device, or a functional module within a network device, etc.

[0052] In one optional implementation, the device may include modules corresponding one-to-one with the methods / operations / steps / actions performed in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In another optional implementation, the device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a communication unit (sometimes also called a transceiver module, communication module, etc.). The transceiver unit is capable of both sending and receiving functions. When the transceiver unit performs the sending function, it may be called a sending unit (sometimes also called a sending module); when it performs the receiving function, it may be called a receiving unit (sometimes also called a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit may be the same functional module, referred to as the transceiver unit, which performs both sending and receiving functions; or, the sending unit and the receiving unit may be different functional modules, with the transceiver unit being a collective term for these functional modules.

[0053] For example, when the apparatus is used to perform the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the apparatus may include a communication unit and a processing unit.

[0054] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, including a processor for executing a computer program (or computer-executable instructions) stored in a memory, which, when executed, causes the device to perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the processor and memory are integrated together;

[0056] In another possible implementation, the memory is located outside the communication device.

[0057] The communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with other devices, such as sending or receiving data and / or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects, and the method shown in any possible implementation of the first aspect, to be implemented.

[0059] Eighthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, enables the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects to be implemented.

[0060] Ninthly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device for performing the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects.

[0061] In a tenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising logic circuitry (or, as understood, a processor, which may include logic circuitry, etc.), and further comprising input / output interfaces. The input / output interfaces can be used to input messages or to output messages. The input / output interfaces can be the same interface, i.e., the same interface can implement both sending and receiving functions; or, the input / output interface includes an input interface and an output interface, the input interface being used to implement the receiving function, i.e., to receive messages; and the output interface being used to implement the sending function, i.e., to send messages. The logic circuitry can be used to perform operations other than the sending and receiving functions in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects described above; the logic circuitry can also be used to transmit messages to the input / output interfaces or to receive messages from other communication devices from the input / output interfaces. The chip system can be used to implement the methods described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects described above. The chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0062] Optionally, the chip system may also include a memory, which can be used to store instructions, and the logic circuits can call the instructions stored in the memory to implement the corresponding functions.

[0063] Eleventhly, a communication method is provided, which may include the method implemented by a first communication device as shown in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the method implemented by a second communication device as shown in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Alternatively, the communication method may include the method implemented by the first communication device as shown in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the method implemented by the second communication device as shown in the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Alternatively, the communication method may include the method implemented by the first communication device as shown in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the method implemented by the second communication device as shown in the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0064] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, which may include a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device may be used to implement the methods shown in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the second communication device may be used to implement the methods shown in the second, third, or fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0065] The technical effects brought about by aspects five through twelfth above can be found in the descriptions of the beneficial effects of the corresponding solutions in aspects one through four above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network management system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an edge computing application layer architecture based on EDN provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an edge computing management architecture based on EDN provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another management architecture for edge computing based on EDN provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0078] The technical solutions involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication networks, such as: 5G communication networks (e.g., 5G new radio (NR) networks), 5G-A networks, long term evolution (LTE) networks, advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) networks, future communication networks, etc., and are not limited thereto.

[0079] For ease of understanding, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained below.

[0080] (1) Network Management System

[0081] Network management systems can be used to support network management services.

[0082] Referring to Figure 1, a schematic diagram of a network management system architecture is shown. This system architecture includes: a business operation unit, a cross-domain management function unit, a domain management function unit, and one or more of multiple network elements.

[0083] A business operations unit can invoke or manage one or more cross-domain management function units. A cross-domain management function unit can manage one or more domain management function units. A domain management function unit can manage one or more network elements. The following is a brief introduction to each unit.

[0084] A, Business Operations Unit.

[0085] A business operations unit, also known as a communication service management function (CSMF), provides functions and management services such as billing, settlement, accounting, customer service, sales, network monitoring, communication service lifecycle management, and service intent translation. A business operations unit can include an operator's operating system or a vertical industry's operating system (vertical operational technology system).

[0086] In this application, the business operation unit can act as an edge computing service consumer to obtain edge computing deployment services. The edge computing service consumer can be simply referred to as a consumer. For example, the business operation unit can specifically be government / enterprise equipment, third-party application developers, data users, or application functions (APs), etc., without specific limitations.

[0087] The business operations unit can also be called a network management service consumer.

[0088] B, Cross-Domain Management Function Unit, or Cross-Domain Management Module.

[0089] A cross-domain management function unit, also known as a network management function (NMF) or network management system (NMS), belongs to the cross-domain management system and is responsible for the unified management of multiple network element management systems. A cross-domain management function unit can provide one or more of the following functions or management services: network lifecycle management, network deployment, network fault management, network performance management, network configuration management, network assurance, and network optimization. The network here can include one or more network elements, subnetworks, or network slices. For example, a cross-domain management function unit could be a network slice management function (NSMF), a management data analytics function (MDAF), a cross-domain self-organizing network function (SON-function), or a cross-domain intent management function unit.

[0090] In certain deployment scenarios, the cross-domain management function unit can also provide one or more of the following management functions or services: subnetwork lifecycle management, subnetwork deployment, subnetwork fault management, subnetwork performance management, subnetwork configuration management, subnetwork assurance, and subnetwork optimization. A subnetwork can consist of multiple smaller subnetworks or multiple network slice subnetworks. For example, an operator's access network subnetwork may include access network subnetworks from equipment vendor 1 and access network subnetworks from equipment vendor 2.

[0091] Understandably, in implementation, a cross-domain management function unit can be implemented as a management platform plus multiple management applications, where the management applications implement the management functions of one or more networks or sub-networks; or it can be that a network element in the network has the function of a cross-domain management function unit.

[0092] C, Domain Management Functional Unit

[0093] A domain management function unit can also be called a single-domain management function unit or a single-domain management system (EMS). Domain management function units can further include subnetwork management functions, network element / function management functions, radio access network (RAN) domain management function units, or core network (CN) domain management function units. A domain management function unit can provide one or more of the following functions or services: lifecycle management of subnetworks or network elements, deployment of subnetworks or network elements, fault management of subnetworks or network elements, performance management of subnetworks or network elements, assurance of subnetworks or network elements, and optimization management of subnetworks or network elements. A subnetwork can include one or more network elements. Alternatively, a subnetwork can include one or more subnetworks, i.e., one or more subnetworks forming a subnetwork with a larger coverage area. Or, a subnetwork can include one or more network slice subnetworks. A sub-network can be described in at least one of the following ways: a network of a certain technology domain, such as a wireless access network, core network, or transmission network; a network of a certain standard, such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, an LTE network, or a 5G network; a network provided by a certain equipment vendor, such as a network provided by equipment vendor X; or a network of a certain geographical area, such as the network of factory A or the network of prefecture-level city B.

[0094] Furthermore, a sub-network can also refer to one or more public land mobile networks (PLMNs), meaning the domain management functional unit includes the PLMN management system. Taking 5G networks as an example, the PLMN management system can be used to manage the 5G RAN or the 5G core network. It can be understood that the EMS responsible for managing the 5G RAN can be called EMS-RAN.

[0095] A sub-network can also refer to a specific EDN. The domain management functional unit responsible for managing the 5G RAN can be called an edge computing service provider (ECSP). ECSPs can provide edge computing services; for example, they can provide edge application servers (EAS), edge enabler servers (EES), or edge configuration servers (ECS) and other edge computing-related functional entities to support edge computing services. Alternatively, ECS can be considered not to belong to an ECSP.

[0096] Understandably, in implementation, a domain management function unit can be implemented as a management platform plus multiple management applications, where the management applications implement the management functions of one or more sub-networks or network elements; or it can be that a network element in the network has the function of a domain management function unit.

[0097] (2) Managed object

[0098] A managed object is used to describe information about a managed object or management task in a management system (such as an intent management system). The information model of a managed object can be used as an interaction parameter in the management interface. Creating a managed object means creating management information in the management system, enabling the management system to manage the managed object or perform management tasks based on the management information.

[0099] In this application, the managed object may include network devices in the network, such as network functions (NFs) or network equipment (NEs). For example, the managed object may be a base station in the RAN, or a core network element in the core network. It can be considered that this application does not distinguish between the meanings of NF and network element; NF and network element can be collectively referred to as network device, network element, or other names.

[0100] The following text will use network elements as an example for introduction.

[0101] In this application, a network element refers to an entity that provides network services, including core network elements, radio access network elements, and transport network elements. For example, a core network element may include, but is not limited to, access and mobility management function (AMF) entities, session management function (SMF) entities, policy control function (PCF) entities, user plane function (UPF) entities, network data analysis function (NWDAF) entities, network repository function (NRF) entities, and network exposure function (NEF) gateways.

[0102] Radio access network equipment can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB / eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) or next-generation (NG)-eNB in ​​a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. Radio access network equipment can also be open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) equipment or cloud radio access network (CRAN) equipment. Radio access network equipment can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0103] Furthermore, the wireless access network equipment can also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station. For example, it can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. A CU can include a CU-CP and a CU-UP. In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (O-RU). For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU units in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0104] As shown in Figure 2, in an O-RAN network, the radio access network equipment may include a service management and orchestration (SMO), a near-real-time RAN intelligent controller (near-real-time RIC), an O-CU, an O-DU, and an open cloud (O-cloud). The SMO may also include a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (non-real-time RIC).

[0105] The SMO (Service Management Organization) can be used for RAN domain management. That is, the SMO can serve as a domain management functional unit for the RAN domain. In the architecture shown in Figure 2, the non-real-time RAN intelligent controller can be used as an internal module of the SMO to support access network management, such as configuring or sending access network-related control configurations, and managing machine learning-related models. Because the non-real-time RAN intelligent controller is deployed at the management layer, its RAN control optimization is non-real-time. The near real-time RAN intelligent controller can be used to provide near real-time RAN control optimization. O-cloud can include certain cloud resources and cloud management capabilities.

[0106] (3) Management service producer (MnS producer) and management service consumer (MnS consumer)

[0107] For any given management service, there exists a provider and a consumer. The management service is provided by the provider to the consumer. As a possible example, when the management service is provided by the aforementioned business operation unit, the business operation unit is the management service provider, and other business operation units can be management service consumers. When the management service is provided by the aforementioned cross-domain management function unit, the cross-domain management function unit is the management service provider, and the business operation unit can be a management service consumer. When the management service is provided by the aforementioned domain management function unit, the domain management function unit is the management service provider, and either the cross-domain management function unit or the business operation unit can be a management service consumer. When the management service is provided by the aforementioned network element, the network element is the management service provider, and either the domain management function unit, the cross-domain management function unit, or the business operation unit can be a management service consumer.

[0108] This application embodiment can manage networks (or autonomous networks) of different ranges shown in Figure 1. The network range can include the following three situations:

[0109] Case 1, Single-domain network, or single-domain autonomous network: includes network elements and domain management functional units;

[0110] Case 2, cross-domain network, or cross-domain autonomous network: includes network elements, domain management functional units, and cross-domain management functional units;

[0111] Case 3, Business Network, or Business Autonomous Network: includes network elements, domain management functional units, cross-domain management functional units, and business operation units.

[0112] (4) Edge computing

[0113] Edge computing is a distributed computing architecture that pushes computing power and data storage to the network edge, close to the source of data generation (such as IoT devices and smart terminals). Edge computing differs from traditional cloud computing, which relies on centralized, remote data centers. The main purpose of edge computing is to enhance application performance and user experience by reducing data transmission latency, lowering bandwidth requirements, and improving real-time performance. Edge computing achieves this by pushing data processing capabilities closer to the data source, such as devices, sensors, and network edge nodes. Compared to uploading all data to a central cloud data center for processing, edge computing processes data locally, reducing latency and network transmission burden.

[0114] (5) Application layer architecture of edge computing

[0115] The application layer architecture of edge computing mainly describes the business processing architecture of edge computing, that is, the deployment method of application servers used for edge computing.

[0116] Figure 3 illustrates an application layer architecture. Figure 3 shows an application layer architecture based on EDN. Here, EDN stands for Off-the-Shelf Data Network, and compared to a typical data network (DN), the EDN is located closer to the terminal device.

[0117] In this architecture, the application server used for edge computing is deployed in the EDN, and this application server can be called an edge application server (EAS). Communication between the EAS and the application client (AC) of the terminal device is via the application data traffic in the core network. The terminal device can also deploy an edge enabler client to support or enable edge computing. The application data traffic can be, for example, a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

[0118] Furthermore, in an O-RAN-based application layer architecture, the application server used for edge computing can be deployed within an O-RAN device, or it can be a new entity located close to the O-RAN device. This application server can be called an EAS, or it can have other names, such as "far edge," without specific limitations. For example, the O-RAN device can be an O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU, or a new entity located close to an O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU. In this architecture, data transmission between the terminal device and the application server occurs via the link between the terminal device and the O-RAN device. Because it is deployed within an O-RAN device, data transmission between the terminal device and the application server does not need to pass through the core network; that is, the application server's deployment location is closer to the terminal device. Therefore, the data transmission latency between the terminal device and the application server is further reduced compared to the data transmission latency in an EDN-based application layer architecture.

[0119] For ease of description, the term "edge application server" is used as an example of an application server for edge computing in the following text, and should not be construed as limiting the application servers for edge computing in this application to edge application servers.

[0120] This application primarily considers scenarios where edge application servers are deployed in EDN or access networks. For EDN deployments, the edge application server can be referred to as a first-type edge application server, and the corresponding edge computing architecture can be called EDN multi-access edge computing (MEC) (EDN-MEC). For access network deployments, the edge application server can be referred to as a second-type edge application server, and the corresponding edge computing architecture can be called RAN-MEC. It is understood that this application does not exclude the possibility of deploying edge application servers in access network architectures other than O-RAN architectures.

[0121] It can also be understood that "deployed in the access network" can be replaced with "deployed in a location close to the access network" or "deployed at the same level as the base station," meaning that the edge application server is not required to be deployed as a logical network element of the access network. For example, "deployed in the access network" could mean that the edge application server is deployed as a network element in the access network to provide application data to terminal devices; therefore, logically, the edge application server is a component of the access network. As another example, "deployed in a location close to the access network" or "deployed at the same level as the base station" could mean that the edge application server is a network element or network device in the core network or data network, but its deployment location is lowered to the base station; that is, the edge application server may be co-deployed with hardware such as the baseband board.

[0122] (6) Management architecture for edge computing based on EDN

[0123] Figure 4 illustrates the EDN-based edge computing management framework, which includes a PLMN management system and an ECSP management system. The ECSP management system, acting as a producer, provides management services to application service providers (ASPs) and ECSPs for orchestrating and managing EDN NFs. EDN NFs may include, for example, virtual network functions (VNFs), such as the 5G core network virtual network functions (5GC VNFs) shown in Figure 4, EAS virtual network functions (EAS VNFs), EES virtual network functions (EES VNFs), or ECS network functions (ECS VNFs). The PLMN management system, also acting as a producer, provides management services, enabling the ECSP management system to interface EDN NFs with 5GC NFs. 5GC NFs may be, for example, PCFs, UPFs, or NEFs.

[0124] It should be noted that the above name is merely an exemplary designation, and this application is not limited to the specific names of the above concepts.

[0125] Additionally, it should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application are interchangeable. Unless otherwise stated, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, "first communication type" and "second communication type" do not indicate a difference in priority or importance between the two communication types.

[0126] Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having" in the embodiments, claims, and drawings of this application are not exclusive. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not limited to the listed steps or modules, but may also include steps or modules not listed.

[0127] In summary, edge application servers can currently be deployed in EDN or access networks. Given the increasing demand for multi-location edge application server deployments, how to effectively deploy edge application servers has become a pressing technical challenge.

[0128] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method. This method can be implemented by at least a first network device. As an example, the first network device can be an edge computing collaborative orchestration function, a cloud resource orchestration function, or other network devices, functions, or network elements. Alternatively, the communication method can also be implemented by a first communication device. The first communication device can be a component within the first network device, such as a chip or functional module. Of course, the first communication device can also be other devices (or functional units, or management platforms, etc.) possessing the functions of the first network device described in this application.

[0129] In this application, edge application servers can be orchestrated or deployed through edge computing collaborative orchestration and cloud resource orchestration functions. As shown in Figure 5, in the EDN-based edge computing management architecture, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can be deployed in a cross-domain management functional unit or a domain management functional unit. The PLMN management system and ECSP management system can serve as domain management functional units. The cloud resource orchestration function can, for example, be deployed in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Management and Orchestration (MANO) (ETSI NFV MANO).

[0130] Furthermore, in the O-RAN system shown in Figure 2, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can be located on the SMO of the O-RAN network, or on the non-real-time RAN intelligent controller within the SMO. The cloud resource orchestration function may be deployed on the O-cloud or within the SMO. The edge application server can be located in a new entity close to the O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU, or within the O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU. The SMO, non-real-time RAN intelligent controller, O-cloud, O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU are detailed in Figure 2 or the description in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0131] The communication method will be described below with reference to Figure 6.

[0132] S101: The first network device receives a first request message, which is used to request the deployment of a first edge application server.

[0133] As an example, the first network device can act as an edge computing orchestration function, and the first request information can originate from an edge computing service consumer. This edge computing service consumer can specifically be a business operation unit, such as government / enterprise equipment, third-party application developers, data users, or application functions (APs). In this example, the first request information can specifically be an edge computing service request message. The edge computing service consumer can send the first request information based on service or business needs. For example, when it is necessary to deploy an edge application server, the edge computing service consumer can send this edge computing service request message to request the deployment of the edge application server.

[0134] As another example, the first network device can act as a cloud resource orchestration function, and the first request information can originate from the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. In this example, the first request information may specifically be a resource allocation request from the first edge application server. This first request information may be sent from the edge computing service consumer to the cloud resource orchestration function via the first network device after the edge computing service consumer receives a computing service request message from the edge computing service consumer.

[0135] The aforementioned first request information includes the deployment type information and / or the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of the first edge application server. The SLA requirement information of the first edge application server is associated with the deployment type information; in other words, the SLA requirement information can be used to determine the deployment type information. For example, different SLA requirement information can correspond to different deployment type information.

[0136] The following sections explain the deployment type information and service level agreement requirements.

[0137] In this application, deployment type information can also be referred to as deployment type indication. Deployment type information is used to indicate whether the deployment type of the first edge application server is deployed in the edge data network or in the access network.

[0138] As an example, deployment type information can be used to indicate the type of the first edge application server, which can be an edge application server deployed in the EDN or an edge application server deployed in the access network.

[0139] For example, deployment type information can be used to indicate whether the first edge application server is located in the EDN or in the access network, or in other words, deployment type information can be used to indicate whether the first edge application server is deployed in the EDN or in the access network.

[0140] For example, edge application servers can be categorized into at least two types: Type 1 edge application servers, which are deployed in the EDN (Electronic Data Network), and Type 2 edge application servers, which are deployed in the access network. Type 3 edge application servers can be identified by an index or identifier, such as Type A or Type 1. Specifically, deployment type information can be used to indicate whether a first edge application server is a Type 1 or Type 2 edge application server.

[0141] Specifically, the deployment type information can occupy one or more bits in the first request information. When these one or more bits take a first value, it can represent that the deployment type of the first edge application server is deployed in an EDN, or that the first edge application server is a first-type edge application server; when these one or more bits take a second value, it can represent that the deployment type of the first edge application server is deployed in an access network, or that the first edge application server is a second-type edge application server. The first value and the second value are different. Taking 1 bit of deployment type information as an example, the first value can be 0 and the second value can be 1, or the first value can be 1 and the second value can be 0.

[0142] As another example, deployment type information can be used to indicate the location information of the first edge application server, such as geographic location information or location information that the core network can recognize, such as tracking area identity (TAI) and cell ID, to indicate the location where the edge application server is to be deployed. For example, geographic location information could be "City A, District B", etc.

[0143] It is understandable that the deployment type information in the first request information can be determined based on the latency requirements of the edge application server. For example, for an edge application server with high latency requirements, the deployment type information can indicate that the edge application server is deployed in the access network. Alternatively, for an edge application server with high latency requirements, the deployment type information can indicate that the edge application server is deployed in the EDN. The edge computing service consumer can determine the deployment type information based on the latency information of the edge application server and carry the deployment type information in the first request information. The edge computing service consumer can obtain the latency information from the service level agreement (SLA) requirements information of the first edge application server.

[0144] Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements, also known as SLA information, are documents containing a series of network requirements. For example, SLA requirements for an edge application server can reflect the service standards and / or requirements that the edge application server supports or can provide. Specifically, SLA requirements for an edge application server may include information such as latency, the number of connected terminal devices, or transmission rates. For example, latency information may include the maximum acceptable latency. Alternatively, SLA requirements can be considered as indicating certain latency parameters, but the information itself does not directly carry latency parameters.

[0145] In this application, a first network device can determine the deployment type information of a first edge application server based on the service level agreement (SLA) requirements information of the first edge application server. For example, there may be a correspondence between latency information and deployment type information in the SLA requirements information, such as this correspondence being configured in the first network device. After obtaining latency information from the SLA requirements information of the first edge application server, the first network device can determine the deployment type information of the first edge application server based on this correspondence. This correspondence includes the relationship between the latency information and the deployment type information of the first edge application server. For instance, if the latency information indicates a relatively large maximum acceptable latency, the deployment type information may indicate that the first edge application server is deployed in an EDN; if the latency information indicates a relatively small maximum acceptable latency, the deployment type information may indicate that the first edge application server is deployed in an access network.

[0146] Referring to the method of determining the deployment type information of the first edge application server based on the latency information in the service level agreement requirement information of the first edge application server, the first network device may also determine the deployment type information of the first edge application server based on other information such as the number of allowed terminal devices in the service level agreement requirement information of the first edge application server.

[0147] This can be understood as the first network device deploying the first edge computing server according to the deployment type information in S101. The following text will introduce the method of deploying the first edge application server in conjunction with S102, which will not be elaborated here.

[0148] In addition, the first request information may also include one or more of the following: cloud resource requirements information, service scope information, software image, deployment type information, and resource allocation strategy information of the first edge application server.

[0149] The following sections explain cloud resource requirements, service scope, software images, deployment type, and resource allocation strategies.

[0150] (1) Cloud resource demand information

[0151] First, let's introduce cloud resources.

[0152] In this application, cloud resources can refer to a cloud site, cloud node, cloud cluster, or cloud resource pool. In this application, cloud resources can also be referred to as resources; that is, this application does not distinguish between "resources" and "cloud resources."

[0153] A cloud site can consist of one or more cloud nodes. A cloud site can have a cloud identifier, meaning it can be identified by that identifier. Multiple cloud nodes can form a cloud cluster, meaning any cloud cluster can contain multiple cloud nodes. A cloud resource pool can contain one or more cloud nodes. Cloud nodes, cloud clusters, or cloud resource pools can each have their own identifier; for example, a cloud node can be identified by a cloud node identifier, a cloud cluster by a cloud cluster identifier, and a cloud resource pool by a cloud resource pool identifier. These cloud node identifiers, cloud cluster identifiers, and cloud resource pool identifiers can be collectively referred to as cloud resource identifiers.

[0154] Furthermore, a cloud can be understood as a collection of cloud resources. That is, a cloud can contain one or more cloud sites, one or more cloud nodes, one or more cloud clusters, or one or more cloud resource pools. One or more clouds can be deployed in a network, and the resources of different clouds do not overlap. Clouds can be distinguished by cloud identifiers. Additionally, cloud resources can be distinguished by cloud resource identifiers. For example, a cloud resource identifier can be used to distinguish multiple cloud resources within the same cloud; that is, cloud resources in each cloud can be independently identified. To distinguish cloud resources in different clouds, a combination of a cloud identifier and a cloud resource identifier can uniquely represent a cloud resource. Alternatively, cloud resources in multiple clouds can be distinguished by different cloud identifiers; that is, cloud resources in multiple clouds can be independently identified, and in this case, the cloud resource identifier can uniquely represent a cloud resource.

[0155] Cloud resource requirement information can be used to indicate the cloud resource needs of the first edge application server. Specifically, cloud resource requirements refer to the computing resource requirements of the first edge application server. These requirements may include specific needs for computing resource types, storage types, computational load, and storage capacity. Computing types may include, for example, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), data processing units (DPUs), neural network processing units (NPUs), or tensor processing units (TPUs). Storage types may include hard disks (disks) or memory. In the following text, cloud resource requirement information will be referred to simply as resource requirement information.

[0156] In one possible embodiment, the resource requirement information may include one or more of the following: the type of computing power required by the first edge application server, the required computing power, the required storage type, the required storage amount, and the required computing latency.

[0157] The following sections will introduce the types of computing power required, the computing power required, the storage capacity required, and the computation latency required.

[0158] A. The type of computing power required, or computing power type requirement. Computing power type refers to the type of computing equipment used in the computing node. For example, computing power type can include one or more of CPU, GPU, NPU, or TPU. CPUs primarily rely on low-latency, high-complexity operations, capable of performing various arithmetic and logical operations and completing them quickly, making them suitable for a variety of computing tasks, especially scenarios requiring complex logical judgments and data processing. GPUs, due to their powerful parallel processing capabilities, are widely used in many fields, such as for computing processing in deep learning or graphics rendering. NPUs are processors similar to the human nervous system, designed specifically to accelerate AI applications. Due to their energy-saving characteristics, they can meet the needs of long-term use and are suitable for continuously processing AU (Analog Object) computing tasks, such as image generation or facial recognition.

[0159] The type of computing power can be related to the type of business of the first edge application server. For example, for general technical tasks such as running operating systems and various software applications, designing for neural network inference, AI tasks, logical judgments, and data processing, the computing power required by the first edge application server can include CPU. For graphics rendering services such as image rendering and 3D graphics processing, as well as other processing tasks, the computing power required by the first edge application server can include GPU. For neural network-related tasks, the computing power required by the first edge application server can include NPU. For large-scale AI training and inference tasks specifically designed for tensor operations in deep learning, especially applications using the tensor flow framework, the computing power required by the first edge application server can include TPU.

[0160] It is understandable that resource requirement information can use indexes or identifiers to represent the computing power type required by the first edge application server. For example, index 0 represents a required computing power type of CPU, and index 1 represents a required computing power type of GPU. Correspondingly, resource requirement information can contain index 0 and / or index 1, representing that the first edge application server requires computing power types of CPU and / or GPU. This correspondence between indexes and computing power types is only an example and should not be construed as limiting.

[0161] B. Computing power required, or computing power requirement. Computing power refers to the amount of computation required to execute the computational tasks on the data to be computed by the first edge application server. The unit of computing power can be millions of instructions per second (MIPS), dhrystone million instructions executed per second (DMIPS), operations per second (OPS), floating-point operations per second (FLOPS), or hash operations per second (Hash / s), etc. The computing power required by the first edge application server can be related to the size of the data to be computed; for example, the required computing power should not be less than the computing power corresponding to the data to be computed.

[0162] The resource requirement information can include a numerical value or range of the required computing power. For example, if the computing power corresponding to the data to be computed is 100, the resource requirement information can include the value 100, indicating that the first edge application server requires a computing power of at least 100. Additionally, the resource requirement information can also include an index of the computing power range to indicate the required computing power for the first edge application server. For instance, index 0 represents a computing power range of 50 to 100, index 1 represents a range of 101 to 200, and so on. If the computing power of the data to be computed is less than or equal to 100, the resource requirement information can include index 1, indicating that the first edge application server requires a computing power of at least 100.

[0163] It is understood that the correspondence between computing power range and index can be preset, predefined or preconfigured, and this application does not specifically require it.

[0164] C, the required storage type, or storage type requirement, refers to the requirement for the type of storage space. The storage type required by the first edge application server can be hard drive or memory, etc.

[0165] It is understandable that resource requirement information can use storage type indexes or identifiers to represent the storage type required by the first edge application server. For example, index 0 represents the required storage type as hard disk, and index 1 represents the required storage type as memory. Accordingly, resource requirement information can contain index 0 and / or index 1, representing that the first edge application server requires storage types as hard disk and / or memory. This correspondence between indexes and storage types is only an example and should not be construed as limiting.

[0166] D, Storage Requirement, or Storage Requirements. Storage quantity refers to the amount of storage space required to perform computation tasks on the data to be computed by the first edge application server. This storage space can include one or more of the following: cache space, memory space, or hard disk storage space. The unit of storage quantity can be bits or bytes, etc., without specific limitations. The amount of data to be computed by the first edge application server can be related to the required storage quantity. For example, the stored content can include the data to be computed, temporary data generated during the computation process, the final computation result, or one or more of other parameters required for computation execution (such as computation context or materials).

[0167] The resource requirement information can include the required storage amount. For example, if the required storage amount is 100, the resource requirement information can contain the value 100, indicating that the storage amount required by the first edge application server is no less than 100.

[0168] Additionally, the resource requirement information can also include an index indicating the storage range needed by the first edge application server. For example, index 0 represents a storage range of 50 to 100 units, index 1 represents a storage range of 101 to 200 units, and so on. If the required storage is less than or equal to 100 units, the resource requirement information can include index 1, indicating that the first edge application server requires at least 100 units of storage.

[0169] It is understood that the correspondence between storage range and index can be preset, predefined or preconfigured, and this application does not specifically require it.

[0170] E, the computation latency required, also known as latency requirement. Computation latency can refer to the time between the terminal sending data to be computed and receiving the computation result calculated based on that data, or it can refer to the time required for the first edge application server to perform a computational task with a certain amount of computation. This latency can include transmission latency and the latency of the first edge application server performing computation on the data to be computed. Transmission latency can include the latency of transmitting the data to be computed from the terminal to the first edge application server and the latency of transmitting the computation result from the computing node to the terminal. It is understood that transmission latency is related to the distance between the terminal and the first edge application server. The required computation latency can reflect the latency requirement of the edge application server, so that the first network device can select a computing node with a suitable distance from the terminal as the first edge application server. The unit of computation latency is, for example, milliseconds (ms) or microseconds (μm). It is understood that the required computation latency can be related to the service type of the edge application server and / or the required computing power.

[0171] It can be assumed that if high computational latency is required, a computing node deployed on the access network or in a location close to the access network can be selected as the first edge application server. If low computational latency is required, a computing node deployed in the EDN can be selected as the first edge application server.

[0172] (2) Service Scope Information

[0173] Service range information can be used to indicate the service range of the first edge application server. For example, the service range information in the first request information can be location information that the core network can recognize, such as TAI and cell identifier.

[0174] It can be assumed that different service scope information can correspond to different clouds. The service scope of the first edge application server can be used to determine the cloud, and some or all of the cloud resources in the cloud can be used as the cloud resources of the first edge application server.

[0175] For example, when there are multiple candidate edge application servers, the edge application server that can provide services for that service range can be determined as the first edge application server based on the service range of the multiple edge application servers and the service range information of the first edge application server.

[0176] (3) Software Image

[0177] A software image is an application file that runs on cloud resources corresponding to an edge application. For example, a software image can be loaded into the cloud resources allocated to the first edge application server to run the corresponding application software of the first edge application server through those cloud resources.

[0178] It is understandable that the first request information may carry the software image, or the address or identifier of the software image, etc., for obtaining the software image.

[0179] (4) Resource allocation strategy information

[0180] Resource allocation strategy information can be used to determine the cloud resource allocation strategy for the first edge application server. Edge computing collaborative orchestration and / or cloud resource orchestration functions can allocate cloud resources to the first edge application server according to its cloud resource allocation strategy.

[0181] As an example, resource allocation strategy information may include the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server. Edge computing collaborative orchestration and / or cloud resource orchestration functions can prioritize the allocation of cloud resources to high-priority edge application servers.

[0182] In this application, prioritizing the allocation of cloud resources may mean that when the available cloud resources are insufficient to be allocated to multiple edge application servers, the resources can be allocated to edge application servers with higher priority.

[0183] As another example, resource allocation strategy information may include task-related information of the first edge application server. Business-related information may include information indicating whether the task performed by the first edge application server is a real-time task, or information indicating whether the task is a high-latency-sensitive task. Specifically, if the task performed by the first edge application server is a real-time task and / or a high-latency-sensitive task, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function and / or cloud resource orchestration function may prioritize allocating cloud resources to that edge application server.

[0184] In addition, business-related information may include storage method information for the first edge application server. This storage method information can indicate whether the application data on the first edge application server is stored long-term (or permanent) or short-term (or temporary). Edge computing collaborative orchestration and / or cloud resource orchestration functions can determine the priority of resource allocation for multiple edge application servers based on the storage method information. Taking the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determining the priority of resource allocation for edge application servers based on storage method information as an example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can configure (or store) the correspondence between storage method information and resource allocation priority. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the priority of resource allocation for the first edge application server based on its storage method information.

[0185] Business-related information may also include resource sharing method information for the first edge application server. This resource sharing method information can be used to indicate whether the first edge application server is allowed to share cloud resources with other applications or tasks. When determining the first resource, if the resource sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that it is not allowed to share cloud resources with other applications, the first resource can be determined from resources not currently occupied by other applications or tasks. Furthermore, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function and / or cloud resource orchestration function can determine the priority of resource allocation for multiple edge application servers based on the resource sharing method information. For example, taking the edge computing collaborative orchestration function's determination of resource allocation priority for edge application servers based on storage method information as an example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can configure (or store) the correspondence between resource sharing method information and resource allocation priority. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can then determine the priority of resource allocation for the first edge application server based on its resource sharing method information.

[0186] S102: The first network device deploys the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0187] The first network device can obtain the deployment type information from the first request information. Furthermore, the first network device can determine the deployment type information based on the service level agreement (SLA) requirements of the first edge application server in the first request information.

[0188] It is understandable that deploying the first edge application server may include: the first network device determining whether the location of the first edge application server is in the EDN or the access network based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server. Alternatively, the first network device may determine whether the first edge application server is a type 1 edge application server or a type 2 edge application server based on the deployment type information.

[0189] For example, if the deployment type information of the first edge application server indicates that the deployment type of the first edge application server is an edge application server deployed in EDN, then in S102, the first network device can determine the edge application server in EDN as the first edge application server. When EDN supports the deployment of multiple edge application servers, the first network device can determine one of the multiple edge application servers as the first edge application server based on the information of the first edge application server. The information of the first edge application server may include, for example, service scope information, software image or software image identifier or address information, etc. For details, please refer to the description of service scope information, software image or software image identifier or address information, etc., in S101. The aforementioned information of the first edge application server can be carried in the first request information.

[0190] For example, if the deployment type information of the first edge application server indicates that the deployment type of the first edge application server is an edge application server deployed in the access network, then in S102, the first network device can determine the edge application server in the access network as the first edge application server. If the access network supports the deployment of multiple edge application servers, the first network device can determine one of the multiple edge application servers as the first edge application server based on the information of the first edge application server. The information of the first edge application server may include, for example, service range information, software image, or the identifier or address information of the software image. The aforementioned information of the first edge application server can be carried in the first request information.

[0191] In addition, the deployment of the first edge application server may also include: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, after determining the first edge application server, triggering the creation of the management object of the first edge application server and / or the related interfaces of the first edge application server.

[0192] For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can send a management object creation request to the ECSP service producer (such as the ECSP management system) or network management function (such as the configuration management function) to deploy the first edge application server as a management object. This management object creation request may include the server identifier, resource requirements, software image, deployment type information, resource allocation policy information, resource indication information for the first edge application server, or cloud resource status information, etc. Subsequently, the ECSP service producer can create the management object corresponding to the first edge application server and maintain relevant information such as the server identifier, resource requirements, software image, deployment type information, resource allocation policy information, resource indication information for the first edge application server, or cloud resource status information.

[0193] In addition, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can trigger ECSP service producers to create interface connections between the first edge application server and communication network elements. These communication network elements can be, for example, network elements or network devices in the access network or core network.

[0194] Additionally, deploying the first edge application server may further include: a first network device allocating cloud resources for the first edge application server. For ease of explanation, the cloud resources allocated to the first edge application server in this application will be referred to as the first resource. That is, the first resource can be a resource allocated to provide services to the first edge application server based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0195] Furthermore, if the first network device is an edge computing collaborative orchestration function, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can also request the cloud resource orchestration function to allocate the first resource of the first edge application server. The cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first resource in accordance with method A1, and after determining the first resource, send the indication information of the first resource to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0196] The deployment methods of the first edge application server in S102 are described below when the first network device is an edge computing collaborative orchestration function and a cloud resource orchestration function, respectively.

[0197] Method A1, taking the first network device as an edge computing collaborative orchestration function as an example, the deployment of the first edge application server by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server may include: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sending a deployment command for the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server. This deployment command is used to deploy the first edge application server in the cloud. The deployment command may include indication information for the first resource.

[0198] In this application, the indication information of the first resource can be used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud. The first cloud is the cloud to which the first resource belongs; more specifically, the first cloud is used to deploy the first edge application server. For example, the indication information of the first resource includes the identifier of the first cloud and the identifier of the first resource, meaning the first resource can be uniquely identified by these two identifiers. Furthermore, if resources in multiple clouds use different resource identifiers, the first resource can be uniquely indicated from among the resources of those multiple clouds by its identifier; in this case, the indication information of the first resource can be its resource identifier. In this application, the cloud identifier can be referred to as the cloud identifier.

[0199] The above-mentioned "edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends the deployment command of the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server" can be understood as: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first resource according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and then sends the deployment command.

[0200] For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information, and select the first resource from the resources of the first cloud. Specifically, the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information can be the correspondence between cloud identifiers and deployment type information.

[0201] The following describes the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information.

[0202] In this application, the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information can be obtained by classifying clouds according to the deployment type information. This classification allows different clouds to provide services to application servers with different deployment types, and the classification result can be reflected through the correspondence between cloud identifiers and deployment type information. For example, a cloud corresponding to deployment type information indicating that the edge application server is deployed in an EDN can represent that the cloud supports services for edge application servers deployed in an EDN. Similarly, a cloud corresponding to deployment type information indicating that the edge application server is deployed in an access network can also represent that the cloud supports services for edge application servers deployed in an access network. Edge computing collaborative orchestration and / or cloud resource orchestration functions can store and / or manage this correspondence.

[0203] For example, one or more clouds in cloud set #1 can be used to serve edge application servers deployed in EDN, and one or more clouds in cloud set #2 can be used to serve edge application servers deployed in access network. The clouds in cloud set #1 may be the same as or different from the clouds in cloud set #2. In this example, the deployment type information of the clouds in cloud set #1 indicates that the edge application server is deployed in EDN, and the deployment type information of the clouds in cloud set #2 indicates that the edge application server is deployed in access network. This classification can also be understood as enabling different types of clouds to provide services to edge application servers with different deployment type information.

[0204] As an example, cloud deployment type information is related to cloud deployment location information. Cloud deployment location information can be used to indicate the deployment location of cloud infrastructure. Here, cloud infrastructure refers to the collection of facilities such as computing resources, storage resources, and network resources required by the cloud system. The deployment location of cloud infrastructure can specifically include the deployment location of cloud-related computing power equipment, storage equipment, management equipment, etc.

[0205] For example, if the cloud deployment location is near the edge network or network devices within the edge network, it means the cloud supports services for edge application servers deployed in the EDN; that is, the deployment type information for this cloud is the deployment type information for deployment within the EDN. Similarly, if the cloud deployment location is near the access network or access network devices, such as a campus, it means the cloud supports services for edge application servers deployed in the access network; that is, the deployment type information for this cloud is the deployment type information for deployment within the access network.

[0206] This can also be understood as the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information in this application being determined based on the cloud's deployment location. In this application, "the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information" can also be replaced with "cloud deployment location information." For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information, which can be replaced with: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the cloud's deployment location information.

[0207] Alternatively, it can be argued that the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the correspondence between the cloud and the deployment type information. This can be replaced with: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the deployment location information of the cloud, wherein the deployment location information of the cloud can be used to determine the deployment type information corresponding to the cloud.

[0208] Of course, this application may not restrict the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information, or in other words, it may not require that the same cloud can only provide services to edge application servers of one deployment type. For example, resources in the same cloud can serve edge application servers with different deployment types. In this case, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can arbitrarily select the first cloud from multiple clouds, or select the first cloud based on the available resources of the cloud.

[0209] It is understandable that if, in the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information, only one cloud has deployment type information that is the same as the deployment type information of the first edge application server, then that cloud can be the first cloud. If, in the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information, multiple clouds have deployment type information that is the same as the deployment type information of the first edge application server, then one of the multiple clouds can be further determined as the first cloud based on the information of the multiple clouds.

[0210] In this application, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can store and / or manage cloud information. This cloud information can represent cloud usage information. For example, cloud information includes a cloud identifier, and may also include information such as the size of available resources in the cloud, the size of occupied resources, the size of available storage, or the size of occupied storage. The size of occupied resources can be used to determine the size of available resources in the cloud. The size of occupied storage can be used to determine the size of available storage in the cloud. Therefore, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the available computing power and / or available storage of the cloud based on the cloud information. Specifically, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the cloud with the largest available computing power and / or the largest available storage as the first cloud based on the cloud information.

[0211] Furthermore, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine a cloud that meets the computing power and / or storage requirements of the first edge application server as the first cloud based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the cloud. In other words, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can send the deployment command based on the deployment type and resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0212] Understandably, if the available computing power of the cloud is no less than the computing power required by the first edge application server, then the cloud meets the computing power requirements of the first edge application server. Similarly, if the available storage capacity of the cloud is no less than the storage capacity required by the first edge application server, then the cloud meets the storage capacity requirements of the first edge application server.

[0213] In addition, if the deployment type information corresponding to multiple clouds is the same as the deployment type information of the first edge application server in the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can also arbitrarily select the first cloud from multiple clouds, or select the first cloud according to the size of the available resources of the cloud. This application requires a specific method for selecting the first cloud.

[0214] In other words, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud from at least one cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, or based on the deployment type information and resource requirement information of the first edge application server.

[0215] The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can store and / or manage the mapping between the identifiers and deployment type information of the at least one cloud, and / or, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can obtain the resource status information of the at least one cloud. The resource status information of the at least one cloud can be obtained from the local storage of the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, or it can be obtained from other network devices (such as cloud resource orchestration functions).

[0216] The following describes how the edge computing collaborative orchestration function selects the first resource from the resources of the first cloud.

[0217] As one way to select the first resource from the resources of the first cloud, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first resource based on the deployment type information and resource requirement information of the first edge application server. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can also determine the first resource from the resources of the first cloud based on the resource requirement information of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the first cloud.

[0218] The resource status information of the first cloud can represent the usage status of resources in the first cloud. For example, the resource status information of the first cloud includes the identifiers of occupied resources and the identifiers of unoccupied resources in the first cloud. Optionally, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the unoccupied resources in the first cloud based on the identifiers of occupied resources and unoccupied resources, so as to identify the first resource from the unoccupied resources.

[0219] In addition, resource status information may also include the identifier, deployment type information, storage type information, sharing method information, or resource allocation strategy information of the task (or edge application server) corresponding to the occupied resources in the first cloud. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first resource that meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the resource requirement information of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the first cloud.

[0220] The identifier of the task corresponding to the occupied resource can be used to indicate the service application, microservice (MS), or other computing task occupying the resource. For example, the task identifier can be a workload identifier. The task corresponding to the occupied resource can also be referred to as the task occupying the resource.

[0221] The storage method information for the task corresponding to the occupied resources indicates whether the cloud resources support data storage methods such as restart storage or short-term storage.

[0222] The sharing method information of the task corresponding to the occupied resource is used to indicate whether the task is allowed to share the cloud resource with other tasks. The first network device can determine the cloud resources of the first edge application server based on the sharing method information of the task corresponding to the occupied resource and / or the sharing method information of the first edge application server. For example, if the second task occupies the resources of the first cloud, and the sharing method information of the second task indicates that it is not allowed to share the resource with other applications or tasks (i.e., the sharing method information of the second task indicates that resource sharing is not allowed), and / or, the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that the first edge application server is not allowed to share the resource with other applications or tasks (i.e., the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is not allowed), and the remaining resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, then the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can reselect the cloud to deploy the first edge application server, or stop the second task on the first cloud, so that the remaining resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, so as to allocate the first resource from the remaining resources.

[0223] If the sharing method information of the second task occupying the first resource of the first cloud indicates that the second task allows the second task to share resources with other tasks (i.e., the sharing method information of the second task indicates that resource sharing is allowed), and the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that the first edge application server allows the first edge application server to share resources with other applications or tasks (i.e., the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is allowed), then the first resource of the first cloud can serve the first task and the second task, that is, the first task and the second task can share the first resource in the first cloud.

[0224] The resource allocation strategy information for the task corresponding to the occupied resources can be used to indicate the resource allocation strategy for that task. For example, this resource allocation strategy information can be used to indicate the resource allocation priority for that task.

[0225] It is understood that the cloud resource orchestration function can obtain the storage method information, sharing method information, and / or resource allocation strategy information of a task during the deployment process of the edge application server corresponding to the occupied resource. For example, the storage method information, sharing method information, and / or resource allocation strategy information of the task can be carried in the deployment request and / or resource allocation request of the edge application server for the task. The deployment request can refer to the first request information received by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function; for example, the deployment request is sent by the edge computing service consumer of the edge application server for the task to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. The resource allocation request can be sent by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function to the cloud resource orchestration function.

[0226] In addition, the cloud's resource status information may also include at least one of the following: cloud's available and / or occupied computing power type, computing power, storage type, storage amount, or computing latency, to determine whether the cloud meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0227] It is understandable that a cloud meets the resource requirements of a first-edge application server if its resource status information meets at least one of the following conditions:

[0228] Condition 1: The available computing power types in the cloud include the computing power types required by the first edge application server. Here, the available computing power type in the cloud can refer to the computing power types supported by the available resources of the cloud. Available cloud resources are cloud resources with currently available computing power.

[0229] Condition 2: The available computing power of the cloud is not less than the computing power required by the first edge application server. Here, the available computing power of the cloud can refer to the remaining computing power of the cloud's available resources.

[0230] Condition 3: The available storage types in the cloud include the storage types required by the first edge application server. Here, "available storage types in the cloud" refers to the storage types of the cloud's available storage space. Available storage space in the cloud refers to the cloud storage space with currently available storage capacity.

[0231] Condition 4: The available storage capacity of the cloud is no less than the storage capacity required by the first edge application server. Here, the available storage capacity of the cloud can refer to the remaining storage capacity of the cloud's available storage space.

[0232] Condition 5: The computing latency of the cloud is not higher than the computing latency required by the first edge application server. Here, cloud computing latency refers to the time required for the available resources of the cloud to execute computing tasks, specifically the time required for those available resources to execute a certain amount of computing tasks.

[0233] In this application, if the unused resources of a certain cloud can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, then that cloud can be used as the first cloud. The first network device can allocate first resources from the unused resources of the first cloud.

[0234] Furthermore, if the unused resources in the cloud cannot meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, the resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server in the first request information can be used to determine whether to allocate resources from the cloud to the first edge application server. Specifically, if the resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server indicates that its resource allocation priority is higher than that of other tasks occupying the first resource, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can stop other tasks corresponding to the occupied resources in the first cloud, so that the resources originally used to serve other tasks are used to serve the first edge application server.

[0235] For example, it can be defined that deployment type information is the resource allocation priority for edge application servers deployed in the access network, which is higher than the resource allocation priority for edge application servers deployed in the edge data network. Alternatively, it can be defined that the resource allocation priority for edge application servers with lower maximum latency requirements is higher than the resource allocation priority for edge application servers with higher maximum latency requirements.

[0236] For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can compare the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server with the resource allocation priority of other tasks. If the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher, the resources in the first cloud will be prioritized to serve the first edge application server, and the resources in the first cloud can be stopped from serving other tasks. The resource allocation priority of other tasks can be determined based on the resource allocation strategy information of the tasks corresponding to the resources occupied in the first cloud.

[0237] If it is necessary to stop other tasks, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can send a first instruction message to the cloud resource orchestration function to instruct the first resource to stop serving other tasks, or in other words, to instruct the first resource to stop serving other tasks. Correspondingly, the cloud resource orchestration function can stop the first resource from serving other tasks, or select another cloud to serve the task. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function can also delete the storage and resource sharing corresponding to the other task. The first instruction message may include instruction information for the first resource. Furthermore, the first instruction message may also include the identifier of the task corresponding to the first resource, used to instruct the task to be stopped.

[0238] In one possible embodiment, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can store resource status information of at least one cloud for use in subsequent resource allocation processes.

[0239] The following describes how the edge computing collaborative orchestration function obtains the resource status information of the first cloud.

[0240] Method B1, one possible implementation is that after determining the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function requests the resource status information of the first cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function.

[0241] For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a second request to the cloud resource orchestration function based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server. This second request can be used to request resource status information from the first cloud. The second request may include a cloud identifier for the first cloud, indicating that the first edge application server is deployed on the first cloud. As explained above, the first cloud can be determined based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0242] In other words, in this implementation, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can obtain the resource status information of the first cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function after determining the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0243] Method B2, another possible implementation, is that the edge computing collaborative orchestration function obtains the resource status information of at least one cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function, and then determines the first cloud from the at least one cloud according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server. Accordingly, the resource status information of the first cloud can be obtained.

[0244] Specifically, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can provide the cloud resource orchestration function with information for identifying at least one cloud, such as resource requirement information and / or service range information of a first edge application server. Correspondingly, the cloud resource orchestration function can identify at least one cloud based on the information used to identify the at least one cloud, and send the resource status information of the at least one cloud to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0245] For example, method B2a is described using the information including the resource requirements of a first edge application server as an example: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can send the resource requirements of the first edge application server to the cloud resource orchestration function to obtain resource status information of at least one cloud that meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server. Correspondingly, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine at least one cloud that meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the cloud. In this at least one cloud, one or more of the following—resource type, resource size, storage type, and storage size—can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server. After receiving the resource status information of at least one cloud, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, based on the correspondence between at least one cloud and deployment type information, determines a first cloud from the one or more clouds whose deployment type information is the same as that of the first edge application server, and / or determines a first resource from the resources of the one or more clouds.

[0246] The resource requirement information of the aforementioned first edge application server may be obtained by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function from the first request information, or it may be determined by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function based on the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information carried in the first request information. For example, the SLA requirement information corresponds to the resource requirement information, or the SLA requirement information may contain the resource requirement information.

[0247] In other words, in this implementation, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can obtain the resource status information of at least one cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function based on the resource requirement information and / or service scope information of the first edge application server, and then determine the resource status information of the first cloud from the resource status information of at least one cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, thereby determining the first resource.

[0248] For example, method B2b uses the information including the service scope information of the first edge application server as an example: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends the service scope information of the first edge application server to the cloud resource orchestration function. Correspondingly, after receiving the service scope information of the first edge application server from the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, the cloud resource orchestration function determines at least one cloud that meets the service scope requirements of the first edge application server based on the service scope information of the cloud and the service scope information of the first edge application server. In addition, the cloud resource orchestration function can also maintain the resource status information of the cloud and can send the resource status information of at least one cloud that meets the service scope requirements of the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. Then, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first cloud whose deployment type information is the same as that of the first edge application server from the one or more clouds, and / or determines the first resource from the resources of the one or more clouds, based on the correspondence between the at least one cloud and the deployment type information.

[0249] The service range information of the first edge application server can be carried in the first request information, and this service range information can be used to indicate the service range of the first edge application server. The service range information of the cloud can indicate the service range supported by the cloud. For example, the cloud service range information may include geographic location information and / or location information that the core network can identify, such as TAI and cell identifier. It can be understood that if the service range indicated by the cloud service range information includes the service range indicated by the service range information of the first edge application server, then the cloud can serve as a cloud that meets the service range requirements of the first edge application server.

[0250] For example, in method B2c, the cloud resource orchestration function can also determine at least one cloud based on the resource requirements and service scope information of the first edge application server. This can be implemented by combining methods B2a and B2b. For instance, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends the resource requirements and service scope information of the first edge application server to the cloud resource orchestration function. Correspondingly, the cloud resource orchestration function determines at least one cloud 1 that meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the cloud. Furthermore, it can also determine at least one cloud 2 that meets the service scope requirements of the first edge application server based on the service scope information of the cloud and the service scope information of the first edge application server. The cloud resource orchestration function can also maintain the resource status information of the clouds and can send the resource status information of at least one cloud that meets the service scope requirements of the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. This at least one cloud is the intersection of at least one cloud 1 and the intersection of at least one cloud 2. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines, based on the correspondence between the at least one cloud and deployment type information, a first cloud whose deployment type information is the same as that of the first edge application server from the one or more clouds, and / or a first resource from the resources of the one or more clouds.

[0251] In methods B1 to B2 above, the cloud resource orchestration function maintaining cloud resource status information is used as an example for illustration. This application does not exclude other network devices maintaining cloud resource status information. For example, in methods B1 to B2 above, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can also send resource requirement information and / or service range information of the first edge application server to other network devices to obtain at least one cloud resource status information from other network devices. Furthermore, it is not excluded that the edge computing collaborative orchestration function may maintain cloud resource status information; that is, the aforementioned cloud resource status information can be stored in the edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0252] In mode A1, the cloud resource orchestration function can deploy the application of the first edge application server in the first resource according to the deployment command from the edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0253] In this application, the application that deploys the first edge application server can refer to: a software image that deploys or runs the first edge application server on the first resource.

[0254] Specifically, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first resource of the first cloud based on the instruction information of the first resource in the deployment command. The cloud resource orchestration function can also obtain the software image of the first edge application server based on the application information of the first edge application server, and run the software image on the first resource to achieve application deployment.

[0255] The deployment command can include a software image, from which the cloud resource orchestration function can obtain the software image. Alternatively, the deployment command can also include the software image's identifier or address information instead of the software image directly, in order to reduce the signaling overhead of the deployment command. The cloud resource orchestration function can then obtain the software image based on its identifier or address information and run it on the first resource.

[0256] The above method A1 can be understood as the edge computing collaborative orchestration function directly allocating the first resource of the first edge application server according to the deployment type information.

[0257] Method A2, taking the first network device as a cloud resource orchestration function as an example, the cloud resource orchestration function can deploy the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server. This can include: the cloud resource orchestration function deploys the application of the first edge application server on the first resource of the first cloud according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0258] Specifically, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first resource of the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server. For example, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and then determine the first resource from the resources of the first cloud based on the resource requirements information of the first edge application server.

[0259] The cloud resource orchestration function determines the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, similar to method A1. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function also determines the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and will not be elaborated further. For example, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on both the deployment type information and resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0260] Furthermore, the method by which the cloud resource orchestration function determines the first resource from the resources of the first cloud based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server can be referenced from the method in Method A1, where the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first resource from the resources of the first cloud based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server. The difference lies in the fact that the cloud resource orchestration function can store and / or manage the resource status information of the cloud. Therefore, after determining the first cloud, the cloud resource orchestration function can obtain the resource status information of the first cloud from local storage.

[0261] As a possible implementation of cloud resource orchestration function to determine the first resource, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first cloud from at least one cloud based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the deployment type information of at least one cloud, and then determine the first resource from the resources of the first cloud based on the resource status information of the first cloud and the resource requirement information of the first edge application server.

[0262] Referring to the example of edge computing collaborative orchestration function as the first network device, regarding the resource status information of the first cloud, the resource status information of at least one cloud may include the identifiers of occupied resources and unoccupied resources in at least one cloud. Additionally, the resource status information may also include the identifier of the task (or edge application server) corresponding to the occupied resources in at least one cloud, deployment type information, storage type information, sharing method information, or resource allocation strategy information.

[0263] As another possible implementation of the cloud resource orchestration function to determine the first resource, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine one or more alternative resources that meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the resource requirement information of the first edge application server and the resource status information of at least one cloud. Then, based on the correspondence between the cloud to which the alternative resources belong and the deployment type information, the deployment type information corresponding to one or more alternative resources can be determined. Finally, based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, the first resource can be selected from one or more alternative resources.

[0264] The difference between Method A2 and Method A1 is that the cloud resource orchestration function does not need to receive deployment commands. In Method A2, the first request information received by the cloud resource orchestration function may contain the software image of the first edge application server, or the identifier or address information of the software image. Therefore, the cloud resource orchestration function can run the software image of the first edge application server on the first resource to deploy the application of the first edge application server.

[0265] Understandably, in method A2, in the implementation of the cloud resource orchestration function determining the first resource, the cloud resource orchestration function can send indication information of the first resource to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function after determining the first resource, in order to indicate that the first resource is used as a resource serving the first edge application server. For example, the indication information of the first resource can be carried in the response information corresponding to the first request information.

[0266] Method A2 above can be understood as follows: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function indirectly allocates the first resources of the first edge application server through the cloud resource orchestration function based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server. In other words, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function needs to provide the cloud resource orchestration function with the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0267] It is understandable that if the first request information includes the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information for the first edge application server, S102 can also be replaced by: the first network device deploying the first edge application server according to the SLA requirement information. Specifically, the deployment of the first edge application server by the first network device according to the SLA requirement information may include: the first network device determining the deployment type information according to the SLA requirement information, and then deploying the first edge application server according to the deployment type information.

[0268] The "edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends the deployment command of the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server" mentioned above can be understood as: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the deployment of the first edge application server in the EDN or the access network according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and then sends the deployment command.

[0269] The deployment command may include indication information for a first resource, which can be determined based on the deployment type information and / or resource requirement information of the first edge application server. That is, the allocation of the first resource may not depend on the deployment type information of the first edge application server. For example, if different deployment type information can correspond to the same cloud, in S102, the first network device can determine the first edge application server based on the deployment type information, and determine the first resource based on the resource requirement information and / or service scope information of the first edge application server. Taking the first network device as an edge computing collaborative orchestration function as an example, in S102, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can send a deployment command based on the resource requirement information and / or service scope information of the first edge application server.

[0270] Specifically, sending deployment commands based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server can mean that the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends deployment commands based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the deployment type information of at least one cloud. Specifically, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines a first cloud whose deployment type information is the same as that of the first edge application server, and then determines a first resource from the resources of the first cloud. The deployment command may include indication information for the first resource.

[0271] Furthermore, sending deployment commands based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server can mean that the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends deployment commands based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and the resource status information of at least one cloud. Specifically, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine a first cloud that can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and the resource requirements of at least one cloud, and determine a first resource from the resources of the first cloud based on the resource requirements. The deployment command may include indication information for the first resource.

[0272] Furthermore, sending deployment commands based on the deployment type information and resource requirement information of the first edge application server can mean that the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends deployment commands based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, the deployment type information of at least one cloud, the resource requirement information of the first edge application server, and the resource status information of at least one cloud. Specifically, the deployment type information of the first cloud is the same as that of the first edge application server, and the first cloud meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0273] The resource status information of at least one cloud can come from the cloud resource orchestration function. For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can provide the service range information of the first edge application server to the cloud resource orchestration function and receive the resource status information of at least one cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function.

[0274] The flow of the method shown in this application will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 10. In Figures 7 and 8, the first resources of the first edge application server are allocated by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function; that is, in the flow shown in Figures 7 and 8, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function acts as the first network device. In Figures 9 and 10, the first resources of the first edge application server are allocated by the cloud resource orchestration function; that is, in the flow shown in Figures 9 and 10, the cloud resource orchestration function acts as the first network device. Furthermore, in the flow shown in Figures 7 and 9, the first request information includes the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and in the flow shown in Figures 7 and 9, the first request information includes the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of the first edge application server.

[0275] The processes shown in Figures 7 to 10 are described below.

[0276] As shown in Figure 7, when allocating the first resources of the first edge application server by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, a communication method provided in this application may include the following steps:

[0277] S200: Edge computing collaborative orchestration function stores or manages information from at least one cloud.

[0278] For example, cloud information includes a cloud identifier, and may also include the cloud's deployment type information and resource status information. Referring to the preceding explanation, cloud resource status information may include the identifiers of occupied resources and / or unoccupied resources in the cloud. Optionally, it may also include the identifier of the task corresponding to the occupied resource, deployment type information, storage type information, sharing method information or resource allocation strategy information, computing power type of available resources, computing power size of available resources, computing power type of occupied resources, computing power size of occupied resources, storage type of available resources, storage size of available resources, storage type of occupied resources, or storage size of occupied resources.

[0279] As one possible implementation, the cloud information can include cloud resource status information received from the cloud resource orchestration function during the previous resource allocation process of the edge application server. For example, prior to S200, if the edge computing collaborative orchestration function receives resource status information from at least one cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function, the status information of the resource cloud can be stored for reference in the subsequent resource allocation process of the edge application server.

[0280] In addition, cloud information may also include information about the cloud's deployment location.

[0281] S201: The edge computing service consumer sends an edge computing service request for the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. This edge computing service request may carry resource requirement information and deployment type information for the first edge application server. Optionally, the edge computing service request may also include software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server. The software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server may also be carried in other information or messages; this is not specifically limited here.

[0282] The edge computing service requirement can be understood as the first request information in S101, or as something carried in the first request information.

[0283] For example, a consumer may execute S201 if there is a need for edge computing. Such a need might arise when an edge application server needs to be deployed, or when an instruction message or command is received instructing the deployment of an edge application server.

[0284] S202: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines whether the first edge application server is deployed in the edge data network or in the access network based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and identifies the first edge application server.

[0285] S203: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first cloud based on the deployment type information and / or resource requirement information of the first edge application server, as well as information of at least one cloud.

[0286] The method by which the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first cloud can be referred to in method A1, and will not be repeated here. For example, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the correspondence between cloud and deployment type information. Alternatively, if the cloud information includes the cloud's deployment location information, the deployment type information corresponding to the cloud can be determined based on the cloud's deployment location information, and then the first cloud can be determined based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the corresponding cloud deployment type information. In other words, if the cloud information includes the cloud's deployment location information, the first cloud can be determined based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server and the cloud's deployment location information. Furthermore, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine the first cloud that meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the resource requirements of the first edge application server and the cloud information.

[0287] Among them, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can store and / or manage the correspondence between cloud identifiers and deployment type information.

[0288] S204: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends the cloud identifier of the first cloud to the cloud resource orchestration function, in order to request the resource status information of the first cloud from the cloud resource orchestration function.

[0289] Among them, the cloud resource orchestration function can maintain the correspondence between cloud identifiers and cloud resource status information.

[0290] It is understandable that the cloud identifier in S204 can be carried in the request to obtain cloud resource status information. This request can serve as an example of the second request information in method A1. That is, S204 can serve as an example of an implementation method in which the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends the second request information to the cloud resource orchestration function.

[0291] S205: The cloud resource orchestration function sends the resource status information of the first cloud to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0292] Prior to S205, the cloud resource orchestration function could determine the resource status information corresponding to the cloud identifier of the first cloud based on the correspondence between cloud identifiers and cloud resource status information, that is, determine the resource status information of the first cloud.

[0293] Referring to the description in Method A1, the resource status information of the first cloud may include the identifiers of occupied resources and / or unoccupied resources in the first cloud. Optionally, it may also include the identifier of the task (or edge application server) corresponding to the occupied resources in the first cloud, deployment type information, storage type information, sharing method information, or resource allocation strategy information.

[0294] S206: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first resource based on the resource requirements information of the first edge application server and the resource status information of the first cloud.

[0295] Specifically, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can compare the resource requirements of the first edge application server with the currently available resources of the first cloud to determine whether the first cloud meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0296] The method for determining whether the first cloud meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server can be found in the introduction to the method for determining whether the cloud meets the resource requirements of the first edge application server in Method A1, which will not be repeated here.

[0297] If the available resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, then the first resource can be determined from the available resources of the first cloud.

[0298] If the available resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and the edge computing collaborative orchestration function also receives resource allocation policy information from the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine whether to deploy the first edge application server in the first cloud based on the resource allocation policy information. For example, if the resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server indicates that the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can stop other tasks in the occupied resources in the first cloud, so that the resources originally used to serve other tasks can serve the first edge application server, thereby meeting the resource requirements of the first edge application server. Optionally, if the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and / or, the sharing method information of the second task occupying the resources of the first cloud indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and the remaining resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can reselect the cloud to deploy the first edge application server, or stop the second task on the first cloud, that is, stop the second task from occupying the resources of the first cloud, so that the remaining resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and therefore the first resource can be determined from the remaining resources.

[0299] If it is necessary to stop other tasks, S207 can also be executed: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a task adjustment command to the cloud resource orchestration function to adjust the occupied resources of the first cloud. This task adjustment command can serve as an example of the first indication information in method A1. This adjustment command can be used to instruct other tasks to stop being served by the first resource. The first indication information may include indication information of the first resource, and optionally may also include an identifier of the task to be stopped. Accordingly, the cloud resource orchestration function can stop the first resource from providing services for other tasks, or select another cloud to provide services for the task. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function can also delete the storage corresponding to the other task.

[0300] In addition, if the sharing mode information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is allowed, and the sharing mode information of the second task occupying the first resource also indicates that resource sharing is allowed, then the first edge application server and the second task can share the first resource without stopping the second task.

[0301] S208: Edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server.

[0302] Specifically, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can send a management object creation request to the ECSP service producer (such as the ECSP management system) or network management function (such as the configuration management function) to deploy the first edge application server as a management object. This management object creation request may include the server identifier, resource requirements, software image, deployment type information, resource allocation policy information, indication information of the first edge application server's first resource, or cloud resource status information, etc. Subsequently, the ECSP service producer can create the management object corresponding to the first edge application server and maintain relevant information such as the server identifier, resource requirements, software image, deployment type information, resource allocation policy information, indication information of the first edge application server's resources, or cloud resource status information.

[0303] The indication information for the first resource can be obtained in S207.

[0304] In addition, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can trigger the creation of interface connections between the first edge application server and communication network elements. These communication network elements can be, for example, network elements or network devices in the access network or core network.

[0305] For example, edge computing collaborative orchestration sends a creation request to the first edge application server.

[0306] The execution sequence of S208 can also be after S209, without specific restrictions.

[0307] S209: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a deployment command to the cloud resource orchestration function. The deployment command may contain indication information for the first resource. This deployment command can be used to indicate the cloud resource allocated to the edge application server of the first edge application server.

[0308] Correspondingly, the cloud resource orchestration function can deploy the application of the first edge application server on the first resource after receiving the deployment command.

[0309] Optionally, the deployment command may also include a software image, or the identifier or address information of the software image, to support the deployment of the software corresponding to the first edge application server on the first resource of the cloud resource.

[0310] S210: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends an edge computing service deployment response to the edge computing service consumer to instruct the first edge application server to complete the deployment.

[0311] Based on the process shown in Figure 7, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can deploy the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server in the edge computing service request after receiving the edge computing service request from the edge computing service consumer. The method by which the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the resource status information of the first cloud in the process shown in Figure 7 can be considered as a process example of method B1.

[0312] In the process shown in Figure 7, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function deploys the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server, which may include at least one of the following steps: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first edge application server according to the deployment type (corresponding to S202); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first cloud for deploying the first edge application server (corresponding to S203); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first resource for deploying the application of the first edge application server (corresponding to S206); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server (corresponding to S208); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a deployment command to the cloud resource orchestration function (corresponding to S209).

[0313] As one implementation of S102, deploying the first edge application server according to the deployment type information may include one or more of S202, S203, S206, S208, and S209 in the process shown in Figure 7.

[0314] As shown in Figure 8, when allocating the first resources of the first edge application server by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, another communication method provided in this application may include the following steps:

[0315] S300: Edge computing collaborative orchestration function stores or manages information from at least one cloud.

[0316] S300 can refer to S200. For example, cloud information includes the cloud identifier, and may also include the cloud's deployment type information and cloud resource status information.

[0317] S301: The edge computing service consumer sends an edge computing service request for the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. This edge computing service request may carry service scope information and service level agreement (SLA) requirement information for the first edge application server. Optionally, the edge computing service request may also include software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server. The software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server may also be carried in other information or messages; this is not specifically limited here.

[0318] The edge computing service requirement can be understood as the first request information in S101, or as something carried in the first request information.

[0319] For example, a consumer can execute S301 if there is a need for edge computing. Such a need might arise when an edge application server needs to be deployed, or when an instruction message or command is received instructing the deployment of an edge application server.

[0320] S302: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a cloud resource status acquisition request to the cloud resource orchestration function. This request contains the service range information of the first edge application server.

[0321] S303: The cloud resource orchestration function sends resource status information of at least one cloud to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function.

[0322] Specifically, the resource status information of at least one cloud is determined by the cloud resource orchestration function based on the service range information of the first edge application server. For example, the at least one cloud may be a cloud capable of serving the service range of the first edge application server.

[0323] S304: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the deployment type and resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the service level agreement requirements of the first edge application server.

[0324] S305: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines whether the first edge application server is deployed in the edge data network or the access network based on the deployment type information, and identifies the first edge application server.

[0325] S305 can also be executed after S306, S307 or S308, without specific restrictions.

[0326] S306: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first resource of the first cloud based on the deployment type information of the cloud, the deployment type information of the first edge application server, the resource requirement information, and the resource status information of at least one cloud.

[0327] For example, the deployment type information of the first cloud is the same as that of the first edge application server, and the resources of the first cloud can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0328] The method for determining the first cloud can be found in the description of method A1. For example, the first cloud can be determined from at least one cloud based on the deployment type information corresponding to the cloud and the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and then the first resource can be determined based on the resource status information of the first cloud and the resource requirement information of the first edge application server.

[0329] See also the description in S206. If the available resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, then the first resource can be determined from the available resources of the first cloud.

[0330] If the available resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and the edge computing collaborative orchestration function also receives resource allocation policy information from the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can determine whether to deploy the first edge application server in the first cloud based on the resource allocation policy information. For example, if the resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server indicates that the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can stop other tasks in the occupied resources in the first cloud, so that the resources originally used to serve other tasks can serve the first edge application server, thereby meeting the resource requirements of the first edge application server. Optionally, if the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and / or, the sharing method information of the second task occupying the resources of the first cloud indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and the remaining resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can reselect the cloud to deploy the first edge application server, or stop the second task on the first cloud, that is, stop the second task from occupying the resources of the first cloud, so that the remaining resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and therefore the first resource can be determined from the remaining resources.

[0331] If it is necessary to stop other tasks, S307 can also be executed: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a task adjustment command to the cloud resource orchestration function to adjust the occupied resources of the first cloud. This task adjustment command can serve as an example of the first indication information in method A1. This adjustment command can be used to instruct other tasks to stop being served by the first resource. The first indication information may include indication information of the first resource, and optionally may also include an identifier of the task to be stopped. Accordingly, the cloud resource orchestration function can stop the first resource from providing services for other tasks, or select another cloud to provide services for the task. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function can also delete the storage corresponding to the other task.

[0332] In addition, if the sharing mode information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is allowed, and the sharing mode information of the second task occupying the first resource also indicates that resource sharing is allowed, then the first edge application server and the second task can share the first resource without stopping the second task.

[0333] S308: Edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server.

[0334] For details regarding S308, please refer to the description of S208, which will not be repeated here.

[0335] S308 can also be executed after S309.

[0336] S309: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends deployment commands to the cloud resource orchestration function. The deployment command may include indication information for the first resource.

[0337] For details regarding S309, please refer to the description of S209; further details will not be provided here.

[0338] S310: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends an edge computing service deployment response to the edge computing service consumer to instruct the first edge application server to complete the deployment.

[0339] Based on the process shown in Figure 8, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, upon receiving an edge computing service request from an edge computing service consumer, determines the deployment type information based on the service level agreement (SLA) requirements of the first edge application server within the SLA request, and then deploys the first edge application server accordingly. The method by which the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the resource status information of the first cloud in the process shown in Figure 8 can serve as a process example for method B2.

[0340] In the process shown in Figure 8, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function deploys the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server, which may include one or more of the following steps shown in Figure 8: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first edge application server according to the deployment type (corresponding to S302); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first resource for deploying the application of the first edge application server (corresponding to S303-S306); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server (corresponding to S308); the edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a deployment command to the cloud resource orchestration function (corresponding to S309).

[0341] As shown in Figure 9, when allocating the first resources of the first edge application server by the cloud resource orchestration function, another communication method provided in this application may include the following steps:

[0342] S400: Cloud resource orchestration function stores or manages information for at least one cloud.

[0343] Information about the cloud can be found in the description in S200. For example, cloud information includes the cloud identifier, and may also include the cloud's deployment type and resource status information.

[0344] S401: The edge computing service consumer sends an edge computing service request for the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. This edge computing service request may carry resource requirement information and deployment type information for the first edge application server. Optionally, the edge computing service request may also include software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server. The software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server may also be carried in other information or messages; this is not specifically limited here.

[0345] The edge computing service requirement can be understood as the first request information in S101, or as something carried in the first request information.

[0346] For example, a consumer can execute S401 if there is an edge computing requirement. An edge computing requirement might be present when an edge application server needs to be deployed, or when an instruction message or command is received instructing the deployment of an edge application server.

[0347] S402: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines whether the first edge application server is deployed in the edge data network or in the access network based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and identifies the first edge application server.

[0348] S403: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a cloud resource allocation request to the cloud resource orchestration function to request the cloud resource orchestration function to allocate resources to the first edge application server.

[0349] The cloud resource allocation request may include resource requirements and deployment type information for the first edge application server. Optionally, the cloud resource allocation request may also include the software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server.

[0350] S404: The cloud resource orchestration function determines the first resource of the first cloud based on the resource requirements and deployment type information of the first edge application server. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function may also determine the first resource based on the software image and / or resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server.

[0351] In S404, the method for determining the first resource using the cloud resource orchestration function can be found in the description of method A2, which will not be elaborated here.

[0352] It is understood that the first cloud can be one of at least one cloud in the S400. The cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the resource requirements and deployment type information of the first edge application server. For example, the deployment type information of the first cloud is the same as that of the first edge application server, and the resources of the first cloud can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0353] Referring to the description in S206, if the available resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, then the first resource can be determined from the available resources of the first cloud.

[0354] If the available resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and the cloud resource orchestration function also receives resource allocation policy information from the first edge application server, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine whether to deploy the first edge application server in the first cloud based on the resource allocation policy information. For example, if the resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server indicates that the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher, the cloud resource orchestration function can stop other tasks in the occupied resources of the first cloud, so that the resources originally used to serve other tasks can serve the first edge application server, thereby meeting the resource requirements of the first edge application server. Optionally, if the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and / or, the sharing method information of the second task occupying the resources of the first cloud indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and the remaining resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, the cloud resource orchestration function can reselect the cloud to deploy the first edge application server, or stop the second task on the first cloud, that is, stop the second task from occupying the resources of the first cloud, so that the remaining resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and therefore the first resource can be determined from the remaining resources.

[0355] If it is necessary to stop other tasks, the cloud resource orchestration function can adjust the resources occupied by the primary cloud, such as stopping the primary resource from providing services to other tasks, or selecting another cloud to provide services for the task. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function can also delete the storage corresponding to the other task.

[0356] In addition, if the sharing mode information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is allowed, and the sharing mode information of the second task occupying the first resource also indicates that resource sharing is allowed, then the first edge application server and the second task can share the first resource without stopping the second task.

[0357] In addition, after the primary resource is determined, the cloud resource orchestration function can deploy applications on the primary edge application server on the primary resource, for example, deploying software based on the software image provided by the edge computing orchestration function.

[0358] S405: The cloud resource orchestration function sends the indication information of the first resource to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function to indicate the first resource.

[0359] Correspondingly, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can obtain the primary resource.

[0360] S406: Edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server.

[0361] S406 can be referred to S208, and will not be elaborated further.

[0362] S407: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends an edge computing service deployment response to the edge computing service consumer, instructing the first edge application server to complete the deployment.

[0363] Based on the process shown in Figure 9 above, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can, after receiving an edge computing service request from an edge computing service consumer, determine the deployment type information according to the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of the first edge application server, and deploy the first edge application server according to the deployment type information. In this process, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function's deployment of the first edge application server based on its deployment type information may include one or more of the following steps shown in Figure 9: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first edge application server based on the deployment type (corresponding to S402); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function obtains the first resource of the first edge application server from cloud resource orchestration (corresponding to S403 to S405); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server (corresponding to S406).

[0364] As shown in Figure 10, when allocating the first resources of the first edge application server by the cloud resource orchestration function, another communication method provided in this application may include the following steps:

[0365] S500: Cloud resource orchestration function stores or manages information from at least one cloud.

[0366] Information about the cloud can be found in the description in S200. For example, cloud information includes the cloud identifier, and may also include the cloud's deployment type and resource status information.

[0367] S501: The edge computing service consumer sends an edge computing service request for the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. This edge computing service request may carry service level agreement (SLA) requirement information for the first edge application server. Optionally, the edge computing service request may also include software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server. The software image and / or resource allocation policy information for the first edge application server may also be carried in other information or messages; this is not specifically limited here.

[0368] The edge computing service requirement can be understood as the first request information in S101, or as something carried in the first request information.

[0369] For example, a consumer can execute S501 when there is a need for edge computing. Such a need might arise when an edge application server needs to be deployed, or when an instruction message or command is received instructing the deployment of an edge application server.

[0370] S502: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends a resource allocation request to the cloud resource orchestration function. The resource allocation request includes the service level agreement (SLA) requirements information of the first edge application server. Optionally, the resource allocation request may also include the software image and / or resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server.

[0371] S503: The cloud resource orchestration function determines the deployment type and resource requirements of the first edge application server based on the service level agreement requirements of the first edge application server.

[0372] S504: The cloud resource orchestration function determines the first resource of the first cloud based on the resource requirements and / or deployment type information of the first edge application server. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function may also determine the first resource based on the software image and / or resource allocation strategy information of the first edge application server.

[0373] In S504, the method for determining the first resource in the cloud resource orchestration function can be found in the description of method A2, which will not be elaborated here.

[0374] It is understood that the first cloud can be one of at least one cloud in the S500. The cloud resource orchestration function can determine the first cloud based on the resource requirements and deployment type information of the first edge application server. For example, the deployment type information of the first cloud is the same as that of the first edge application server, and the resources of the first cloud can meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server.

[0375] Referring to the description in S206, if the available resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, then the first resource can be determined from the available resources of the first cloud.

[0376] If the available resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and the cloud resource orchestration function also receives resource allocation policy information from the first edge application server, the cloud resource orchestration function can determine whether to deploy the first edge application server in the first cloud based on the resource allocation policy information. For example, if the resource allocation policy information of the first edge application server indicates that the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher, the cloud resource orchestration function can stop other tasks in the occupied resources of the first cloud, so that the resources originally used to serve other tasks can serve the first edge application server, thereby meeting the resource requirements of the first edge application server. Optionally, if the sharing method information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and / or, the sharing method information of the second task occupying the resources of the first cloud indicates that resource sharing is not allowed, and the remaining resources of the first cloud do not meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, the cloud resource orchestration function can reselect the cloud to deploy the first edge application server, or stop the second task on the first cloud, that is, stop the second task from occupying the resources of the first cloud, so that the remaining resources of the first cloud meet the resource requirements of the first edge application server, and therefore the first resource can be determined from the remaining resources.

[0377] If it is necessary to stop other tasks, the cloud resource orchestration function can adjust the resources occupied by the primary cloud, such as stopping the primary resource from providing services to other tasks, or selecting another cloud to provide services for the task. Optionally, the cloud resource orchestration function can also delete the storage corresponding to the other task.

[0378] In addition, if the sharing mode information of the first edge application server indicates that resource sharing is allowed, and the sharing mode information of the second task occupying the first resource also indicates that resource sharing is allowed, then the first edge application server and the second task can share the first resource without stopping the second task.

[0379] In addition, after the primary resource is determined, the cloud resource orchestration function can deploy applications on the primary edge application server on the primary resource, for example, deploying software based on the software image provided by the edge computing orchestration function.

[0380] S505: The cloud resource orchestration function sends the indication information of the first resource and the deployment type information of the first edge application server to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function to indicate the first resource.

[0381] Correspondingly, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function can obtain information about the deployment type of the first resource and / or the first edge application server.

[0382] S506: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines whether the first edge application server is deployed in the edge data network or in the access network based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, and identifies the first edge application server.

[0383] S507: Edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the deployment object and interface connection corresponding to the first edge application server.

[0384] S507 can be referred to S208, and will not be elaborated further.

[0385] S508: The edge computing collaborative orchestration function sends an edge computing service deployment response to the edge computing service consumer, instructing the first edge application server to complete the deployment.

[0386] Based on the process shown in Figure 10, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, upon receiving an edge computing service request from an edge computing service consumer, can send the service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of the first edge application server to the cloud resource orchestration function. This allows the cloud resource orchestration function to determine the deployment type information based on the SLA requirement information, allocate resources for the first edge application server according to the deployment type information, and send the deployment type information of the first edge application server back to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function. The edge computing collaborative orchestration function can then deploy the first edge application server based on the deployment type information. In this process, the deployment of the first edge application server by the edge computing collaborative orchestration function based on the deployment type information can include one or more of the following steps shown in Figure 10: the edge computing collaborative orchestration function determines the first edge application server based on the deployment type (corresponding to S506); after determining the first edge application server, the edge computing collaborative orchestration function creates the corresponding deployment object and interface connection for the first edge application server (corresponding to S507).

[0387] Alternatively, in the process shown in Figure 10, it can also be considered that the cloud resource orchestration function can deploy the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server. Specifically, the cloud resource orchestration function deploying the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server can mean that after the cloud resource orchestration function determines the first resource through S504, it deploys the application of the first edge application server on the first resource.

[0388] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0389] Figures 11 and 12 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the first network device (or the first communication device) or the second network device (or the second communication device) in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. For example, the first session management network element can be an edge computing collaborative orchestration function or a cloud resource orchestration function, and the second network device can be a cloud resource orchestration function. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be the first network device or the second network device, or it can be a module or component (such as a chip) in the first network device or the second network device. For example, the communication device can be used to implement the functions of the first network device or the second network device in the processes shown in Figures 6 to 10.

[0390] The communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 includes a processing unit 1110 and a transceiver unit (or communication unit) 1120. The communication device 1100 is used to implement the functions of the first session management network element, the first network device, the second network device, or the access and mobility management function network element in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit may include a sending unit and a receiving unit, used for sending and receiving, respectively.

[0391] Taking the process shown in Figure 6 as an example, when the communication device 1100 is used to implement the edge computing collaborative orchestration function in the method embodiment shown in Figure 6, specifically, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to receive the first request information; the processing unit 1110 can be used to deploy the first edge application server according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

[0392] In one possible implementation, if the communication device corresponds to the edge computing collaborative orchestration function, the processing unit 1110 may specifically trigger the transceiver unit 1120 to send the deployment command of the first edge application server based on the deployment type information and / or resource requirement information of the first edge application server.

[0393] In one possible implementation, if the communication device corresponds to cloud resource orchestration functionality, the processing unit 1110 can be specifically used to deploy the application of the first edge application server on a first resource of the first cloud based on the deployment type information and / or resource requirement information of the first edge application server. Additionally, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to send indication information for the first resource.

[0394] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to send a second request message to a second network device, the second request message being used to request resource status information of the first cloud, and to receive resource status information of the first cloud from the second network device.

[0395] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to send resource status information to and receive from at least one cloud from the second network device.

[0396] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to send a first indication information to a second network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the cessation of the task corresponding to the occupied resources of the first cloud.

[0397] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1110 can be used to determine latency requirement information based on the service level agreement requirement information of the first edge application server, and determine the deployment type information of the first edge application server based on the latency requirement information and the first correspondence.

[0398] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to send the service level agreement requirement information of the first edge application server to the second network device, and receive the deployment type information of the first edge application server from the second network device.

[0399] For a more detailed description of the above-mentioned processing unit 1110 and transceiver unit 1120, please refer directly to the description of the process steps and related features in the above method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0400] The communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 includes a processor 1210 and an interface circuit 1220. The processor 1210 and the interface circuit 1220 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1220 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1200 may also include a memory 1230 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1210, or storing input data required by the processor 1210 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1210 executes instructions.

[0401] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the above method embodiment, the processor 1210 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 1110, and the interface circuit 1220 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 1120.

[0402] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), microprocessors without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS), advanced instruction set computers (RISC) machines (ARM), network processors (NPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0403] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Furthermore, the ASIC can reside in a first session management network element (or a first communication device), a second session management network element (or a second communication device), or a policy control network element (or a third communication device). Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can exist as discrete components in the first session management network element (or the first communication device), the second session management network element (or the second communication device), or the policy control network element (or the third communication device).

[0404] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. A computer program is a set of instructions that directs each step of an action of an electronic computer or other device with message processing capabilities. It is typically written in a programming language and runs on a target architecture. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed, in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be volatile or non-volatile, or it can include both types of storage media.

[0405] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, including a program or instructions, which, when run on a computer, cause the methods in the above method embodiments to be executed.

[0406] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the methods in the above method embodiments to be executed.

[0407] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a communication system to implement the communication methods shown in Figures 6 to 10.

[0408] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0409] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0410] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the preceding and following related objects.

[0411] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0412] This application can be presented in terms of aspects, embodiments, or features surrounding a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that various systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these solutions may also be used. Additionally, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily," "for example," etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding / relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0413] In this application, "transmit (Tx / tx)" and "receive (Rx / rx)" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX. "Send information" can include direct transmission or indirect transmission through other communication devices, communication apparatuses, units, or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY. "Receive information" can include direct reception from YY or indirect reception from YY through other communication devices, communication apparatuses, units, or modules. Furthermore, "transmit" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, "transmit" or "receive" can occur between devices, for example, between access network devices and terminals via an air interface. "Transmit" or "receive" can also occur within a device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0414] In this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0415] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0416] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0417] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0418] "Preset," "predefined," or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminals and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Stored" can refer to storing in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separate installations, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

Claims

1. A method for deploying an edge application server, characterized in that, include: Receive first request information, the first request information is used to request the deployment of a first edge application server, the first request information includes the deployment type information of the first edge application server and / or the service level protocol requirement information of the first edge application server, the service level protocol requirement information is associated with the deployment type information of the first edge application server, the deployment type information is used to indicate that the deployment type of the first edge application server is deployed in an edge data network or deployed in an access network. The first edge application server is deployed according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Deploying the first edge application server according to its deployment type information includes: The deployment command of the first edge application server is sent according to the deployment type information of the first edge application server. The deployment command includes indication information of the first resource, which serves the first edge application server. The indication information of the first resource is used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Sending the deployment command for the first edge application server based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server includes: The deployment command is sent based on the deployment type information and the resource requirements of the first edge application server; The resource requirement information is included in the first request information, or the resource requirement information is obtained based on the service level agreement requirement information.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Deploying the first edge application server according to its deployment type information includes: Based on the deployment type information of the first edge application server, the application of the first edge application server is deployed on the first resource of the first cloud.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send indication information for the first resource, which is used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud.

6. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second request message to a second network device. The second request message is used to request resource status information of the first cloud. The first cloud is used to deploy the first edge application server. The second request message includes the identifier of the first cloud. The first cloud is determined based on the deployment type information and / or the resource requirement information of the first edge application server. Receive resource status information from the first cloud from the second network device; The first resource is determined based on the resource demand information and the resource status information of the first cloud.

7. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first resource is determined based on the deployment type information, the resource requirement information of the first edge application server, the deployment type information corresponding to at least one cloud, and the resource status information of the at least one cloud, wherein the at least one cloud includes the first cloud.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The first request information also includes service range information of the first edge application server, and the method further includes: Send the service range information of the first edge application server to the second network device; The system receives resource status information from at least one cloud from the second network device, the resource status information of the at least one cloud being determined based on the service range information of the first edge application server.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The cloud's resource status information includes the identifiers of the cloud's occupied resources.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The cloud resource status information also includes one or more of the following: The identifier of the task corresponding to the occupied resources; The deployment type information of the task corresponding to the occupied resources; The storage type information of the task corresponding to the occupied resources; Information on the sharing method of the tasks corresponding to the occupied resources; The resource allocation strategy information for the task corresponding to the occupied resources.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The first request information also includes resource allocation strategy information of the first edge application server. The resource allocation strategy information is associated with the resource allocation priority of the first edge application server, and the first resource is also determined according to the resource allocation strategy information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 2-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first instruction message to the second network device, the first instruction message being used to instruct the task corresponding to the occupied resources of the first cloud to be stopped.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The resource allocation priority of the first edge application server is higher than the resource allocation priority of the task corresponding to the occupied resources of the first cloud.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The first request information includes the service level agreement requirement information, and the method further includes: Determine latency requirements based on the service level agreement requirements; The deployment type information is determined based on the latency requirement information and the first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence includes the correspondence between the latency requirement information and the deployment type information.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, The first request information includes the service level agreement requirement information, and the method further includes: Send the Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirement information to the second network device; The deployment type information is received from the second network device, and the deployment type information is determined based on the service level agreement requirement information.

16. A method for deploying an edge application server, characterized in that, include: The system receives a second request from a first network device. The second request is used to request resource status information of a first cloud. The first cloud is used to deploy a first edge application server. The second request includes an identifier of the first cloud. The first cloud is determined based on the deployment type information and / or resource requirement information of the first edge application server. The deployment type information is used to indicate whether the deployment type of the first edge application server is deployed in an edge data network or in an access network. The resource status information of the first cloud is sent to the first network device according to the identifier of the first cloud.

17. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a deployment command from the first network device. The deployment command includes indication information for a first resource, which serves the first edge application server. The indication information for the first resource is used to indicate the first resource of the first cloud, and the first resource is determined based on the resource status information of the first cloud. The application of the first edge application server is deployed on the first resource.

18. A method for deploying an edge application server, characterized in that, include: Receive service range information from the first edge application server of the first network device; At least one cloud resource status information is sent to the first network device, wherein the resource status information of the at least one cloud is determined based on the service range information of the first edge application server.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a deployment command from the first network device. The deployment command includes indication information for a first resource, which serves the first edge application server. The indication information for the first resource is used to indicate the first resource of a first cloud, and the at least one cloud includes the first cloud. The application of the first edge application server is deployed on the first resource.

20. A method for deploying an edge application server, characterized in that, include: Receive service level agreement (SLA) requirement information from the first edge application server of the first network device; The deployment type information of the first edge application server is sent to the first network device, and the deployment type information is determined according to the service level agreement requirement information.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for executing computer programs or instructions to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-20.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed by a communication device, the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 is implemented.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is executed by a computer, the computer executes the method as described in any one of claims 1-20.

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