System and method for managing trace data in a network

Abstract

A system (108) and a method (600) for managing trace data in a network (106) is described A network element (401) receives a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system (302). Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, the network element (401) initiates the trace session for the event. The network element (401) generates a code corresponding to the event based on a parameter associated with the received trace parameter configuration. The network element (401) transmits a trace record comprising the generated code to a consumer (308) (e.g., trace collection entity (TCE)) for managing trace data in the network (106).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING TRACE DATA IN A NETWORKRESERVATION OF RIGHTS

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

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of communication systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing trace data in a network.DEFINITIONS

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

[0004] The term “Trace data”, as used herein, refers to captured information about network events, including call details, user activity, and network performance, used for troubleshooting, optimization, and analysis.

[0005] The term “Trace data management,” as used herein, refers to a process of collecting, storing, and analyzing network events and signaling data, enabling detailed insights into network performance and user behavior.

[0006] The term “Trace session,” as used herein, refers to tracking and analyzing the details and activities of sessions as they travel through the network components.

[0007] The term “Trace depth”, as used herein, refers to a parameter that defines how detailed information should be recorded in the network element.

[0008] The term “Trace collection entity (TCE)”, as used herein, refers to a network component responsible for gathering, storing, and managing trace data generated during network operations. This trace data can include information about user sessions, signaling, mobility events, call flows, data traffic, and other key network interactions.

[0009] The term “Trace session activation information”, as used herein, refers to details related to the trace session. The trace session activation information comprisestrace reference, trace depth, trace target - list of cells, list of interfaces, and trace collection entity (TCE) internet protocol (IP) address.

[0010] The term “Network function (NF)”, as used herein, refers to a component of the network performing a specific task or service to support communication and data transfer in the network. The network function may be, but is not limited to, an access mobility and management function (AMF), a policy control function (PCF), etc.

[0011] The term “Information Elements (IEs)”, as used herein, refers to units of data that carry specific information in signaling protocols. These elements encode and transmit various parameters, instructions, or data between network components / functions.

[0012] The term “Trace Record Generator (TRG)”, as used herein, refers to a network function component, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN) node or a core network function, responsible for generating trace records based on monitoring and diagnostic activities within a communication network.

[0013] The term “Trace record”, as used herein, refers to a structured data set generated by the TRG to capture detailed information about specific network events or transactions. The trace record contains monitoring information, including but not limited to signaling messages, session states, and performance metrics. The trace plays a role in activities such as the determination of the root cause of a malfunctioning mobile, advanced troubleshooting, optimization of resource usage and quality, radio frequency coverage control and capacity improvement, dropped call analysis, and core network.

[0014] The term “Trace reference”, as used herein, refers to an identifier used in network tracing to correlate trace sessions across different network elements. It is a unique value assigned when a trace session is initiated for a subscriber or a network entity by management system.

[0015] The term “Management system”, as used herein, refers to a network management component that provisions the trace configurations to a trace record generator (TRG) based on network monitoring requirements, or diagnostic. The management system is a network management system (NMS) in telecommunication network.

[0016] The term “Summary code” as used herein, refers to a predefined set of digits that provides an overview of a network event / a network procedure. The summary code serves as a unique identifier for issue (e.g., failure of event) and provides a summary of the event / procedure.BACKGROUND

[0017] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure.However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0018] Currently, a trace session captures detailed information or logs about specific operations or events in the network, either in real-time or over a specified period. Trace session activation initiates the process of tracking or monitoring activities within the network. During this activation, the management system sends one or more parameters (e.g., trace depth) as part of the trace parameter configuration. Trace depth refers to the level of detail or granularity of the data captured in the trace records generated by network functions (NFs) during their operations, such as session management, data management, traffic management, fault management, and security management. These trace records typically contain information about signaling messages exchanged between NFs, which are essential for the network's management and operation. Trace depth essentially controls how much information is included in each trace record, affecting the amount of data collected and the overhead associated with capturing that data.

[0019] Each network function determines the level of detail in its trace record based on the trace depth level specified in the trace session activation request from the management system (e.g., network management system (NMS)). The greater the trace depth, the more granular and comprehensive the information captured by the NF. When network functions generate trace records, trace depth impacts the size and content of those records. Each NF generates a trace record for every signaling message sent or received. While this provides a fundamental understanding of signaling behavior, it also introduces significant overhead in terms of signaling (messages exchanged), processing (how the NF processes and prepares the trace data), and storage (where the trace data is stored, often requiring additional infrastructure). This is because each message is logged in the trace record, regardless of its complexity or relevance to troubleshooting. This can overwhelm network resources, especially in busy networks or when a high volume of signaling messages occurs. This becomes even more critical for resource and cost-sensitive small and private networks.

[0020] As the trace depth increases, the level of detail in each trace record grows, providing more valuable insights for troubleshooting and network analytics. However, this also requires more processing, storage, and signaling resources. The storage burden becomes more significant as large amounts of data need to be captured, transmitted, and stored. Generating trace records for every message, particularly at higher trace depths, can create substantial overhead. This affects both the NF and the trace collection entity (TCE), which is responsible for collecting, processing, and storing the trace data. As the network scales (e.g., in a large public network or a small / private network), managing the trace records and ensuring that the trace depth is optimally setfor each use case becomes more complex. It is essential to strike a balance between detail and efficiency. While extensive trace data can be valuable for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting, mechanisms should be in place to dynamically adjust trace depth. For instance, systems can temporarily increase trace depth when an issue is detected or when more detailed diagnostics are needed and then revert to lower levels to reduce overhead.

[0021] Since tracing is primarily used for network and user experience analytics or troubleshooting rather than being a mandatory part of 5G / 6G signaling for service delivery to end users, optimizing trace data management (i.e., trace data signaling and processing) is crucial. Tracing should not introduce unnecessary load on the network, especially in scenarios where only limited data is needed to resolve issues or understand network behavior. This optimization becomes even more critical in small / private network deployments, where network resources (including signaling, processing power, and storage) are often more constrained than in larger public networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN)). In such cases, excessive trace data generation can disproportionately impact network performance and costs. Therefore, optimizing trace data generation is vital in scenarios with limited resources, particularly in small or private networks, to avoid placing unnecessary load on the system.

[0022] There is, therefore, a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies of the prior arts.OBJECTIVES

[0023] Some of the objectives of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:

[0024] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for managing trace data in a network.

[0025] Another objective of the present disclosure is to optimize tracing for small / private deployments by setting a trace depth parameter to micro in the trace configuration settings.

[0026] Yet another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a compact summary code (i.e., a predefined set of digits that provides an issue overview (e.g., failure of event) and a summary of the event) for the micro trace depth.

[0027] Yet another objective of the present disclosure is to transmit the compact summary code and mandatory header fields (e.g., a timestamp, a NF instance identifier (ID), a NF type, a trace reference, a trace recording session reference, and a trace record type ID) in the trace record header to a trace collection entity (TCE). This eliminates the need for a full trace record (i.e., trace record with header and payload) for each message by including only the headers, thereby reducing signaling overhead and the volume of trace data transmitted and stored.

[0028] Yet another objective of the present disclosure is to provide efficient troubleshooting through a concise representation of failures or events in the compact summary code and allow quick identification and root-cause analysis without requiring extensive trace logs.

[0029] Yet another objective of the present disclosure is to provide faster processing and analysis of network events with compact trace records. This enables the TCE and monitoring tools to process and analyze network issues faster and more efficiently.

[0030] Other objectives and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.SUMMARY

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for managing trace data in a network is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, by a network element, a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system. The method comprises, upon detecting an occurrence of the event, initiating, by the network element, the trace session for the event. The method comprises determining, by the network element, whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro. The method comprises, upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generating, by the network element, a summarized code corresponding to the event. The method comprises transmitting, by the network element, a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer for managing trace data in the network.

[0032] In some embodiments, the network element comprises one of: an access management function (AMF), a mobility management entity (MME), and a network node. The network node comprises a radio access network (RAN) node and a core network (CN) node. The consumer comprises a trace collection entity (TCE).

[0033] In some embodiments, the trace parameter configuration comprises the one or more parameters comprising the trace depth, a trace reference, a trace target or a list of cells, a list of interfaces for the network elements, a trace collection entity IP address, and triggering events.

[0034] In some embodiments, a trace header comprises the summarized code with one or more fields.

[0035] The method comprises, upon determining that the trace depth is one of minimum, medium or maximum, generating, by the network element, a full trace record comprising the trace header with one or more fields and payload corresponding to the event. The method comprises transmitting, by the network element, the generated full trace record to the consumer.

[0036] In some embodiments, the event comprises a session management event, a mobility event, an authentication event, a performance management event, and a security event.

[0037] In some embodiments, the network management system is configured to set the trace depth based on a network type. The network type comprises a small / private network and a public network.

[0038] In some embodiments, upon receiving the trace record, the consumer is configured to decode the code in the trace record to determine event information. The event information comprises a status of the event. The status of the event comprises success or failure of the event.

[0039] In some embodiments, the size of the summarized code is changed based on at least one of a detail level of the event information to be monitored by a network operator and one or more network conditions.

[0040] In another exemplary embodiment, a system for managing trace data in a network is disclosed. The system comprises a network element. The network element comprises a communication unit configured to receive a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system. Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, a processing unit configured to initiate the trace session for the event and determine whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro. Upon determining that the trace depth is micro, the processing unit is configured to generate a summarized code corresponding to the event. The communication unit is configured to transmit a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer for managing trace data in the network.

[0041] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a network element configured for managing trace data in a network is disclosed. The network element comprises a communication unit configured to receive a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system. Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, a processing unit configured to initiate the trace session for the event and determine whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro. Upon determining that the trace depth is micro, the processing unit is configured to generate a summarized code corresponding to the event. The communication unit is configured to transmit a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer for managing trace data in the network.

[0042] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method for managing trace data in a network is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, by a network element, a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system. The method comprises,upon detecting an occurrence of the event, initiating, by the network element, the trace session for the event. The method comprises determining, by the network element, whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro. The method comprises, upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generating, by the network element, a summarized code corresponding to the event. The method comprises transmitting, by the network element, a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer for managing trace data in the network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

[0043] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture implementing a system for managing trace data in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the system for managing the trace data in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system architecture for managing the trace data in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process flow for managing the trace data in a management-based trace activation flow, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary process flow for managing the trace data in signaling-based trace activation flow, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method for managing trace data in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0051] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS100 Network Architecture102 User(s)104 User Equipments (UEs)106 Network108 System200 Block diagram202 Processor(s)204 Memory206 Interface(s)208 Processing Engine210 Database300 System Architecture302 Management System304 Fourth Generation / Fifth Generation / Sixth Generation Radio Access Network (4G / 5G / 6GRAN)306 4G / 5G / 6G Core Network308 Trace Collection Entity (TCE)400 Process Flow401 N etwork Element500 Process Flow501 Unified Data Management (UDM) / Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 503 Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / Mobility Management Entity (MME)505 Radio / Core Network Function (NF)600 Flow Diagram700 Computer System710 External Storage Device720 Bus730 Main Memory740 Read-Only Memory750 Mass Storage Device760 Communication Ports770 ProcessorDETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with anycombination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.

[0053] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0054] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0055] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0056] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive like the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0057] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0058] The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be noted that the terms “mobile device”, “user equipment”, “user device”, “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the invention. These terms are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or imply any specific functionality or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for convenience and clarity of description. The invention is not limited to any particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

[0059] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

[0060] Currently, a trace session captures detailed information or logs about specific operations or events in the network, either in real-time or over a specified period. Trace session activation initiates the trace session to track or monitor activities within the network. During trace session activation, the management system sends one or more parameters (e.g., trace depth) as part of the trace parameter configuration. Trace depth refers to the level of detail or granularity of data captured in the tracerecords generated by network functions (NFs) during their operations, such as session management, data management, traffic management, fault management, and security management. These trace records typically contain information about signaling messages exchanged between NFs, which are essential for the network's management and operation. Trace depth essentially controls how much information is included in each trace record, impacting the amount of data collected and the overhead associated with capturing that data.

[0061] Each network function determines how detailed its trace record will be based on the trace depth level specified in the trace session activation request from the management system (e.g., network management system [NMS]). The greater the trace depth, the more granular and comprehensive the information captured by the NF. Nine trace depth levels exist, including minimum, medium, maximum with corresponding vendor specification (such as with vendor-specific extension / without vendor-specific extension / only with vendor-specific trace record, etc.) This allows for custom, more detailed trace levels tailored to specific vendor implementations or network setups). The minimum trace depth captures basic and essential information, such as key signaling elements like the sender, receiver, and the type of message exchanged. The medium trace depth might include additional information, such as more detailed identifiers, message contents, or timestamps. The maximum trace depth provides the most comprehensive data, potentially including the full content of signaling messages, error states, additional context, or detailed diagnostics.

[0062] When network functions (NFs) generate trace records, trace depth impacts the size and content of the records. Each NF generates a trace record for every message sent or received. While this provides a fundamental understanding of signaling behavior, it also introduces significant overhead in terms of signaling (messages exchanged), processing (how the NF processes and prepares the trace data), and storage (where the trace data is stored, often requiring additional infrastructure). This is because each message is logged in the trace record, regardless of its complexity or relevance to troubleshooting. This can overwhelm network resources, especially in busy networks or where a high volume of signaling messages occurs.

[0063] As the trace depth increases (e.g., medium, maximum, or vendor-specific extensions), the level of detail in each trace record grows. This provides more valuable insights for troubleshooting and network analytics but also requires more processing, storage, and signaling resources. The storage burden becomes more significant as large amounts of data need to be captured, transmitted, and stored.

[0064] Generating trace records for every message, particularly at higher trace depths, can create substantial overhead. This affects the NF, and the trace collection entity (TCE) tasked with collecting, processing, and storing the trace data. As the network scales (e.g., in a large public network or a small / private network), managingthe trace records and ensuring the trace depth is set optimally for each use case becomes more complex. It is essential to strike a balance between detail and efficiency. While extensive trace data can be valuable for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting, mechanisms should be in place to adjust trace depth dynamically. For instance, systems can temporarily increase trace depth when an issue is detected or when more detailed diagnostics are needed and then revert to lower levels to reduce overhead.

[0065] Since tracing is primarily used for network and user experience analytics or troubleshooting rather than being a mandatory part of 5G / 6G signaling for service delivery to end users, optimizing the process of trace data management (i.e., trace data signaling and processing) is crucial. Tracing should not introduce unnecessary load on the network, especially in scenarios where only limited data is needed to resolve issues or understand network behavior. This optimization becomes especially critical in small / private network deployments, where network resources (including signaling, processing power, and storage) are often more constrained than in the larger public networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN)). In such cases, excessive trace data generation can disproportionately impact network performance and costs. There is a need to optimize trace data generation, which is vital in scenarios with limited resources in the small or private networks to avoid unnecessary load on the system.

[0066] Accordingly, systems and methods are needed to optimize trace data management (i.e., trace data signaling and storage) in resource / signaling-sensitive small / private network deployments.

[0067] The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing a system and a method for managing trace data in the network. A management system (e.g., network management system (NMS)) sets the trace depth based on the network type (i.e., micro trace depth for the small / private network and minimum / medium / maximum trace depth for a large / public network (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN))). A network operator or network administrator decides the trace depth to be used for the network.

[0068] The management system transmits a trace parameter configuration comprising the trace depth to a network element (e.g., nodeB, a session management function (SMF), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a policy control function (PCF), etc.) that traces an event (e.g., session establishment, handover, authentication). Based on trace depth, the network element generates a trace record (i.e., a compact summary code for the micro trace depth and a detailed trace record for minimum / medium / maximum trace depth). The network element transmits the trace record to a trace collection entity (TCE). The trace record comprises the compact summary code in a trace header without pay load for the micro trace depth. The compactsummary code comprises event information (such as success or failure of the event). The TCE (or any other monitoring tool) processes and analyzes network issues by utilizing the event information (such as the success or failure of the event) from the compact summary code. This enables efficient troubleshooting, allowing quick identification and root-cause analysis without requiring extensive trace logs.

[0069] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) implementing a system (108) for managing trace data in a network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the network architecture (100) may include one or more user equipments (UEs) (104-1, 104-2, .... 104-N) associated with one or more users (102-1, 102-2, ...., 102 -N) in an environment. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more users (102-1, 102-2, ... 102-N) may be individually referred to as the user (102) and collectively referred to as the users (102). Similarly, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more UEs (104-1, 104-2, ....104-N) may be individually referred to as the UE (104) and collectively referred to as the UEs (104). Although three UEs (104) are depicted in FIG. 1, however, any number of the user equipments (104) may be included without departing from the scope of the ongoing description. In an embodiment, each UE (104) may have a unique identifier attribute associated therewith. In an embodiment, the unique identifier attribute may be indicative of at least one of a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), a Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI), and the like.

[0072] In an embodiment, the UE (104) may include smart devices operating in a smart environment, such as an Internet of Things (loT) system. In such an embodiment, the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, smartphones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices, networked lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories, networked vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, smart television (TV), computers, a smart security system, a smart home system, other devices for monitoring or interacting with or for the users (102) and / or entities, or any combination thereof. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices that can integrate seamlessly with each other and / or with a central server or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected.

[0073] In an embodiment, the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, aphablet device, and so on), a wearable computer device (e.g., a head-mounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, and so on), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer, a media playing device, a portable gaming system, and / or any other type of computer device with a wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electro-mechanical, or an equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices, such as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, a laptop, a general-purpose computer, a desktop, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a mainframe computer, or any other computing device. In addition, the UE (104) may include one or more in-built or externally coupled accessories including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, an audio aid, a microphone, a keyboard, and input devices for receiving input from the user (102) or an entity such as touch pad, a touch enabled screen, an electronic pen, and the like. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the UE (104) may not be restricted to the mentioned devices and various other devices may be used.

[0074] In FIG. 1, the UE (104) may communicate with the system (108) via a network (106). In an embodiment, the network (106) may include at least one of a Fourth Generation (4G) network, Fifth Generation (5G) network, a Sixth Generation (6G) network, or the like. The network (106) may enable the UEs (104) to communicate with other devices in the network architecture (100) and / or with the system (108). The network (106) may include a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In another embodiment, the network (106) may be implemented as or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like. In an embodiment, the network (106) may include, by way of example but not limitation, at least a portion of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or a combination thereof, etc. one or more messages, packets, signals, waves, voltage or current levels, some combination thereof, or so forth. In an aspect, the network (106) may be referred to as a communication network.

[0075] In an embodiment, the UE (104) may be communicatively coupled with the network (106). The system (108) may receive a connection request from the UE (104). The system (108) may send an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104). The UE (104) may transmit a plurality of signals in response to the connection request. Once the connection is established, the system (108) may managethe trace data in the network (106). A process of managing trace data is explained in greater detail in conjunction with the FIGS. 2 - 7.

[0076] In an embodiment, the system (108) for managing trace data in a network is disclosed. A management system (e.g., network management system (NMS)) may send trace parameter configurations for a trace session to a network element (e.g., radio access network (RAN) node or core network (CN) node). The trace parameter configuration comprises a trace depth parameter among multiple parameters. A level of the trace depth is set as to micro for small / private deployments. Upon receiving a trigger for a trace session of a network event(s) (e.g., session establishment, handover, authentication, etc.) in the small / private / large deployments, the network element may receive trace data corresponding to the network event (e.g., data corresponding to session establishment, handover, authentication, etc.) from the UE (104). The network element may generate a compact summary code (e.g., clear code) that provides a compact summary of the event, when the trace depth is micro. The network element may generate a full event summary, when the trace depth is one of minimum, medium or maximum. For the trace depth as micro, the network element transmits the summary code / clear code in a trace record header to a trace collection entity (TCE) without any payload information. For the trace depth as minimum, medium and maximum, the network element transmits a full trace record with the pay load information of the event. The TCE receives and decodes the summary code (e.g., clear code) to derive meaningful information about the event or failure.

[0077] Although FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of the network architecture (100), in other embodiments, the network architecture (100) may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the network architecture (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the network architecture (100).

[0078] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram (200) of the system (108) for managing the trace data in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include one or more processor(s) (202). The one or more processor(s) (202) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that process data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) (202) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (204) of the system (108). The memory (204) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share datapackets over a network service. The memory (204) may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.

[0080] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include an interface(s) (206). The interface(s) (206) may comprise a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices (I / O), storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) (206) may facilitate communication through the system (108). The interface(s) (206) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system (108). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, a processing engine (208), and a database (210).

[0081] In an embodiment, the processing engine (208) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine (208). In the examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine (208) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware for the processing engine (208) may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine (208). In such examples, the system (108) may comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system (108) and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine (208) may be implemented by electronic circuitry.

[0082] In an embodiment, the database (210) may store data that may be generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processor (202) or the processing engine (208). In an embodiment, the database (210) may be indicative of including, but not limited to, a relational database, a distributed database, a cloud-based database, or the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the processing engine (208) may include one or more units having functions that may include, but are not limited to, testing, storage, and peripheral functions, such as a wireless communication unit for remote operation, and the like.

[0083] In an embodiment, the processing engine (208) is configured to manage trace data in the network (106).

[0084] The processing engine (208) comprises a communication unit (212) and a processing unit (214).

[0085] The communication unit (212) is configured to receive a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system.

[0086] The communication unit (212) may receive a trigger corresponding to tracing from a management system (e.g., network management system (NMS) (302), as shown in FIG.3). In an aspect, the NMS refers to a management system used by network administrators to monitor, control, and manage operations of the network (106).

[0087] In an aspect, the management system may receive an indication for trace session initiation corresponding to an event from a network operator or a network administrator. The network operator or the network administrator may generate the indication for the trace session to monitor one or more events (e.g., session management, mobility or handover, authentication, performance management, security, etc.) corresponding to a plurality of network elements.

[0088] In an aspect, the management system may send a trigger for trace session initiation for an event to at least one network element of the plurality of network elements. The management system may send a trace parameter configuration and the trigger for the trace session for the at least one network element. Before sending the trace parameter configuration, the management system may configure one or more parameters in the trace parameter configuration. The one or more parameters comprise a trace reference, a trace depth, one or more triggering events, a trace target with a list of cells, a list of interfaces for nodes and a trace collection entity internet protocol (IP) address.

[0089] In an aspect, the trace depth refers to a parameter that defines how detailed information should be recorded in the network element. The trace depth is a parameter for trace session level, i.e., the trace depth is the same for all of the NEs to be traced in the same trace session.

[0090] The trace depth comprises one or more trace depth levels. In one exemplary implementation, a trace depth format shown in Table 1 can be implemented. The one or more trace depth levels in the trace depth format are as follows:Table 1

[0091] As illustrated in Table 1, the trace depth may comprise, but is not limited to, minimum, medium, maximum with corresponding vendor specification (i.e., with vendor specific extension / without vendor specific extension / only with vendor specific trace record, etc.) and micro. In an aspect, the vendor specific extension refers to proprietary or non-standardized features and functionalities provided by vendors (or manufacturers of network equipment or devices). In an aspect, the vendor specific trace records refer to trace records corresponding to the vendors.

[0092] In an aspect, the minimum trace depth may comprise information elements in the signaling messages recorded with having vendor extension in decoded format. The medium trace depth may comprise information elements in the signaling messages with radio measurement information elements further with having vendor extensionrecorded in decoded format. The maximum trace depth may comprise entire signaling messages recorded in encoded format. The minimum without vendor specific extension trace depth may comprise information elements in the signaling messages recorded in decoded format without having vendor extension. The medium without vendor specific extension trace depth may comprise information elements in signaling messages with radio measurement information elements recorded in decoded format without having vendor extension. The maximum without vendor specific extension trace depth may comprise entire signaling messages recorded in encoded format. The minimum only vendor specific trace record may comprise vendor specific trace records recorded only at vendor defined minimum level. The medium only vendor specific trace record may comprise vendor specific trace records recorded only at vendor defined medium level. The maximum only vendor specific trace record may comprise vendor specific trace records recorded only at vendor defined maximum level. The micro may comprise signaling procedure / transaction summary code recorded in trace record header without any payload.

[0093] One can appreciate that in other implementations, other trace depth formats can be implemented as well.

[0094] In an aspect, the trace depth (i.e., micro) integrates with the existing trace architecture by introducing an additional trace depth rather than modifying fundamental tracing procedures and compliance with the existing trace architecture framework.

[0095] The management system may specify the trace depth based on the network type (e.g., small network, private network, public network, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), etc.). For large networks (i.e., public network, LAN, WAN), the management system may set level of the trace depth as minimum, medium and maximum with corresponding vendor specification (i.e., with vendor specific extension / without vendor specific extension / only with vendor specific trace record, etc.). For the trace session activation in small / private deployments, the management system may set the level of the trace depth to micro. The management system sends the trace depth as micro and other parameters in the trace parameter configuration to the at least one network element of a plurality of network elements.

[0096] In another aspect, the management system may set the trace depth as micro for the larger networks (e.g., public network, LAN, WAN) as well.

[0097] In an aspect, the plurality of network elements comprises network nodes, network functions and network entities. The plurality of network elements may correspond to at least one of radio access network (RAN) and core network. In an aspect, the RAN refers to a part of the communication network (i.e., network (106)) that acts as the interface between the user equipment and the core network, facilitating the wireless transmission of data and voice signals. The core network refers to the partof the communication network (i.e., network (106)) that manages and routes traffic, ensuring efficient and reliable communication between the user equipment and the communication network, and handling tasks like authentication, authorization, and subscriber data management.

[0098] The network nodes comprise, but are not limited to, a nodeB, an evolved nodeB (eNB), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) and a next-generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), and anodeB for sixth-generation (6G). The nodeB refers to a base station used in 3G networks acting as an interface between the user equipments and the 3G network. The eNodeB refers to a base station in Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, managing radio communications between the user equipment (UEs) and the 4G / LTE network. The next-generation NodeB (gNB) refers to a base station that connects 5G New Radio (NR) devices to the 5G core network using the NR radio interface. The next-generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB) refers to an enhanced 4G eNodeB that connects to the 5G core network (5GC) via NG interfaces, allowing 4G LTE devices to access the 5G network while using their existing 4G radio interface. Further, the 6G base station is an advanced wireless access node that operates in high-frequency bands such as sub-terahertz to deliver ultra-high data rates, extremely low latency, and massive connectivity. The 6G base station is an evolution of the gNodeB (gNB), incorporating integrated communication, artificial intelligence, sensing, and computing capabilities for next-generation services.

[0099] The network functions comprise, but are not limited to, an access and mobility management function (AMF), a policy control function (PCF), a session management function (SMF), a user plane function (UPF), an authentication server function (AUSF), and a short message service function (SMSF). The AMF refers to a network function responsible for managing the UE access and mobility, including registration, authentication, and handover management between base stations. The PCF refers to a network function responsible for managing and enforcing network policies related to user data traffic, network slicing, and service quality. The SMF refers to a network function responsible for managing user sessions, including establishment, modification, and release, and ensuring seamless communication. The UPF refers to a network function responsible for packet routing, forwarding, and inspection, as well as handling Quality of Service (QoS) and policy enforcement for user data traffic. The AUSF refers to a network function responsible for subscriber authentication and key management. The SMSF refers to a network function responsible for managing short message service (SMS) functionalities within the network. It handles, routes, and delivers SMS messages.

[0100] The network entities comprise, but are not limited to, mobile switching center (MSC) Server, a media gateway (MGW), a radio network controller (RNC), a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), a gateway GPRSsupport node (GGSN), a broadcast multicast service center (BM-SC), a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway (SGW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW), a home subscriber server (HSS), and a unified data management (UDM). The MSC server refers to a network entity that manages and controls functions (e.g., voice calls and SMSs) and provides mobility management and network services. The MGW refers to a network entity that translates and bridges different communication networks, enabling seamless communication using different protocols or formats. The RNC refers to a network entity that manages radio resources and facilitates communication between base stations and the network, ensuring seamless handovers and call quality. The SGSN refers to a network entity that manages mobility, session, and authentication for GPRS users. The GGSN refers to a network entity that acts as a gateway between the user equipment network and external packet data networks (e.g., the internet), routing data traffic between the users and the external networks. The BMSC refers to a network entity that manages the interface between content providers and the network, handling functions like scheduling, transmission, billing, and security for broadcast and multicast services. The MME refers to a network entity responsible for managing mobility, authentication, and security of the user equipments (UEs), ensuring seamless connection and handover as they move between cells. The SGW refers to a network entity responsible for routing and forwarding user data packets between the user equipment (UE) and the Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW). The PGW refers to a network entity that acts as an interface between the 4G / LTE network and external packet data networks for routing data packets and managing IP addresses for the users. The HSS refers to a network entity functioning as a central database that stores subscriber information, including authentication, authorization, and location data, enabling network operations (e.g., call routing and service provisioning). The UDM refers to a network entity responsible for managing user data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.

[0101] In an embodiment, the system (108) may comprise the management system, the network element (e.g., RAN node / core node) and a consumer (e.g., trace collection entity (TCE)).

[0102] In an aspect, the system (108) may be implemented in the network element. In an aspect, the processing engine (208) may be a part of the network element.

[0103] The communication unit (212) may receive the trace parameter configuration for the trace session corresponding to the event from the network management system (e.g., NMS).

[0104] Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, the processing unit (214) is configured to initiate the trace session for the event. Further, upon detecting the occurrence of the event, the processing unit (214) may initiate tracing of the event and generate a trace record for the trace session. The trace records are data records thatcapture detailed information about specific network events or transactions. The trace records contain monitoring information, including, but not limited to, signaling messages, session states, and performance metrics.

[0105] Further, upon receiving the trigger for the trace session and the trace configuration parameter, the processing unit (214) of the network element may determine the trace depth from the received trace configuration parameter. In an embodiment, the processing unit (214) may generate the trace records based on the trace depth.

[0106] Upon determining that the trace depth is micro, the processing unit (214) is configured to generate a summarized code corresponding to the event. In an aspect, the summarized code refers to a compact summary code or compact representation of event-related information, generated by selectively aggregating a subset of event attributes. The subset is determined based on a configured level of detail and / or prevailing network conditions, such that a size of the summarized code is reduced relative to full trace data while retaining information sufficient for event identification, classification, and analysis. The summarized code (also referred to as summary code) comprises, but not limited to, an event type identifier, procedure outcome indicator, cause value, and context identifiers.

[0107] Further, in another aspect, the summarized code is generated by applying an encoding scheme to one or more event parameters. The encoding scheme may comprise, but not limited to, bit-field mapping, index-based referencing, dictionarybased compression, or a combination.

[0108] For the trace depth as micro, the network element may generate the trace record comprising the summarized code (also referred to as a summary code) (i.e., a trace header with summary code, mandatory fields, and no payload). For the trace depth (as minimum, medium or maximum), the processing unit (214) may generate a full trace record (i.e., trace header with all fields and payload).

[0109] In an embodiment, the network element may generate the summarized code (or summary code) for a management-based trace activation (is explained in greater detail in conjunction with the FIG. 4) and a signaling based trace activation (is explained in greater detail in conjunction with the FIG. 5). The management-based trace activation refers to a trace activation initiated by the management system. The signaling-based trace activation refers to provisioning of tracing parameters to unified data management (UDM) / home subscriber server (HSS) by the management system, and propagation of the tracing parameter from the UDM / HSS to access and mobility management function (AMF) / mobility management entity (MME) and other radio / core network functions (NFs) as part of user signaling.

[0110] In an aspect, the trace record comprises a trace header and a payload. The trace header comprises a plurality of fields such as a timestamp, a NF instance identifier(ID), a NF type, a trace reference, a trace recording session reference, and a trace record type ID. The timestamp refers to a precise record of the time at which an event occurs within the network. The NF instance identifier refers to a unique identifier used to distinguish and identify a specific instance of a network function (NF) within the network. The NF type refers to a specific category of a network function (NF) within the network. The trace reference refers to a unique identifier used to associate and reference a specific trace session or trace event. The trace recording session reference refers to a unique identifier assigned to a trace recording session in the network. The trace record type ID refers to a unique identifier assigned to specific types of trace records within the trace session.

[0111] The payload comprises data corresponding to the event (e.g., call records (i.e., call identifier, call type, call start time, call end time), performance metrics (i.e., signal quality, throughput, latency, signal strength, etc.), location data (e.g., tracking area code (TAC), cell ID, etc.))

[0112] For the small / private deployments, the processing unit (214) generates a compact summary code instead of generating a detailed trace record for signaling messages for the triggering event or procedure. The compact summary code is a predefined set of digits (e.g., the summary code of 16 bits shown in Table 3) that summarizes the entire procedure. The summary code serves as a unique identifier for the issue (i.e., failure of the event) and provides a summary of the network event. The summary code comprises event information such as, but is not limited to, an event result (such as success or failure of event), an interface, a service operation type, a response code.

[0113] The processing unit (214) may add details of the summary code in a trace record header of the trace record. The detail of the summary code fields added in the trace record header is shown in Table 2 as below:Table 2

[0114] As illustrated in Table 2, the summary code is a conditional mandatory field in the trace header of the trace record when the trace session is activated by the trace depth set to micro. The summary code may be a predefined set of digits that represents event / procedure. The summary code may serve as a unique identifier for issue (e.g., event failure) and provide a brief summary of the event / procedure. In anaspect, the summary code may comprise summary of the event / procedure such as event result (e.g., success / failure of event), a network procedure, interface use, service operation, NF type, error code, response code, etc. In an aspect, the event refers to any significant occurrence or change in the state of the network that requires monitoring, response, or triggering of actions. The event may include, but is not limited to, call setup, call termination, handover, authentication, data transmission, etc. In an aspect, the network procedure refers to a defined sequence of operations or steps that the network follows to perform specific tasks or functions. The network procedure comprises, but is not limited to, call setup procedure, authentication procedure, handover procedure, location update procedure, paging procedure, error handling, etc.

[0115] In an aspect, the summarized code (or summary code) may be referred to as a report code.

[0116] In one exemplary implementation, fields of the summary code as shown in Table 3 can be implemented.Table 3

[0117] As illustrated in Table 3, the fields of the summary code comprise Bit 1 = Event result (success / failure), Bits 2-4 = Network Procedure, Bits 5-6 = Interface, Bits 7-8 = Service Operation, Bits 9-11 = NF type, Bits 12-13 = Error code, Bits 14-16 = Response code. In an example, for Bit 1 = 1 indicates event failure and Bit 1= 0 indicates event success.

[0118] One can appreciate that in other implementations, other summary code formats can be implemented as well.

[0119] In an aspect, the size (i.e., number of bits) of the summary code may vary based on at least one of level of details of the event information to be monitored by a network operator and one or more network conditions. The size of the summary code may vary by network operator based on the use cases (e.g., type of event to be monitored, amount of information to be monitored, etc.). The level of detail may correspond to a reporting granularity of event information. The level of detail may comprise, but not limited to, a low level of detail, a medium level of detail, and a high level of detail. The lower level of detail results in a limited subset of event attributes within the summarized code, while the higher level of detail results in an extended set of event attributes, including signaling information, contextual parameters, and performance-related metrics.

[0120] In an aspect, the size of the summary code may vary based on one or more network conditions, such as, but not limited to, network congestion level, availablebandwidth, processing load of network functions, network load, storage capacity, signaling load, latency, priority of events (such as high-priority, low-priority), network performance, and network deployment type (e.g., small / private network, higher network, public network).

[0121] For the trace depth (e.g., minimum, medium, maximum), the processing unit (214) may generate a detailed trace record (i.e., trace header + payload). For the trace depth (i.e., micro), the processing unit (214) may generate a compact trace record (i.e., trace header comprising the compact summary code and mandatory fields and no payload). In this way, the micro trace depth minimizes the number of trace records generated by the network elements and significantly reduces trace signaling traffic in the network (106).

[0122] In an aspect, the communication unit (212) may further transmit the trace records to the consumer (e.g., trace collection entity (TCE)) for managing trace data in the network (106). In an aspect, the consumer (or consumer network node) refers to network functions or entities that consume, process, or utilize information, services, or resources provided by other network nodes (often called producer nodes). The consumer may be one of an operation support system (OSS), a centralized / domain management system, a base station, and a network data analytics function (NWDAF). The OSS may consume performance data. The centralized / domain management system may act as the consumer to consume services from radio access network (RAN) / core network (CN) domain management data analytics (MDA) producers. The NWDAF consumes MDA reports from the producer to provide analytics for network functions (NFs).

[0123] Upon receiving the trace record, the consumer (e.g., TCE) may process the trace record to extract information from the trace header and the payload.

[0124] In an embodiment, upon receiving the trace record with the trace header (i.e., no pay load), the consumer stores the trace header comprising the compact summary code and mandatory fields, which reduces storage consumption at the consumer (e.g. TCE).

[0125] The consumer (e.g., TCE) may process the trace header of the received trace record to decode the summary code of the trace header of the trace record to determine the event information (e.g., status of the event such as success or failure of the event). The consumer (e.g., TCE) comprises a predefined mapping table. The predefined mapping table comprises each segment of the summary code with its meaning. The consumer (e.g., TCE) may parse the summary code of the received header to the mapping table. The consumer (e.g., TCE) may use the mapping table to interpret the numerical values of the summary code and convert them into readable network failure / success attributes. Based on the parsing, the consumer (e.g., TCE) extracts the event information (such as success or failure of the event (i.e., from bit 1of the summary code field, as shown in Table 3)) from the summary code. The compact summary code in the trace records helps the consumer (e.g., TCE or any other monitoring tool) process and analyze network issues by utilizing the event information (such as the success or failure of the event) from the compact summary code. In this way, the compact summary code provides a concise representation of the failure or success of the events. This enables efficient troubleshooting, allowing quick identification and root-cause analysis without requiring extensive trace logs.

[0126] Although FIG. 2 shows exemplary components of the system (108), in other embodiments, the system (108) may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 2. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the system (108) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the system (108).

[0127] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system architecture (300) for managing trace data in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] The system architecture (300) includes a management system (302), a Fourth Generation / Fifth Generation / Sixth Generation Radio Access Network (4G / 5G / 6GRAN) (304), a 4G / 5G / 6G core network (306), and a trace collection entity (TCE) (308). In an aspect, the 4G / 5G / 6G RAN (304) refers to a part of the communication network (i.e., network (106)) that acts as the interface between the user equipment and the core network, facilitating the wireless transmission of data and voice signals. The 4G / 5G / 6G core network (306) refers to the part of the communication network (i.e., network (106)) that manages and routes traffic, ensuring efficient and reliable communication between the user equipment and the communication network, and handling tasks like authentication, authorization, and subscriber data management.

[0129] The management system (302) may send a trace parameter configuration to a network element. The trace parameter configuration comprises one or more parameters. The one or more parameters comprise a trace depth, a trace reference, a trace target (i.e., a list of cells), a list of interfaces for the network elements, a trace collection entity IP address, and triggering events. The trace depth comprises a plurality of trace depth levels (e.g., minimum, medium, maximum and micro) as provided in Table 1. The management system (302) may set the trace depth based on the network type (i.e., micro trace depth for the small / private network and minimum / medium / maximum trace depth for the public network). The trace parameter configuration is communicated to the network element corresponding to one of the 4G / 5G / 6G RAN (304) and the 4G / 5G / 6G core network (306) to manage trace data towards the TCE (308).

[0130] Upon receiving the trace configuration parameter, the network element may determine the trace depth from the received trace configuration parameter. The network element may generate the trace records based on the trace depth. For the trace depth as micro, the network element may generate the trace record comprising the summary code (i.e., a trace header with summary code, mandatory fields, and no payload). For the trace depth (as minimum, medium or maximum), the network element may generate a full trace record (i.e., trace header with all fields and payload). The micro trace depth may be selectively applied based on network deployment needs (i.e., the 4G / 5G / 6G RAN (304) and the 4G / 5G / 6G core network (306)), enabling a scalable approach to network monitoring and troubleshooting.

[0131] In an embodiment, upon detecting an occurrence of an event (e.g., session establishment, handover, authentication), the network element may initiate tracing for the event. The network element may generate a trace record for the trace session of the event. The trace record comprises a trace header and a payload.

[0132] For the trace depth (e.g., minimum, medium, maximum), the network element may generate a detailed trace record (i.e., trace header + pay load). For the trace depth (i.e., micro), the network element may generate a compact trace record (i.e., trace header comprising the compact summary code, other mandatory fields, and no pay load). The network element may transmit the trace records to TCE (308). Upon receiving the trace record, the TCE (308) may process the trace record to extract information (i.e., trace header and payload) from the trace record. Upon receiving the trace header in the trace record, the TCE (308) may map the summary code of the trace header to the mapping table and determine the success or failure of the event (e.g., from bit 1 of the summary code field as shown in Table 3).

[0133] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process flow (400) for managing trace data in a management-based trace activation flow, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0134] In the management-based trace activation, at step (402), the management system (302) may transmit a trigger for a trace session to a network element (401). The management system (302) may transmit a trace parameter configuration with the trigger. The trace parameter configuration comprises a trace depth level and one or more other parameters. One or more other parameters comprise a trace reference, a trace target (i.e., a list of cells), a list of interfaces for the network elements, a trace collection entity IP address, and triggering events.

[0135] The levels of the trace depth comprise a minimum, a medium, a maximum (with vendor-specific extensions, without vendor-specific extensions and with only vendor-specific trace records) and a micro. The micro trace depth is used for small / private deployments.

[0136] For trace activation in the small / private deployments, the management system (302) sets the trace depth to the micro trace depth in the trace parameter configuration. The management system (302) sends the trigger and trace parameter configuration to the network element (401) where trace activation needs to start.

[0137] At step (404), upon receiving the trigger and the trace parameter configuration from the management system (302), the network element (401) may initiate tracing for the event (e.g. , session establishment, handover, authentication). The network element (401) may process the trace parameter configuration to determine the levels of the trace depth and one or more other parameters. Upon determining the level of the trace depth is micro, the network element (401) generates a trace record containing a compact summary code instead of a detailed trace record for every signaling message. The summary code may be a predefined set of digits (e.g., the summary code of 16 bits shown in Table 3) that summarizes the entire procedure of the trace session. The summary code serves as a unique identifier for the issue and provides event information. The event information comprises information corresponding to success or failure of the event (from bit 1 of the summary code field as shown in Table 3).

[0138] The network element (401) may add the generated summary code to a trace header of the trace record with other mandatory header fields. The summary code comprises event information such as, but is not limited to, an event result (such as success or failure of event), an interface, a service operation type, a response code. The event information is encoded in the summary code. The size of the summary code may vary based on level of details of the event information to be monitored. The size of the summary code may vary by network operator based on the use cases (e.g., type of event to be monitored, amount of information to be monitored., etc.).

[0139] The other header fields may comprise, but are not limited to, a timestamp, a NF instance identifier (ID), a NF type, a trace reference, a trace recording session reference, and a trace record type ID, etc. In this way, the network element (401) may send the trace header comprising the summary code and other mandatory fields (i.e., header and not pay load) to the TCE (308), not a full trace record (i.e., header + pay load).

[0140] In this way, the micro trace depth may be selected for small / private 5G networks by setting the trace depth parameter to micro in the trace parameter configuration. This allows the network element (401) to generate the compact trace record instead of full trace records and reduce signaling and storage overhead while maintaining essential diagnostic insights (such as, success or failure of the event).

[0141] The TCE (308) may receive the trace record comprising the trace header. The TCE (308) may process the trace header of the received trace record to decode the summary code of the trace header. The TCE (308) comprises a predefined mappingtable. The predefined mapping table comprises each segment of the summary code with its respective meaning. The TCE (308) may parse the summary code of the received header to the mapping table. The TCE (308) may use the mapping table to interpret the numerical values of the summary code and convert them into readable network failure / success attributes. Based on the parsing, the TCE (308) extracts the event information (such as success or failure) from the summary code (e.g., from bit 1 of the summary code field as shown in Table 3).

[0142] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary process flow (500) for managing trace data in signaling-based trace activation flow, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0143] In the signaling-based trace activation, at step (502), the management system (302) may configure one or more trace parameters of a trace parameter configuration. The trace parameter configuration comprises the trace depth. For small / private deployments, the management system (302) may set the trace depth as micro. The management system (302) may transmit the trace parameter configuration as part of a subscriber profile to a unified data management (UDM) / a home subscriber server (HSS) (501).

[0144] At step (504), upon detecting UE attachment to the network, an access management function (AMF) / a mobility management entity (MME) (503) may receive the subscriber profile from the UDM / HSS (501). The subscriber profile comprises the trace parameter configuration comprising the trace depth.

[0145] At step (506), the AMF / MME (503) may transmit the trace parameter configuration comprising the trace depth to a network function (NF) (505) as part of user signaling. In an aspect, the NF (505) may correspond to the 4G / 5G / 6GRAN (304) or 4G / 5G / 6G core network (306). The selection of the NF (505) is performed by the AMF / MME (503) based on operation type.

[0146] In an embodiment, the AMF / MME (503) / NF (505) may generate the trace records based on the trace depth and send towards the TCE (308). In an aspect, for the trace depth as micro, the AMF / MME (503) / NF (505) may generate the trace record comprising the summary code (i.e., trace header with mandatory fields and no payload). For the trace depth (as minimum, medium or maximum), the AMF / MME (503) / NF (505) may generate a full trace record (i.e., trace header with all fields and pay load).

[0147] At step (508), for the micro trace depth, the AMF / MME (503) may generate a trace record comprising a compact summary code for its operations / events (e.g., UE registration, UE authentication, data session, handover, etc.) instead of a detailed trace record for every signaling message. The summary code summarizes the entire procedure of the trace session. It provides event information (such as success or failure of the event (e.g., from bit 1 of the summary code field as shown in Table 3)).The AMF / MME may add the generated summary code to a trace header of the trace record with other mandatory header fields. For the micro trace depth, the AMF / MME may send the trace header comprising the summary code and other mandatory fields (i.e., header and not payload) to the TCE (308).

[0148] At step (510), the NF (505) may determine level of the trace depth by decoding the trace parameter configuration. Upon determining the level of the trace depth is micro, the NF (505) may generate a trace record for its operations (e.g., for PCF as NF, operations comprise a policy enforcement, policy update, and policy decision, and for AMF as NF, the operations comprise a session establishment, a session modification, session termination, etc.) containing compact summary code instead of a detailed trace record for every signaling message. The summary code summarizes the entire procedure of the trace session and provides event information (such as success or failure of the event). For the trace depth as micro, the NF (505) may add the generated summary code to a trace header of the trace record with other mandatory header fields. For the micro trace depth, the NF (505) may send the trace header comprising the summary code and other mandatory fields (i.e., header and not payload) to the TCE (308).

[0149] The TCE (308) may receive the trace record. The TCE (308) may process the trace header of the received trace record. The TCE (308) may determine whether the header comprises the summary code based on the processing. Upon determining the header comprises the summary code, the TCE (308) may parse the summary code of the received header to the mapping table. Based on the parsing, the TCE (308) extracts the event information (such as success or failure of the event) from the summary code.

[0150] The compact summary code in the trace records helps the TCE (308) (or any other monitoring tool) process and analyzes network issues by utilizing the event information (such as the success or failure of the event) from the compact summary code. This enables efficient troubleshooting, allowing quick identification and rootcause analysis without requiring extensive trace logs.

[0151] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method (600) for managing trace data in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0152] At step (602), the method (600) includes receiving, by a network element (401), a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system (302). In an aspect, the network element (e.g., an access management function (AMF), a mobility management entity (MME), and a network node comprising a radio access network (RAN) node and a core network (CN) node) receives, through a communication interface, the trace parameter configuration for the trace session corresponding to the event which may be predefined ordynamically detected event (e.g., a session management event, a mobility event, an authentication event, a performance management event, and a security event) from the network management system.

[0153] In an aspect, the trace parameter configuration comprises the one or more parameters comprising the trace depth, a trace reference, a trace target or a list of cells, a list of interfaces for the network elements, a trace collection entity IP address, and triggering events.

[0154] At step (604), the method (600) includes, upon detecting an occurrence of the event, initiating, by the network element (401), the trace session for the event. In an aspect, upon detecting occurrence of the event, the network element may initiate the trace session by activating one or more trace procedures in accordance with the trace parameter configuration. The initiation may comprise allocating resources and enabling collection of trace data corresponding to the detected event based on the configured trace parameters.

[0155] At step (606), the method (600) includes determining, by the network element, whether the trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro. In an aspect, the network element determines the trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration. The trace depth may be one of maximum, medium, minimum, and micro. In an aspect, the network management system is configured to set the trace depth based on a network type. The network type comprises a small / private network and a public network.

[0156] At step (608), the method (600) includes, upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generating, by the network element (401), a summarized code corresponding to the event. In an aspect, when the trace depth is micro, the network element generates the summarized code (also referred to as summary code). The summarized code is a compact summary code of a predefined set of digits (E.g. 31-digit clear code) that summarizes the entire procedure. The summary code serves as a unique identifier and provides a summary of the event. In an aspect, the summarized code (or summary code) comprises at least one of, but not limited to, summary of the procedure within the trace header, incorporating details, such as, but not limited to, the event status, an interface, a NF type, a service operation, a response code, and a procedure, all encoded in the compact summary code.

[0157] Furthermore, the size of the summarized code is changed based on at least one of a detail level of the event information to be monitored by a network operator and one or more network conditions. In an aspect, the size of the summarized code may be dynamically adapted based on at least one of the required level of detail associated with event information to be monitored by the network operator and the one or more network conditions. The level of detail may correspond to a granularity of tracing or reporting configured for the trace session. For example, for UE registration failureevent, low level of detail comprises an event type such as registration failure, timestamp, NF identifier, and cause value (e.g., authentication failure). Medium level of detail comprises event type, timestamp, NF identifier, cause value, UE identifier, tracking area identity (TAI), failure procedure step (e.g., authentication, security mode), retry count. Further, the high level of detail comprises event type, timestamp, NF identifier, cause value, UE identifier, tracking area identity (TAI), failure procedure step, retry count, signaling message sequence, radio conditions, service type, etc.

[0158] The one or more network conditions may include at least one of network load, available bandwidth, processing capacity, or signaling constraints. Further, the network element may increase the size of the summarized code to include additional information when a higher level of detail is required and reduce the size of the summarized code under constrained network conditions to minimize signaling overhead. Such dynamic adjustment enables efficient utilization of network resources while maintaining desired observability of network events. In this way, the level of detail may define granularity of event reporting, where the lower level of detail corresponds to a reduced set of event attributes encoded in the summarized code, and the higher level of detail corresponds to an expanded set of event attributes including signaling, context, and performance-related parameters.

[0159] Furthermore, the method (600) comprises, upon determining that the trace depth is one of minimum, medium or maximum, generating, by the network element, a full trace record comprising the trace header with one or more fields and payload corresponding to the event.

[0160] At step (610), the method (600) includes transmitting, by the network element (401), a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer (308) for managing trace data in the network. In an aspect, a trace header comprises the summarized code with one or more fields.

[0161] In an aspect, the consumer comprises a trace collection entity (TCE).

[0162] In case of the trace depth being minimum, medium and maximum, the network element transmits the generated full trace record to the consumer (e.g., TCE).

[0163] In an aspect, upon receiving the trace record, the consumer is configured to decode the code in the trace record to determine event information. The event information comprises a status of the event. The status of the event comprises success or failure of the event.

[0164] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computer system (700) in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0165] As shown in FIG. 7, the computer system (700) may include an external storage device (710), a bus (720), a main memory (730), a read-only memory (740), a mass storage device (750), communication port(s) (760), and a processor (770). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system may include morethan one processor and communication ports. The processor (770) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port(s) (760) may be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. The communication port(s) (760) may be chosen depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system connects.

[0166] The main memory (730) may be random access memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory (740) may be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information e.g., start-up or Basic Input / Output System (BIOS) instructions for the processor (770). The mass storage device (750) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage device (750) includes, but is not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or Lirewire interfaces), one or more optical discs, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage, e.g., an array of disks.

[0167] The bus (720) communicatively couples the processor (770) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (720) may be, e.g., a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (770) to the computer system.

[0168] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display, keyboard, joystick, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to the bus (720) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (760). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0169] The present disclosure discloses a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method for managing trace data in a network is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, by a network element, a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system. The method comprises, upon detecting an occurrence of the event, initiating, by the network element, the trace session for theevent. The method comprises determining, by the network element, whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro. The method comprises, upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generating, by the network element, a summarized code corresponding to the event. The method comprises transmitting, by the network element, a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer for managing trace data in the network.

[0170] The present disclosure provides significant technical enhancements by employing a micro trace depth to optimize tracing for small / private network deployment. Currently, trace session may be activated by a management system, where trace session activation information includes a parameter referred to as the trace depth that indicates the level of detail to be included in trace records generated by network functions (NFs). Multiple trace depth levels, such as minimum, medium, and maximum along with vendor-specific extensions, may be defined to control the granularity of information captured in the trace records. However, even at the minimum trace depth, each NF may generate a trace record for every transmitted or received signaling message, which can lead to increased signaling, processing, and storage overhead at the NF and the trace collection entity (TCE), thereby indicating a need for more efficient trace data handling mechanisms. The present disclosure addresses the problem of excessive signaling overhead and storage requirements in resource-constrained or signaling-sensitive small and / or private 5G deployments associated with existing trace depth levels defined in standard specifications. To mitigate this, an additional trace depth level, referred to as micro trace depth, is introduced, where network functions (NFs) transmit a compact summary indicator, such as a clear code, at a procedural level instead of generating detailed trace records for each signaling message. The present approach significantly reduces trace signaling traffic and storage consumption at the Trace Collection Entity (TCE) while maintaining effective monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities. Further, the use of concise summary information enables faster processing and analysis of network events. The mechanism is compatible with existing trace frameworks and provides a scalable and efficient solution, particularly beneficial for small and private network deployments.

[0171] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0172] The present disclosure provides a system and a method for managing trace data in a network.

[0173] The present disclosure reduces signaling overhead with the micro trace depth. The micro trace depth minimizes the number of trace records generated by the NFs and significantly reduces trace signaling traffic in the network.

[0174] The present disclosure optimizes storage using a compact summary code (e.g., clear code) instead of storing full trace records for every message. This reduces storage consumption at the trace collection entity (TCE).

[0175] The present disclosure provides efficient troubleshooting through the summary code which concisely represents failures or events. This helps in quick identification and root-cause analysis without requiring extensive trace logs.

[0176] The present disclosure provides optimized performance for small deployments (e.g., private and small-scale 5 G networks) that benefit from a lightweight tracing mechanism that does not overload their limited resources.

[0177] The present disclosure complies with the existing network framework by introducing an additional trace depth to the existing network trace architecture rather than modifying fundamental tracing procedures.

[0178] The present disclosure provides scalability and flexibility as the micro trace depth can be selectively applied based on deployment needs. It also provides network monitoring and troubleshooting.

[0179] The present disclosure provides faster processing and analysis with fewer and more compact trace records. The TCE and monitoring tools process and analyze network issues faster and more efficiently.

Claims

CLAIMSWe Claim:

1. A method (600) for managing trace data in a network (106), the method (600) comprising:receiving (602), by a network element (401), a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system (302);upon detecting an occurrence of the event, initiating (604), by the network element (401), the trace session for the event;determining (606), by the network element (401), whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro;upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generating (608), by the network element (401), a summarized code corresponding to the event; and transmitting (610), by the network element (401), a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer (308) for managing trace data in the network (106).

2. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element (401) comprises one of: an access management function (AMF), a mobility management entity (MME), and a network node, wherein the network node comprises a radio access network (RAN) node and a core network (CN) node, and wherein the consumer (308) comprises a trace collection entity (TCE).

3. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trace parameter configuration comprises the one or more parameters comprising the trace depth, a trace reference, a trace target or a list of cells, a list of interfaces for the network elements, a trace collection entity IP address, and triggering events.

4. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a trace header comprises the summarized code with one or more fields.

5. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:upon determining that the trace depth is one of minimum, medium or maximum, generating, by the network element (401), a full trace record comprising the trace header with one or more fields and payload corresponding to the event; andtransmitting, by the network element (401), the generated full trace record to the consumer.

6. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event comprises a session management event, a mobility event, an authentication event, a performance management event, and a security event.

7. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network management system (302) is configured to set the trace depth based on a network type, wherein the network type comprises a small / private network and a public network.

8. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon receiving the trace record, the consumer (308) is configured to decode the code in the trace record to determine event information, wherein the event information comprises a status of the event, and wherein the status of the event comprises success or failure of the event.

9. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size of the summarized code is changed based on at least one of a detail level of the event information to be monitored by a network operator and one or more network conditions.

10. A system (108) for managing trace data in a network (106), the system (108) comprising a network element (401), the network element (401) comprising:a communication unit (212) configured to receive a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system (302);upon detecting an occurrence of the event, a processing unit (214) configured to:initiate the trace session for the event;determine whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro;upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generate a summarized code corresponding to the event; andthe communication unit (212) configured to transmit a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer (308) for managing trace data in the network (106).

11. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the network element (401) comprises one of: an access management function (AMF), a mobility management entity (MME), and a network node, wherein the network nodecomprises a radio access network (RAN) node and a core network (CN) node, and wherein the consumer comprises a trace collection entity (TCE).

12. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the trace parameter configuration comprises the one or more parameters comprising the trace depth, a trace reference, a trace target or a list of cells, a list of interfaces for the network elements, a trace collection entity IP address, and triggering events.

13. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein a trace header comprises the summarized code with one or more fields.

14. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein upon determining that the trace depth is one of minimum, medium or maximum, the processing unit (214) is configured to:generate a full trace record comprising the trace header with one or more fields and payload corresponding to the event; andtransmit the generated full trace record to the consumer.

15. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the event comprises a session management event, a mobility event, an authentication event, a performance management event, and a security event.

16. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the network management system (302) is configured to set the trace depth based on a network type, wherein the network type comprises a small / private network and a public network.

17. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein upon receiving the trace record, the consumer (308) is configured to decode the code in the trace record to determine event information, wherein the event information comprises a status of the event, and wherein the status of the event comprises success or failure of the event.

18. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the size of the summarized code is changed based on at least one of a detail level of the event information to be monitored by a network operator and one or more network conditions.

19. A network element (401 ) configured for managing trace data in a network, the network element (401) comprising:a communication unit (212) configured to receive a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system (302);upon detecting an occurrence of the event, a processing unit (214) configured to:initiate the trace session for the event;determine whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro;upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generate a summarized code corresponding to the event; andthe communication unit (212) configured to transmit a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer (308) for managing trace data in the network (106).

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method (600) for managing trace data in a network (106), the method (600) comprising:receiving (602), by a network element (401), a trace parameter configuration for a trace session corresponding to an event from a network management system (302);upon detecting an occurrence of the event, initiating (604), by the network element (401), the trace session for the event;determining (606), by the network element (401), whether a trace depth from the received trace parameter configuration is micro;upon determining that the trace depth is micro, generating (608), by the network element (401), a summarized code corresponding to the event; and transmitting (610), by the network element (401), a trace record comprising the generated summarized code to a consumer (308) for managing trace data in the network (106).

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