5G Application Discovery With A-SMF/I-SMF Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G communication systems, when a terminal device moves and an intermediate UPF network element is inserted for a PDU session, existing methods fail to efficiently implement application discovery, leading to service disruptions and increased message overhead.
Innovation Solution
An application discovery method involving SMF network elements, including A-SMF and I-SMF, to determine the location of application platforms by exchanging domain names and location information, enabling seamless access to applications through DNS servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an I-UPF network element is inserted for a PDU session when the terminal device moves, then the user plane path between access network and anchor UPF can be established, but application discovery cannot be efficiently implemented
Solution Approach 1:
The I-SMF network element acts as an intermediary between the A-SMF and the application platform location determination. It receives the domain name from A-SMF, determines the application platform location based on terminal device location information, and returns the location information to A-SMF, enabling application discovery in the intermediate routing scenario
Solution Approach 2:
The SMF function is segmented into A-SMF (anchor SMF) and I-SMF (intermediate SMF). A-SMF manages the anchor UPF and handles high-level session management, while I-SMF manages the intermediate UPF and handles location-based application platform determination, allowing specialized handling of application discovery in intermediate routing scenarios
2Stability of the object's composition
If existing methods are used for application discovery in intermediate UPF scenario, then the system structure is maintained, but service delays increase and disruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The I-SMF determines the application platform location in advance by receiving the domain name from A-SMF and querying location information before the terminal device actually accesses the application. This preliminary determination of application platform location avoids service delays during actual application access
Solution Approach 2:
The I-SMF provides feedback to A-SMF about the determined application platform location information. This feedback mechanism allows A-SMF to have accurate location information for routing terminal device requests to the correct application platform, reducing service disruptions
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application disclose an application discovery method, apparatus, and system, and a computer storage medium. The application discovery method is applied to a first SMF network element, and includes: obtaining a first domain name requested by a terminal device; sending the first domain name to a second SMF network element; and receiving first information from the second SMF network element, where the first information includes information about a first application platform or an IP address of a DNS server corresponding to the first application platform, the first application platform is an application platform on which a first application corresponding to the first domain name is located, and the first information is for obtaining a target IP address corresponding to the first domain name. The terminal device may access, by using the target IP address, the first application corresponding to the first domain name. In this application, the first application platform on which the first application corresponding to the first domain name is located can be determined through interaction between the first SMF network element and the second SMF network element, to implement application discovery.