5GC Policy Notification via NEF Feedback Loop
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 3GPP core networks, Application Functions (AFs) face challenges in determining the success or failure of Session Management (SM) and User Equipment (UE) policy enforcement, leading to inappropriate actions due to incorrect feedback from the Network Exposure Function (NEF) regarding successful provisioning, which can result in service failures and inability to reroute traffic as intended.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where AFs can request and receive notifications on the outcome of SM or UE policy delivery procedures, allowing them to take appropriate actions based on the actual configuration status, including service-specific parameter provisioning, UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) delivery, traffic routing, and IPTV multicast control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the NEF provisions the request in the UDR and returns a successful response to the AF, then the AF receives confirmation of successful provisioning, but the actual enforcement of the policy by the PCF may have failed leading to incorrect AF actions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the PCF notifies the NEF about the actual outcome of policy enforcement, and the NEF forwards this feedback to the AF. This closed-loop feedback system ensures the AF receives accurate information about whether the policy was successfully enforced, resolving the contradiction between provisioning confirmation accuracy and enforcement reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The NEF acts as an intermediary between the AF and PCF, receiving the AF's provisioning request, forwarding it to the PCF for enforcement, and then relaying the PCF's enforcement outcome back to the AF. This intermediary role ensures the AF receives authentic feedback from the PCF about actual enforcement status, resolving the information asymmetry problem.
2Reliability
If the AF requests notification about the outcome of SM or UE policy delivery, then the AF can take appropriate actions based on actual configuration status, but the signaling overhead and procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the existing event exposure mechanism already used for other network events to also cover SM and UE policy delivery outcomes. By reusing the same notification infrastructure and message formats for multiple purposes (traffic routing, policy delivery, and other events), the patent achieves enhanced service reliability without proportionally increasing procedure complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The AF includes a notification reporting request in its initial service parameter provisioning message to the NEF, before the policy delivery actually occurs. This preliminary action allows the AF to subscribe to outcome notifications without requiring separate signaling exchanges, reducing overall procedure complexity while maintaining high service reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention generally relates to wireless or mobile communication. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for delivering a Session Management (SM) or User Equipment (UE) policy in a 3GPP core network. The present invention also relates to apparatus and computer program product adapted for the same purpose. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for configuring Session Management (SM) or User Equipment (UE) policy in a 3GPP core network, includes the following steps performed by a first network node:sending to a second network node, a request for delivering the SM or the UE policy, wherein the request indicates a subscription to the outcome of the SM or the UE policy delivery; and receiving from the second network node, an outcome of the SM or the UE policy delivery.