Charging Function Callback Rerouting for Core Network Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
In communication systems, when a core network element fails, the charging function network element continues to deliver notification messages to an unreachable callback address, leading to failed session management requests and degraded user experience.
Innovation Solution
The charging function network element proactively sends notification messages to alternative network elements when a first network element fails, ensuring seamless session management by alternative elements, thereby maintaining user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the charging function network element continues to deliver notification messages to the original callback address when a first network element is faulty, then the message delivery process maintains simplicity, but the notification message fails to be delivered and session management requests cannot be processed in time
Solution Approach 1:
The charging function network element proactively queries the network repository function network element for alternative network element information before the original network element becomes unavailable. This preliminary action ensures that backup routing information is already available, allowing immediate redirection to alternative elements when faults occur, thus maintaining reliability without adding complex real-time decision-making mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The network repository function network element serves as an intermediary that stores and provides alternative network element information. When the charging function network element needs to redirect messages, it queries this intermediary rather than maintaining complex direct knowledge of all alternative elements, simplifying the overall system architecture while ensuring reliable message delivery.
2Reliability
If the charging function network element queries the network repository function network element for alternative network element information, then notification messages can be delivered to alternative elements, but additional signaling messages are generated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of querying the network repository function network element continuously or in real-time, the charging function network element performs periodic queries at predetermined intervals or triggered by specific events. This periodic action reduces the total number of signaling messages while ensuring that alternative network element information is updated regularly enough to maintain session management continuity.
3Ease of operation
If the charging function network element sends notification messages to alternative network elements, then user experience is improved, but the system requires mechanisms to identify and select appropriate alternative elements
Solution Approach 1:
The network repository function network element autonomously maintains and manages the information about alternative network elements, including their capabilities, status, and suitability for different service scenarios. When queried by the charging function network element, it automatically provides the most appropriate alternative element information based on pre-configured criteria, eliminating the need for complex selection algorithms in the charging function network element itself.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a communication apparatus. According to the method in this application, a charging function network element may receive information about at least one second network element from a network repository function network element, where the at least one second network element is an alternative network element when a first network element is faulty. Therefore, when the first network element is faulty, the charging function network element may send a notification message to one of the at least one second network element based on the information about the at least one second network element, so that the second network element performs a corresponding operation on a session of a terminal device based on the notification message, to improve user experience.