N3IWF Slice Discovery for Faster 5G Core Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack a method for selecting a Trusted Non-3GPP (TNGF) and/or Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) that supports the network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) needed by User Equipment (UE) during registration via non-3GPP access networks.
Innovation Solution
User Equipment (UE) can select an appropriate N3IWF by issuing a slice support get request to candidate N3IWFs or discover a suitable N3IWF through a new Access Network Network Function Repository Function (AN NRF), which registers and stores information about supported slices, allowing the UE to choose the best N3IWF based on its requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UE queries multiple candidate N3IWFs to find one supporting required network slices, then connectivity reliability is improved, but signaling overhead and query time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The N3IWF profiles including supported network slice information are pre-collected and stored in the UE before actual connection establishment. This preliminary action allows the UE to quickly match required slices with pre-known N3IWF capabilities without performing multiple queries during connection setup, thereby maintaining high connectivity reliability while reducing query time and signaling overhead.
2Reliability
If UE queries multiple candidate N3IWFs to find one supporting required network slices, then connectivity reliability is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
N3IWF profile information including supported network slices is collected and cached in advance, eliminating the need for repeated signaling exchanges during connection establishment. This reduces signaling overhead while ensuring the UE can reliably select an appropriate N3IWF that supports its required network slices.
3Device complexity
If UE selects N3IWF without slice support information, then device complexity is reduced, but network slice compatibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The UE pre-collects and stores N3IWF profiles with their supported network slice information in a cache. This preliminary information gathering enables simple runtime selection based on matching required slices with pre-known capabilities, maintaining low device complexity while achieving high network slice compatibility through informed selection.
4Speed
If N3IWF information is cached in advance, then connection establishment speed is improved, but information storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extracts and caches only the essential N3IWF profile information specifically related to network slice support, rather than storing complete N3IWF configurations. This selective extraction reduces storage requirements while still enabling fast connection establishment through efficient slice-based matching of the cached essential information.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for determination of non-3GPP interworking function(s) (N3IWFs), which support slices targeted by a device or user equipment (UE), are provided. One method may include transmitting, by a UE or device, a request to at least one network node. The request may be to obtain information on network slices supported by at least one N3IWF. The method may also include receiving, from the at least one network node, a response comprising information for one or more N3IWFs and, based on the received information for the N3IWF(s), selecting one of the N3IWF(s) to use to connect to a 5G core network (5GC).