NADD-Assisted Producer NF Selection for SBI Delay Constraints

The patent introduces an NF performance information repository as an intermediary component that stores and manages delay performance data of producer NFs. Consumer NFs query this repository to obtain delay information before selecting producer NFs, enabling informed selection decisions without directly monitoring each producer NF's performance in real-time. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction by providing reliable delay information (improving reliability) while centralizing the complexity in a dedicated repository (managing system complexity).

The patent implements preliminary action by having consumer NFs query the performance information repository and obtain delay data before actually selecting and sending SBI requests to producer NFs. This advance acquisition of performance information allows consumer NFs to predict which producer NFs can meet the maximum response time requirements, preventing rejections before they occur. The preliminary gathering and evaluation of delay information resolves the contradiction by ensuring reliable selection (improving reliability) while performing the complex information gathering in advance (managing system complexity).

The patent applies preliminary action by having consumer NFs query the performance information repository and obtain delay data before sending SBI requests. This advance preparation prevents sending requests to producer NFs that would likely reject them due to excessive delay, thereby avoiding wasted network resources and processing energy. The time spent on preliminary delay checking is offset by eliminating the waste of resources on doomed requests.

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where consumer NFs query the repository for delay information, use this feedback to make informed selection decisions, and can subsequently update the repository with their own performance observations. This feedback loop ensures that the network continuously learns and adapts to actual performance characteristics, reducing resource waste by directing requests to performant producer NFs while the time investment in feedback collection pays dividends through improved resource utilization over time.

The patent merges the delay measurement and data collection functions into a centralized NADD (NF Analytics Data Director) component. Multiple consumer NFs query this single centralized repository for delay information rather than each consumer NF independently monitoring and measuring delays. This consolidation provides accurate, consistent delay measurements to all consumers while significantly reducing network overhead, as the centralized NADD aggregates and shares delay data rather than duplicating measurement activities across the network.

The patent uses copying by having the NADD collect and store delay performance data centrally, then provide copies of this delay information to multiple consumer NFs upon request. Rather than each consumer NF independently measuring and storing delay data (which would duplicate effort and increase network traffic), the NADD performs the measurement once and distributes copies of the results. This approach maintains high measurement precision through centralized collection while minimizing network overhead through efficient data distribution.