NEF Privilege Management for VNF Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current Network Exposure Functions (NEFs) in wireless communication networks do not efficiently monitor and control Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) and fail to enable effective interactions between Application Functions (AFs) and VNFs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Network Exposure Function (NEF) that uses a data structure to correlate Network Function Identifiers (NF IDs) and status information into privileges, enabling authentication and privilege management for NFs and AFs, allowing for efficient monitoring and control of VNFs and facilitating interactions between AFs and NFs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If current NEFs are used to monitor and control VNFs, then network operations can be performed, but the monitoring and control efficiency is insufficient and interactions between AFs and VNFs are not effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data structure acting as an intermediary between NEF and VNFs/AFs. This data structure correlates NF IDs with status information and privileges, enabling efficient monitoring and control while facilitating effective interactions. The intermediary translates and manages the complex relationships between multiple network functions, resolving the contradiction by providing a structured mediation layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by introducing a correlated data structure that links NF IDs, status information, and privileges together. This parameter transformation enables more efficient monitoring (by correlating status with identity) and effective interactions (by managing privileges systematically), thus resolving the technical contradiction between productivity and reliability.
2Productivity
If a data structure correlating NF IDs and status information is implemented, then monitoring and control efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stores NF ID correlations, maintains status information, manages privileges, and enables both monitoring and control operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex structures for each function, thereby improving productivity while controlling overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If privilege management based on correlated data is implemented, then interaction effectiveness between AFs and NFs improves, but authentication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges privilege management with the existing data structure that correlates NF IDs and status information. By combining authentication data and privilege information in a single correlated structure, the system improves interaction effectiveness while avoiding the complexity of separate authentication and privilege management systems.
Data Source
AI summary
In a wireless communication network, Network Function (NF) circuitry determines an initial NF status and indicates the initial NF status to Network Exposure Function (NEF) circuitry. The NEF circuitry processes the initial NF status, and in response, determines an initial NF privilege based on the initial NF status and indicates the initial NF privilege to the NF circuitry. The NF circuitry delivers a wireless data service to a wireless User Equipment (UE) based on the initial NF privilege. The NF determines a current NF status and indicate the current NF status to the NEF circuitry. The NEF circuitry processes the current NF status, and in response, determines a current NF privilege based on the current NF status and indicates the current NF privilege to the NF circuitry. The NF circuitry delivers the wireless data service to the UE based the current NF privilege.