Network Slice Association for Multi-Slice Application Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for 5G wireless telecommunications networks lack awareness of associations between network slices and applications, leading to impairments and resource wastage when admitting, preempting, or scheduling communication sessions without considering the application's multi-slice context.
Innovation Solution
The radio access network determines associations among multiple network slices identified by S-NSSAI, allowing for preferential treatment of communication sessions and resource allocation to avoid disruptions and conserve resources by recognizing applications utilizing multiple slices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the network admits, preempts, or schedules communication sessions without considering application multi-slice context, then resource allocation is simplified, but application impairment increases and resource wastage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing network slice associations with applications in advance, before communication sessions are admitted, preempted, or scheduled. The RAN stores mapping information that links network slices to specific applications, enabling the network to proactively identify which sessions belong to multi-slice applications and apply appropriate handling rules, thereby avoiding application impairment while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Reliability
If the network recognizes and prioritizes multiple network slices associated with a single application, then application delivery reliability improves, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism by utilizing existing network slice identification elements (S-NSSAI) and mapping them to applications through stored association information. Rather than creating a completely new complex system, the RAN uses intermediary mapping tables that link slice identifiers to application identifiers, allowing the network to recognize multi-slice applications without substantial increases in device complexity.
3Productivity
If communication sessions are managed independently without slice associations, then resource allocation is efficient, but application functionality is impaired when slices are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the management of multiple network slices under a unified application-level context. When the RAN identifies that multiple slices are associated with a single application, it coordinates their admission, preemption, and scheduling decisions together, ensuring that all slices required for application functionality are either maintained or disrupted together, thereby preventing partial application impairment while maintaining efficient resource allocation.
Data Source
AI summary
A device can receive, from first user equipment, information that relates to a first application, where the information includes a plurality of S-NSSAI. The device can determine whether the plurality of S-NSSAI are configured as a group of associated S-NSSAI. The device can determine that a preference is to be given to one of: communication sessions associated with the first application relative to a communication session associated with a second application, that does not utilize multiple network slices, of the first user equipment or second user equipment; traffic flows associated with the first application relative to a traffic flow associated with the second application; or a plurality of network slices associated with the first application relative to a network slice associated with the second application. The device can perform one or more actions based on determining the preference to thereby facilitate a particular functionality of the first application.