NF Consumer Token Reuse in 5G Model-D Indirect Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G mobile and wireless networks, the current authentication framework for Network Functions (NFs) using OAuth 2.0 and JSON Web Tokens is inefficient, particularly in model-D indirect communication scenarios, where NF Consumers cannot reuse access tokens across sessions, leading to increased resource requirements and performance issues for Service Communication Proxies (SCPs).
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves generating a Token Profile Identifier (TokenProfileId) parameter by NF Consumers for access token requests, which is included in service requests to a Service Communication Proxy (SCP). The SCP then stores access tokens and access token profiles, allowing it to retrieve and reuse access tokens for subsequent service requests with the same access token request parameters, reducing the need for repeated access token requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If NF Consumers request access tokens for each session in model-D indirect communication, then authentication security is maintained, but resource requirements and performance impact on SCPs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The SCP performs preliminary authentication by obtaining access tokens in advance and storing them in a token cache before they are needed for actual service requests. This preliminary action allows the SCP to reuse cached tokens for subsequent requests from the same NF consumer, avoiding repeated authentication operations and reducing resource consumption while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and stores copies of access tokens in the SCP's token cache after initial authentication. These token copies can be reused for multiple service requests without requiring the original authentication process to repeat, significantly reducing the resource burden on the SCP while preserving authentication integrity
2Reliability
If NF Consumers request access tokens for each session, then authentication freshness is ensured, but authentication efficiency and scalability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The SCP performs authentication in advance and caches the resulting tokens, so that subsequent service requests can be processed efficiently using cached tokens. This preliminary authentication action improves productivity by eliminating repeated authentication overhead while maintaining security through controlled token reuse
Solution Approach 2:
The token caching mechanism enables continuous service provisioning by maintaining valid authentication tokens in the SCP. Instead of interrupting service flow for repeated authentication operations, the system maintains continuous useful action through token reuse, significantly improving authentication efficiency and network scalability
3Object-affected harmful factors
If access tokens are not cached, then security risks are minimized, but resource consumption and performance impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The SCP acts as an intermediary between the NRF and NF consumers, managing token caching and validation. This intermediary role allows the system to balance security and resource consumption by implementing controlled token reuse policies, where the SCP validates and manages cached tokens rather than allowing unrestricted reuse, thus mitigating security risks while reducing resource consumption
Data Source
AI summary
NF Consumer authorization with model-D indirect communication between NF Consumer and NF Producer is a big challenge, as the number of SCPs in the network are typically very small compared to the number of NFs. The concepts disclosed herein optimize the NF Consumer authorization with model-D indirect communication, and allow the SCP to handle authorization for large numbers of NFs and slices per NFs without the strain on the SCP. The concepts disclosed further permit a NF Consumer to reuse an access token for different sessions, while reducing the resource requirements on the SCP.