NF Profile Selection With NF Set Mates for Alternate Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumer NFs in 5G networks struggle to discover NFs within the same NF set due to limited and priority-based NF profiles in discovery responses, leading to inefficiencies and the inability to perform alternate routing when initial NFs fail.

Innovation Solution

The NF repository function (NRF) selects NF profiles by prioritizing the lowest priority profiles that match query parameters and includes additional profiles that are NF set mates of the initial NFs, ensuring the total number does not exceed a predefined limit, thereby facilitating alternate routing without requiring additional discovery queries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the NRF returns only the lowest priority NF profiles that match query parameters, then the number of NF profiles returned is limited, but consumer NFs cannot discover NF set mates for alternate routing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of NF profiles returnedVSAvoidability to perform alternate routing

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The NRF proactively includes NF set mate profiles in the initial NF discovery response before the consumer NF needs to perform alternate routing. By anticipating the potential failure scenario, the system pre-provides all necessary NF set mate information, enabling immediate failover without additional discovery requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The NRF acts as an intermediary that enriches the NF discovery response by adding NF set mate profiles. Instead of the consumer NF having to make separate requests to discover NF set mates, the NRF mediates this information delivery in a single response, resolving the contradiction between limiting profile quantity and enabling alternate routing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the NRF limits the number of NF profiles returned, then processing and storage requirements for consumer NFs are reduced, but additional NF discovery queries are required when initial NFs fail

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidtime for additional discovery queries

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the NF set mate discovery action preliminarily by including all relevant NF set mate profiles in the initial discovery response. This eliminates the need for subsequent discovery queries when failover is needed, trading a moderate increase in initial data volume for complete elimination of follow-up discovery operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the initial NF profile discovery with NF set mate profile discovery into a single NF discovery response. By combining these two information sets that were previously delivered in separate queries, the system reduces the total number of discovery operations while maintaining manageable response sizes through intelligent profile selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If the NRF returns NF profiles based on priority alone, then selection is simple and deterministic, but NFs in the same NF set are not necessarily included

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of NF profile selectionVSAvoidinclusion of NF set mates

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the selection criteria for different types of NF profiles within the same response. NF profiles are selected based on priority for the primary selection, while NF set mate profiles are selected based on NF set membership relationships. This localized differentiation in selection logic ensures both simplicity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The NRF preliminarily identifies NF set relationships and proactively includes NF set mate profiles in the discovery response. By performing this identification and inclusion action before the consumer NF needs to route requests, the system ensures NF set mates are available without complicating the consumer NF's selection process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12526224B2Methods, systems, and computer readable media for selecting network function (NF) profiles of NF set mates to enable alternate routing

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A method for selecting NF profiles of NF set mates for alternate routing includes receiving an NF discovery request, accessing an NF profiles database, and identifying NF profiles that match query parameters in the NF discovery request. The method further includes determining a value of an NF profiles limit parameter, selecting a first number of NF profiles that is less than the value of the NF profiles limit parameter, selecting a second number of NF profiles, wherein the NF profiles in the second number of NF profiles correspond to NF set mates of NFs corresponding to NF profiles in the first number of NF profiles and a sum of the first and second numbers number is less than or equal to the value of the NF profiles limit parameter, and generating and transmitting an NF discovery response including the NF profiles in the first and second numbers of NF profiles.