NRF Discovery Routing to Prevent Local NF Profile Preemption
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G telecommunications networks, NF discovery requests forwarded between NRFs can result in the preemption of NF profiles of producer NFs local to the forwarding NRF, as the forwarded NRF returns a list that favors remote producer NFs over local ones, despite the latter being closer and potentially better suited for service.
Innovation Solution
Implementing empty-list functionality at the forwarded NRF to promote producer NFs in a SUSPENDED state to a REGISTERED state, accompanied by an indication in a custom header, and applying policies at the forwarding NRF to prioritize local NF profiles, ensuring they are included in the NF discovery response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the forwarded NRF returns NF profiles from remote producer NFs, then the NF discovery response is generated, but the local producer NFs at the forwarding NRF are preempted and not favored
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the forwarding NRF prioritize local producer NF profiles over remote ones. The forwarding NRF identifies NF profiles local to itself and assigns them higher priority in the discovery response, ensuring that locally available services are favored. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining productivity (generating discovery responses) while improving reliability (preferring local NFs for lower latency and better service quality).
2Reliability
If the forwarding NRF processes NF discovery requests locally, then local producer NFs are favored, but the request cannot be fulfilled when local NFs are unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the forwarding NRF to adaptively switch between processing modes based on local NF availability. When local producer NFs are available, the forwarding NRF processes requests locally and favors them in responses. When local NFs are unavailable, the forwarding NRF dynamically forwards the request to the forwarded NRF. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability (preferring local NFs when available) while improving adaptability (handling unavailability scenarios).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the forwarded NRF as an intermediary when local producer NFs are unavailable. The forwarding NRF forwards discovery requests to the forwarded NRF, which then provides remote NF profiles as alternatives. This intermediary mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability (local preference when possible) while ensuring adaptability (access to remote NFs when local ones are unavailable).
Data Source
AI summary
A method for network function (NF) discovery between forwarded and forwarding NF repository functions (NRFs) includes receiving, at a forwarding NRF, an NF discovery request message generated by a consumer NF or a service communication proxy (SCP), determining, by the forwarding NRF, not to process the NF discovery request message locally and transmitting the NF discovery request message to a forwarded NRF. The forwarded NRF receives the discovery request message, applies empty-list functionality to promote the producer NFs having NF profiles that match query parameters in the NF discovery request message from a SUSPENDED state to a REGISTERED state, and generates and transmits an NF discovery response message and an indication of application if the empty-list functionality to the forwarding NRF. The forwarding NRF applies a local policy to process the indication of application of the empty-list functionality and transmits the NF discovery response to the consumer NF or SCP.