NRF Service Discovery Preference for Combined and Standalone SMFs

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 5G network architectures lack efficient methods to prioritize combined PGW-C+SMF or standalone SMF during PDU session establishment, leading to suboptimal discovery and increased processing time due to mixed responses and internal filtering requirements.

Innovation Solution

Introduce a new information element, 'preferred-pgw-ind', to indicate preference for combined PGW-C+SMF or standalone SMF, allowing the Network Repository Function (NRF) to prioritize and respond with preferred network functions, reducing the need for additional filtering and ensuring optimal node selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the NRF returns mixed responses of combined and standalone SMFs without preference indication, then the discovery process is simple, but the service consumer requires additional internal filtering and sorting based on priorities, increasing processing time

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovePDU session establishment speedVSAvoidProcessing time for filtering and sorting SMF candidates

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The NRF performs preliminary sorting and prioritization of SMF candidates before returning them to the service consumer. By pre-organizing the candidate list according to priorities, capacity, load, and other criteria, the NRF eliminates the need for the service consumer to perform additional filtering and sorting operations, thereby reducing processing time and improving overall PDU session establishment efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the NRF performs internal sorting and selection of the most matched SMF, then the service consumer gets optimal results, but the NRF processing complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveMatching accuracy between service consumer requirements and SMF capabilitiesVSAvoidNRF processing complexity for sorting and selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces a new information element 'preferred-pgw-ind' that changes the parameter space of the discovery request. This parameter enables the service consumer to explicitly indicate preference for combined PGW-C+SMF or standalone SMF, allowing the NRF to filter results based on this preference without requiring complex multi-criteria optimization algorithms, thus maintaining matching accuracy while reducing processing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the NRF returns all discovered SMF candidates without preference filtering, then the service consumer has more options, but the response size and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveNumber of SMF options available to service consumerVSAvoidNumber of SMF candidate profiles in response

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The NRF extracts and returns only the most relevant SMF candidates that match both the query parameters and the indicated preference. By applying the 'preferred-pgw-ind' filter, the NRF extracts the subset of SMFs that are both compatible and preferred, reducing the response size while maintaining adaptability for the service consumer to select from qualified candidates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4454350B1Discovery procedure for searching preferred network function (NF) which implements a service producer

Publication Date: 2025.12.31 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5

AI summary

The embodiments herein relate to support of preferred service provider/producer query for Network Repository Function (NRF). In some embodiments, there proposes a method (400) performed by a first network function (101, 201) implementing a service consumer. In an embodiment, the method (400) may comprise the step of transmitting (S401), to a second network function (102) implementing a NRF, adiscovery request for discovering one or more third network functions (103) implementing service producers. The discovery request may include a preference indication for indicating whether one or more combined third network functions (103) or one or more standalone third network functions (103) are preferred. The method (400) may further comprise the step of receiving (S402), from the second network function (102), adiscovery response including information about the discovered one or more third network functions (103). The discovered one or more third network functions (103) may be provided based on the preference indication by the second network function (102). With the embodiments herein, the combined PGW-C+SMF and/or standalone SMF with priority may be presented in the query results for service provider/producer, and may reduce the processing time ofboth service consumer and the NRF.