NRF Reachability Checks via SCP After Producer NF Heartbeat Failure

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G telecommunications networks, producer NFs are mistakenly marked as SUSPENDED by the NRF when they are actually reachable due to network congestion or other issues preventing NF heart-beat messages from reaching the NRF, leading to consumer NFs being unable to discover and communicate with these producer NFs.

Innovation Solution

The NRF actively obtains producer NF reachability status information by querying an SCP via a reachability status API, using methods like HTTP GET requests and PING messages to verify the NF's reachability, and maintains a REGISTERED status if the NF is reachable, thereby preventing unnecessary marking as SUSPENDED.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the NRF uses NF heart-beat messages to monitor producer NF reachability, then the NRF can detect unreachable producer NFs, but network congestion or other issues may cause false SUSPENDED markings for reachable producer NFs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproducer NF reachability status accuracyVSAvoidreachability detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The SCP acts as an intermediary between the NRF and producer NFs to verify reachability. When the NRF detects a heart-beat failure, it queries the SCP which then attempts to contact the producer NF directly. The SCP's response provides additional verification, reducing false SUSPENDED markings caused by transient network issues between the NRF and producer NF.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the NRF queries the SCP for reachability status when heart-beat messages fail. The SCP provides feedback about whether it can successfully contact the producer NF, allowing the NRF to adjust its status determination based on multiple sources of information rather than relying solely on heart-beat messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the NRF marks producer NFs as SUSPENDED upon heart-beat failure, then unreachable producer NFs are quickly identified, but reachable producer NFs may be incorrectly marked as unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveNF discovery efficiencyVSAvoidservice availability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Before marking a producer NF as SUSPENDED, the NRF performs a preliminary action by querying the SCP to verify reachability. This preliminary check prevents premature SUSPENDED markings and ensures that reachable producer NFs remain available for service, while still maintaining efficient NF discovery through the heart-beat mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the NRF queries the SCP for reachability status, then false SUSPENDED markings are reduced, but additional network communication overhead is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereachability status accuracyVSAvoidstatus verification time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares for potential heart-beat failures by having the SCP maintain up-to-date reachability information. When a heart-beat failure occurs, the NRF can immediately query the SCP without needing to perform additional verification steps, reducing the time penalty while maintaining high reliability in status determination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS20250330407A1Methods, systems, and computer readable media for actively obtaining producer network function (NF) reachability status information by NF repository function (NRF) in response to NF heart-beat failure

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A method for actively obtaining producer network function (NF) reachability status information by an NF repository function (NRF) in response to an NF heart-beat failure includes detecting, by an NRF, an NF heart-beat failure associated with a producer NF. The method further includes querying, by the NRF and via a producer NF reachability status application programming interface (API) provided by an SCP, the SCP to determine reachability status of the producer NF. The method further includes receiving, by the NRF and from the SCP, a producer NF reachability status API response message including an indication that the producer NF is reachable. The method further includes maintaining, by the NRF and in response to receiving the indication that the producer NF is reachable, a REGISTERED status for the producer NF.