NRF Subscription Resync Using Profile Diff and Retry Timers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Network Repository Function (NRF) in a 5G core network may lose subscription data, leading to mismatched profiles between network function consumers and producers, causing aggressive re-subscription attempts that overload multiple NRFs without clear retry guidelines, resulting in unnecessary load on the system.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a re-subscribe timer and profile synchronization mechanism to manage subscription data, where the NRF compares and synchronizes profiles, and sets a timer for re-subscription attempts, preventing excessive retries and ensuring efficient load management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If NF consumers aggressively re-subscribe to NF producers after NRF faults, then subscription recovery may be achieved, but excessive load is placed on multiple NRFs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a re-subscribe timer that enforces periodic action by preventing NF consumers from re-subscribing immediately after an NRF fault. The timer establishes a mandatory waiting period before re-subscription attempts are allowed, transforming aggressive continuous retry behavior into controlled periodic attempts. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining subscription recovery capability while significantly reducing the quantity of subscription requests during fault recovery scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring re-subscribe timers and profile synchronization mechanisms before faults occur. The NRF and NF consumers are prepared with timeout values and profile validation capabilities in advance, so when faults happen, the system can immediately enforce controlled retry behavior without needing to reactively manage aggressive subscription attempts. This prevents excessive load while ensuring subscription recovery.
2Reliability
If NF consumers repeatedly attempt to subscribe without waiting, then subscription establishment may be achieved, but system load increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The re-subscribe timer implements periodic action by enforcing mandatory waiting periods between subscription attempts. Instead of continuous aggressive retry, the system waits for the timer to expire before attempting re-subscription. This maintains the ultimate goal of subscription establishment while dramatically reducing system load during the waiting periods, resolving the contradiction between reliable subscription establishment and excessive energy consumption from continuous retry attempts.
3Measurement precision
If NF consumer profiles are not synchronized with NRF, then profile mismatch errors occur, but additional verification steps increase processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by requiring NF consumers to include their current profile instance in re-subscription requests before the NRF can validate them. This pre-preparation of profile data enables the NRF to quickly compare and validate profiles without needing to request additional information or perform extensive verification steps, thereby maintaining high profile matching accuracy while minimizing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by having NF consumers include copies of their stored profile instances in re-subscription requests. Instead of the NRF storing and managing all profile data centrally, the consumer maintains and transmits copies of their profiles. This enables efficient profile matching and validation at the NRF without requiring extensive data transfer or processing, resolving the contradiction between accurate profile matching and processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for improving network repository function subscription are described herein. According to an implementation, a network repository function may receive a request to subscribe to a network function producer from a network function consumer. In response to the request, the network repository function may transmit an instance of a profile of the network function producer to the network function consumer. The network repository function may further receive a second request to re-subscribe to the network function producer from the network function consumer. The second request may include the instance of the profile. The network repository function may locate the profile of the network function producer in a data storage, and further compare the profile with the instance of the profile provided by the network function consumer. The network repository function may transmit a difference between the profile and the instance of the profile to the network function consumer.