NSSF Disaster Recovery Slice Availability Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current 3GPP protocol lacks a clear definition for fault and recovery processing procedures related to the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) network element, which is crucial for ensuring continuity and reliability of slice services in multi-slice deployment scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A disaster recovery processing method and apparatus are provided, where a first NSSF network element synchronizes slice availability information with a second NSSF network element acting as its disaster recovery counterpart. This involves sending synchronization requests, receiving task deletion messages, and deleting subscription tasks to ensure seamless service continuity and avoid notification confusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the primary NSSF network element continues to provide slice availability service during fault condition, then service continuity is maintained, but notification confusion occurs due to multiple NSSF elements sending notifications
Solution Approach 1:
The disaster recovery NSSF proactively deletes subscription tasks before the primary NSSF can send duplicate notifications during fault condition. By performing this deletion action in advance (when fault is detected), the system prevents notification confusion while maintaining service continuity through the disaster recovery NSSF.
2Reliability
If the disaster recovery NSSF takes over slice availability service when primary NSSF fails, then service reliability is ensured, but subscription task management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the subscription task deletion function from the primary NSSF and assigns it to the disaster recovery NSSF. This separation allows the disaster recovery NSSF to independently manage subscription tasks without requiring complex coordination mechanisms with the primary NSSF, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining service reliability.
3Measurement precision
If synchronization request messages are sent frequently to ensure data consistency, then data accuracy is improved, but network overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization request messages are sent periodically or on-demand rather than continuously. The disaster recovery NSSF requests synchronization when needed (e.g., when taking over service or at scheduled intervals), which maintains data consistency between primary and disaster recovery NSSF elements while significantly reducing network overhead compared to continuous synchronization.
Data Source
AI summary
A first network slice selection network element sends a synchronization request message to a second network slice selection network element, where the synchronization request message includes an identifier of an access management network element and slice availability information of the access management network element; the first network slice selection network element receives a task deletion message from the second network slice selection network element, where the task deletion message includes the identifier of the access management network element or a task identifier of a first subscription task, and the first subscription task is a subscription task that is for the slice availability information of the access management network element and that is created in the first network slice selection network element; and the first network slice selection network element deletes the first subscription task.