NWDAF Analytics Handover With Predictive Mobility Preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network data analytics functions (NWDAF) face challenges in efficiently handing over analytics calculations to other NWDAF or offloading analytics tasks due to mobility, shutdown, or overload scenarios, requiring a mechanism for seamless data and subscription transfer.
Innovation Solution
A framework is provided for NWDAF handover, enabling predictive selection and transfer of analytics context and subscription data to another NWDAF, with mechanisms for preparation, confirmation, and cancellation of handovers based on UE mobility prediction and overload conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If NWDAF collects data from different NFs over a period of time, then analytics calculation accuracy is improved, but handover complexity increases when transferring to another NWDAF
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by predicting UE mobility patterns and proactively preparing handover to target NWDAF before the actual handover occurs. The source NWDAF forecasts future UE locations and pre-establishes connections with potential target NWDAFs, transferring analytics context in advance. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining analytics accuracy through continuous data collection while reducing handover complexity through advance preparation and prediction.
2Reliability
If NWDAF performs analytics calculation for mobile UE, then service continuity is improved, but data transfer overhead increases during handover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transfers only the essential analytics context information (UE identifiers, subscription details, ongoing analytics parameters) from the source NWDAF to the target NWDAF during handover, rather than transferring all collected raw data. This selective extraction maintains service continuity by ensuring the target NWDAF receives sufficient information to continue analytics calculation while minimizing data transfer overhead by excluding redundant historical data.
3Productivity
If NWDAF handles analytics for multiple UEs, then network efficiency is improved, but overload risk increases requiring handover mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic load balancing by enabling NWDAF to continuously monitor its own load conditions and dynamically handover analytics calculations to other NWDAFs when overload conditions are detected. The system dynamically adjusts the distribution of analytics tasks across multiple NWDAFs based on real-time capacity conditions, allowing efficient utilization of network resources while preventing any single NWDAF from becoming overloaded and failing.
Data Source
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AI summary
If a first condition for a handover of an analytics calculation for a user equipment by an analytics function is met, the analytics function requests, of at least one other analytics function of the communication network, preparation of the handover of the analytics calculation. If a second condition for the handover of the analytics calculation is met, the analytics function confirms the handover to one of the at least one other analytics function, the analytics calculation for the user equipment at the analytics function being deemed complete.