Service Communication Proxy Attempted NF Instance Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G telecommunications networks, repeated attempts at communication with producer NF instances occur even after error responses or no responses are received, leading to inefficient network traffic due to lack of information about unsuccessful communication attempts being shared between service communication proxies (SCPs) and consumer NFs.

Innovation Solution

Generating and conveying attempted producer NF instance communication information, such as error responses or unresponsive instances, through server headers or custom headers in SBI request messages, to enable informed selection of alternative NF instances for re-attempts, thereby reducing unnecessary retries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If consumer NFs or SCPs repeatedly attempt communication with producer NF instances that returned error responses or no responses, then service availability is maintained through continuous re-attempts, but network traffic efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary retries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidnetwork traffic efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The producer SCP includes attempted producer NF instance communication information in the server header of error responses sent to consumer NFs or SCPs. This feedback mechanism allows consumer entities to learn which NF instances have failed and avoid re-attempting communication with them, thereby reducing unnecessary network traffic while maintaining service availability through intelligent retry decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If consumer NFs or SCPs re-attempt communication with NF instances from which error responses were received or no responses were received, then service discovery completeness is maintained, but productivity decreases due to inefficient retries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice discovery completenessVSAvoidservice request handling efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by incorporating attempted producer NFinstance communication information into server headers of error responses. This enables consumer NFs and SCPs to make informed decisions about which NF instances to retry and which to skip, maintaining service discovery completeness while significantly improving productivity by eliminating redundant retry operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If attempted producer NF instance communication information is not shared between SCPs and consumer NFs, then system simplicity is maintained, but loss of information occurs regarding unsuccessful communication attempts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidcommunication attempt information

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The server header, which already exists in the communication protocol for identifying the server, is enhanced to serve multiple functions by incorporating attempted producer NFinstance communication information. This universal approach allows the same header to both identify the server and convey failure information, avoiding the need for separate complex mechanisms while preventing information loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Device complexity

If error responses do not carry information about attempted NF instances, then response message simplicity is maintained, but loss of information occurs about which NF instances failed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse message simplicityVSAvoidNF instance failure information

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The server header is enhanced to serve dual purposes: traditional server identification and conveying attempted NFinstance communication information. By making the server header universal, the system can add failure information without creating entirely new message structures, thus maintaining response simplicity while preventing information loss about which NF instances failed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11831732B2Methods, systems, and computer readable media for generating, conveying, and using attempted producer network function (NF) instance communication information

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A method for generating, conveying, and using attempted producer network function (NF) instance communication information includes, at a first service communication proxy (SCP), receiving, from a sender, a first service based interface (SBI) request message. The method further includes attempting to obtain a service requested by the first SBI request message from at least one producer NF instance. The method further includes receiving at least one error response or failing to receive a response from the at least one producer NF instance. The method further includes generating, from the at least one error response or the failing to receive a response from the at least one producer NF instance, attempted producer NF instance communication information. The method further includes communicating, to the sender, the attempted producer NF instance communication information.