SCP Proxy NRF Update for Seamless SBA Communication Migration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Migrating from a direct communication mode to an indirect communication mode in a 5G Service-Based Architecture (SBA) results in temporary unavailability of producer services, leading to service impacts and re-selection or context release for consumers due to the de-registration and re-registration of producer profiles in the Network Repository Function (NRF).

Innovation Solution

A modified procedure where the Service Communication Proxy (SCP) either skips sending de-registration requests to the old NRF or sends them via the SCP as a proxy, and updates existing producer profiles in the NRF, ensuring seamless migration by modifying registration requests to include the SCP's address, thus avoiding temporary service unavailability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a Producer de-registers its NF profile from the old NRF and re-registers at the new NRF during migration to indirect communication mode, then the Producer can communicate via the SCP, but the Producer services become temporarily unavailable causing service impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication mode migrationVSAvoidservice availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The SCP performs preliminary actions by discovering the Producer's NF profile from the old NRF before the Producer de-registers. This allows the SCP to have the profile information ready, so when the Producer re-registers at the new NRF, the SCP can immediately update its internal records without waiting for re-discovery, thus maintaining service availability during the migration transition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The SCP acts as an intermediary between the Producer and the NRFs. During migration, the SCP receives service requests from Consumers and forwards them to the Producer even while the Producer is transitioning between NRFs. The SCP mediates the communication by maintaining its own record of the Producer's profile, decoupling the Producer's NRF registration status from service availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the Producer re-registers its NF profile at the new NRF, then indirect communication via SCP is enabled, but Consumers must perform re-selection or context release due to service unavailability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindirect communication implementationVSAvoidConsumer re-selection process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The SCP uses feedback from its discovery of the Producer's NF profile to proactively update its internal routing information. By monitoring and discovering the Producer's profile changes, the SCP receives feedback about the Producer's status and location, allowing it to update its forwarding rules without requiring Consumers to re-select or release contexts. This feedback mechanism smooths the migration transition for Consumers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the SCP discovers the Producer's NF profile from the old NRF, then seamless migration is enabled, but additional signaling overhead is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice continuityVSAvoiddiscovery and update time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The SCP performs the discovery of the Producer's NF profile as a preliminary action before the actual migration occurs. By discovering and caching the profile information in advance, the SCP prepares the routing information needed for seamless migration. This preliminary discovery avoids the need for time-consuming re-discovery during the critical migration window, reducing the overall time impact despite the additional initial signaling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4066442B1Migration to indirect communication mode in a service-based architecture

Publication Date: 2026.01.28 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3

AI summary

There is provided a method of operating a Service Communication Proxy, SCP, node (608, 1000) in a communication network as a proxy network repository function, NRF, for a first network function, NF, producer node in the communication network. The first NF producer node (602, 1100) is to migrate from a direct communication mode with a first NF consumer node (606) to an indirect communication mode with the first NF consumer node (606) via the SCP node (608, 1000). The SCP node (608, 1000) discovers a NF profile for the first NF producer node (602, 1100), wherein the NF profile for the first NF producer node (602, 1100) is stored by a first network repository function, NRF, node (604) in the communication network, and the NF profile comprises a service address for the first NF producer node (602, 1100); receives a registration request from the first NF producer node (602, 1100), wherein the registration request is a request to register a NF profile for the first NF producer node (602, 1100) at a NRF node (604), wherein the registration request indicates the service address for the first NF producer node (602, 1100); and, in response to the received registration request, sends an update request to the first NRF node (604) to update the NF profile for the first NF producer node (602, 1100) stored by the first NRF node (604) to replace the service address of the first NF producer node (602, 1100) with a first service address of the SCP node (608, 1000) that is associated with the service address of the first NF producer node (602, 1100).