SCP-Based SBI Timeout Configuration Using NF Latency Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G telecommunications networks, there is no standardized way to automate timeout configurations for service-based interface (SBI) transactions between network functions (NFs), leading to inefficient manual configuration due to varying network and processing latencies, which impacts network efficiency and end-to-end call processing.
Innovation Solution
A service communication proxy (SCP) determines latency measurements for SBI interfaces, maintains a database of these measurements, and communicates them to an element management system (EMS) to automatically configure timeouts for consumer NFs, adapting to dynamic network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual configuration of timeouts is performed by network operators, then configuration can be customized for different scenarios, but the process is inefficient and difficult to maintain due to the large number of consumer NFs and variations in network latency
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the network to automatically configure timeout values without human intervention. The SCP collects latency measurements from SBI transactions and automatically determines appropriate timeout values, eliminating the need for manual operator configuration while adapting to changing network conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring SBI transaction latencies and using this information to dynamically adjust timeout configurations. The SCP measures actual transaction times and feeds this information back into the timeout configuration process, ensuring timeouts remain appropriate as network conditions change
2Reliability
If timeout values are configured to be long to account for network delays, then fewer transactions are classified as failed, but the timeout configuration becomes less responsive to actual network conditions and increases waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making timeout values adaptive rather than static. Timeout configurations are continuously adjusted based on real-time latency measurements from actual SBI transactions, allowing the system to respond to changing network conditions while maintaining appropriate timeout values for different scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by adjusting timeout values based on measured latency characteristics. Instead of using fixed timeout values, the system modifies timeout parameters dynamically according to actual network performance data collected from SBI transactions, optimizing both reliability and response time
3Measurement precision
If timeout configuration is performed manually for each consumer NF and producer NF combination, then precise control is achieved, but the device complexity and difficulty of maintenance increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by implementing a single SCP that serves all consumer NFs and producer NFs in the network. This centralized approach allows the SCP to collect latency measurements across all SBI transactions and generate unified timeout configurations that apply network-wide, eliminating the need for separate manual configuration for each NF pair
Solution Approach 2:
The SCP acts as an intermediary between network transactions and timeout configuration. It intercepts SBI transactions to measure latencies, processes this information, and automatically determines appropriate timeout values, serving as a mediator that simplifies the configuration process while maintaining precision
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automatically configuring service-based interface (SBI) timeouts includes determining, by a service communication proxy (SCP), latency measurements for SBI interfaces with producer network functions (NFs). The method further includes maintaining, by the SCP, a database of the latency measurements for the SBI interfaces with the producer NFs. The method further includes communicating, by the SCP, the latency measurements to an element management system (EMS) for automatically configuring, at consumer NFs, timeouts for the SBI interfaces associated with the producer NFs.