SCP and SEPP Load Control Through HTTP Status Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems lack effective methods for managing load and overload situations in Service Communication Proxies (SCPs) and Security Edge Protection Proxies (SEPPs), leading to unequal load distribution and potential crashes due to unmanaged traffic, especially in indirect communication scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism where SCPs and SEPPs signal load and overload information using custom HTTP headers (3gpp-Sbi-Lci and 3gpp-Sbi-Oci) to NF service consumers, allowing them to distribute traffic based on dynamic load status and reduce load on overloaded proxies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traffic is distributed to SCPs and SEPPs without load information signaling, then communication sessions can be established, but load distribution becomes unequal and proxies may crash due to overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having SCPs and SEPPs signal their load status to NF service consumers through custom HTTP headers (3gpp-Sbi-Lci for load control information and 3gpp-Sbi-Oci for overload control information). This feedback mechanism allows consumers to dynamically adjust traffic distribution based on real-time proxy conditions, preventing overload while maintaining efficient load balancing
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing NF service consumers to autonomously make routing decisions based on load information received from proxies. Consumers can select which proxy to send requests to, and adjust traffic patterns without external intervention, thereby self-regulating the load distribution across the network
2Productivity
If load control information is signaled using custom HTTP headers, then dynamic load balancing is achieved, but protocol complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses existing HTTP header mechanisms for a new purpose - conveying load control information. By leveraging the universal HTTP protocol framework already in place for service-based interfaces, the solution avoids creating a completely new signaling protocol, thus reducing complexity while achieving dynamic load balancing
Solution Approach 2:
The solution changes the parameter being signaled from simple presence/absence of load control to specific quantitative metrics through standardized header parameters (Load-Metric, Overload-Reduction-Metric, Period-of-Validity). This structured parameter approach enables sophisticated load balancing while maintaining protocol simplicity through standardization
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus with means for issuing (S601) a request message to a first proxy function for forwarding to a network server is provided. The means are further configured for receiving (S603) a response message from the first proxy function, the response message comprising information about a signalling capacity of the first proxy function.