Slice-Aware Session Information Management for 5G Subscription Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G communications systems, the UDM network element's subscription data management at a DNN granularity fails to meet the diverse requirements of different network slices, leading to inadequate isolation between slices and resource wastage.

Innovation Solution

The SMF network element requests subscription data from the data management network element, providing both DNN and slice information, ensuring that only relevant subscription data is sent, thereby adhering to slice-specific parameters and avoiding unnecessary signaling and resource waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the UDM network element manages subscription data at a DNN granularity like HSS in 4G, then the management structure remains simple and compatible with existing systems, but the subscription data cannot meet the different requirements of multiple network slices and isolation between slices cannot be implemented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubscription data adaptability to different slicesVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments subscription data by introducing slice information as an additional dimension alongside DNN. The data management network element stores and manages subscription data with both DNN and slice information identifiers, enabling granular access control and isolation between different network slices while maintaining the existing DNN-based management structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If the data management network element sends all subscription data to the SMF, then the SMF receives complete subscription information, but signaling overhead increases and resources are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubscription data completenessVSAvoidsignaling resource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary subscription data from the complete subscription information set. The data management network element filters and sends only the subscription data that corresponds to the specific DNN and slice information requested by the SMF, eliminating unnecessary data transmission and reducing signaling overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of information

If the data management network element sends subscription data for all slices to a single SMF, then all subscription data is available, but slice isolation is violated and other slices cannot be served

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubscription data availabilityVSAvoidslice isolation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the data management behavior specific to each slice context. The data management network element uses the slice information parameter to determine which subscription data to send to which SMF, ensuring that each SMF receives only the subscription data appropriate for its served slice, thereby maintaining slice isolation while ensuring data availability for each specific slice.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3657868B1Session information management method and device
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3657868B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3657868B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3657868B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application relates to the field of wireless communications technologies, and provides a session information management method, including: sending, by an SMF network element, identification information of a terminal device, a DNN, and slice information to a data management network element, to request first subscription data that is of the terminal device and that is associated with the DNN and the slice information, where the slice information is used to identify a network slice served by the SMF network element; and receiving, by the SMF network element, the first subscription data from the data management network element. In the solutions provided in embodiments, different requirements of slices and isolation between slices can be met.