UPF Selection by IP Stack Compatibility in 5G Session Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional UPF selection in 5G networks does not consider IP version compatibility with the base station, leading to PDU session establishment failures and increased latency due to mismatched IP versions.
Innovation Solution
Selecting a UPF based on its IP version capability to match the base station's IP version capability, ensuring compatibility and preventing transport layer mismatches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UPF selection is performed without considering base station IP version capability, then UPF selection process is simple, but PDU session establishment failure occurs due to IP version mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The base station communicates its IP version capability to the mobility network function in advance, before UPF selection occurs. This preliminary action ensures that the session management network function has the necessary information to select a compatible UPF, preventing IP version mismatches and PDU session establishment failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the base station report its IP version capability to the mobility network function, which then provides this information to the session management network function for UPF selection. This feedback loop ensures IP version compatibility is maintained throughout the session establishment process.
2Reliability
If UPF selection considers IP version capability matching, then PDU session establishment reliability improves, but selection process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
IP version capability information is exchanged between the base station and mobility network function before the UPF selection process begins. This preliminary exchange of capability information is performed once during initial setup, allowing for rapid UPF selection subsequently without repeated capability checks, thus minimizing time loss.
3Reliability
If IP version compatibility checking is implemented, then protocol mismatch failures are reduced, but additional computing resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
IP version capability information is communicated and stored in advance by the mobility network function and session management network function. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated compatibility checks during UPF selection, reducing computing resource consumption while maintaining protocol compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station autonomously determines and communicates its own IP version capability to the network functions. This self-service approach minimizes the need for complex compatibility checking algorithms in the network functions, reducing their computing resource consumption while ensuring protocol compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for selecting a user plane function (UPF) from among a plurality of available UPFs at least partially based on an internet protocol version of the UPF matching an IP version capability of a base station. A base station will communicate its IP version capability to a mobility network function (e.g., an access mobility function (AMF)) so that session establishment requests forwarded to a session management network function or gateway (e.g., a session management function (SMF)) can include the base station's IP version capability—allowing it to be used by the session management network function for selecting a UPF.