UPF Local Authentication for 5G MEC Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G systems employing MEC technology, the UE authentication process involves a large number of interaction procedures between the APP and the central APP, leading to increased network resource overhead and latency, which necessitates an optimized solution to simplify and expedite the authentication process.
Innovation Solution
A message processing method and system where the UPF device receives UE authentication information, compares it with the uplink message, and sends it to a local APP for authentication, eliminating the need for remote APP involvement, thereby reducing network resource overhead and latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the existing APP authentication process is used where the APP requests a remote APP to perform authentication, then authentication can be performed, but the quantity of interaction procedures between the APP and the central APP increases, leading to increased latency and network resource overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication function from the remote central APP and relocates it to the local UPF device. The UPF obtains authentication information from the SMF and performs local authentication by comparing uplink messages with stored authentication information, eliminating the need for multiple interactions with the remote APP and reducing latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The UPF acts as an intermediary between the UE and the authentication system. It receives authentication information from the SMF, performs local authentication verification, and only interacts with the remote APP when necessary (e.g., when authentication information needs to be updated), thereby reducing the quantity of interaction procedures.
2Reliability
If the existing APP authentication process is used with multiple interaction procedures, then authentication can be performed, but network resource overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication verification function is extracted from the remote APP and placed in the local UPF. The UPF stores authentication information received from the SMF and performs local comparison with uplink messages, eliminating unnecessary network transmissions and reducing network resource overhead.
3Adaptability or versatility
If authentication is performed by a remote APP, then centralized control is maintained, but the APP switching speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The UPF pre-obtains and stores authentication information from the SMF before authentication is needed. When a UE uplink message arrives, the UPF can immediately perform local authentication verification without waiting for remote APP responses, thereby accelerating APP switching speed while maintaining centralized control through the SMF-UPF information provisioning mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a message processing method and system, and a user plane function UPF device. The method includes: receiving user equipment (UE) authentication information sent by a session management function (SMF) device; matching a received uplink message of the UE with the UE authentication information, and if the matching succeeds, sending the uplink message that includes the UE authentication information to a first application (APP); and performing authentication by the first APP on the UE according to the UE authentication information. In the foregoing process, authentication on the UE does not need to be performed by a remote APP. This simplifies the authentication process, reduces network resource overhead, speeds up authentication on UEs, reduces the latency of UE authentication, and further increases the application switching speed.