5G UPF Selection via NRF Utilization Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern mobile networks face challenges in managing resource utilization efficiently, leading to network congestion, dropped packets, and reduced quality of service due to overutilization of resources, particularly in 5G networks where high demand can cause UPFs to reach maximum capacity, resulting in decreased performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that selects user plane functions (UPFs) based on utilization levels, capability information, and locality, allowing the network resource function (NRF) to dynamically allocate resources and reroute traffic to underutilized UPFs, thereby maintaining optimal performance and reducing congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traffic is concentrated on fewer UPFs to simplify network management, then device complexity is reduced, but network congestion and service degradation occur due to overutilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic UPF selection where the NRF continuously monitors utilization levels and adjusts traffic routing in real-time. This allows the system to adapt to changing network conditions, distributing traffic dynamically across multiple UPFs based on current load, thereby preventing overutilization while maintaining manageable complexity through automated decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where UPFs report their utilization levels to the NRF, which then uses this information to make informed routing decisions. This closed-loop feedback ensures that traffic is routed to underutilized UPFs, preventing congestion and maintaining service quality without requiring complex manual management.
2Reliability
If more UPFs are deployed to handle high traffic demand, then service quality is maintained, but signaling overhead and network complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The NRF serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a service registry, a utilization monitor, a traffic routing decision-maker, and a load balancer. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby reducing overall signaling overhead while still maintaining service quality through intelligent UPF selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables UPFs to self-report their utilization status to the NRF, and the NRF automatically makes routing decisions based on this information. This self-service mechanism reduces the signaling overhead that would otherwise be required for manual load monitoring and traffic distribution across multiple UPFs.
3Productivity
If traffic is routed to underutilized UPFs to balance load, then network scalability is improved, but routing complexity and decision-making overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The NRF acts as an intermediary between UPFs and the core network, centralizing the routing decision-making process. Instead of individual network elements making complex routing decisions, the NRF consolidates this function, receiving utilization information from UPFs and determining optimal traffic routes. This intermediary approach enables network scalability while managing routing complexity through centralized intelligence.
4Reliability
If utilization monitoring is continuously performed to optimize UPF selection, then service quality is maintained, but processing overhead and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic utilization monitoring where UPFs report their status at regular intervals to the NRF, rather than continuous real-time monitoring. This periodic approach maintains service quality by ensuring the NRF has up-to-date information for routing decisions while significantly reducing the processing overhead and energy consumption associated with constant monitoring and reporting.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, devices, and techniques described herein are directed to function selection based on utilization level in mobile networks. In particular, the systems, devices, and techniques can be implemented in fifth generation (5G) mobile networks to provide intelligent selection of a user plane function (UPF) based on utilization levels, capability information, and/or locality information. UPFs can provide indications of a utilization level to a network resource function (NRF), which can manage a database of the various utilizations levels of various UPFs. Based on a current, historical, or expected utilization of one or more UPFs, and/or based on the services requested and various locations of the services in a network, the NRF can select and provide, in part, a UPF to the UE, so that the UPF can carry user traffic associated with the UE.