Network function NF management method and NF management device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11070433-B2
Application number	US-201916262004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

This application discloses an NF management method and an NF management device, to perform centralized management on discovery and access between NF components, thereby facilitating a normal network operation. The method in embodiments of this application includes: receiving an NF discovery request sent by a first NF component, where the NF discovery request includes a second NF identifier, and the second NF identifier is used to indicate a second NF; obtaining component information of a second NF component based on the second NF identifier, where the second NF component has the second NF, and the component information includes a discovery policy of the second NF component and a second NF component identifier; determining, based on the discovery policy in the component information, whether the first NF component can access the second NF component; and if yes, sending the second NF component identifier to the first NF component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network function (NF) management method performed by an NF management device, comprising:
receiving an NF discovery request from a first NF component, wherein the NF discovery request comprises an NF identifier and an expected network slice identifier, the NF identifier identifies a second NF type;
obtaining component information of a second NF component based on the NF identifier and the expected network slice identifier, wherein the second NF component supports the second NF type and is located in a network slice identified by the expected network slice identifier, and the component information of the second NF component comprises a discovery policy of the second NF component and a second NF component identifier;
determining, based on the discovery policy in the component information, that the first NF component can access the second NF component; and
sending the second NF component identifier to the first NF component.

2. The NF management method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the component information of the second NF component comprises:
obtaining the NF identifier from the NF discovery request; and
obtaining the component information of the second NF component from a local component information base based on the NF identifier, wherein the component information of the second NF component comprises the discovery policy and the second NF component identifier.

3. The NF management method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the second NF component identifier to the first NF component comprises:
generating a component discovery response based on the second NF component identifier; and
sending the component discovery response to the first NF component.

4. The NF management method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
when a new NF component is deployed, obtaining component information of the newly deployed NF component, wherein the component information of the newly deployed NF component comprises a component identifier, an NF identifier, a discovery policy, and a network slice identifier of the newly deployed NF component; and
storing the component information of the newly deployed NF component in the local component information base.

5. A network function (NF) management method, comprising:
sending, by a first NF component, an NF discovery request to an NF management device;
receiving, by the NF management device, the NF discovery request, wherein the NF discovery request comprises an NF identifier and an expected network slice identifier, and the NF identifier identifies a second NF type;
obtaining, by the NF management device, component information of a second NF component based on the NF identifier and the expected network slice identifier, wherein the second NF component supports the second NF type and is located in a network slice identified by the expected network slice identifier, and the component information of the second NF component comprises a discovery policy of the second NF component and a second NF component identifier;
determining, by the NF management device based on the discovery policy in the component information, that the first NF component can access the second NF component;
sending, by the NF management device, the second NF component identifier to the first NF component; and
receiving, by the first NF component, the second NF component identifier.

6. The NF management method according to claim 5 , wherein the step of obtaining component information of the second NF component comprises:
obtaining, by the NF management device, the NF identifier from the NF discovery request; and
obtaining, by the NF management device, the component information of the second NF component from a local component information base based on the NF identifier, wherein the component information of the second NF component comprises the discovery policy and the second NF component identifier.

7. A network function (NF) management device, comprising:
a receiver, configured to receive an NF discovery request from a first NF component, wherein the NF discovery request comprises an NF identifier, an expected network slice identifier, and the NF identifier identifies a second NF type;
a processor, configured to obtain component information of a second NF component based on the NF identifier and the expected network slice identifier, wherein the second NF component supports the second NF type and is located in a network slice identified by the expected network slice identifier, and the component information of the second NF component comprises a discovery policy of the second NF component and a second NF component identifier; wherein
the processor is further configured to determine, based on the discovery policy in the component information, that the first NF component can access the second NF component; and
a transmitter, configured to send the second NF component identifier to the first NF component.

8. The NF management device according to claim 7 , wherein
the processor is further configured to obtain the NF identifier from the NF discovery request; and
the processor is further configured to obtain the component information of the second NF component from a local component information base based on the NF identifier, wherein the component information of the second NF component comprises the discovery policy and the second NF component identifier.

9. The NF management device according to claim 7 , wherein
the transmitter is configured to: generate a component discovery response based on the second NF component identifier, and send the component discovery response to the first NF component.

10. The NF management device according to claim 7 , wherein
the processor is further configured to: when a new NF component is deployed, obtain component information of the newly deployed NF component, wherein the component information of the newly deployed NF component comprises a component identifier, an NF identifier, a discovery policy, and a network slice identifier of the newly deployed NF component; and
the processor is further configured to store the component information of the newly deployed NF component in the local component information base.

11. A network function (NF) management system, comprising:
a first NF component configured to send an NF discovery request to a NF management device;
a NF management device configured to:
receive the NF discovery request, wherein the NF discovery request comprises an NF identifier, an expected network slice identifier, and the NF identifier identifies a second NF type;
obtain component information of a second NF component based on the NF identifier and the expected network slice identifier, wherein the second NF component supports the second NF type and is located in a network slice identified by the expected network slice identifier, and the component information of the second NF component comprises a discovery policy of the second NF component, and a second NF component identifier;
determine, based on the discovery policy in the component information, that the first NF component can access the second NF component; and
send the second NF component identifier;
wherein the first NF component is further configured to receive the second NF component identifier.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the NF management device is further configured to:
obtain the NF identifier from the NF discovery request; and
obtain the component information of the second NF component from a local component information base based on the NF identifier, wherein the component information of the second NF component comprises the discovery policy and th

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ma Jingwang
• Chen Heng

Classifications

• H04L41/122

  of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] · CPC title

• H04L41/0894

  Policy-based network configuration management · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title

• H04L41/40

  using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities · CPC title

• H04L41/0806 Primary

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title