Communication method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11963242-B2
Application number	US-202117199806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

This application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method includes: After receiving a first packet from a first device, a first user plane network element determines a user plane LAN identifier corresponding to the first packet, where the user plane LAN identifier is an identifier that is in a user plane and that is of a LAN group to which the terminal belongs, and one user plane LAN identifier corresponds to one LAN group. That is, a function of the user plane LAN identifier is to isolate user plane packets of different LAN groups. Then, the first user plane network element sends the first packet to a second device based on the user plane LAN identifier and a destination address included in the first packet, so that the first packet sent by one terminal in the LAN group is sent to another terminal in the LAN group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a first user plane network element, a first packet from a first device, wherein the first device is a first terminal;
determining, by the first user plane network element, a user plane local area network (LAN) identifier corresponding to the first packet, wherein the user plane LAN identifier is a user plane identifier of a LAN group, wherein determining the user plane LAN identifier comprises:
determining, by the first user plane network element, flow characteristic information of the first packet, wherein the flow characteristic information comprises at least one of a session identifier, a quality of service flow identifier (QFI), or a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID); and
determining, by the first user plane network element according to a LAN identification rule, the user plane LAN identifier corresponding to the first packet, wherein the LAN identification rule comprises a correspondence between the flow characteristic information and the user plane LAN identifier; and

sending, by the first user plane network element, the first packet to a second device based on the user plane LAN identifier and a destination address in the first packet.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sending the first packet comprises:
determining, by the first user plane network element based on the user plane LAN identifier, a virtual forwarding instance corresponding to the user plane LAN identifier, wherein the virtual forwarding instance comprises a correspondence between the destination address and a forwarding port, and the forwarding port corresponds to the second device;
determining, by the first user plane network element, the forwarding port based on the virtual forwarding instance; and
sending, by the first user plane network element, the first packet to the second device through the forwarding port.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the first user plane network element, the LAN identification rule from a first control plane network element.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the first user plane network element, the user plane LAN identifier from a first control plane network element.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user plane LAN identifier is a single virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID), a double VLAN ID, or a route distinguisher (RD).

6. A communications apparatus, comprising:
a receiver;
a transmitter;
at least one processor coupled with the transmitter and the receiver; and
one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, through the receiver, a first packet from a first device;
determine a user plane local area network (LAN) identifier corresponding to the first packet, wherein the user plane LAN identifier is a user plane identifier of a LAN group, wherein the determine the user plane LAN identifier comprises:
determine flow characteristic information of the first packet, wherein the flow characteristic information comprises at least one of a session identifier, a quality of service flow identifier (QFI), or a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID); and
determine, according to a LAN identification rule, the user plane LAN identifier corresponding to the first packet, wherein the LAN identification rule comprises a correspondence between the flow characteristic information and the user plane LAN identifier; and

send, through the transmitter, the first packet to a second device based on the user plane LAN identifier and a destination address in the first packet.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine, based on the user plane LAN identifier, a virtual forwarding instance corresponding to the user plane LAN identifier, wherein the virtual forwarding instance comprises a correspondence between the destination address and a forwarding port, and the forwarding port corresponds to the second device;
determine the forwarding port based on the virtual forwarding instance; and
send, through the transmitter, the first packet to the second device through the forwarding port.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to receive, through the receiver, the LAN identification rule from a first control plane network element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to receive, through the receiver, the user plane LAN identifier from a first control plane network element.

10. A communications apparatus, comprising:
a transmitter;
at least one processor coupled with the transmitter; and
one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine that a type of a service requested by a terminal is a local area network (LAN) service;
obtain LAN service information corresponding to the terminal, wherein the LAN service information comprises an identifier of a LAN group corresponding to the terminal, wherein the obtain the LAN service information corresponding to the terminal comprises:
receive, through a receiver, an uplink packet from a user plane network element; and
obtain the LAN service information corresponding to the uplink packet;

allocate a user plane LAN identifier to the terminal based on the LAN service information;
determine flow characteristic information of the terminal, wherein the flow characteristic information comprises at least one of a session identifier, a quality of service flow identifier (QFI), a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID), or a QFI; and
send, through the transmitter, a LAN identification rule and the user plane LAN identifier to the user plane network element, wherein the LAN identification rule comprises a correspondence between the flow characteristic information and the user plane LAN identifier.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to select the user plane network element for the terminal based on a distribution location of a user plane network element in the LAN group.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a receiver, and the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to receive, through the receiver, a session establishment request message from the terminal, wherein the session establishment request message comprises the type of the service requested by the terminal, and the type of the service is the LAN service.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a receiver, and the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:
send, through the transmitter, a subscription information request message to a data management network element, wherein the subscription information request message comprises an identifier of the terminal;
receive, through the receiver, a subscription information response

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xu Changchun
• Chen Zhongping
• Wang Yuan
• Wang Yan

Classifications

• H04W76/11 Primary

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04L45/74

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W4/08 Primary

  User group management · CPC title

• H04W76/12 Primary

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title