CN112350859A

CN112350859A - Method, device, equipment and storage medium for managing network function entity

Info

Publication number: CN112350859A
Application number: CN202011175270.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄察夫; 黄华桥; 叶志钢; 程波
Original assignee: Wuhan Greenet Information Service Co Ltd
Current assignee: Wuhan Greenet Information Service Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-28
Filing date: 2020-10-28
Publication date: 2021-02-09

Abstract

The application provides a method, a device, a computer device and a storage medium for managing a network function entity, which specifically comprise: acquiring NF attribute information of a plurality of network functional entities in a target network, wherein each NF attribute information comprises NF identification information of a corresponding network functional entity; determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network functional entities according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities; determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities; and establishing connection between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities according to the pairing information. According to the method and the system, a large number of network functional entities can be managed, so that the network flow processing process becomes more efficient and ordered, and meanwhile, each network functional entity can be rapidly and effectively controlled, so that the resource utilization rate is improved, and the throughput of the network is increased.

Description

Method, device, equipment and storage medium for managing network function entity

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for managing a network function entity, a computer device, and a storage medium.

Background

In recent years, due to the rapid development of Network Virtualization technology, many Network element devices are in a software form that is converted from traditional specific hardware to general hardware, such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV), specifically, Network Function Virtualization technology, and realize the functions of a traditional communication Network through IT Virtualization. A Virtual Network Function (VNF) is a network element virtualized by a virtualization technology to implement a certain network function unit. The VNF specifically refers to a virtual network function, which provides some network service, is software, and is deployed in a virtual machine, a container, or a barrel-metal physical machine using the infrastructure provided by the NFVI.

At present, when a data stream is transmitted in a network communication process, a terminal device generally sends the data stream to a Network Function (NF) entity, and the NF entity processes the data stream and then sends the data stream to a target device; the process of NF entity processing data stream generally includes: and detecting the packet head of the data packet in the data, analyzing the content, analyzing the performance and the like. Specifically, when a data stream is transmitted, all data packets of the same data stream must be processed indiscriminately in the NF entity and then sent to the destination device, so that a large amount of special hardware is required to support the NF entity to complete data processing and forwarding, an existing server does not effectively manage the large amount of NF entities, and the resource consumption is too high in the network traffic processing process.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a method, a device, computer equipment and a storage medium for managing network functional entities, which can manage a large number of network functional entities, so that the network flow processing process becomes more efficient and ordered, and meanwhile, each network functional entity can be rapidly and effectively controlled, thereby improving the resource utilization rate and increasing the throughput of a network.

In one aspect, the present application provides a method for managing a network function entity, the method comprising:

acquiring NF attribute information of a plurality of network functional entities in a target network, wherein each NF attribute information comprises NF identification information of a corresponding network functional entity;

determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network functional entities according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities;

determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities;

and establishing connection between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities according to the pairing information.

In another aspect, the present application provides an apparatus for managing a network function entity, the apparatus comprising:

the system comprises an acquisition module, a processing module and a processing module, wherein the acquisition module is used for acquiring NF attribute information of a plurality of network functional entities in a target network, and each piece of NF attribute information comprises NF identification information of a corresponding network functional entity;

the matching module is used for determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network functional entities according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities;

a pairing module for determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities;

and the connection module is used for establishing connection between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities according to the pairing information.

In another aspect, the present application further provides an apparatus for managing a network function entity, where the apparatus includes:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more application programs, wherein the one or more application programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to perform the operations of any of the methods described above.

In another aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which is loaded by a processor to perform the operations of any of the methods described above.

According to the method and the device, the plurality of network functions and the control equipment matched with the network functions are paired and connected, a large number of network function entities can be managed, so that the network flow processing process becomes more efficient and ordered, and meanwhile, each network function entity can be rapidly and effectively controlled, so that the resource utilization rate is improved, and the throughput of the network is increased.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art to obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network scenario of an entity managing a network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for managing a network device entity provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 illustrates functional modules of a network device entity management apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary system that can be used to implement the various embodiments described in this application.

The same or similar reference numbers in the drawings identify the same or similar elements.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, but do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus, should not be considered as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically defined otherwise.

In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. In the following description, details are set forth for the purpose of explanation. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the description of the invention with unnecessary detail. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

It should be noted that, since the method in the embodiment of the present application is executed in the computing device, the processing objects of each computing device exist in the form of data or information, for example, time, which is substantially time information, it can be understood that, in the subsequent embodiments, if the size, the number, the position, and the like are mentioned, corresponding data exist, so that the electronic device performs processing, and details are not described herein.

In a typical configuration of the present application, the terminal, the device serving the network, and the trusted party each include one or more processors (e.g., Central Processing Units (CPUs)), input/output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory. The Memory may include forms of volatile Memory, Random Access Memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile Memory in a computer-readable medium, such as Read Only Memory (ROM) or Flash Memory. Memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

Computer-readable media, including both non-transitory and non-transitory, removable and non-removable media, may implement information storage by any method or technology. The information may be computer readable instructions, data structures, modules of a program, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, Phase-Change Memory (PCM), Programmable Random Access Memory (PRAM), Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), other types of Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), flash Memory or other Memory technology, Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Discs (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium, which can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device.

Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing is by way of example only, and that other existing or future devices, which may be suitable for use in the present application, are also encompassed within the scope of the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference.

As shown in the network scenario diagram of fig. 1, a plurality of servers exist in a target network, a plurality of network function entities exist in each server, an end-to-end NS implemented in a conventional network is completely composed of Physical Network Functions (PNFs), two ends of an end-to-end NS implemented in an NFV are still PNFs, and the middle of the end-to-end NS is replaced by a VNF in whole or in part. The functions and external interfaces implemented by each network functional entity are independent of its PNF or VNF. The topological relationship formed by the links between the VNF and the PNF can be described by using a VNF forwarding graph, and the characteristics of each Network function entity are described by a corresponding Network Function Descriptor (NFD). VNF needs to be implemented based on NFVI-provided virtual resources (including virtual computing, storage, and network resources) that are virtualized from corresponding physical resources. PNF is then directly implemented based on physical resources. Unlike the traditional network in which all control is concentrated on a network device with integrated software and hardware, NFV introduces virtualization to implement software and hardware decoupling of the network device, so that control over services is mainly embodied on the PNF and VNF level, and control over performance is mainly embodied on the NFVI, particularly on the hardware resource level therein.

The gateway shown in fig. 1 may be provided in a computer device, and the computer device is integrated with a corresponding network function entity management apparatus. The computer equipment in the embodiment of the application is mainly used for managing the network functional entity.

In this embodiment, the computer device may be an independent server, or may be a server network or a server cluster composed of servers, for example, the computer device described in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a computer, a network host, a single network server, a plurality of network server sets, or a cloud server composed of a plurality of servers. Among them, the Cloud server is constituted by a large number of computers or web servers based on Cloud Computing (Cloud Computing).

Those skilled in the art can understand that the application environment shown in fig. 1 is only one application scenario corresponding to the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the application scenario of the present application, and as a person of ordinary skill in the art knows, with the evolution of a gateway scenario and the appearance of a new service scenario, the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to similar technical problems.

Embodiments of the present application provide a method, an apparatus, a server, and a storage medium for managing a network function entity, which are described in detail below.

Fig. 2 shows a method for managing a network function entity according to an aspect of the present application, where an execution subject of the method is a network function entity management apparatus, the apparatus is applied to a computer device, and the method specifically includes step S101, step S102, step S103, and step S104.

Specifically, in step S101, NF attribute information of a plurality of network functional entities in the target network is obtained, where each NF attribute information includes NF identification information of a corresponding network functional entity. For example, each piece of NF attribute information includes NF identification information of the corresponding network functional entity, where the NF identification information includes, but is not limited to, hardware identification information, code, or serial number of the NF, such as hardware identification information of the PNF, or a code, or serial number, etc. of the PNF or VNF predetermined according to administrator input information. In the NFV architecture, the bottom layer is a specific physical device, such as a server, a storage device, a network device, and the like, and various service software and the like can be installed on a virtualized device layer, such as a plurality of virtual systems created on the server, a plurality of storage devices virtualized as logical storage devices, a network device IDE control plane installed on a server virtual machine, and the like; the specific functions are different according to different software bottom layer devices, such as virtual computing, virtual storage, virtual network and the like. The network function entity control device can send a corresponding query request to each NF and receive NF attribute information returned by each network function entity based on the query request; or, the network functional entities actively notify NF attribute information of each network functional entity through Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP). As in some embodiments, in step S101, NF attribute information of a plurality of network function entities actively advertised by the network function entities in the target network through the LLDP protocol is received, where each NF attribute information includes NF identification information of the corresponding network function entity. For example, LLDP is defined in 802.1ab, which is a two-layer protocol that provides a standard link layer discovery approach. The LLDP protocol enables a device accessing a network to send its main capabilities, management address, device identifier, interface identifier, etc. to other devices accessing the same lan. When a device receives this information from the network for other devices, it stores the information in the form of a MIB. The MIB information may be used to discover a physical topology structure of the device and to manage configuration information, such as NF attribute information; it should be noted that LLDP is only designed for information advertisement, and it is used to advertise information of one device and obtain information of other devices, and thus related MIB information. It is not a configuration, control protocol by which the remote device cannot be configured, but it simply provides information about the network topology and management configuration that can be used for management, configuration purposes.

In step S102, a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network function entities are determined according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network function entities. For example, a plurality of control devices matched with a plurality of network functional entities may be determined according to NF attribute information of the network functional entities, for example, according to NF identification information of each network functional entity, where the NF identification information includes a sequence encoded according to a certain rule, and the like, and according to network functional entities with similar serial numbers or the same encoding rule, a control device of a corresponding type is determined, and if encoding rules of different NF identification information are used to represent different functions, types, or security levels of the network functional entities, the types of the control devices corresponding to each type of encoding rule are the same, and the specific number is determined according to the number or load of the network functional entities corresponding to the encoding rules, and the like.

In step S103, pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities is determined. For example, according to the difference or the same of NF attribute information of a plurality of network function entities, pairing each network function entity with a corresponding control device, for example, pairing a network function entity that determines NF identification information according to an encoding rule 1 with one or more corresponding control devices 1, where the number of one or more control devices 1 is determined according to the load (e.g., the upper limit of the number of devices of the load) of each control device and the number of network function entities corresponding to the encoding rule 1 and the corresponding load; the network function entity corresponding to the corresponding coding rule 2 matches with the corresponding control device 2, so as to achieve the relation of classification and matching. Specifically, the pairing between the plurality of control devices 1 and the network function entity corresponding to the encoding rule 1 may determine the corresponding pairing information through random selection, type allocation, load classification, and the like. Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described matching rules are merely exemplary, and that other existing or future matching rules, as applicable to the present application, are also included within the scope of the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference.

In step S104, connections between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities are established according to the pairing information. For example, connections between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of Network function entities are established according to the determined pairing information, for example, connections between the control devices and the Network function entities are established through Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and the like. SNMP is a standard protocol specifically designed for managing network nodes (servers, workstations, routers, switches, HUBS, etc.) in an IP network, which is an application layer protocol. SNMP enables a network administrator to manage network performance, discover and solve network problems, and plan network growth. The network management system receives the random message (and the event report) through the SNMP to know that the network has problems. SNMP is a communication protocol between a management process (NMS) and an Agent process (Agent). It specifies a standardized management framework for monitoring and managing devices in a network environment, a common language for communication, corresponding security and access control mechanisms. A network administrator using SNMP functionality may query device information, modify device parameter values, monitor device status, automatically discover network faults, generate reports, etc. For example, the network function entity corresponding to the corresponding coding rule 1 establishes a corresponding connection with the paired control device 1, the network function entity corresponding to the corresponding coding rule 2 establishes a corresponding connection with the paired control device 2, and so on.

In some embodiments, the NF attribute information may include, in addition to the NF identification information, other information for accurately locating or distinguishing network functional entities, for example, the NF attribute information further includes but is not limited to: information of a machine room where the network functional entity is located; rack information where the network function entity is located; IP address information of a server where the network function entity is located; type information of the network functional entity. For example, in order to facilitate the administrator to manage each network function entity, NF attribute information may be written into the information of the machine room where each network function entity is located, the information of the rack, or the like, or a serial number may be written into the information according to the corresponding encoding rule, so that the administrator can determine the specific position of each network function entity quickly and accurately, and perform quick positioning corresponding to network error reporting, and the like. Certainly, the NF attribute information may further include IP address information of a server where the network entity is located, or type information of the network function entity, so as to better manage each network function entity, specifically pair the control devices with multiple variables, and more accurately control each network function entity, such as invoking, sleeping, and other operations.

In some embodiments, the NF attribute information further includes type information of a network function entity; in step S102, a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network device entities are determined according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network function entities, where the type information of each of the plurality of control devices at least corresponds to one of the NF type information of the plurality of network function entities. For example, the type information of the network functional entity has different types based on different classification rules, such as a function classification based on virtualization, including three types of virtual computing, virtual storage, and virtual network. When a plurality of control devices corresponding to and matched with each other are determined according to NF attribute information of a plurality of network function entities, the corresponding control devices may be determined according to different types, such as that the type information of each control device corresponds to the type information of the corresponding network function entity, for example, a network function entity of a virtual computing class corresponds to a group of control devices, a network function entity of a virtual storage class corresponds to a group of control devices, a network function entity of a virtual network class corresponds to a group of control devices, and the like, in addition to the corresponding control devices determined according to NF identification information. Certainly, the process determined based on the type information of the network function entity may also be combined with NF identification information, for example, the network function entity of the virtual computing class corresponding to the encoding rule 1 corresponds to a group of control devices, the network function entity of the virtual storage class corresponding to the encoding rule 1 corresponds to a group of control devices …, and the network function entity of the virtual network class corresponding to the encoding rule 2 corresponds to a group of control devices, and the like. Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the above classification rules are merely exemplary, and that other existing or future classification rules, as applicable to the present application, are also included within the scope of the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference.

In some embodiments, in the pairing process, not only NF identification information, NF type information, and the like in the NF attribute information need to be considered, but also a corresponding pairing relationship and the like are determined based on a load of each network functional entity and a load of the controller. If the NF attribute information also comprises the load information of the network functional entity; in step S103, determining pairing information between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities, where at least one network function entity exists in each control device to match with the control device, the NF type information of the at least one network function entity corresponds to the type information of the control device, and the total load information of the at least one network function entity is less than or equal to the load information of the control device. For example, after determining corresponding control devices according to coding rules of different NF identification information or NF type information, and the like, in a subsequent pairing process, determining that a specific control device is paired with a corresponding number of network function entities according to load information of the control device and load information of each network function entity, where the load information of the network function entity includes transmission traffic corresponding to the network function entity or an upper limit of a connection terminal, and the load information of the control device includes the upper limit of the connection terminal or the control traffic corresponding to the control device. The load information of one control device is greater than or equal to the total load information of the network function entities paired by the control device, and in some cases, the total load information of the network function entities paired by the control device does not exceed a certain proportion (such as 90% and the like) of the load information of the control device, so that the load on the control device in a peak period is avoided, and the network operation efficiency is not influenced.

In some embodiments, the NF attribute information further includes security level information of a network function entity; in step S102, determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network functional entities according to NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities, where security level information of each of the plurality of control devices corresponds to at least one of the security level information of the plurality of network functional entities; in step S103, pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities is determined, wherein at least one network function entity is matched with each control device, and the security level information of the at least one network function entity corresponds to the security level information of the control device. For example, the security level information is used to represent the security level of data processed by each network functional entity, for example, the security level of normal data is low, the security level of general account information (e.g., account password) is medium, the security level of financial related data is high, control devices matched with the security level information are determined by different security level information, for example, one or more control devices with low security level are determined by the network functional entity corresponding to the data with low security level, one or more control devices with medium security level are determined by the network functional entity corresponding to the data with medium security level, one or more control devices with high security level are determined by the network functional entity corresponding to the data with high security level, and the like, and the number of specific control devices is determined based on other factors, such as load, NF type information, and the like. For example, the security level of the network functional entity NF is configured first, and the security level information is written into the NF attribute information and then used for managing the network functional entity, etc. The method can effectively realize mutual access or service calling and the like among the NF with the same safety level requirement, avoid potential safety hazard, meet the safety protection level requirement and the like, and improve the network safety.

In some embodiments, after effective management of each network functional entity is achieved, if a corresponding access or call request is received, the control device may directly send a call instruction to the corresponding network functional entity, or the like. For example, the method further includes step S105 (not shown), in step S105, if a call request about a target network function entity is received, where the call request includes NF identification information of the target network function entity; and sending a calling instruction to the target network functional entity through the matched control equipment based on the NF identification information and the pairing information. For example, when the connection between the control device and the network function entity is completed, the control device may implement a data processing function for invoking and the like, such as access control, access, verification, authentication, or monitoring related information. If the call of a certain type of NF is received, a controller corresponding to the NF can be determined by inquiring a mapping table corresponding to the pairing relationship between the NF and the control equipment, a call instruction is sent to the corresponding NF through the controller, and corresponding operation is executed. By establishing the corresponding network topological relation, instruction calling and the like can be accurately and quickly completed, and the network processing efficiency and the like are improved.

In addition to the above embodiments of a method for managing a network functional entity according to an aspect of the present application, the present application also provides a specific apparatus capable of implementing the above embodiments, which is described below with reference to fig. 3.

Fig. 3 shows a network function entity management apparatus according to an aspect of the present application, which is applied to a computer device and specifically includes an obtaining module 101, a matching module 102, a pairing module 103, and a connection module 104. Specifically, the obtaining module 101 is configured to obtain NF attribute information of a plurality of network functional entities in a target network, where each NF attribute information includes NF identification information of a corresponding network functional entity. For example, in some embodiments, the obtaining module 101 is configured to receive NF attribute information of a plurality of network function entities actively notified by a plurality of network function entities in a target network through an LLDP protocol, where each NF attribute information includes NF identification information of a corresponding network function entity. And the matching module 102 is configured to determine, according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities, a plurality of control devices that are matched with the plurality of network functional entities. A pairing module 103, configured to determine pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities. A connection module 104, configured to establish connections between the multiple control devices and the multiple network function entities according to the pairing information. In some embodiments, the NF attribute information may include, in addition to the NF identification information, other information for accurately locating or distinguishing network functional entities, for example, the NF attribute information further includes but is not limited to: information of a machine room where the network functional entity is located; rack information where the network function entity is located; IP address information of a server where the network function entity is located; type information of the network functional entity. In some embodiments, the NF attribute information further includes type information of a network function entity; the matching module 102 is configured to determine, according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network function entities, a plurality of control devices that are matched with the plurality of network device entities, where the type information of each of the plurality of control devices at least corresponds to one of the NF type information of the plurality of network function entities. In some embodiments, the NF attribute information further includes load information of a network function entity; the pairing module 103 is configured to determine pairing information between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities, where each control device has at least one network function entity matching therewith, the NF type information of the at least one network function entity corresponds to the type information of the control device, and total load information of the at least one network function entity is less than or equal to load information of the control device. In some embodiments, the NF attribute information further includes security level information of a network function entity; the matching module 102 is configured to determine, according to NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities, a plurality of control devices that are matched with the plurality of network functional entities, where security level information of each of the plurality of control devices at least corresponds to one of the security level information of the plurality of network functional entities; a pairing module 103, configured to determine pairing information between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities, where there is at least one network function entity matching with each control device, and the security level information of the at least one network function entity corresponds to the security level information of the control device. Here, the specific embodiments corresponding to the obtaining module 101, the matching module 102, the pairing module 103 and the connection module 104 shown in fig. 3 are the same as or similar to the specific embodiments of the step S101, the step S102, the step S103 and the step S104 shown in fig. 2, and therefore are not described again and are included herein by reference.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a calling module 105 (not shown) configured to, if a calling request for a target network function entity is received, where the calling request includes NF identification information of the target network function entity; and sending a calling instruction to the target network functional entity through the matched control equipment based on the NF identification information and the pairing information. Here, the specific implementation manner corresponding to the calling module 105 is the same as or similar to the specific implementation manner of the step S105 shown in fig. 2, and thus is not described again and is included herein by way of reference.

In addition to the methods and apparatus described in the embodiments above, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed, performs the method described in any of the preceding claims.

The present application also provides a computer program product, which when executed by a computer device, performs the method of any of the preceding claims.

The present application further provides a computer device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory for storing one or more computer programs;

the one or more computer programs, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement the method of any preceding claim.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary system that can be used to implement the various embodiments described herein;

in some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the system 400 can be implemented as any of the devices described in the various embodiments. In some embodiments, system 400 may include one or more computer-readable media (e.g., system Memory or non-volatile storage (VNM/storage device) 420) having instructions and one or more processors (e.g., processor(s) 405) coupled with the one or more computer-readable media and configured to execute the instructions to implement modules to perform the actions described herein.

For one embodiment, system control module 410 may include any suitable interface controllers to provide any suitable interface to at least one of the processor(s) 405 and/or any suitable device or component in communication with system control module 410.

The system control module 410 may include a memory controller module 430 to provide an interface to the system memory 415. The memory controller module 430 may be a hardware module, a software module, and/or a firmware module.

System memory 415 may be used, for example, to load and store data and/or instructions for system 400. For one embodiment, system memory 415 may include any suitable volatile memory, such as suitable DRAM. In some embodiments, system memory 415 may include a double data rate type four synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR4 SDRAM).

For one embodiment, system control module 410 may include one or more input/output (I/O) controllers to provide an interface to NVM/storage 420 and communication interface(s) 425.

For example, NVM/storage 420 may be used to store data and/or instructions. NVM/storage 420 may include any suitable non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory) and/or may include any suitable non-volatile storage device(s) (e.g., one or more Hard Disk Drive(s) (HDD (s)), one or more Compact Disc (CD) Drive(s), and/or one or more Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) Drive (s)).

NVM/storage 420 may include storage resources that are physically part of the device on which system 400 is installed or may be accessed by the device and not necessarily part of the device. For example, NVM/storage 420 may be accessed over a network via communication interface(s) 425.

Communication interface(s) 425 may provide an interface for system 400 to communicate over one or more networks and/or with any other suitable device. System 400 may wirelessly communicate with one or more components of a wireless network according to any of one or more wireless network standards and/or protocols.

For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s) 405 may be packaged together with logic for one or more controller(s) of the system control module 410, such as memory controller module 430. For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s) 405 may be packaged together with logic for one or more controller(s) of the System control module 410 to form a System in a Package (SiP). For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s) 405 may be integrated on the same die with logic for one or more controller(s) of the system control module 410. For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s) 405 may be integrated on the same die with logic for one or more controller(s) of the System control module 410 to form a System on Chip (SoC).

In various embodiments, system 400 may be, but is not limited to being: a server, a workstation, a desktop computing device, or a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computing device, a handheld computing device, a tablet, a netbook, etc.). In various embodiments, system 400 may have more or fewer components and/or different architectures. For example, in some embodiments, system 400 includes one or more cameras, a keyboard, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen (including a touch screen Display), a non-volatile memory port, a plurality of antennas, a graphics chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and a speaker.

It should be noted that the present application may be implemented in software and/or a combination of software and hardware, for example, implemented using Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), general purpose computers or any other similar hardware devices. In one embodiment, the software programs of the present application may be executed by a processor to implement the steps or functions described above. Likewise, the software programs (including associated data structures) of the present application may be stored in a computer readable recording medium, such as RAM memory, magnetic or optical drive or diskette and the like. Additionally, some of the steps or functions of the present application may be implemented in hardware, for example, as circuitry that cooperates with the processor to perform various steps or functions.

In addition, some of the present application may be implemented as a computer program product, such as computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer, may invoke or provide methods and/or techniques in accordance with the present application through the operation of the computer. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the form in which the computer program instructions reside on a computer-readable medium includes, but is not limited to, source files, executable files, installation package files, and the like, and that the manner in which the computer program instructions are executed by a computer includes, but is not limited to: the computer directly executes the instruction, or the computer compiles the instruction and then executes the corresponding compiled program, or the computer reads and executes the instruction, or the computer reads and installs the instruction and then executes the corresponding installed program. Computer-readable media herein can be any available computer-readable storage media or communication media that can be accessed by a computer.

Communication media includes media by which communication signals, including, for example, computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data, are transmitted from one system to another. Communication media may include conductive transmission media such as cables and wires (e.g., fiber optics, coaxial, etc.) and wireless (non-conductive transmission) media capable of propagating energy waves such as acoustic, electromagnetic, RF, microwave, and infrared. Computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data may be embodied in a modulated data signal, for example, in a wireless medium such as a carrier wave or similar mechanism such as is embodied as part of spread spectrum techniques. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. The modulation may be analog, digital or hybrid modulation techniques.

By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. For example, computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM, DRAM, SRAM); and nonvolatile memories such as flash memories, various read only memories (ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM), magnetic and ferromagnetic (MRAM)/Ferroelectric memories ferro electric RAM, FeRAM); and magnetic and optical storage devices (hard disk, tape, CD, DVD); or other now known media or later developed that can store computer-readable information/data for use by a computer system.

An embodiment according to the present application comprises an apparatus comprising a memory for storing computer program instructions and a processor for executing the program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed by the processor, trigger the apparatus to perform a method and/or a solution according to the aforementioned embodiments of the present application.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments, and that the present application may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the application being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. Any reference sign in a claim should not be construed as limiting the claim concerned. Furthermore, it is obvious that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. A plurality of units or means recited in the apparatus claims may also be implemented by one unit or means in software or hardware.

The method, apparatus, computer device and storage medium for managing network function entity provided in the embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail, and a specific example is applied in the present application to explain the principle and implementation manner of the present invention, and the description of the embodiments is only used to help understanding the method and core idea of the present invention; meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present invention, there may be variations in the specific embodiments and the application scope, and in summary, the content of the present specification should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of managing a network function entity, the method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the NF attribute information further comprises at least one of:

information of a machine room where the network functional entity is located;

rack information where the network function entity is located;

IP address information of a server where the network function entity is located;

type information of the network functional entity.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the obtaining NF attribute information of a plurality of network function entities in the target network, wherein each NF attribute information includes NF identification information of a corresponding network function entity, comprises:

and receiving NF attribute information of the network functional entities actively notified by the network functional entities in the target network through an LLDP protocol, wherein each NF attribute information comprises NF identification information of the corresponding network functional entity.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the NF attribute information further comprises type information of a network function entity; wherein, the determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network function entities according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network device entities includes:

and determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network equipment entities according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities, wherein the type information of each control device in the plurality of control devices at least corresponds to one of the NF type information of the plurality of network functional entities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the NF attribute information further comprises load information of a network function entity; wherein the determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities comprises:

and determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities, wherein each control device has at least one network function entity matched with the control device, the NF type information of the at least one network function entity corresponds to the type information of the control device, and the total load information of the at least one network function entity is less than or equal to the load information of the control device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the NF attribute information further comprises security level information of a network function entity; wherein, the determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network function entities according to the NF attribute information of the plurality of network function entities comprises:

determining a plurality of control devices matched with the plurality of network functional entities according to NF attribute information of the plurality of network functional entities, wherein the safety level information of each control device in the plurality of control devices at least corresponds to one of the safety level information of the plurality of network functional entities;

wherein the determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities comprises:

and determining pairing information of the plurality of control devices and the plurality of network function entities, wherein at least one network function entity is matched with each control device, and the safety level information of the at least one network function entity corresponds to the safety level information of the control device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

if a calling request about a target network functional entity is received, wherein the calling request comprises NF identification information of the target network functional entity;

and sending a calling instruction to the target network functional entity through the matched control equipment based on the NF identification information and the pairing information.

8. An apparatus for managing a network function entity, the apparatus comprising:

9. An apparatus for managing a network function entity, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more application programs, wherein the one or more application programs are stored in the memory and configured to perform operations of the method of any of claims 1-7 by the processor.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program which is loaded by a processor to perform operations of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.