CN115396966A - Determination method, determination device, electronic equipment and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a determination method, a determination device, electronic equipment and a storage medium. The determination method is applied to an MEC system and comprises the following steps: acquiring a switching message; determining an MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment based on the switching message; and determining a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the switching message and the application attribute of the MEC application. According to the technical scheme, the target edge cloud gateway address is determined by combining the application attribute of the MEC application through the switching message acquired by the MEC system, so that when the terminal accesses the MEC application in the MEC system and is switched, the target edge cloud gateway address can be determined, the switched MEC host can be accessed through the determined target edge cloud gateway address, the service continuity and the service quality of the terminal are guaranteed, and the experience of a user is improved.

Description

Determination method, determination device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Technical Field

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to a determination method, a determination device, electronic equipment and a storage medium.

Background

The third Generation Partnership project (3 rd Generation Partnership project,3 gpp) defines three large scenarios for the application of fifth Generation Mobile Communication technology (5 th Generation Mobile Communication technology,5 g): the mobile broadband, ultra-high reliability and low time delay communication and the mass machine communication are enhanced. The enhanced mobile broadband scene provides large-flow mobile broadband services, such as high-speed downloading, high-definition video and the like, which causes great pressure on a wireless backhaul network, and the services need to be sunk to the edge of the network as much as possible so as to realize local distribution of the services; in ultra-high-reliability low-delay communication scenes such as unmanned driving, industrial control and the like, services also need to be sunk to the edge of a network so as to reduce network delay caused by network transmission.

In the face of the feature that 5G applications need to be sunk to the Edge of the network, edge Computing (MEC) has come and come, and has been incorporated into the 3gpp 5G standard as a key technology. The 5G core network is separated from the User Plane (UP) by the Control Plane (CP), the User Plane Function (UPF) can be deployed to the network edge in a flexible manner, and the Control Plane functions such as Policy Control Function (PCF) and Session Management Function (SMF) can be deployed in a centralized manner. Whereas MEC enables operator and third party services to be hosted near the access point of a User Equipment (UE), thereby enabling efficient service delivery by reducing end-to-end delay and load on the transport network. The 5G core network selects a UPF close to the UE and performs flow control from the UPF to the local data network over the N6 interface.

In the prior art, in a framework in which a 5G network interfaces an MEC system, a user terminal accesses an MEC application service in the MEC system through a 5G access network, and due to lack of a corresponding switching mechanism, when a UE is switched and a currently accessed MEC host cannot provide an edge service for the UE any more, the service of the UE cannot be guaranteed.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a determination method, a determination device, electronic equipment and a storage medium, which are used for ensuring the service continuity and the service quality of UE when the UE accesses the MEC application in an MEC system and is switched.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a determination method, applied to an MEC system, including:

acquiring a switching message;

determining an MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment based on the switching message;

and determining a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the switching message and the application attribute of the MEC application.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a determining method, applied to a core network, including:

receiving a first switching request;

and responding to the first switching request, and sending a switching message, wherein the switching message is used for determining a destination edge cloud gateway address.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a determining apparatus, including:

an obtaining module, configured to obtain a handover message;

a first module, configured to determine, based on the handover message, an MEC application accessed by a terminal device;

a second module, configured to determine a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the handover message and an application attribute of the MEC application.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a determining apparatus, including:

a receiving module, configured to receive a first handover request;

a sending module, configured to send a handover message in response to the first handover request, where the handover message is used to determine a destination edge cloud gateway address.

In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, including:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; wherein, the first and the second end of the pipe are connected with each other,

the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first and second aspects.

In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to implement the method according to the first and second aspects when executed.

According to the technical scheme of the embodiment of the invention, the target edge cloud gateway address is determined by combining the application attribute of the MEC application through the switching message acquired by the MEC system, so that when the terminal accesses the MEC application in the MEC system and is switched, the target edge cloud gateway address can be determined, and further the switched MEC host can be accessed through the determined target edge cloud gateway address, thereby ensuring the service continuity and the service quality of the terminal and improving the experience of a user.

It should be understood that the statements in this section do not necessarily identify key or critical features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor do they necessarily limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments will be 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 of a basic architecture of a 5G network and an MEC system in the prior art;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an interaction architecture of a 5G network and an MEC system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a flowchart of a determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a flowchart of a determining method according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a flowchart of an edge cloud gateway handover based on an N2 interface in a 5G network according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a flowchart of an edge cloud gateway handover based on an Xn interface in a 5G network according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a determining apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a determining apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device that implements the determination method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical solutions of the present invention better understood, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, 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 obtained by a person skilled in the art without making any creative effort based on the embodiments in the present invention, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are used for distinguishing similar objects, and are not necessarily used for describing a particular order or sequence. It is to be understood that the data so used is interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than those illustrated or described herein. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements expressly listed, but may include other steps or elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

It is understood that before the technical solutions disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention are used, the types, the usage ranges, the usage scenarios, etc. of the personal information related to the present disclosure should be informed to the user and authorized by the user in a proper manner according to the relevant laws and regulations.

The following describes the english terms involved in the embodiments of the present invention in a unified manner:

a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF);

a network storage Function (NF replication Function, NRF);

unified Data Management (UDM);

a Unified Data Repository function (UDR);

policy Control Function (PCF);

network Exposure Function (NEF);

authentication Server Function (AUSF);

access and Mobility Management Function (AMF);

session Management Function (SMF);

session Management (SM);

user Plane Function (UPF);

application Function (AF);

a Control Plane (CP);

data Network (DN);

access Network (AN);

a Next Generation-Radio Access Network (NG-RAN);

a Source-Next Generation Radio Access Network (S-NG-RAN);

Target-Next Generation-Radio Access Network (T-NG-RAN);

centralized Units (CUs);

a Distributed Unit (DU);

an Active Antenna Unit (AAU);

local Area Data Network (LADN);

applications (APP);

network Functions (Network Functions, NFs);

user Plane (UP);

a User Equipment (UE);

edge Computing (MEC);

the third Generation Partnership project (3 rd Generation Partnership project,3 GPP);

fifth Generation Mobile Communication technology (5th Generation Mobile Communication technology, 5G);

MEC orchestrators (MEC orchelators, MEOs);

MEC Platform Manager (MEC Platform Manager, MEPM);

MEC Platform (MEC Platform, MEP);

local Area/Data Network (LA/DN);

protocol Data Unit (PDU);

quality of Service (QoS).

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a basic architecture of a 5G network and an MEC system in the prior art. As shown in fig. 1, an MEC System may include an MEC System Level (System Level), an MEC Distribution Host Level (Distribution Host Level), and a network Level, where the MEC System Level is mainly responsible for managing the whole MEC System resources and receiving service requests from terminals and third parties; the MEC distribution host level is responsible for managing resources of the MEC host and configuration management of the MEC platform and the application; the network level guarantees the connectivity of the MEC host with the external network. The system level may include MEOs; the MEC distribution host level may include an MEPM, an MEP, a Service (Service), a LA/DN including a Virtualization Infrastructure (Virtualization Infrastructure) and a plurality of application APPs, and a UPF. NSSF, NRF, UDM, PCF, NEF, AUSF, AMF and SMF are connected with MEC system level through Naf interface, AMF, UE and AN are connected pairwise, AN is connected with UPF, SMF and UPF are connected through N4 interface, UPF has N9 interface.

The 5G core network can be separated from the user plane through the control plane, the user plane network element can be deployed to the edge of the network in a sinking way, and the control plane function can be deployed in a centralized way. The 5G core network selects a user plane close to the UE and performs flow control from the UPF to the LA/DN over the N6 interface. This may be based on subscription data of the UE, UE location, information from application functions, policies, or other relevant traffic rules. In such application scenarios, the MEC system is in the role of AF + DN (Data Network) with respect to the 5G core Network, and the MEC orchestrator is a MEC system level functional entity that acts as an AF and can interact with NEF, or in some cases directly with target 5G NFs, e.g., affecting user plane policies through NEF- > PCF- > SMF in the role of untrusted AF, or affecting user plane policies through direct connection to PCF- > SMF in the role of trusted AF.

MEC sinks application hosting near the access point of the UE, closer to the application generated data, providing computational power at the network edge near the UE, thereby enabling efficient service delivery by reducing end-to-end delay and load on the transport network.

However, in the architecture of the 5G network interfacing the MEC system in the prior art, the UE accesses the MEC application service in the MEC system through the 5G access network, and due to the lack of a corresponding handover mechanism, when the UE is handed over and the currently accessed MEC host can no longer provide the edge service for the UE, the service of the UE cannot be guaranteed.

Based on this, the embodiment of the present invention provides a determination method, an apparatus, an electronic device, and a storage medium, so as to ensure service continuity and service quality of a UE when the UE accesses an MEC application in an MEC system and performs handover.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an interaction architecture of a 5G network and an MEC system provided in the embodiment of the present invention, and the determination method provided in the embodiment of the present invention may be implemented on the interaction architecture of the 5G network and the MEC system shown in fig. 2.

As shown in fig. 2, the 5G core network may include network elements such as UDR, SMF, AMF, PCF, and NEF, and the 5G core network may be connected to the UPF through an N4 interface, connected to the 5G CU through an N2 interface, and connected to the MEC system level through a Naf interface. The MEC system level may include an MEC orchestrator, the MEC system level is connected to a plurality of MEC distribution master levels, the number of MEC distribution master levels is not limited in the present invention, and only 2 MEC distribution master levels are shown in fig. 2. The 2 MEC distribution hosts are connected in series in a grade mode and are respectively connected with the UPF through N6 interfaces. Within each MEC distribution host level, an edge cloud gateway and an MEC host may be included. The UPF may connect to the edge cloud gateway via an N6 interface, and the edge cloud gateway may connect to the MEC host. The MEC host may include an LADN and an MEC platform, the edge cloud gateway is connected to the LADN, the LADN includes a virtualization infrastructure and a plurality of APPs, the number of the APPs is not limited in the present invention, and fig. 2 only shows a case where the LADN includes 3 APPs. The UPF, 5G CU and 5G DU are connected with the AAU on the ground in sequence, and the AAU is in communication connection with the UE.

In the schematic diagram of the interaction architecture of the 5G network and the MEC system shown in fig. 2, the N2 interface may be an interface connecting the 5G core network and the 5G CU; the N4 interface can be an interface for connecting a 5G core network and a UPF; the Naf interface can be an interface for connecting a 5G core network and an MEC system level; the N6 interface may be an interface for connecting the UPF with the edge cloud gateway. Terminal UE can be with AAU communication connection, and AUU connects gradually with 5G DU, 5G CU and UPF, and UPF can be through N6 interface connection edge cloud gateway, and edge cloud gateway can be connected with the MEC host computer to access MEC host computer through edge cloud gateway, and then visit MEC and use (being a plurality of APPs that include in the LADN).

In practical applications, the European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) GS MEC specification defines a MEC reference architecture, and an ETSI MEC system is composed of a MEC master and MEC management functions. The MEC host contains the MEC platform, virtualization infrastructure, and the various MEC applications and services running thereon. The MEC management function comprises an MEC system level management function and a host level management function, wherein the MEC system level management function comprises a user application lifecycle management agent, an operation support system and an MEC orchestrator, and the MEC host level management function comprises an MEC platform manager and a virtualization infrastructure manager. MEC allows operator and third party services to be hosted near the access point of the UE, thereby enabling efficient service delivery by reducing end-to-end delay and load on the transport network.

Example one

Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention, where this embodiment is applicable to a case where the MEC system controls MEC application switching, and the method may be executed by a determination device, where the determination device may be implemented in the form of software and/or hardware and is integrated in an electronic device. Further, electronic devices include, but are not limited to: computers, notebook computers, smart phones, servers, and the like. As shown in fig. 3, the method includes:

and S110, acquiring the switching message.

The handover message may be a message indicating that an edge cloud gateway handover is performed. For example, when a terminal (i.e., UE) accesses an MEC application service in the MEC system via a 5G access network, a message indicating a handover from a source edge cloud gateway to a destination edge cloud gateway is sent. The edge cloud gateway and the MEC host have a corresponding relation, and after the edge cloud gateway is switched, the MEC host corresponding to the edge cloud gateway can be accessed. The terminal may refer to an input/output device, and the type of the terminal is not limited in the present invention, such as a notebook, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, and other suitable computers; as another example, various forms of mobile terminals are also possible, such as personal digital processing, smart phones, wearable devices, and other similar devices.

The handover message is not limited, and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a source UPF address, a destination UPF address, and a terminal that needs to be handed over, a source UPF before the handover occurs, and a destination UPF to which the handover is to be performed may be determined through the handover message.

Optionally, the handover message includes a source UPF address, a destination UPF address, and a terminal address.

The source UPF address may refer to an address of a UPF indirectly connected to the MEC host before the handover occurs, the destination UPF address may refer to an address of a UPF to be handed over indirectly connected to the MEC host, and the terminal address may refer to an address code of the terminal device. The source UPF can be connected with an edge cloud gateway corresponding to the MEC host before the non-switching through an N6 interface, the edge cloud gateway can be connected with the MEC host before the non-switching, and further the source UPF can be indirectly connected with the MEC host before the non-switching; similarly, the destination UPF may be indirectly connected to the MEC host to be switched.

The source UPF address, the destination UPF address, and the terminal address are not limited as long as the source UPF, the destination UPF, and the terminal can be determined by the source UPF address, the destination UPF address, and the terminal address, respectively. For example, each UPF or terminal may be given a unique identifier, and when necessary, the UPF is determined to be a source UPF or a destination UPF or other UPFs by the unique identifier corresponding to the UPF, and the terminal to be switched is determined by the unique identifier corresponding to the terminal, and the identifier is not limited as long as different UPFs can be distinguished, for example, different numbers may be used; for another example, the source UPF address, the destination UPF address, and the terminal address may be Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and by allocating different IP addresses to each UPF and terminal, the UPF or the terminal corresponding to the IP address may be queried by the IP address as needed, so as to determine the source UPF address, the destination UPF address, and the terminal address.

The source UPF, the destination UPF and the terminal can be determined through the source UPF address, the destination UPF address and the terminal address, so that the MEC system can perform corresponding operation, and further the switching is completed.

The manner of acquiring the handover message is not limited as long as the handover message can be acquired. For example, the terminal may initiate a handover request to the 5G core network via the source NG-RAN, and the SMF in the 5G core network sends the source UPF address, the destination UPF address, and the terminal address to the MEC system, so that the MEC system acquires the handover message; for another example, the MEC system performs statistics on traffic of the MEC application accessed by the terminal device, when a value of the counted traffic is smaller than a traffic threshold, the MEC system determines that switching is required, and the MEC system acquires the source UPF address, the destination UPF address and the terminal address through the 5G core network, and further acquires a switching message, where the traffic threshold may be a threshold set according to actual needs.

In an embodiment, when a terminal needs to be switched, the terminal initiates a switching request (such as a first switching request) to a 5G core network via a source NG-RAN, an SMF in the 5G core network sends a source UPF address, a destination UPF address and a terminal address to an MEC system, so that the MEC system acquires a switching message, and further determines a terminal needing to be switched, a source f indirectly connected to an MEC host before switching, and a destination UPF to be switched indirectly connected to the MEC host according to the source UPF address, the destination UPF address and the terminal address.

And S120, determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment based on the switching message.

The MEC application may refer to an application (i.e., APP) in the MEC host, which the terminal device may access.

The method for accessing the MEC application by the terminal device is not limited, for example, the terminal device is in communication connection with the AAU, the AUU is sequentially connected with the 5G DU, the 5G CU and the UPF, the UPF may be connected with the edge cloud gateway through the N6 interface, and the edge cloud gateway may be connected with the MEC host, so as to access the MEC host through the edge cloud gateway, and then access the MEC application.

The manner of determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal device based on the handover message is not limited as long as the MEC application accessed by the terminal device can be determined based on the handover message. For example, a source UPF address and a terminal address may be obtained based on a handover message, the source UPF may support routing and forwarding of terminal service data, data and service identification, action and policy execution, and the like, the terminal may access an edge cloud gateway through the source UPF, and the edge cloud gateway may be connected to a MEC host, so as to access the MEC host through the edge cloud gateway and further access a MEC application, and thus, the MEC application accessed by the terminal device may be determined through the source UPF address and the terminal address.

And S130, determining the destination edge cloud gateway address based on the switching message and the application attribute of the MEC application.

The application attribute may refer to a general name of a relationship between a property corresponding to an application and the application. The destination edge cloud gateway address may refer to an address of an edge cloud gateway connected to the MEC host to be switched.

The type of the application attribute is not limited, and may be, for example, the application type of the application, the occupied memory space, the running time, the traffic usage, the power consumption, the application name or the authority. The application type can represent the type of the application, such as high definition video service; the occupied memory space can represent the size of the terminal memory occupied by the application; the running time can represent the running time of the application, for example, the use conditions of different applications can be reflected by the running time of different applications; the traffic usage can characterize the usage of traffic by the application, such as how much traffic is used and the frequency of using traffic; the power consumption can represent the amount of power used by the application; application names may facilitate distinguishing between different applications; the rights may reflect restrictions on the application, such as reading or writing files, access to location rights or rights to connect to peripheral devices, and the like, and may include but are not limited to prohibition, permission all the time or permission only during use, and the application may have different functions by setting the rights of the application. The application running condition can be reflected through application attributes such as application type, occupied memory space, running time, flow use condition, power consumption or permission of the application.

The method for determining the destination edge cloud gateway address based on the application attributes of the switching message and the MEC application is not limited, as long as the destination edge cloud gateway address can be determined based on the application attributes of the switching message and the MEC application. For example, a source UPF address, a destination UPF address and a terminal address may be determined based on the switching message, an MEC application accessed by the terminal device may be determined by the source UPF address and the terminal address, a destination UPF to be switched and indirectly connected to the MEC host may be determined by the destination UPF address, an application running condition may be obtained by an application attribute of the MEC application, and then an MEC host suitable for running the application is determined by the application attribute, and then the destination edge cloud gateway of the MEC host may be accessed by the destination UPF and the MEC host, and then the destination edge cloud gateway address may be determined based on the switching message and the application attribute of the MEC application.

In one embodiment, the destination edge cloud gateway is determined based on the application attributes of the handover message and the MEC application. Specifically, the MEC application accessed by the terminal device may be determined according to a source UPF address and a terminal address included in the switching message, the flow rate required to be used for operating the MEC application is judged according to the flow rate use condition of the MEC application, and then the MEC host capable of ensuring the flow rate required for operating the MEC application is determined, a target UPF to be switched and indirectly connected with the MEC host may be determined through the target UPF address, and then the target UPF may be determined to access the target edge cloud gateway address of the MEC host through the target UPF and the MEC host.

According to the technical scheme of the embodiment of the invention, the target edge cloud gateway address is determined by combining the application attribute of the MEC application through the switching message acquired by the MEC system, so that when the terminal accesses the edge application (namely the MEC application) in the MEC system and is switched, the switched MEC host can be accessed through the determined target edge cloud gateway address, the service continuity and the service quality of the terminal are ensured, and the experience of a user is improved.

Further, determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal device based on the handover message includes:

and determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment according to the source UPF address and the terminal address.

The method for determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal device according to the source UPF address and the terminal address is not limited, as long as the MEC application accessed by the terminal device can be determined according to the source UPF address and the terminal address. For example, the source UPF and the terminal connected with the source UPF are determined according to the source UPF address and the terminal address, the terminal may be in communication connection with the AAU, and the AUU may be sequentially connected with the 5G DU, the 5G CU and the source UPF, so that the terminal may perform routing and forwarding of service data, data and service identification, action and policy execution, etc. through the source UPF, and then connect to the MEC host through the source UPF and the N6 interface, so as to determine the MEC application accessed by the terminal device.

The MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment is determined through the switching message, so that the MEC system can determine the MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment, and the MEC system can determine the MEC host which can be switched through the application attribute of the MEC application conveniently.

Further, determining a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the application attributes of the handover message and the MEC application includes:

and determining the destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the application attribute of the MEC application.

The method for determining the destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the application attribute of the MEC application is not limited, as long as the destination edge cloud gateway address can be determined according to the destination UPF address and the application attribute of the MEC application. For example, a target UPF to be switched and indirectly connected with the MEC host can be determined through the target UPF address, the application running condition can be obtained through the application attribute of the MEC application, the MEC host suitable for running the application is determined through the application attribute, the target UPF can be accessed to the target edge cloud gateway of the MEC host through the target UPF and the MEC host, and the target edge cloud gateway address can be determined.

And determining the address of the target edge cloud gateway through the switching message and the application attribute of the MEC application, so that the terminal can access the MEC host to be switched through the target UPF and the target edge cloud gateway.

Further, the determining method further includes:

determining a source edge cloud gateway address according to a source UPF address and a terminal address included in the switching message;

and migrating the MEC application from the source MEC host to the destination MEC host according to the application attribute, the source edge cloud gateway address and the destination edge cloud gateway address.

Wherein, the source MEC host may refer to an MEC host before the handover occurs. The destination MEC host may refer to an MEC host to be switched. The source edge cloud gateway address may refer to an address of an edge cloud gateway connected to the source MEC host.

The specific form of the source edge cloud gateway address is not limited, as long as the source edge cloud gateway can be determined by the source edge cloud gateway address. For example, different source edge cloud gateways are assigned different IP addresses, and a unique source edge cloud gateway corresponding to an IP address can be determined by the IP address.

The method for determining the source edge cloud gateway address according to the source UPF address and the terminal address included in the handover message is not limited, as long as the source edge cloud gateway address can be determined according to the source UPF address and the terminal address. For example, the source UPF and the terminal connected to the source UPF may be determined by the source UPF address and the terminal address included in the handover message, and the terminal is connected to the source edge cloud gateway through the source UPF and the N6 interface to access the source MEC host, and further may determine the source edge cloud gateway address according to the source UPF address and the terminal address.

According to the application attribute, the source edge cloud gateway address and the destination edge cloud gateway address, the MEC application is migrated from the source MEC host to the destination MEC host, and it can be understood that the application running condition can be determined according to the application attribute, the source edge cloud gateway, the source UPF connected with the source edge cloud gateway and the source MEC host can be determined according to the source edge cloud gateway address, the destination edge cloud gateway, the destination UPF connected with the destination edge cloud gateway and the destination MEC host can be determined according to the destination edge cloud gateway address, and the source MEC host and the destination MEC host are connected in series, so that the MEC application accessed by the terminal through the source MEC host can be migrated to the destination MEC host.

And migrating the MEC application from the source MEC host to the destination MEC host according to the application attribute, the source edge cloud gateway address and the destination edge cloud gateway address, so that the terminal can access the MEC application migrated to the destination MEC host through the destination UPF, the N6 interface and the destination edge cloud gateway.

Further, the determining method further includes:

and transmitting a response message and a destination edge cloud gateway address, wherein the response message is used for indicating the switching readiness of the MEC application.

Wherein the response message may be a message indicating that the handover of the MEC application is ready, the handover of the MEC application may be understood as a process of migrating the MEC application from the source MEC host to the destination MEC host. The form of the response message is not limited as long as the handover readiness of the MEC application can be determined by the response message. For example, the response message may be in the form of a data packet, which may refer to a data unit exchanged and transmitted in the network, and includes the complete data information to be sent.

The MEC system transmits the response message and the destination edge cloud gateway address to the 5G core network, so that the 5G core network can determine that the MEC application is ready to be switched, and the 5G core network can transmit the destination edge cloud gateway address to the destination UPF, so that the destination UPF forwards the data from the user to the destination edge cloud gateway.

Example two

Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a determining method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, where this embodiment is applicable to a case where a core network receives information sent by an MEC system to perform application switching control, and the method may be executed by a determining device, and the determining device may be implemented in a form of software and/or hardware and integrated in an electronic device. Further, electronic devices include, but are not limited to: computers, notebook computers, smart phones, servers, and the like. As shown in fig. 4, the method includes:

s210, receiving a first switching request.

The first switching request may refer to a request that requires switching of an edge cloud gateway. The form of the first handover request is not limited as long as it can be determined that the edge cloud gateway needs to be handed over through the first handover request. For example, the first handover request may be in the form of a data message.

The manner of receiving the first switching request is not limited as long as the first switching request can be received. For example, the terminal initiates a first handover request to the core network via the source NG-RAN, so that the core network receives the first handover request.

By receiving the first switching request, it can be determined that the source MEC host currently accessed by the user cannot continuously provide the edge service and needs to be switched by the edge cloud gateway.

And S220, responding to the first switching request, and sending a switching message, wherein the switching message is used for determining the destination edge cloud gateway address.

The switching message may include, but is not limited to, a source UPF address, a destination UPF address, and a terminal address, and the destination edge cloud gateway address may be determined by the switching message.

The manner of transmitting the handover message in response to the first handover request is not limited as long as the handover message can be transmitted to the MEC system. For example, the SMF in the core network sends the switching message to the MEC system through the Naf interface, so that the MEC system can acquire the switching message and determine the destination edge cloud gateway address through the switching message.

According to the technical scheme of the embodiment of the invention, the core network determines that the edge cloud gateway switching is required by receiving the first switching request, then the source MEC host is switched to the target MEC host, the switching message is sent to the MEC system, then the MEC system determines the address of the target edge cloud gateway through the switching message, and finally the MEC application is switched from the source MEC host to the target MEC host, so that the service continuity and the service quality of the terminal are ensured.

Further, the determining method further includes:

and receiving a response message and a destination edge cloud gateway address, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the MEC application is ready for switching.

The receiving mode of the response message and the destination edge cloud gateway address is not limited as long as the response message and the destination edge cloud gateway address can be received. For example, the core network receives a response message and a destination edge cloud gateway address sent by the MEC system through the Naf interface.

By receiving the response message, the core network can confirm that the MEC application is ready to be switched, and by receiving the destination edge cloud gateway address, the core network can forward the destination edge cloud gateway address to the destination UPF, so that the destination UPF forwards the user data to the destination edge cloud gateway corresponding to the destination edge cloud gateway address.

Further, the determining method further includes:

and transmitting a strategy rule and a target edge cloud gateway address to a target UPF, wherein the target edge cloud gateway corresponding to the target edge cloud gateway address is used for receiving terminal data transmitted by the target UPF, and the strategy rule is used for the target UPF to execute corresponding operation based on the strategy rule.

Wherein the policy rule may be a rule for use by the destination UPF. The policy rule is not limited, and may be a Qos-related rule, such as bandwidth, priority, and the like. And the target UPF can execute the strategy rule after receiving the strategy rule so as to complete corresponding operation. The corresponding operation may be considered an operation related to a policy rule, and is not limited herein, and different policy rules correspond to different operations.

The terminal data may refer to data for confirming the terminal or data generated during the use of the terminal, and include, but are not limited to, a terminal address, information of an MEC application accessed by the terminal, and the like.

The method for transmitting the policy rule and the destination edge cloud gateway address to the destination UPF is not limited as long as the policy rule and the destination edge cloud gateway address can be transmitted to the destination UPF. For example, the core network transmits the policy rule and the destination edge cloud gateway address to the destination UPF through the N4 interface.

The target UPF can confirm the target edge cloud gateway corresponding to the target edge cloud gateway address by transmitting the strategy rule and the target edge cloud gateway address to the target UPF, and is connected with the target edge cloud gateway through the N6 interface, so that the target edge cloud gateway receives terminal data transmitted by the target UPF, and the terminal can access the MEC application in the target MEC host through the target UPF and the target edge cloud gateway.

The invention is described below by way of example:

the invention provides a switching method of an edge cloud gateway under a 5G network, which can still ensure the service continuity and the service quality of a mobile user when the mobile user (namely a terminal) accesses an edge cloud application (namely an MEC application) in an MEC system and is switched.

In this embodiment, an edge cloud gateway is provided in the MEC system, and provides an access to the MEC host to the outside, and the edge cloud gateway receives a data packet from the UPF of the 5G core network. The UPF receives the policy rules from the 5G core network and executes the policy rules. And the UPF is connected with the edge cloud gateway through an N6 interface.

When a mobile user moves from one area to another area, a source NG-RAN initiates a switching request (namely a first switching request) to a 5G core network;

the 5G core network sends a message (namely a switching message) to the MEC system, wherein the message comprises a switching indication of a user and simultaneously carries a source UPF address, a destination UPF address and a user address (namely a terminal address);

the MEC system determines the MEC application which the user is visiting and the corresponding source edge cloud gateway address according to the source UPF address and the user address;

the MEC system determines a destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the MEC application attribute;

further, the MEC system migrates the MEC application which the user is visiting from the source MEC host to the destination MEC host based on the information such as MEC application attribute, source edge cloud gateway address and destination edge cloud gateway address;

further, the MEC system replies a response message to the 5G core network, indicates that the MEC application is ready for switching and carries a destination edge cloud gateway address;

the 5G core network sends a switching request to a target NG-RAN;

the 5G core network issues a strategy rule to a target UPF, and the strategy rule carries a target edge cloud gateway address;

the destination UPF forwards the data report (i.e., terminal data) from the user to the destination edge cloud gateway.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart of switching an edge cloud gateway based on an N2 interface in a 5G network according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 5, specifically including:

UE has registered in 5G network and establishes a PDU session using service; accessing the application service of the local data network in the MEC system through the S-NG-RAN of the source 5G wireless access network;

at this time, the uplink data path of the UE is: UE to S-NG-RAN to source UPF to source edge cloud gateway; the downlink path is as follows: source edge cloud gateway to source UPF to S-NG-RAN to UE;

1. switching request: the UE location changes, and based on new radio conditions or load balancing, the S-NG-RAN decides to initiate N2-based handover;

2. PDU session update request: AMF sends PDU conversation updating request to SMF, which contains N2SM information, UE position information (terminal address);

3. handover indication (i.e. handover message): SMF sends switching indication to MEC composer in MEC system, including PDU conversation ID, UE position information, source UPF address, destination UPF address, etc;

4. and (3) policy decision making: the MEC system determines an MEC application accessed by the UE and a corresponding source edge cloud gateway address according to the source UPF address and the UE position information; the MEC system determines a destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the MEC application attribute; the MEC system migrates the MEC application accessed by the user from a source MEC host to a target MEC host based on information such as MEC application attribute, source edge cloud gateway address and target edge cloud gateway address;

5. switching indication response: the MEC system replies a response message to the SMF, indicates that the MEC application is ready for switching and comprises a destination edge cloud gateway address;

6. and (4) establishing an N4 session: the SMF sends an N4 session establishment request to a destination UPF, wherein the request comprises information such as destination edge cloud gateway address, qoS list and the like; the destination UPF replies a response;

7. PDU session update response: SMF replies PDU conversation updating response to AMF;

8. PDU handover response supervision: the AMF executes PDU switching response supervision;

9. switching request: the AMF sends a switching request to the T-NG-RAN;

10. switching request confirmation: the T-NG-RAN sends a switching request response to the AMF;

11. PDU session update request: the AMF sends a PDU session update request to the SMF;

12. n4 session modification: SMF sends N4 session modification request to the destination UPF; replying a response by the destination UPF;

13. n4 session modification: SMF sends a request for modifying N4 conversation to source UPF; the source UPF replies with a response;

14. PDU session update response: SMF replies PDU conversation updating response to AMF;

at this time, the uplink data path of the UE is: UE to T-NG-RAN to destination UPF to destination edge cloud gateway; the downlink data path is: destination edge cloud gateway to destination UPF to T-NG-RAN to UE.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of an edge cloud gateway handover based on an Xn interface in a 5G network according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 6, specifically including:

1. preparing for switching: UE has registered in 5G network and establishes a PDU session using service; accessing the application service of a local data network in the MEC system through the S-NG-RAN of the source 5G wireless access network, changing the position of the UE, leaving the S-NG-RAN, entering a new NG-RAN service area, namely T-NG-RAN, and performing switching preparation at the moment;

2. switching execution: after the switching preparation is completed, executing switching operation;

3. data forwarding: the S-NG-RAN forwards data to the T-NG-RAN;

at this time, the downlink data path of the UE is: T-NG-RAN to UE; the uplink path is: UE to T-NG-RAN to source UPF to source edge cloud gateway;

4. n2 path switching request: the T-NG-RAN sends an N2 path switching request to the AMF, wherein the N2 path switching request comprises a PDU session list to be switched, corresponding N2SM information (PDU session ID, qoS list and the like), UE position information and the like;

5. PDU session update request: the AMF sends a PDU session update request to the SMF, wherein the PDU session update request comprises N2SM information, UE position information and the like;

6. switching indication: SMF sends switching indication to MEC composer in MEC system, including PDU conversation ID, UE position information, source UPF address, destination UPF address, etc;

7. and (3) policy decision making: the MEC system determines an MEC application which the UE is visiting and a corresponding source edge cloud gateway address according to the source UPF address and the UE position information; the MEC system determines a destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the MEC application attribute; the MEC system migrates the MEC application which the user is visiting from a source MEC host to a target MEC host based on the information of MEC application attribute, source edge cloud gateway address, target edge cloud gateway address and the like;

8. switching indication response: the MEC system replies a response message to the SMF to indicate the MEC application to be switched ready and contain a destination edge cloud gateway address;

9. and (4) establishing an N4 session: the SMF sends an N4 session establishment request to a destination UPF, wherein the request comprises information such as destination edge cloud gateway address, qoS list and the like; the destination UPF replies a response;

10. n4 session modification: SMF sends N4 session modification request to source UPF; the source UPF replies with a response;

11. n3 end flag: the source UPF sends an N3 end mark to the S-NG-RAN;

12. n3 end flag: the S-NG-RAN sends an N3 ending mark to the T-NG-RAN after receiving the N3 ending mark;

at this time, the downlink data path of the UE is: a destination edge cloud gateway to a destination UPF to a T-NG-RAN to a UE;

13. PDU session update response: SMF replies PDU conversation updating response to AMF;

14. n2 path switch request acknowledgement: the AMF sends a request confirmation of the N2 path switching to the T-NG-RAN;

at this time, the uplink data path of the UE is: UE to T-NG-RAN to destination UPF to destination edge cloud gateway;

15. releasing resources: and the T-NG-RAN sends a resource release message to the S-NG-RAN so as to release the occupied resources before the UE is switched.

EXAMPLE III

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a determining apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which is applicable to a case where an MEC system controls MEC application switching. As shown in fig. 7, the specific structure of the apparatus includes:

an obtaining module 21, configured to obtain a handover message;

a first module 22, configured to determine, based on the handover message, an MEC application that the terminal device accesses;

a second module 23, configured to determine the destination edge cloud gateway address based on the handover message and the application attribute of the MEC application.

The determining apparatus provided in this embodiment first obtains the handover message through the obtaining module 21; then, determining, by the first module 22, the MEC application accessed by the terminal device based on the handover message; finally, the destination edge cloud gateway address is determined by the second module 23 based on the application attribute of the switch message and the MEC application.

Further, the handover message in the obtaining module 21 includes a source UPF address, a destination UPF address and a terminal address.

Further, the first module 22 is specifically configured to:

and determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment according to the source UPF address and the terminal address.

Further, the second module 23 is specifically configured to:

and determining the destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the application attribute of the MEC application.

Further, the apparatus further comprises:

the address determination module is used for determining a source edge cloud gateway address according to a source UPF address and a terminal address included in the switching message;

and the migration module is used for migrating the MEC application from the source MEC host to the destination MEC host according to the application attribute, the source edge cloud gateway address and the destination edge cloud gateway address.

Further, the apparatus further comprises:

the first transmission module is used for transmitting a response message and a destination edge cloud gateway address, wherein the response message is used for indicating the switching readiness of the MEC application.

The determining device provided by the embodiment of the invention can execute the determining method provided by the embodiment of the invention, and has corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the executing method.

Example four

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a determining apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which is applicable to a case where a core network receives information sent by an MEC system to perform application switching control. As shown in fig. 8, the specific structure of the apparatus includes:

a receiving module 31, configured to receive a first handover request;

a sending module 32, configured to send, in response to the first handover request, a handover message, where the handover message is used to determine a destination edge cloud gateway address.

The determining apparatus provided in this embodiment first receives a first switching request through the receiving module 31; and then, the sending module 32 sends a switching message in response to the first switching request, where the switching message is used to determine the destination edge cloud gateway address.

Further, the apparatus further comprises:

and a second receiving module, configured to receive a response message and a destination edge cloud gateway address, where the response message is used to indicate that the MEC application is ready to be switched.

Further, the apparatus further comprises:

and the second transmission module is used for transmitting the strategy rule and the destination edge cloud gateway address to the destination UPF, the destination edge cloud gateway corresponding to the destination edge cloud gateway address is used for receiving the terminal data transmitted by the destination UPF, and the strategy rule is used for the destination UPF to execute corresponding operation based on the strategy rule.

The determining device provided by the embodiment of the invention can execute the determining method provided by the second embodiment of the invention, and has corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the executing method.

EXAMPLE five

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device that implements the determination method according to the embodiment of the present invention. Electronic devices are intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, and other appropriate computers. The electronic device may also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, cellular phones, smart phones, wearable devices (e.g., helmets, glasses, watches, etc.), and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions, are meant to be exemplary only, and are not meant to limit implementations of the inventions described and/or claimed herein.

As shown in fig. 9, the electronic device 10 includes at least one processor 11, and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor 11, such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) 12, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 13, and the like, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, and the processor 11 may perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the computer program stored in the Read Only Memory (ROM) 12 or the computer program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the Random Access Memory (RAM) 13. In the RAM 13, various programs and data necessary for the operation of the electronic apparatus 10 may also be stored. The processor 11, the ROM 12, and the RAM 13 are connected to each other via a bus 14. An input/output (I/O) interface 15 is also connected to bus 14.

A number of components in the electronic device 10 are connected to the I/O interface 15, including: an input unit 16 such as a keyboard, a mouse, or the like; an output unit 17 such as various types of displays, speakers, and the like; a storage unit 18 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or the like; and a communication unit 19 such as a network card, modem, wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 19 allows the electronic device 10 to exchange information/data with other devices via a computer network such as the internet and/or various telecommunication networks.

The processor 11 may be a variety of general and/or special purpose processing components having processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of processor 11 include, but are not limited to, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), various specialized Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, or the like. The processor 11 performs the various methods and processes described above, such as determining a method.

In some embodiments, the determination method may be implemented as a computer program tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, such as storage unit 18. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and/or installed onto the electronic device 10 via the ROM 12 and/or the communication unit 19. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 13 and executed by the processor 11, one or more steps of the above described determination method may be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the processor 11 may be configured to perform the determination method by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here above may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), application Specific Standard Products (ASSPs), system on a chip (SOCs), load programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include: implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, receiving data and instructions from, and transmitting data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

A computer program for implementing the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the computer programs, when executed by the processor, cause the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks to be performed. A computer program can execute entirely on a machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine or entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible medium that can contain, or store a computer program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Alternatively, the computer readable storage medium may be a machine readable signal medium. More specific examples of a machine-readable storage medium would include an electrical connection based on one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

To provide for interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described here can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to a user; and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by which a user can provide input to the electronic device. Other kinds of devices may also be used to provide for interaction with a user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user may be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

The systems and techniques described here can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or that includes a front-end component (e.g., a user computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include: local Area Networks (LANs), wide Area Networks (WANs), blockchain networks, and the Internet.

The computing system may include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. The server can be a cloud server, also called a cloud computing server or a cloud host, and is a host product in a cloud computing service system, so that the defects of high management difficulty and weak service expansibility in the traditional physical host and VPS service are overcome.

It should be understood that various forms of the flows shown above may be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in the present invention may be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, and are not limited herein as long as the desired results of the technical solution of the present invention can be achieved.

The above-described embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions may be made, depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (13)

1. A determination method applied to an MEC system, the method comprising:

acquiring a switching message;

determining an MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment based on the switching message;

and determining a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the switching message and the application attribute of the MEC application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handover message comprises a source UPF address, a destination UPF address, and a terminal address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining, based on the handover message, the MEC application accessed by the terminal device comprises:

and determining the MEC application accessed by the terminal equipment according to the source UPF address and the terminal address.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the handover message and application attributes of the MEC application comprises:

and determining a destination edge cloud gateway address according to the destination UPF address and the application attribute of the MEC application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a source edge cloud gateway address according to a source UPF address and a terminal address included in the switching message;

and migrating the MEC application from a source MEC host to a destination MEC host according to the application attribute, the source edge cloud gateway address and the destination edge cloud gateway address.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a response message and the destination edge cloud gateway address, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the MEC application is ready for switching.

7. A method for determining, applied to a core network, the method comprising:

receiving a first switching request;

and responding to the first switching request, and sending a switching message, wherein the switching message is used for determining a destination edge cloud gateway address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a response message and the destination edge cloud gateway address, wherein the response message is used for indicating that the MEC application is ready for switching.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

and transmitting a policy rule and the destination edge cloud gateway address to a destination UPF, wherein the destination edge cloud gateway corresponding to the destination edge cloud gateway address is used for receiving the terminal data transmitted by the destination UPF, and the policy rule is used for the destination UPF to execute corresponding operation based on the policy rule.

10. A determination apparatus, comprising:

the acquisition module is used for acquiring the switching message;

a first module, configured to determine, based on the handover message, an MEC application that is accessed by the terminal device;

a second module, configured to determine a destination edge cloud gateway address based on the handover message and an application attribute of the MEC application.

11. A determination apparatus, comprising:

a receiving module, configured to receive a first handover request;

a sending module, configured to send a handover message in response to the first handover request, where the handover message is used to determine a destination edge cloud gateway address.

12. An electronic device, characterized in that the electronic device comprises:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; wherein the content of the first and second substances,

the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9 when executed.

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