WO2022067538A1

WO2022067538A1 - Network element discovery method and apparatus, and device and storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2022067538A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/118960
Authority: WO
Inventors: 郭雅莉; 许阳
Original assignee: Oppo广东移动通信有限公司
Priority date: 2020-09-29
Filing date: 2020-09-29
Publication date: 2022-04-07
Also published as: CN115843434A

Abstract

Disclosed are a network element discovery method and apparatus, and a device and a storage medium, which relate to the technical field of communications. The method comprises: receiving, from a second network element, a discovery request for a third network element, the discovery request comprising a request parameter for determining a target third network element; determining the target third network element on the basis of the request parameter and an indicated selection condition for the target third network element; and sending a discovery response to the second network element, the discovery response comprising information of the target third network element. By means of the embodiments of the present application, a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements is provided, and the interaction between the network elements is improved, such that the network elements can help each other to compute data, thereby reducing waste of computing resources.

Description

Network element discovery method, device, device and storage medium

technical field

The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for discovering network elements.

Background technique

In the core network of the 5G NR (New Radio, new air interface) system, NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function, network data analysis function) is introduced, which can collect data from various network elements and network management systems of the core network for big data statistics. , analysis or intelligent data analysis, to obtain analysis or prediction data on the network side, thereby assisting each network element to more effectively control UE (User Equipment, user equipment) access according to the data analysis results.

Currently, the data analysis of each NWDAF is independent of each other, resulting in a waste of computing resources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present application provide a network element discovery method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. The technical solution is as follows:

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a network element discovery method is provided, which is applied to a first network element, and the method includes:

receiving a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

determining the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

Send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a network element discovery method is provided, which is applied to a second network element, and the method includes:

sending a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element;

Receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element, where the target third network element is the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indication The selection conditions of network elements are determined.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, an apparatus for discovering network elements is provided, and the apparatus includes:

a request receiving module, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

a network element determination module, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

A response sending module, configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

a request sending module, configured to send a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element;

A response receiving module, configured to receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request parameters and instructions The selection condition of the target third network element is determined.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a network device is provided, the network device includes a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein:

the transceiver, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

the processor, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

The transceiver is further configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

the transceiver, configured to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

The transceiver is further configured to receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, where a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program is configured to be executed by a processor of a first network element, so as to implement the above aspect The network element discovery method.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, where a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program is configured to be executed by a processor of a second network element, so as to implement the above-mentioned aspect The network element discovery method.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a chip is provided, where the chip includes a programmable logic circuit and/or program instructions, and when the chip runs on a first network element, is used to implement the above-mentioned first network element NE discovery method on the side.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a chip is provided, the chip includes a programmable logic circuit and/or program instructions, and when the chip runs on a second network element, it is used to implement the above-mentioned second network element NE discovery method on the side.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided. When the computer program product runs on a processor of a first network element, the first network element causes the first network element to execute the network element discovery method on the first network element side. .

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided. When the computer program product runs on a processor of a second network element, the second network element is made to execute the above-mentioned method for discovering network elements on the side of the second network element. .

The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may include the following beneficial effects:

The second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes request parameters for determining the target third network element; the first network element is based on the request parameters and the indicated target third network element The selection condition is to determine the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. The embodiment of the present application provides a network element and a network element The mutual discovery mechanism between them improves the interactivity between the network elements, so that the network elements can assist each other in data calculation and reduce the waste of computing resources.

Description of drawings

1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

2 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of 5GS provided by an embodiment of the present application;

3 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a 5GS provided by another embodiment of the present application;

4 is a flowchart of a network element discovery method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

5 is a block diagram of a network element discovery apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

6 is a block diagram of a network element discovery apparatus provided by another embodiment of the present application;

7 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided by another embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The network architecture and service scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application more clearly, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. The evolution of new business scenarios and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1 , the system architecture 100 may include: a terminal device 10 , an access network device 20 and a core network device 30 .

Terminal equipment 10 may refer to a UE, access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. Optionally, the terminal device may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol, session initiation protocol) phone, a WLL (Wireless Local Loop, wireless local loop) station, a PDA (Personal Digita1 Assistant, personal digital processing) , handheld devices with wireless communication functions, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5GS (5G System, 5G system) or future evolved PLMN (Pub1ic Land Mobi1e Network , a terminal device in a public land mobile communication network), etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

The access network device 20 is a device deployed in the access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The access network device 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, and the like. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with access network device functions may be different. For example, in 5GS, they are called gNodeB or gNB; in EPS (Evolved Packet System, Evolved Packet System) , the access network device may be called an eNodeB (Evolved NodeB, evolved base station). As communication technology evolves, the name "Access Network Equipment" may change. For convenience of description, in the embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned apparatuses for providing wireless communication functions for terminal equipment are collectively referred to as access network equipment.

The core network device 30 refers to a device that can provide a terminal device with functions such as session management, mobility relationship, policy management, and security authentication. In this embodiment of the present application, the core network device 30 may include a first core network device and a second core network device, where the first core network device is responsible for access management and mobility management of terminal devices, and the second core network device is responsible for terminal devices Session management for devices. Exemplarily, in the 5GS system, the first core network can be implemented as AMF (Core Access and Mobility Management Function, core network access and mobility management function), and the second core network equipment can be implemented as SMF (Session Management Function, session management function); in the EPS system, the first core device may be implemented as an MME (Mobility Management Entity, mobility management entity), and the second core network device may be implemented as an SGW (Serving Gateway, serving network element).

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a 5GS provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the system architecture 200 may include: UE, RAN (Radio Access Network, radio access network), Core (core network) and DN (Data Network, data network). Among them, UE, RAN, and Core are the main components of the architecture. Logically, they can be divided into two parts: the user plane and the control plane. The control plane is responsible for the management of the mobile network, and the user plane is responsible for the transmission of service data. In the figure, the NG2 reference point is located between the RAN control plane and the Core control plane, the NG3 reference point is located between the RAN user plane and the Core user plane, and the NG6 reference point is located between the Core user plane and the data network.

UE: It is the portal for mobile users to interact with the network. It can provide basic computing capabilities and storage capabilities, display service windows to users, and accept user operation input. The UE will use the next-generation air interface technology to establish a signal connection and a data connection with the RAN, thereby transmitting control signals and service data to the mobile network. In the embodiments of the present application, the terms UE and terminal equipment are usually used interchangeably, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings.

RAN: Similar to the base station in the traditional network, it is deployed close to the UE to provide network access functions for authorized users in a specific area, and can use transmission tunnels of different quality to transmit user data according to user levels and service requirements. The RAN can manage its own resources, utilize them rationally, provide access services for the UE on demand, and forward control signals and user data between the UE and the core network.

Core: Responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network, managing the network elements of the mobile network, and providing functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication for the UE. When the UE is attached, it provides network access authentication for the UE; when the UE has a service request, it allocates network resources for the UE; when the UE moves, it updates the network resources for the UE; when the UE is idle, it provides a fast recovery mechanism for the UE: When the UE is detached, it releases network resources for the UE; when the UE has service data, it provides data routing functions for the UE, such as forwarding uplink data to the DN; or receiving the downlink data of the UE from the DN, forwarding it to the RAN, and then sending it to the UE .

DN: It is a data network that provides business services for users. Generally, the client is located in the UE, and the server is located in the data network. The data network can be a private network, such as a local area network, or an external network that is not controlled by operators, such as the Internet, or a private network jointly deployed by operators, such as in order to configure IMS (IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem, IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem, IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem, IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem). network subsystem) services.

Figure 3 is a detailed architecture determined on the basis of Figure 2, wherein the core network user plane includes UPF (User Plane Function, user plane function); the core network control plane includes AUSF (Authentication Server Function, authentication server function), AMF, SMF , NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function, network slice selection function), NEF (Network Exposure Function, network open function), NRF (NF Repository Function, network function entity storage function), UDM (Unified Data Management, unified data management), PCF (Policy Control Function, policy control function), AF (Application Function, application function). The functions of these functional entities are as follows:

UPF: perform user data packet forwarding according to the routing rules of SMF;

AUSF: perform security authentication of the UE;

AMF: UE access management and mobility management;

SMF: UE session management;

NSSF: select network slice for UE;

NEF: Open network functions to third parties in the form of northbound API interfaces;

NRF: Provides the storage function and selection function of network function entity information for other network elements;

UDM: user subscription context management;

PCF: User Policy Management;

AF: User Application Management.

In the architecture shown in Figure 3, the N1 interface is the reference point between the UE and the AMF; the N2 interface is the reference point between the RAN and the AMF, used for sending NAS (Non-Access-Stratum, non-access stratum) messages, etc.; The N3 interface is the reference point between the RAN and the UPF, which is used to transmit data on the user plane, etc. The N4 interface is the reference point between the SMF and the UPF, which is used to transmit, for example, the tunnel identification information of the N3 connection, the data buffer indication information, and Downlink data notification messages and other information; the N6 interface is the reference point between the UPF and the DN, and is used to transmit data on the user plane. The SBI (Service Based Interface, service interface) interface is an interface that a network element exposes to the outside and is used to access the services provided by the network element. In FIG. 3 , the SBI interface includes: Nnrf interface, Namf interface, Npcf interface, Nsmf interface, Naf interface and so on.

It should be noted that the name of the interface between each network element in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is just an example, and the name of the interface in the specific implementation may be other names, which are not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. The name of each network element (such as SMF, AF, UPF, etc.) included in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is also only an example, and does not limit the function of the network element itself. In 5GS and other future networks, the above-mentioned network elements may also have other names, which are not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above-mentioned network elements may use the terminology in 5G, and may also use other names, etc., which will be uniformly described here, and will not be repeated below. In addition, it should be understood that the names of the messages (or signaling) transmitted between the above network elements are only an example, and do not constitute any limitation on the functions of the messages themselves.

FIG. 3 is a system architecture diagram of a UE accessing a mobile network. The UE and the RAN perform an AS (Access-Stratum, access stratum) connection, and exchange AS messages and wireless data transmission, and the UE and the AMF perform a NAS connection and exchange NAS messages. The AMF is responsible for the management of the mobility of the UE, and the SMF is responsible for the session management of the UE. In addition to the mobility management of the UE, the AMF is also responsible for forwarding messages related to session management between the UE and the SMF. The PCF is responsible for formulating policies related to UE mobility management, session management, and charging. UPF is connected with RAN and DN for data transmission.

The 5G network adds NWDAF to the core network, which can collect data from various network elements, network management systems, etc. The network element performs more effective control over UE access according to the data analysis result. NWDAF can provide an analysis identifier (ID, Identity) to indicate various types of statistical or predicted data analysis results, such as:

Analysis identification a: load information of the slice;

Analysis identifier b: slice or application service experience information;

Analysis identification c: network performance in a specific area, for example, resource usage;

Analysis identification d: the degree of data congestion in a specific area;

...

In the related art, there may be multiple NWDAFs in a network, and each NWDAF may have a different service range. For example, each NWDAF serves a different area; each NWDAF may also serve a different network element; Different types of data analysis can also be provided, that is, different analysis identifiers are supported. In one case, the areas served by multiple NWDAFs may overlap or cover. For example, a large area A includes sub-area B and sub-area C, and the three areas have corresponding three NWDAFs for the same analysis identification data analysis. The data analysis provided by the NWDAF serving the area A is actually the same as the data analysis provided by the NWDAF in the sub-area B and the NWDAF in the sub-area C, which will lead to a waste of computing resources. In another case, NWDAF A performs the data analysis of the analysis mark 1, NWDAF B performs the data analysis of the analysis mark 2, and the analysis result of the analysis mark 2 of the NWDAF B can be directly used by the NWDAF A for the data analysis of the analysis mark 1 Yes, but there is currently no assistance between multiple NWDAFs. NWDAF A and NWDAF B both conduct analysis independently and cannot assist each other, resulting in a waste of computing resources.

In the embodiment of the present application, the second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; the first network element is based on the request parameter and The selection condition of the indicated target third network element is used to determine the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends information including the target third network element to the second network element. This embodiment of the present application The mutual discovery mechanism between network elements is provided, the interaction between network elements is improved, and the network elements can assist each other in data calculation, thereby reducing the waste of computing resources.

Hereinafter, the present application will be introduced and described through several embodiments.

Please refer to FIG. 4 , which shows a flowchart of a network element discovery method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method may include the following steps:

Step 401: The second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element.

The first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element, and the network element information of the third network element refers to information related to the third network element. In a possible implementation manner, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of the third network element, network element identification served by the third network element, third network element The capability identifier supported by the element, and the identifier information of other network elements that are related to the third network element. The identification information of the third network element is used to uniquely identify the third network element, and each third network element has its own identification information. Different third network elements have different identification information. The service area of the third network element refers to the area provided by the third network element, which can be a physical area (such as an actual geographical area) or a logical area (such as a logical area division such as a cell). Different elements may or may not have the same service area. The network element identifier served by the third network element is used to uniquely identify the network element served by the third network element. The third network element can provide services to multiple other network elements at the same time, or can only provide services to one other network element. This is not limited in the application examples. The capability identifier supported by the third network element is used to uniquely identify the capability supported by the third network element, and the capability identifier is used to indicate the type of capability supported by the third network element. The logos are also different. The capability identifiers supported by different third network elements may be the same or may be different. There may be correlations between the third network element and other network elements, and the identification information of other network elements related to the third network element is used to uniquely identify the other network elements that are related to the third network element. Different elements have different identification information. Other network elements that have a correlation with the third network element may refer to network elements whose service area is related to the service area of the third network element, for example, when the service area of the other network element is a subset of the service area of the third network element , the service area of the other network element is related to the service area of the third network element; or it may also refer to the network element whose supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier supported by the third network element, for example, when other network elements support When the calculation result of the capability identifier can assist the calculation of the capability identifier supported by the third network element, the capability identifier supported by the other network element is related to the capability identifier supported by the third network element.

Exemplarily, the third network element is NWDAF. When the third network element is the NWDAF, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF. The analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF is used to uniquely identify the data analysis capability supported by the NWDAF, and the analysis identifiers of the data analysis capabilities supported by the NWDAF are different. For example, suppose that the analysis flags supported by NWDAF include: analysis flag a, analysis flag b, analysis flag c, and analysis flag d, that is, the NWDAF supports four kinds of data analysis capabilities, namely: the load information of the slice indicated by the analysis flag a; The slice or application service experience information indicated by the identifier b; the network performance of the specific area indicated by the identifier c, for example, the resource usage status; the data congestion level of the specific area indicated by the identifier d is analyzed.

In a possible implementation manner, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, network element identifier served by the target third network element, support of the target third network element capability identification. The target third network element may be any third network element, for example, the target third network element may be any one or more of the third network elements corresponding to at least one network element information stored in the first network element.

The second network element and the third network element may be the same network element, or the second network element may also be another network element different from the third network element, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Correspondingly, the first network element receives a discovery request for the third network element from the second network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element.

Step 402: Based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element, the first network element determines the target third network element.

The selection condition refers to the condition for selecting the target third network element. In an exemplary embodiment, the selection conditions include: best matching with the request parameters, and/or having a correlation with the request parameters.

The best match with the request parameter means the highest match with the request parameter.

In a possible implementation manner, there is a correlation with the request parameter, including: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter. Exemplarily, it is assumed that the network element information of three third network elements (including the third network element a, the third network element b, and the third network element k) is stored in the first network element, and the network element information of the third network element a is The network element information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: a, the service area of the third network element a: the service area a, the capability identifier supported by the third network element a: the capability identifier a; the third network element The network element information of b includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: b, service area of the third network element b: service area b, capability identifier supported by the third network element b: capability identifier b; third The network element information of network element k includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: k, service area of the third network element k: service area a+b, capability identifier supported by the third network element k: capability identifier k. Assuming that the request parameters include the service area of the target third network element as a+b, and the service area a and/or the service area b are subsets of the service area a+b, then the third network element a and/or b and the request parameter have Correlation. Assuming that the request parameters include the capability identifier a supported by the target third network element, and the calculation result of the capability identifier b can help assist the calculation of the capability identifier a, and the supported capability identifier b is related to the supported capability identifier a, then the third network element b has a correlation with request parameters.

In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request further includes indication information of the selection condition. The indication information of the selection condition is used to indicate the selection condition of the target third network element. The second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes indication information for determining the request parameters and selection conditions of the target third network element. The first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indication information of the selection condition. In one example, the indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter. In another example, the indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter. In yet another example, the indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter. In a possible implementation manner, 00 is used to represent the first indication information, 01 is used to represent the second indication information, and 10 is used to represent the third indication information. Certainly, in other possible implementation manners, the first indication information, the second indication information, and the third indication information may also be represented in other different manners, which are not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the discovery request sent by the second network element to the first network element may be represented by a series of bit sequences, the first n bits of the bit sequence are used to represent request parameters, the last m bits are used to represent indication information, n and m is a positive integer. The first network element obtains request parameters and selection conditions by parsing the bit sequence.

In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is configured to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or determine the selection condition according to the identity of the second network element. When the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, the discovery request does not carry the indication information of the selection condition. In an example, the default selection condition is stored in the first network element. In this case, the selection conditions corresponding to different second network elements may be the same. That is, for different second network elements, the first network element is based on the target first network element. The request parameters of the three network elements and the default selection conditions determine the target third network element, and the default selection conditions can be any of the following: the best match with the request parameters, the correlation with the request parameters, the best match with the request parameters, and the Correlation. In another example, the first network element stores the correspondence between the different identities of the second network element and the selection conditions. In this case, the selection conditions corresponding to the second network elements with different identities may be different, that is, for different For the second network element, the first network element determines the selection condition based on the identity of the second network element, and then determines the target third network element based on the request parameter and the selection condition. For example, when the second network element is the central third network element (the central third network element refers to the third network element serving the entire area), the selection condition is that the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the first network element determines the target third network element in the following manner: according to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, from at least one third network element From a third network element, the third network element whose network element information most matches the request parameter is selected to obtain the target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the first network element determines the target third network element in the following manner: according to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, from A third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter is selected from at least one third network element to obtain a target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and the correlation with the request parameter, the first network element determines the target third network element in the following manner: according to the stored at least one third network element the network element information, selecting the third network element that best matches the request parameter from at least one third network element, and selecting the third network element that is correlated with the request parameter to obtain the target third network element.

Exemplarily, it is assumed that the network element information of four third network elements is stored in the first network element, and the four third network elements are respectively: third network element a, third network element b, third network element c, The third network element k. The network element information of the third network element a includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: a, service area of the third network element a: service area a, capability identifier supported by the third network element a: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element b includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: b, service area of the third network element b: service area b, capability identifier supported by the third network element b: Capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element c includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: c, service area of the third network element c: service area c, capabilities supported by the third network element c Identification: capability identification a; the network element information of the third network element k includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: k, service area of the third network element k: service area a+b+c, third network element k Capability identifier supported by network element k: capability identifier a. At this time, the capability identifiers supported by the four third network elements stored in the first network element are the same.

In an example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target third network element is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameters. According to the stored network element information of the four third network elements, the first network element selects the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the above four third network elements: the third network element k, as the target The third network element.

In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target third network element is the service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include having a relationship with the request parameter sex. According to the stored network element information of the four third network elements, the first network element selects a third network element whose network element information is related to the request parameter from the above four third network elements: the third network element a, the third network element The three network elements b and the third network element c are used as the target third network element.

In yet another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target third network element is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter As well as having dependencies on request parameters. According to the stored network element information of the four third network elements, the first network element selects the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter and has a correlation with the request parameter from the above-mentioned four third network elements: The three network elements a, the third network element b, the third network element c, and the third network element k are used as the target third network element.

Exemplarily, it is assumed that the network element information of five third network elements is stored in the first network element, and the five third network elements are respectively: third network element a, third network element b, third network element c, The third network element k and the third network element m. The network element information of the third network element a includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: a, service area of the third network element a: service area a, capability identifier supported by the third network element a: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element b includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: b, service area of the third network element b: service area b, capability identifier supported by the third network element b: Capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element c includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: c, service area of the third network element c: service area c, capabilities supported by the third network element c Identification: capability identification a; the network element information of the third network element k includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element: k, service area of the third network element k: service area a+b+c, third network element k The capability identifier supported by network element k: capability identifier a; the network element information of the third network element m includes at least one of the following: identifier information of the third network element: m, service area of the third network element m: service area a+ b+c, capability identifier supported by the third network element m: capability identifier b. The calculation result of the capability identifier b can help assist the calculation of the capability identifier a.

In an example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target third network element is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameters. According to the stored network element information of the five third network elements, the first network element selects the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the above five third network elements: the third network element k, as the target The third network element.

In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target third network element is the service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include having a relationship with the request parameter sex. According to the stored network element information of the five third network elements, the first network element selects a third network element whose network element information is related to the request parameter from the above five third network elements: the third network element a, the third network element The three network elements b, the third network element c, and the third network element m are used as the target third network element.

In yet another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target third network element is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target third network element is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter As well as having dependencies on request parameters. According to the stored network element information of the five third network elements, the first network element selects the third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter and has a correlation with the request parameter from the above-mentioned five third network elements: The three network elements a, the third network element b, the third network element c, the third network element k, and the third network element m are used as the target third network element.

The embodiments of the present application provide a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, so that calculation results between network elements can be shared, and network elements can assist each other in computing, reducing computing resources. waste.

Step 403, the first network element sends a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

In a possible implementation manner, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, network element identifier served by the target third network element, target The capability identifier supported by the third network element.

After the first network element determines the target third network element, the first network element sends a discovery response to the second network element. In one example, the discovery response includes identification information of the target third network element; in another example, the discovery response includes identification information of the target third network element; , the discovery response includes the service area of the target third network element; in another example, the discovery response includes the network element identifier served by the target third network element; in another example, the discovery response includes the target third network element Supported capability identifiers; in another example, the discovery response includes any combination of identification information of the target third network element, service area, service network element identifiers, and supported capability identifiers.

Correspondingly, the second network element receives the discovery response from the first network element, and the discovery response includes the information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element. definite.

To sum up, in the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, the second network element sends a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, and the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element; The first network element determines the target third network element based on the request parameters and the indicated selection conditions of the target third network element; after the first network element determines the target third network element, it sends a message including the target third network element to the second network element. Element information, the embodiment of this application provides a mutual discovery mechanism between network elements, improves the interactivity between network elements, and enables network elements to assist each other in data calculation, The waste of computing resources is reduced.

It should be noted that, in the above method embodiments, the technical solutions of the present application are mainly described from the perspective of the interaction between the first network element and the second network element. For the network element discovery method on the network element side, the above-mentioned steps performed by the second network element can be implemented independently as the network element discovery method on the second network element side.

Exemplarily, the present application will be described by taking an example that the first network element is NRF, the second network element is NF (Network Function, network element) a, and the third network element is NWDAF.

The network element information of at least one NWDAF is stored in the NRF, and the NF a sends a discovery request for the NWDAF to the NRF, and the discovery request includes request parameters for determining the target NWDAF. The request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target NWDAF, service area of the target NWDAF, network element identification served by the target NWDAF, and analysis identification supported by the target NWDAF.

Exemplarily, it is assumed that the network element information of 4 NWDAFs is stored in the NRF, and the 4 NWDAFs are respectively: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, and NWDAF k. The network element information of NWDAF a includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: a, service area of NWDAF a: service area a, capability identifier supported by NWDAF a: capability identifier a; network element information of NWDAF b includes at least one of the following Item: NWDAF identification information: b, NWDAF b service area: service area b, NWDAF b Supported capability identification: capability identification a; NWDAF c network element information includes at least one of the following: NWDAF identification information: c, NWDAF Service area of c: service area c, NWDAF C supported capability identifier: capability identifier a; network element information of NWDAF k includes at least one of the following: NWDAF identifier information: k, NWDAF k service area: service area a+b +c, NWDAF k Supported capability identifier: capability identifier a. At this time, the capability identifiers supported by the four NWDAFs stored in the NRF are the same.

The selection conditions include: the best match with the request parameter, and/or, having a correlation with the request parameter. It is related to the request parameter, including: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter.

In an example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target NWDAF is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter. According to the stored network element information of the four NWDAFs, the NRF selects the NWDAF whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the above four NWDAFs: NWDAF k as the target NWDAF.

In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target NWDAF is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter. According to the stored network element information of the four NWDAFs, the NRF selects the NWDAFs whose network element information is correlated with the request parameters from the above four NWDAFs: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, and NWDAF c, as the target NWDAF.

In yet another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target NWDAF is the service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameter and the relationship with the request parameter. sex. According to the stored network element information of the four NWDAFs, the NRF selects the NWDAFs whose network element information most matches the request parameters and which are related to the request parameters from the above four NWDAFs: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, and NWDAF k, as Target NWDAF.

Exemplarily, it is assumed that the network element information of five NWDAFs is stored in the NRF, and the five NWDAFs are: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, NWDAF k, and NWDAF m. The network element information of NWDAF a includes at least one of the following: identification information of NWDAF: a, service area of NWDAF a: service area a, capability identifier supported by NWDAF a: capability identifier a; network element information of NWDAF b includes at least one of the following Item: NWDAF identification information: b, NWDAF b service area: service area b, NWDAF b Supported capability identification: capability identification a; NWDAF c network element information includes at least one of the following: NWDAF identification information: c, NWDAF Service area of c: service area c, NWDAF C supported capability identifier: capability identifier a; network element information of NWDAF k includes at least one of the following: NWDAF identifier information: k, NWDAF k service area: service area a+b +c, Capability identifier supported by NWDAF k: capability identifier a; network element information of NWDAF m includes at least one of the following: NWDAF identifier information: m, NWDAF m service area: service area a+b+c, NWDAF m supports Capability ID: Capability ID b. The calculation result of the capability identifier b can help assist the calculation of the capability identifier a.

In an example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target NWDAF is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter. According to the stored network element information of the 5 NWDAFs, the NRF selects the NWDAF whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the above 5 NWDAFs: NWDAF k as the target NWDAF.

In another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target NWDAF is the service area a+b+c, and the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter. According to the stored network element information of the five NWDAFs, the NRF selects NWDAFs whose network element information is correlated with the request parameters from the above five NWDAFs: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, and NWDAF m as the target NWDAF.

In yet another example, it is assumed that the request parameters include: the capability identifier supported by the target NWDAF is the capability identifier a, the service area of the target NWDAF is the service area a+b+c, and the selection conditions include the best match with the request parameter and the relationship with the request parameter. sex. According to the stored network element information of the five NWDAFs, the NRF selects the NWDAFs whose network element information most matches the request parameters and which are related to the request parameters from the above five NWDAFs: NWDAF a, NWDAF b, NWDAF c, NWDAF k, NWDAF m, as the target NWDAF.

The NRF sends a discovery response to NF a, which includes the information of the target NWDAF. The information of the target NWDAF includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target NWDAF, service area of the target NWDAF, network element identifiers served by the target NWDAF, and capability identifiers supported by the target NWDAF.

Please refer to FIG. 5 , which shows a block diagram of an apparatus for discovering network elements provided by an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus has the function of implementing the above-mentioned first network element side method example, and the function may be implemented by hardware or by executing corresponding software in hardware. The device may be the first network element, or may be provided in the first network element. As shown in FIG. 5 , the apparatus 500 may include: a request receiving module 510 , a network element determining module 520 and a response sending module 530 .

a request receiving module 510, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

A network element determining module 520, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

The response sending module 530 is configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition includes: best matching with the request parameter, and/or having a correlation with the request parameter.

In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request further includes indication information of the selection condition.

In an exemplary embodiment, the indication information is first indication information, used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter; or, the indication information is second indication information, used to indicate that the The selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter; or, the indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.

In an exemplary embodiment, the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is configured to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or determine the selection condition according to the identity of the second network element .

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the network element determination module 520 is configured to:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, select a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the at least one third network element, and obtain the target third network element Yuan.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the network element determining module 520 is configured to:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, select a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter from the at least one third network element, and obtain the target third network element. network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, in the case that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and has a correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module 520 is configured to:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, the third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and the third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected. Three network elements to obtain the target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of the third network element, service of the third network element The identifier of the network element, the capability identifier supported by the third network element, and the identifier information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, a service area of the target third network element, and a network element served by the target third network element identifier, the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, there is a correlation with the request parameter, including: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or the supported capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter related.

In an exemplary embodiment, the information of the target third network element includes at least one of the following items: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, the target third network element The network element identifier of the element service, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.

In an exemplary embodiment, the capability identifier supported by the third network element is the analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.

Please refer to FIG. 6 , which shows a block diagram of an apparatus for discovering network elements provided by another embodiment of the present application. The apparatus has the function of implementing the above-mentioned second network element side method example, and the function may be implemented by hardware or by executing corresponding software in hardware. The device may be the second network element, or may be arranged in the second network element. As shown in FIG. 6 , the apparatus 600 may include: a request sending module 610 and a response receiving module 620 .

a request sending module 610, configured to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

A response receiving module 620, configured to receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request parameter and The indicated selection condition of the target third network element is determined.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element;

Wherein, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of the third network element, network element identification of the third network element service, The capability identifier supported by the third network element, and the identifier information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.

It should be noted that, when the device provided in the above embodiment realizes its functions, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example for illustration. In practical applications, the above functions can be allocated to different functional modules according to actual needs. That is, the content structure of the device is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

Regarding the apparatus in the above-mentioned embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be described in detail here.

Please refer to FIG. 7 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a network device 700 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The network device 700 may be the first network element. The network device 700 may include: a processor 701 , a receiver 702 , a transmitter 703 , a memory 704 and a bus 705 .

The processor 701 includes one or more processing cores, and the processor 701 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

The receiver 702 and the transmitter 703 may be implemented as a transceiver 706, which may be a communication chip. The transceiver 706 is connected to the processor 701 .

Memory 704 is connected to processor 701 via bus 705 .

The memory 704 may be configured to store a computer program, and the processor 701 is configured to execute the computer program, so as to implement each step performed by the first network element in the foregoing method embodiments.

In addition, the memory 704 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, and the volatile or non-volatile storage device includes but is not limited to: RAM (Random-Access Memory, random access memory) and ROM (Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) memory), flash memory or other solid-state storage technology, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Video Disc, high-density digital video disc) or other optical storage, tape cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disks storage or other magnetic storage devices. in:

The transceiver 706 is configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

The processor 701 is configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

The transceiver 706 is further configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the processor 701 is configured to:

In an exemplary embodiment, when the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the processor 701 is configured to:

In an exemplary embodiment, in the case that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and has a correlation with the request parameter, the processor 701 is configured to:

Please refer to FIG. 8 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a network device 800 provided by another embodiment of the present application. The network device 800 may be a second network element. The network device 800 may include: a processor 801 , a receiver 802 , a transmitter 803 , a memory 804 and a bus 805 .

The processor 801 includes one or more processing cores, and the processor 801 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

The receiver 802 and the transmitter 803 may be implemented as a transceiver 806, which may be a communication chip. The transceiver 806 is connected to the processor 801 .

The memory 804 is connected to the processor 801 through the bus 805 .

The memory 804 may be used to store a computer program, and the processor 801 is used to execute the computer program, so as to implement each step performed by the second network element in the above method embodiments.

In addition, the memory 804 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, and the volatile or non-volatile storage device includes but is not limited to: RAM (Random-Access Memory, random access memory) and ROM (Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) memory), flash memory or other solid-state storage technology, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Video Disc, high-density digital video disc) or other optical storage, tape cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disks storage or other magnetic storage devices. in:

The transceiver 806 is configured to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

The transceiver 806 is further configured to receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request The parameter is determined by the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.

An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, where a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program is configured to be executed by a processor of a first network element, so as to implement the network on the first network element side. Meta discovery method.

An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, where a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program is configured to be executed by a processor of a second network element, so as to implement the network on the second network element side. Meta discovery method.

An embodiment of the present application provides a chip, where the chip includes a programmable logic circuit and/or program instructions, and when the chip runs on a first network element, it is used to realize the network element discovery on the first network element side. method.

An embodiment of the present application provides a chip, where the chip includes a programmable logic circuit and/or program instructions, and when the chip runs on a second network element, it is used to realize the above-mentioned network element discovery on the second network element side method.

The present application also provides a computer program product, which when the computer program product runs on the processor of the first network element, enables the first network element to execute the above-mentioned method for discovering network elements on the side of the first network element.

The present application also provides a computer program product, which when the computer program product runs on the processor of the second network element, enables the second network element to execute the above-mentioned method for discovering network elements on the side of the second network element.

It should be understood that references herein to "a plurality" means two or more. "And/or", which describes the association relationship of the associated objects, means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and/or B, which can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character "/" generally indicates that the associated objects are an "or" relationship.

Those skilled in the art should realize that, in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

The above are only exemplary embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection of the present application. within the range.

Claims

A network element discovery method, characterized in that being applied to a first network element, the method comprising:

receiving a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

determining the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

Send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection condition comprises: best matching with the request parameter, and/or having a correlation with the request parameter.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request further includes indication information of the selection condition.
The method of claim 3, wherein:

The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is configured to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or according to the second network element The identity of the element determines the selection criteria.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, in the case that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the target based on the request parameter and the indication is the third The selection condition of the network element determines the target third network element, including:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, select a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the at least one third network element, and obtain the target third network element Yuan.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, when the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the target first The selection conditions of the three network elements to determine the target third network element include:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, select a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter from the at least one third network element, and obtain the target third network element. network element.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, in the case that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter, the request is based on the request. The parameters and the indicated selection conditions of the target third network element, to determine the target third network element, include:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, the third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and the third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected. Three network elements to obtain the target third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the network element information of the third network element comprises at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, the third network element the service area, the network element identifier served by the third network element, the capability identifier supported by the third network element, and the identification information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, The network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein, having a correlation with the request parameter, comprising: a service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or, supported The capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the information of the target third network element comprises at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, the target third network element The service area of the element, the network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.
The method according to claim 13, wherein the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.
A network element discovery method, characterized in that being applied to a second network element, the method comprising:

sending a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element;

Receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information about the target third network element, where the target third network element is the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indication The selection conditions of network elements are determined.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the selection condition comprises: best matching with the request parameter, and/or having a correlation with the request parameter.
The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request further includes indication information of the selection condition.
The method of claim 17, wherein:

The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.
The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is configured to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or according to the second network element The identity of the element determines the selection criteria.
The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element;

Wherein, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of the third network element, network element identification of the third network element service, The capability identifier supported by the third network element, and the identifier information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, The network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein, having a correlation with the request parameter, comprising: a service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or supported The capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter.
The method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein the information of the target third network element comprises at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, the target third network element The service area of the element, the network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, wherein the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.
The method according to claim 24, wherein the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.
A network element discovery device, characterized in that the device comprises:

a request receiving module, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

a network element determination module, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

A response sending module, configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.
The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the selection condition comprises: best matching with the request parameter, and/or having a correlation with the request parameter.
The apparatus according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request further includes indication information of the selection condition.
The apparatus of claim 28, wherein:

The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.
The apparatus according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is configured to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or according to the second network element The identity of the element determines the selection criteria.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein, in the case that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter, the network element determination module is configured to:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, select a third network element whose network element information best matches the request parameter from the at least one third network element, and obtain the target third network element Yuan.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein, in the case that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module is configured to:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, select a third network element whose network element information is correlated with the request parameter from the at least one third network element, and obtain the target third network element. network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein, in the case that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter, the network element determination module , for:

According to the stored network element information of at least one third network element, the third network element that best matches the request parameter is selected from the at least one third network element, and the third network element that is correlated with the request parameter is selected. Three network elements to obtain the target third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein the network element information of the third network element comprises at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, the third network element the service area, the network element identifier served by the third network element, the capability identifier supported by the third network element, and the identification information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 34, wherein the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, The network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 27 to 35, characterized in that having a correlation with the request parameter, comprising: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or the supported The capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 36, wherein the information of the target third network element comprises at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, the target third network element The service area of the element, the network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 37, wherein the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.
The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.
A network element discovery device, characterized in that the device comprises:

a request sending module, configured to send a discovery request for the third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining the target third network element;

A response receiving module, configured to receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request parameters and instructions The selection condition of the target third network element is determined.
The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the selection condition comprises: best matching with the request parameter, and/or having a correlation with the request parameter.
The apparatus according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an explicit manner, and the discovery request further includes indication information of the selection condition.
The apparatus of claim 42, wherein

The indication information is first indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is second indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes a correlation with the request parameter;

or,

The indication information is third indication information, which is used to indicate that the selection condition includes the best match with the request parameter and a correlation with the request parameter.
The apparatus according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the selection condition is indicated in an implicit manner, and the first network element is configured to determine the selection condition according to a predetermined configuration, or according to the second network element The identity of the element determines the selection criteria.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 44, wherein the first network element stores network element information of at least one third network element;

Wherein, the network element information of the third network element includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third network element, service area of the third network element, network element identification of the third network element service, The capability identifier supported by the third network element, and the identifier information of other network elements that are related to the third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 45, wherein the request parameter includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, service area of the target third network element, The network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 41 to 46, characterized in that having a correlation with the request parameter, comprising: the service area is a subset of the service area in the request parameter, and/or the supported The capability identifier is related to the capability identifier in the request parameter.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 47, wherein the information of the target third network element comprises at least one of the following: identification information of the target third network element, the target third network element The service area of the element, the network element identifier served by the target third network element, and the capability identifier supported by the target third network element.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 48, wherein the third network element is a network data analysis function NWDAF.
The apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the capability identifier supported by the third network element is an analysis identifier supported by the NWDAF.
A network device, characterized in that the network device includes a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein:

the transceiver, configured to receive a discovery request for a third network element from a second network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

the processor, configured to determine the target third network element based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element;

The transceiver is further configured to send a discovery response to the second network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element.
A network device, characterized in that the network device includes a processor and a transceiver connected to the processor; wherein:

the transceiver, configured to send a discovery request for a third network element to the first network element, where the discovery request includes a request parameter for determining a target third network element;

The transceiver is further configured to receive a discovery response from the first network element, where the discovery response includes information of the target third network element, and the target third network element is based on the request parameter and the indicated selection condition of the target third network element.
A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a first network element, so as to realize the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14. The network element discovery method described above.
A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a second network element, so as to realize the method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 25. The network element discovery method described above.