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CN-122029893-A - Selection method for selecting a network slice suitable for a service, management method for managing at least one network slice, communication method, and entity configured to implement these methods

CN122029893ACN 122029893 ACN122029893 ACN 122029893ACN-122029893-A

Abstract

The selection method according to the invention is implemented by an agent located on the path of data related to a service exchanged between two devices during a communication and comprises-selecting (F60) for each device at least one network slice suitable for the service and usable by the device during the communication, -if one of the devices is not connected to at least one of the network slices selected for the device or possibly selected for the device, sending (F80) a request to connect the device to the network slice to at least one network controller managing the network slice, and-sending (F110) a message to each device informing the device about the at least one selected network slice usable by the device during the communication.

Inventors

  • M. Bukadar
  • C. Jacques Knight

Assignees

  • 奥兰治

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241011
Priority Date
20231012

Claims (18)

  1. 1. A method for selecting a network slice suitable for a service and intended for use during a communication, the communication being carried out between two devices (UE 1, UE 2) involved in the communication via at least one network, the method being implemented by an agent (Pm 0) located on at least one path of data related to the service and exchanged between the devices during the communication, the method comprising: -a step (F60) of selecting, for each device (UE 1, UE 2), at least one network slice (SL (UE 1), SL (UE 2)) suitable for said service that can be used by the device during said communication, according to a given selection policy; -a step (F80) of sending a request to connect one of said devices (UE 1) to at least one of said network slices selected for that device or possible to be selected for that device to at least one network controller (NSCn 0) of said at least one network that manages said at least one network slice if said device is not connected to said at least one network slice (SL (UE 1)), and -A step (F110) of sending a message to each device to inform the device of said at least one network slice selected for said device that can be used by said device during the communication.
  2. 2. The selection method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining from at least one of said devices at least one item of information (F20, F40) representative of at least one network slice to which the device is connected.
  3. 3. The selection method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of sending a connection request involves a network slice that may be selected for the device and is performed before the selection step.
  4. 4. A selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the selection policy applies at least one of the following rules: The network slices selected for the device optimize the quality of the service, and/or The at least one network slice selected for at least one of the devices is a network slice to which the device has been connected, and/or -Selecting at least one network slice of the same type for the device when the device is connected to the at least one network slice of the same type suitable for the service.
  5. 5. The selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of transmitting at least one item of information representing at least one network slice to which the agent is connected to at least one of said devices.
  6. 6. A selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the step of, after the step of sending said message to each device, keeping said agent on at least one of said paths of data related to said service exchanged between said devices during said communication via at least one network slice selected for said device.
  7. 7. A selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the step of removing said agent from at least one of said paths of data associated with said service exchanged between said devices during said communication via the same network slice selected for said devices, after the step of sending said message to each device.
  8. 8. The selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one item of information representing one of the network slices comprises at least one of the following elements: -a type of the network slice; -an identifier of the network slice; -a network identifier to which the network slice is attached; -at least one identifier of an IP (internet protocol) address associated with the network slice.
  9. 9. A method for managing at least one network slice by a network controller (NSCn 0) of a network, the method comprising: -a step (G10) of receiving a request to connect at least one (UE 1) of two devices (UE 1, UE 2) involved in a Communication (COM) to at least one network slice (SL (UE 1)) managed by said network controller, the request originating from at least one agent (Pm 0) located on a path of data related to a service and exchanged between these devices via at least said network during said communication, and -A step (G40) of triggering said connection.
  10. 10. A method for communicating via a first device (UE 1, UE 2) with an agent (Pm 0) located on a path of data related to a service and exchanged with a second device (UE 2, UE 1) during a Communication (COM) involving the first and second devices, the method comprising the step (E80, E50') of receiving a message to inform the first device (UE 1, UE 2) of at least one network slice (SL (UE 1), SL (UE 2)) suitable for the service, originating from the agent (Pm 0), which at least one network slice is usable by the first device during the communication and selected by the agent (Pm 0) according to a given selection policy.
  11. 11. The communication method according to claim 10, further comprising the step (E40) of sending, via said proxy (Pm 0), a request to establish a connection with said second device (UE 2) for said communication, prior to this receiving step (E80), said establishment request comprising at least one item of information (PC-SS (UE 1)) representative of at least one network slice to which said first device (UE 1) is connected.
  12. 12. The communication method according to claim 11, further comprising, prior to the sending step (E80), a step (E20) of discovering at least one agent (Pm 0) connected to at least one network slice to which said first device (UE 1) is connected and implementing at least one given communication protocol used during said communication, said agent (Pm 0) being selected by the first device from said at least one agent discovered during the discovery step.
  13. 13. The communication method of claim 10, further comprising: -a step (E30 ') of receiving a request (M1') relayed by said proxy (Pm 0) to establish a connection with said second device (UE 1) for said communication, and -A step (E40') of sending a message (M2) to said proxy (Pm 0), the message comprising at least one item of information (SS (UE 2)) representative of at least one network slice to which said first device (UE 2) is connected.
  14. 14. An agent (Pm 0) located on a path of data exchanged via at least one network between two devices (UE 1, UE 2) related to a service and involved in the communication during the communication, said agent (Pm 0) comprising: -a selection module (3A) configured to select for each device (UE 1, UE 2) at least one network slice (SL (UE 1), SL (UE 2)) suitable for said service that can be used by the device during said communication according to a given selection policy; -a communication module (3B) activated in case one of the devices (UE 1) is not connected to at least one of the suitable network slices selected for the device or possibly for the device, configured to send a request (M3) to the at least one network controller (NSCn 0) of the at least one network managing the at least one network slice to connect the device to the at least one network slice, and -A sending module (3C) configured to send a message to each device informing the device of the at least one network slice selected for the device and usable during the communication.
  15. 15. A network controller (NSCn 0) of a network, the network controller comprising: -a receiving module (5A) capable of receiving a request (M3) to connect at least one device (UE 1) of a first and a second device (UE 1, UE 2) to at least one network slice (SL (UE 1)) managed by said network controller (NSCn 0), the request originating from at least one agent (Pm 0) located on a path of data related to a service and exchanged between said devices via at least said network during a communication involving said first device and said second device, and -A triggering module (5B) configured to trigger the connection.
  16. 16. A communication device (UE 1, UE 2), referred to as a first communication device, comprising: -a receiving module (4A) configured to receive a message (M6, M7) to inform the first communication device of at least one network slice (SL (UE 1), SL (UE 2)) suitable for a service, the message originating from an agent (Pm 0) located on a path of data related to the service and exchanged with the second communication device (UE 2, UE 1) via at least one network during a communication involving the first and second communication devices (UE 2, UE 1), the at least one network slice being usable by the first device during the communication and selected by the agent (Pm 0) according to a given selection policy; -a communication module (4B) configured to use at least one of the network slices (SL (UE 1), SL (UE 2)) indicated by the proxy during the communication with the second communication device (UE 2, UE 1).
  17. 17. A system (1) comprising: -at least two communication devices (UE 2, UE 1) according to claim 16, which exchange service related data via at least one network during communication; -at least one agent (Pm 0) as claimed in claim 14, which is located in the path of all or part of said data, and -At least one network controller (NSCn 0) according to claim 15 of the at least one network.
  18. 18. The system (1) of claim 17, wherein at least one of the communication devices is an agent (Pk 0) as claimed in claim 14.

Description

Selection method for selecting a network slice suitable for a service, management method for managing at least one network slice, communication method, and entity configured to implement these methods Technical Field The present invention belongs to the general field of telecommunications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for optimizing communication management in an environment that utilizes the concept of network slicing. Background Currently, this concept is generally envisaged in the 5G (5 th generation) mobile infrastructure defined by several 3GPP standards. However, this concept may also be used in other contexts, such as in the context of a network infrastructure shared between several operators, a network architecture based on Network Function Virtualization (NFV), or even an SD-WAN (software defined wide area network) architecture, etc. Network slices may be defined as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) deployed on either a fixed network infrastructure or a mobile network infrastructure, or both, and intended to provide a specific set of performance capabilities. It can be seen as a logical network that provides connectivity to its users and has its own characteristics in terms of capacity (bandwidth), quality of service (latency, rate, one-way transfer time (one-WAY TRANSIT TIME), jitter or inter-packet delay variations, etc.), and security (e.g., maintaining confidentiality of information transmitted within a VPN by using encryption techniques). In principle, network slicing is facilitated by using advanced Software Defined Networking (SDN) and/or Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technologies (not described in detail herein). Network slicing may be applied at different levels of the network, e.g. for 5G networks it may be applied on radio access networks for dynamic allocation of radio resources, on peripheral computing resources (or MECs (multiple access edge computing)), or even on core networks, especially in order to isolate traffic and ensure security. Such network slicing advantageously allows various network applications or services with specific requirements to coexist on the same shared physical or virtual network infrastructure. Thus, each network slice is allocated a set of resources (e.g., computing, storage, network, or radio frequency spectrum resources) in order to meet the particular requirements of the service or class of services with which it is associated. To this end, the network slices are based on a set of policies (which may take the form of traffic classification rules, among other things) and the definition of mechanisms that allow traffic associated with each network slice to be identified. Thus, for example, one network slice may be optimized for a delay-sensitive game or virtual reality application. Another network slice may be optimized for applications requiring high bandwidth, such as video streaming or cloud computing applications. For example, the 3GPP TS 23.501 standard (v17.9.0, month 6 2023, paragraph 5.15.2.2) entitled "Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; System Architecture for the 5G System (5GS); Stage 2 (Release 17) [ technical Specification group services and System aspects, system architecture of 5G System (5 GS), stage 2 (17 th edition) defines several classes of network slices for managing different classes of services and respectively associated with SST (service/slice type) values. Thus, the 3GPP standard considers: A class of network slices called eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband), corresponding to sst=1 values, this class of network slices being suitable for extremely high data rate based services, for example, for providing new experiences to users, such as High Definition (HD) video streaming; A class of network slices called URLLC (ultra-reliable low-latency communication), corresponding to sst=2 values, this class of network slices being suitable for services (for example, tele-management services, industrial robots or tele-surgery) having strict latency and reliability requirements for data exchange, for example; A class of network slices called mIoT (large-scale internet of things), corresponding to sst=3 values, this class of network slices being suitable for services with high deployment density requirements (e.g. interconnected cities, interconnected agriculture), for example; A class of network slices called V2X (vehicle-to-everything), corresponding to sst=4 values, of the type suitable for communication services involving vehicles, for example, such as driver assistance services, automatic driving services or road traffic management services, and A class of network slices called HMTC (high-performance machine type communication), corresponding to sst=5 values, which is suitable for services with high requirements also in terms of deployment density, low latency and high transmission rate, for example. Each of these types is associated with a set of features of the 3GPP sta