US-12627971-B2 - Systems and methods for optimized discovery of a network device

Abstract

In some implementations, a network device may receive a subscription request to subscribe to receive an event notification based on an event. The event may be associated with the network device receiving a request for discovery of a unified data management (UDM) device. The request for discovery of the UDM device may be based on an identifier of a user equipment (UE). The network device may transmit, based on the subscription request, an indication of a subscription to receive the event notification based on the event.

Inventors

• Emerando M. Delos Reyes
• Jerry STEBEN
• Maqbool CHAUHAN
• Helen Osias Eglip

Assignees

• VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230113

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: receiving, by a first network device and from a second network device, a subscription request to subscribe to receive an event notification based on an event, wherein the event occurs when the first network device receives a request for discovery of a unified data management (UDM) device, and wherein the request for discovery of the UDM device is based on an identifier of a user equipment (UE); and transmitting, by the first network device to the second network device and based on the subscription request, an indication of a subscription to receive the event notification based on the event, wherein the indication of the subscription confirms that the second network device is subscribed to receive the event notification based on the event.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, by the first network device and based on the subscription, an indication of the event notification, wherein the indication of the event notification includes an indication of at least one of: a UDM group identifier associated with the UDM device, or a unified data repository (UDR) group identifier associated with a UDR device that is associated with the UDM device, and wherein the identifier of the UE is associated with the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein transmitting, by the first network device, the indication of the event notification comprises: transmitting the indication of the event notification to at least one of: a policy control function (PCF) device, or a session management function (SMF) device.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, by the first network device and to a subscriber locator function (SLF) device, a request for a UDM group identifier and a unified data repository (UDR) group identifier associated with a UDR device that is associated with the UDM device; and receiving, by the first network device from the SLF device, the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier, wherein the identifier of the UE is associated with the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the event is associated with the first network device receiving the request for discovery of the UDM device from at least one of: an authentication server function (AUSF) device request for discovery, or an access and mobility management function (AMF) device request for discovery.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second network device is at least one of a policy control function (PCF) device or a session management function (SMF) device.
7. 7 . A first network device, comprising: one or more processors configured to: transmit, to a second network device, a subscription request to subscribe to receive an event notification based on an event, wherein the event occurs when a request for discovery of a unified data management (UDM) device is received by the second network device, and wherein the request for discovery of the UDM device is based on an identifier of a user equipment (UE); and receive, from the second network device and based on the subscription request, an indication of a subscription to receive the event notification based on the event, wherein the indication of the subscription confirms that the first network device is subscribed to receive the event notification based on the event.
8. 8 . The first network device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, based on the subscription, an indication of the event notification, wherein the indication of the event notification includes an indication of: a UDM group identifier associated with the UDM device, and a unified data repository (UDR) group identifier associated with a UDR device that is associated with the UDM device, and wherein the identifier of the UE is associated with the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier.
9. 9 . The first network device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a packet data unit (PDU) session establishment request; query, using at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier and based on receiving the PDU session establishment request, at least one of the UDM device or the UDR device; and receive, based on querying the at least one of the UDM device or the UDR device, a user profile associated with the identifier of the UE.
10. 10 . The first network device of claim 8 , wherein the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier are associated with a validity period.
11. 11 . The first network device of claim 7 , wherein the second network device is a network repository function (NRF) device.
12. 12 . The first network device of claim 7 , wherein the first network device is at least one of a policy control function (PCF) device or a session management function (SMF) device.
13. 13 . The first network device of claim 7 , wherein the request for discovery a UDM device is based on a transmission from at least one of: an authentication server function (AUSF) device request for discovery, or an access and mobility management function (AMF) device request for discovery.
14. 14 . The first network device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, based on the subscription, an indication of the event notification, wherein the indication of the event notification is a discovery response that includes an indication of: a UDM group identifier and a unified data repository (UDR) group identifier that are associated with the identifier of the UE, and a validity period associated with the discovery response.
15. 15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first network device, cause the first network device to: receive, from a second network device, a subscription request to subscribe to receive an event notification based on an event, wherein the event occurs when the first network device receives a request for discovery of a unified data management (UDM) device, and wherein the request for discovery of the UDM device is based on an identifier of a user equipment (UE); and transmit, to the second network device and based on the subscription request, an indication of a subscription to receive the event notification based on the event, wherein the indication of the subscription confirms that the second network device is subscribed to receive the event notification based on the event.
16. 16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the first network device to: transmit, based on the subscription, an indication of the event notification, wherein the indication of the event notification includes an indication of at least one of: a UDM group identifier associated with the UDM device, or a unified data repository (UDR) group identifier associated with a UDR device that is associated with the UDM device, and wherein the identifier of the UE is associated with the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier.
17. 17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the first network device to transmit the indication of the event notification, cause the first network device to: transmit the indication of the event notification to at least one of: a policy control function (PCF) device, or a session management function (SMF) device.
18. 18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the first network device to: transmit, to a subscriber locator function (SLF) device, a request for a UDM group identifier and a unified data repository (UDR) group identifier associated with a UDR device that is associated with the UDM device; and receive, from the SLF device, the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier, wherein the identifier of the UE is associated with the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier.
19. 19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the event is associated with the first network device receiving the request for discovery of the UDM device from at least one of: an authentication server function (AUSF) device request for discovery, or an access and mobility management function (AMF) device request for discovery.
20. 20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second network device is at least one of: a policy control function (PCF) device, or a session management function (SMF) device.

Description

BACKGROUND A network device may use a discovery service to discover other network devices and/or to discover services associated with the other network devices. For example, the network device may transmit, to a network repository function (NRF) device, a request for discovery of a data repository device (e.g., a unified data management (UDM) device and/or a unified data repository (UDR) device). The NRF device may perform a lookup operation, based on the request, to obtain identifying information associated with the data repository device (e.g., a UDM group identifier and/or a UDR group identifier). The NRF device may transmit, and the network device may receive, the identifying information. The network device may use the identifying information to retrieve data (e.g., user data and/or subscriber data) from the data repository device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A-1D are diagrams of an example associated with optimized discovery of a network device. FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example environment in which systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented. FIG. 3 is a diagram of example components of a device associated with optimized discovery of a network device. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example process associated with optimized discovery of a network device. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example process associated with optimized discovery of a network device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. A network device may discover other network devices and/or may discover services associated with the other network devices (e.g., by using requests for discovery of the other network devices). For example, an authentication server function (AUSF) device may transmit a request for discovery of a unified data management (UDM) device to a network repository function (NRF) device (e.g., in association with a session setup procedure and/or a registration procedure). As another example, an access and mobility management function (AMF) device may transmit, to the NRF device, a request for discovery of the UDM device (e.g., in association with a session setup procedure and/or a registration procedure). The NRF device may perform a subscriber locator function (SLF) request procedure to obtain information associated with the UDM device and/or information associated with a unified data repository (UDR) device that is associated with the UDM device. For example, the request for discovery of the UDM device and/or the UDR device may be based on an identifier of a user equipment (UE) (e.g., a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) and/or another identifier). The NRF device may obtain the information associated with the UDM device and/or the UDR device based on the identifier of the UE. For example, the NRF device may transmit, to the SLF device and based on the identifier of the UE, a request for a UDM group identifier associated with the UDM device and/or a UDR group identifier associated with the UDR device that is associated with the UDM device. The NRF device may receive, from the SLF device, the UDM group identifier and/or the UDR group identifier, which are associated with the identifier of the UE. The identifier of the UE may be associated with user profile information and/or subscriber profile information. The NRF device may transmit, to the AUSF device and/or the AMF device, a discovery response that includes an indication of the group identifier of the UDM device and/or an indication of the group identifier of the UDR device. The AUSF device and/or the AMF device may use the group identifier of the UDM device and/or the group identifier of the UDR device to retrieve information (e.g., to retrieve the user profile information and/or to retrieve the subscriber profile information associated with the identifier of the UE). However, in some cases, the NRF device may be associated with a large number of discovery requests and/or lookup operations for a session setup procedure and/or a registration procedure (e.g., at least six SLF lookup requests in response that are performed in response to six requests for discovery of the UDM device and/or the UDR device associated with a session setup procedure and/or a registration procedure). For example, in a session setup procedure and/or in a registration procedure (e.g., for a call setup or a packet data unit (PDU) session setup), the AUSF device, the AMF device, an access and mobility (AM)-policy control function (PCF) device, a UE-PCF device, a session management (SM)-PCF, and/or a session management function (SMF) device, among other examples, may each transmit a request for discovery of the UDM device and/or the UDR device. The NRF may transmit, to the SLF device, N requests for the UDM group identifier associated with the UDM device and/or the UDR group iden