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US 11,695,844 B2Granted
Re-selection of a network function instance based on data consistency
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsMaria Cruz Bartolomé Rodrigo, Attila Mihály
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Abstract
The present invention faces the issues of re-selection of another NF Service instance (103, 201) for a subsequent request (S-520, S-535) with a same data consistency (Consistency 1) as a previously selected NF Service instance (101). To solve this issue, the present invention provides for identifying at configuration, based on the deployment and on the Storage solution for the Session/context data, which instances (101, 103, 201) of the same service type have access with strong consistency to the same data, and provide this information to the consumer (40), so it is allowed to prioritize selection of an alternative NF service instance that supports strong consistency, whenever possible.
Claims20
A method for selection and reselection of a service instance in a network function (NF) instance based on data consistency, the method performed by a network node that implements a service consumer or a service consumer proxy (SCP), the method comprising:
- discovering, by the network node, two or more NF instances that include a first NF instance and a second NF instance, wherein the first NF instance comprises a plurality of service instances for a service, and wherein the second NF instance comprises one or more service instances for the service;
- initially selecting, by the network node, a service instance from which to consume the service to be one of the service instances in the first NF instance;
- transmitting, by the network node towards the initially selected service instance, a service request requesting to consume the service from the initially selected service instance;
- determining, at the network node, that the network node must reselect the service instance from which to consume the service;
- obtaining consistency indicators respectively associated with candidate service instances that are candidates for the network node to reselect as the service instance from which to consume the service, wherein the candidate service instances include one or more other service instances in the first NF instance other than the initially selected service instance and further include the one or more service instances in the second NF instance;
- determining, for each of the candidate service instances, a level of data consistency provided by the candidate service instance indicating how consistent data at the candidate service instance is with data at the initially selected service instance, by comparing the consistency indicator associated with the candidate service instance with a consistency indicator associated with the initially selected service instance;
- based on the levels of data consistency respectively provided by the candidate service instances, reselecting the service instance from which to consume the service to be one of the candidate service instances, with a preference for selecting a candidate service instance that provides relatively stronger data consistency over selecting a candidate service instance that provides relatively weaker data consistency;
- and
- transmitting, by the network node towards the reselected service instance, another service request requesting to consume the service from the reselected service instance.
6 more elements
A network node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, enable the network node to implement service consumer or a service consumer proxy (SCP), whereby the network node is configured to:
- discover two or more NF instances that include a first NF instance and a second NF instance, wherein the first NF instance comprises a plurality of service instances for a service, and wherein the second NF instance comprises one or more service instances for the service;
- initially select a service instance from which to consume the service to be one of the service instances in the first NF instance;
- transmit, towards the initially selected service instance, a service request requesting to consume the service from the initially selected service instance;
- determine that the network node must reselect the service instance from which to consume the service;
- obtain consistency indicators respectively associated with candidate service instances that are candidates for the network node to reselect as the service instance from which to consume the service, wherein the candidate service instances include one or more other service instances in the first NF instance other than the initially selected service instance and further include the one or more service instances in the second NF instance;
- determine for each of the candidate service instances, a level of data consistency provided by the candidate service instance indicating how consistent data at the candidate service instance is with data at the initially selected service instance, by comparing the consistency indicator associated with the candidate service instance with a consistency indicator associated with the initially selected service instance;
- based on the levels of data consistency respectively provided by the candidate service instances, reselecting the service instance from which to consume the service to be one of the candidate service instances, with a preference for selecting a candidate service instance that provides relatively stronger data consistency over selecting a candidate service instance that provides relatively weaker data consistency;
- and
- transmit, towards the reselected service instance, another service request requesting to consume the service from the reselected service instance.
9 more elements
A system for selection and reselection of a service instance in a network function (NF) instance based on data consistency, the system comprising:
- two or more NF instances that include a first NF instance and a second NF instance, wherein the first NF instance comprises a plurality of service instances for a service, and wherein the second NF instance comprises one or more service instances for the service;
- a network node comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, enable the network node to implement a service consumer or a service consumer proxy (SCP) whereby the network node is configured to:
- discover two or more NF instances that include a first NF instance and a second NF instance, wherein the first NF instance comprises a plurality of service instances for a service, and wherein the second NF instance comprises one or more service instances for the service;
- initially select a service instance from which to consume the service to be one of the service instances in the first NF instance;
- transmit, towards the initially selected service instance, a service request requesting to consume the service from the initially selected service instance;
- determine that the network node must reselect the service instance from which to consume the service;
- obtain consistency indicators respectively associated with candidate service instances that are candidates for the network node to reselect as the service instance from which to consume the service, wherein the candidate service instances include one or more other service instances in the first NF instance other than the initially selected service instance and further include the one or more service instances in the second NF instance;
- determine, for each of the candidate service instances, a level of data consistency provided by the candidate service instance indicating how consistent data at the candidate service instance is with data at the initially selected service instance, by comparing the consistency indicator associated with the candidate service instance with a consistency indicator associated with the initially selected service instance;
- based on the levels of data consistency respectively provided by the candidate service instances, reselecting the service instance from which to consume the service to be one of the candidate service instances, with a preference for selecting a candidate service instance that provides relatively stronger data consistency over selecting a candidate service instance that provides relatively weaker data consistency;
- and
- transmitting, by the network node towards the reselected service instance, another service request requesting to consume the service from the reselected service instance.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.