Reducing network traffic

A method for reducing network traffic in a communication system comprising a data consumer, a data provider, and a network connecting the data consumer with the data provider, the method comprising:

• the data provider receiving a data request transmitted by the data consumer, the data request comprising data set identification information identifying a requested data set;
• after receiving the data request, the data provider obtaining data compression information based on:
• i) error bound information identifying an error bound, ii) information about the requested data set, and/or iii) information included in a query response from a management function;
• after obtaining the data compression information, the data provider compressing the requested data set using the received data compression information, thereby producing compressed data;
• and
• the data provider transmitting, via the network, to the data consumer the compressed data.

A method for reducing network traffic in a communication system comprising a data consumer, a data provider, a network connecting the data consumer with the data provider, and a data compression manager (DCM), the method comprising:

• the DCM receiving a compression information request (CIR) requesting the DCM to select compression information, wherein the CIR comprises:
• i) error bound information identifying an error bound and/or ii) information about a data set requested by the data consumer;
• in response to receiving the CIR, the DCM selecting first data compression information based on the error bound information, the information about the requested data set, and/or information included in a query response from a management function;
• and
• the DCM providing the selected first data compression information to the data provider or the data consumer.

An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• memory;
• and
• processing circuitry coupled to the memory, wherein the apparatus is configured to:
• transmit, via a network, to a data provider a data request comprising data set identification information identifying a requested data set;
• as a result of transmitting the data request to the data provider, receive a message comprising data decompression information selected by a data compression manager (DCM) based on:
• i) error bound information that identifies an error bound, ii) information about the requested data set, and/or iii) information included in a query response from a management function;
• receive compressed data generated by the data provider using data compression information selected by the DCM, wherein the compressed data comprises a compressed version of the requested data set, and the data compression information was selected by the DCM based on the error bound, the information about the requested data set, and/or the information included in the query response from the management function;
• and
• decompress the received compressed data using the data decompression information selected by the DCM.