Methods, systems, and computer readable media for service communications proxy (scp)-specific prioritized network function (nf) discovery and routing

A system for service communications proxy (SCP)-specific prioritized producer network function (NF) discovery and routing, the system comprising:

• an SCP including at least one processor;
• an NF repository function (NRF) including at least one processor;
• an SCP discovery/service request handler and database manager implemented by the at least one processor of the SCP for maintaining a producer NF latency database including SCP-specific producer NF service instance latency information, receiving a discovery request message or receiving a service request message having a 3GPP-Sbi-Discovery header and generating, at the SCP, a discovery request message in response to the received service request message, modifying the discovery request message to include the SCP-specific producer NF service instance latency information for at least one producer NF service instance of a producer NF instance capable of providing a service identified in the discovery request message, and forwarding the discovery request message to the NRF;
• and
• an NRF discovery request handler implemented by the at least one processor of the NRF for creating a list of NF and associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances capable of providing the service identified in the discovery request message, setting or adjusting, by the NRF and based on the SCP-specific producer NF latency information, priorities of NF and associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances in the list;
• and forwarding, by the NRF and to the SCP, a discovery response message including the list of NF profiles and associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

• maintaining, at a service communications proxy (SCP), a producer NF latency database including SCP-specific producer network function (NF) service instance latency information;
• receiving, at the SCP, a discovery request message or receiving a service request message having a 3GPP-Sbi-Discovery header and generating, at the SCP, a discovery request message in response to the received service request message;
• modifying, by the SCP, the discovery request message to include the SCP-specific producer NF latency information for at least one producer NF service instance of at least one producer NF instance capable of providing a service identified in the discovery request message;
• forwarding, by the SCP, the discovery request message to an NF repository function (NRF);
• at the NRF, creating a list of NF and associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances capable of providing the service identified in the discovery request message;
• setting or adjusting, by the NRF and based on the SCP-specific producer NF latency information, priorities of NF and service profiles of producer NF and producer NF service instances in the list;
• and
• forwarding, by the NRF and to the SCP, a discovery response message including the list of NF and associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances.