WO2023239636A1 - Groupe de tranches de réseau - Google Patents

Groupe de tranches de réseau Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023239636A1
WO2023239636A1 PCT/US2023/024420 US2023024420W WO2023239636A1 WO 2023239636 A1 WO2023239636 A1 WO 2023239636A1 US 2023024420 W US2023024420 W US 2023024420W WO 2023239636 A1 WO2023239636 A1 WO 2023239636A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
network
slice
sst
wildcard
value
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PCT/US2023/024420
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English (en)
Inventor
Jinsook RYU
Mehdi Alasti
Original Assignee
Dish Wireless L.L.C.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US17/834,069 external-priority patent/US20230397088A1/en
Priority claimed from US17/834,147 external-priority patent/US20230397091A1/en
Application filed by Dish Wireless L.L.C. filed Critical Dish Wireless L.L.C.
Publication of WO2023239636A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023239636A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W48/00—Access restriction; Network selection; Access point selection
    • H04W48/18—Selecting a network or a communication service

Definitions

  • Embodiments relate generally to wireless communication networks, and, more particularly to group-level identification and exploitation of network slice groups.
  • VNOs virtual network operators
  • MNOs mobile network operators
  • MVNOs mobile virtual network operators
  • a VNO may offer multiple network slice types (e.g., optimized for particular categories of services) to each of multiple customers.
  • UE user equipment
  • the VNO may attach the UE to the network concurrently via multiple network slices by associating the UE’s communications with an explicit list of the identifier of each network slice that is part of the group.
  • UE user equipment
  • Embodiments provide novel approaches to handling network slice groups in access stratum and non-access stratum communications in a cellular communication network.
  • Novel slice identification schema can support group-level identification of groups of network slices without individually listing the network slices.
  • Some embodiments implement a slice identifier that supports wildcard slice/service type (SST) options and/or wildcard slice differentiator (SD) options to support wildcard-enabled slice groups.
  • SST wildcard slice/service type
  • SD wildcard slice differentiator
  • Some embodiments enable use of such wildcard-enabled slice groups in context of unified access control.
  • Some embodiments introduce a novel criteria type to unified access control to expressly support flexible slice grouping.
  • a method for network slice grouping in a cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the method includes: receiving a user equipment device (UE) message by one or more network function (NF) nodes of the cellular communication network infrastructure, the UE message being received from a UE of a plurality of UE devices via a radio access network (RAN); determining, by the at least one NF nodes, that the UE message invokes a wildcard-enabled slice group that is subset of a plurality of network slices, each network slice being a respective one of a plurality of virtualized data subnetworks, each virtualized data subnetwork uniquely identifiable by a respective one of a plurality of network slice identifiers, each network slice identifier having a respective unique combination of a slice/service type (SST) value and a slice differentiator (SD) value; generating, by the at least one NF nodes in response to the UE message, a NF message that identifies the wildcard-enable
  • SST slice/service type
  • SD
  • a system for network slice grouping in a cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the system includes: a plurality of virtualized data subnetworks built on the cellular communication network infrastructure, each virtualized data subnetwork uniquely being one of a plurality of network slices identifiable by a respective one of a plurality of network slice identifiers, each network slice identifier having a respective unique combination of a slice/service type (SST) value and a slice differentiator (SD) value; and one or more network function (NF) nodes in communication with the plurality of virtualized data subnetworks and in communication with a plurality of user equipment devices (UEs) via one or more radio access networks (RANs).
  • SST slice/service type
  • SD slice differentiator
  • the one or more NF nodes include: one or more processors; and non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform steps.
  • the steps include: receiving a UE message from a UE of the plurality of UE devices via a RAN of the one or more RANs; determining that the UE message invokes a wildcard-enabled slice group that is subset of a plurality of network slices and is uniquely identifiable by one of the plurality of network slice identifiers that has either the SST value set to a predefined wildcard SST value or has the SD value set to a predefined wildcard SD value; and communicating, to the UE via the RAN, in response to the UE message, a NF message that includes the one of the plurality of network slice identifiers to uniquely identify the wildcard-enabled slice group.
  • another method for unified access control of network slice groups in a cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the method includes: receiving, by a user equipment device (UE) from an access and mobility management function (AMF) via a radio access network (RAN), a barring information message indicating to the UE which of a plurality of network slices is barred from use in establishing communication sessions between the UE and the cellular communication network infrastructure, the barring information message uniquely identifying at least one operator-defined group of network slices of the plurality of network slices by a slice group identifier mapped to a corresponding value field of the barring information message in accordance with a previously negotiated unified access control schema, the unified access control schema corresponding to an operator-defined access category that indicates a criteria type configured to support slice grouping; triggering, by the UE, establishment of a communication session between the UE and the cellular communication network infrastructure, the triggering invoking at least one network slice of the at least one operator-defined group of network slices; determining
  • a system for unified access control of network slice groups in a cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the system includes: a plurality of virtualized data subnetworks built on the cellular communication network infrastructure, each virtualized data subnetwork uniquely being one of a plurality of network slices identifiable by a respective one of a plurality of network slice identifiers; and an access and mobility management function (AMF) node in communication with the plurality of virtualized data subnetworks and in communication with a plurality of user equipment devices (UEs) via one or more radio access networks (RANs).
  • the AMF node includes: one or more processors; and non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform steps.
  • the steps include: negotiating a unified access control schema corresponding to an operator-defined access category that indicates a criteria type configured to support slice grouping; mapping a slice group identifier to a corresponding value field of a barring information message in accordance with the unified access control schema, the slice group identifier uniquely identifying an operator-defined group of network slices of the plurality of network slices; and communicating the barring information message to at least one of the plurality of UEs via the RAN to indicate which of the plurality of network slices is barred from use in establishing communication sessions between the at least one of the plurality of UEs and the cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a cellular network system as context for various embodiments described herein;
  • FIG. 2 shows a view of a conventional embodiment of a cellular communication network
  • FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example of a conventional schema for a network slice identifier
  • FIGS. 4A and 4B show an example of a novel schema for network slice identification that provides efficient slice grouping along the SST dimension and/or along the SD dimension, according to embodiments described herein;
  • FIG. 5 shows an illustrative cellular communication network that supports wildcard-based slice grouping, according to various embodiments described herein;
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B show illustrative flow diagrams for UE registration and subsequent establishment of one or more communication sessions on a cellular network that supports wildcard-enabled slice groups, according to various embodiments;
  • FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method to implement a first novel approach to unified access control over network slice groups, according to some embodiments described herein;
  • Embodiments described herein provide a novel slice identification schema that supports group-level identification of groups of network slices without individually listing slices in access-stratum and/or non-access stratum communications.
  • network slices can be uniquely identified by a slice identifier that includes a slice/service type (SST) portion and a slice differentiator (SD) portion.
  • SST slice/service type
  • SD slice differentiator
  • such a slice identifier can be configured to support one or more wildcard SST options and/or wildcard SD options to support wildcard-enabled slice groups.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a cellular network system 100 (“system 100”) as context for various embodiments described herein.
  • System 100 can include a 5GNew Radio (NR) cellular network; other types of cellular networks, such as 6G, 76, etc. may also be possible.
  • System 100 can include: user equipment (UE) 110 (UE 110-1, UE 110-2, UE 110-3); base station 115; cellular network 120; radio units 125 (“RUs 125”); distributed units 127 (“DUs 127”); centralized unit 129 (“CU 129”); 5G core 139, and orchestrator 138.
  • FIG. 1 represents a component-level view.
  • One or more RUs may communicate with DU 127-1 .
  • RUs such as RU 125-1 .
  • three RUs may be present, each connected with the same DU.
  • Different RUs may be present for different portions of the spectrum. For instance, a first RU may operate on the spectrum in the citizens broadcast radio service (CBRS) band while a second RU may operate on a separate portion of the spectrum, such as, for example, band 71.
  • One or more DUs such as DU 127-1, may communicate with CU 129.
  • a gNodeB which serves as the radio access network (RAN) of cellular network 120.
  • RAN radio access network
  • CU 129 can communicate with 5G core 139.
  • the specific architecture of cellular network 120 can vary by embodiment.
  • Edge cloud server systems outside of cellular network 120 may communicate, either directly, via the Internet, or via some other network, with components of cellular network 120.
  • DU 127-1 may be able to communicate with an edge cloud server system without routing data through CU 129 or 5G core 139.
  • Other DUs may or may not have this capability.
  • DUs 127, CU 129, 5G core 139, and/or orchestrator 138 can be implemented virtually as software being executed by general-purpose computing equipment, such as in a data center. Therefore, depending on needs, the functionality of a DU, CU, and/or 5G core may be implemented locally to each other and/or specific functions of any given component can be performed by physically separated server systems (e.g., at different server farms). For example, some functions of a CU may be located at a same server facility as where the DU is executed, while other functions are executed at a separate server system.
  • cloud-based cellular network components 128 include CU 129, 5G core 139, and orchestrator 138. Such cloudbased cellular network components 128 may be executed as specialized software executed by underlying general-purpose computer servers. Cloud-based cellular network components 128 may be executed on a third-party cloud-based computing platform or a cloud-based computing platform operated by the same entity that operates the RAN. A cloud-based computing platform may have the ability to devote additional hardware resources to cloudbased cellular network components 128 or implement additional instances of such components when requested.
  • Kubemetes can be used to create and destroy the logical CU or 5G core units and subunits as needed for the cellular network 120 to function properly.
  • Kubemetes allows for container deployment, scaling, and management. As an example, if cellular traffic increases substantially in a region, an additional logical CU or components of a CU may be deployed in a data center near where the traffic is occurring without any new hardware being deployed. (Rather, processing and storage capabilities of the data center would be devoted to the needed functions.) When the need for the logical CU or subcomponents of the CU no longer exists, Kubemetes can allow for removal of the logical CU. Kubemetes can also be used to control the flow of data (e.g., messages) and inject a flow of data to various components. This arrangement can allow for the modification of nominal behavior of various layers.
  • data e.g., messages
  • Orchestrator 138 can represent various software processes executed by underlying computer hardware. Orchestrator 138 can monitor cellular network 120 and determine the amount and location at which cellular network functions should be deployed to meet or attempt to meet service level agreements (SLAs) across slices of the cellular network.
  • SLAs service level agreements
  • resources are not infinite, so allocation of an excess of resources to a particular UE group and/or application may be desired to be avoided.
  • a cost may be attached to cellular slices: the greater the amount of resources dedicated, the greater the cost to the user; thus optimization between performance and cost is desirable.
  • Particular network slices may only be reserved in particular geographic regions. For instance, a first set of network slices may be present at RU 125-1 and DU 127-1, a second set of network slices, which may only partially overlap or may be wholly different from the first set, may be reserved at RU 125-2 and DU 127-2.
  • particular cellular network slices may include some number of defined layers. Each layer within a network slice may be used to define QoS parameters and other network configurations for particular types of data. For instance, high-priority data sent by a UE may be mapped to a layer having relatively higher QoS parameters and network configurations than lower-priority data sent by the UE that is mapped to a second layer having relatively less stringent QoS parameters and different network configurations.
  • FIG. 2 shows a view of a conventional embodiment of a cellular communication network 200.
  • the conventional network 200 is shown with a single UE 110 in communication with the network infrastructure via a single tower 115.
  • the tower 115 can generally represent a radio access network (RAN), such as an eNodeB, or the like.
  • the network infrastructure is illustrated generally as a phy sical infrastructure 210 having subnetworks associated with virtual network operators (VNOs) 220.
  • VNOs virtual network operators
  • each VNO 220 can implement multiple (e g., a large number of) network slices 230, each supporting a stand-alone virtual network with its own network management, orchestration, etc. that is optimized or otherwise configured for supporting particular applications, providing particular services, etc.
  • UEs 110 can receive tailored communication services via the RAN and the network slices 230, but the UEs 1 10 and the RAN are not considered part of any network slices 230. Further, depending on the physical and logical architecture, certain network functions of the network infrastructure can be common to the network slices 230, while other network functions can be dedicated to particular network slices 230. As one example, the network infrastructure can include a number of common network functions, such as a network slice selection function (NSSF) and a network repository function (NRF).
  • NSSF network slice selection function
  • NRF network repository function
  • the example network infrastructure also includes a number of slice-specific functions, such as each network slice 230 having its own instance of a session management function (SMF) to provide the slice with management functions, and its own instance of a user plane function (UPF) to provide a respective tailored data network via the network slice 230.
  • SMF session management function
  • UPF user plane function
  • Some network functions can be common from the UE 110 side, but slice-specific from the network side, or vice versa.
  • the example network infrastructure may dedicate different instances of an access and mobility management function (AMF) to different network slices 230, but the AMF may be a common node from the perspective of any particular UE 110.
  • AMF access and mobility management function
  • a network slice 230 is realized by a network slice instance (NSI), which is an activated network slice.
  • NSI can include one or more network slice subnet instances (NS Sis), such as one or more core network NSSIs and one or more access network NSSIs.
  • NS Sis network slice subnet instances
  • Each network slice can be uniquely identified.
  • S-NSSAI single-network slice selection assistance information
  • the S-NSSAI 235 includes two portions: a slice/service type (SST) portion 237 and a slice differentiator (SD) portion 239.
  • SST slice/service type
  • SD slice differentiator
  • Each VNO 220 can offer a collection of network services defined by a public land mobile network (PLMN).
  • PLMN public land mobile network
  • each UE 110 can be provisioned with a “configured NSSAI,” which can correspond to a collection of S-NSSAIs 235.
  • the UE 110 can derive a “requested” NSSAI from its configured NSSAI.
  • the UE 110 can send a UE registration request message 202 to the RAN (e g., to cell tower 115), identifying the requested NSSAI.
  • the RAN can be aware of which AMFs support which network slices 230, and the RAN can select an appropriate AMF to support the requested NSSAI, accordingly.
  • the AMF can derive an “allowed” NSSAI (e.g., and a “rejected” NSSAI) on its own, or in conjunction with the NSSF.
  • Information about the allowed and rejected NSSAIs is sent back to the UE 110.
  • the UE 110 can then request and establish one or more PDU sessions over one or more of the S-NSSAIs 235 of the allowed NSSAI.
  • each network slice 230 can be configured by the VNO 220 to be tailored to a particular type of service, application, etc.
  • the request can indicate a particular S-NSSAI 235 (of the allowed NSSAI) that is most suitable for, tailored for, or otherwise appropriate for that application.
  • each VNO 220 can create and manage a large number of network slices 230, each tailored for a particular service type (indicated by the SST portion 237 of the S-NSSAI 235) and for a particular tenant or type of tenant (indicated by the SD portion 239 of the S-NSSAI 235).
  • the tenant or type of tenant can be a category of subscribers, an enterprise customer, etc.
  • FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example of a conventional schema 300 for a S-NSSAI 235.
  • a schema is defined in various wireless communication networking standards.
  • the S-NSSAI 235 includes an SST portion 237 and an SD portion 239.
  • Each SST portion 237 defines a category of service for which the network slice is being configured or optimized as corresponding to expected performance and behavior of the virtual network provided by the network slice 230.
  • Each SD portion 239 provides optional differentiation between network slices 230 of the same SST, such as to allow segmentation between network slices 230 of the same SST being provided to different customers.
  • the SST portion 237 is represented by one octet (an SST value 334), such that there can be up to 256 SST values 334 that can each have an associated SST name 332 and SST service description 336; and the SD portion 239 is represented by three octets (an SD value 344), such that there can be over 10 million SD values 334 that can each have an associated SD description 346.
  • the range of values is indicated as between hexadecimal ‘#000000’ (i.e., ‘0’ decimal) and ‘#FFFFFF’ (i.e., ’16,777,215’ decimal).
  • SST value 334 (‘00000001’ through ‘00000101’ binary, or ‘1’ through ‘5’ decimal) that have defined SST names 332 and SST service descriptions 336.
  • SST value 334 ‘1’ corresponds to enhanced (or extreme) mobile broadband (eMBB) network slices 230, which can be optimized for broadband video applications, and/or other types of applications that tend to consume high amounts of network bandwidth.
  • SST value 334 ‘2’ corresponds to ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) network slices 230, which can be optimized for certain emergency applications, telemedicine applications, and/or other contexts that tend to require very high reliability and very low latency.
  • URLLC ultra-reliable low-latency communications
  • SST value 334 ‘3’ corresponds to massive Intemet-of-things (MIoT) network slices 230 (also referred to as massive machine-type communications, MMTC), which can be optimized for loT sensor devices and applications, and/or other context in which relatively large numbers of devices each tend to use relatively small amounts of network bandwidth and/or do not require high performance.
  • SST value 334 ‘4’ corresponds to vehicle-to-X (V2X) network slices 230, which can be optimized for applications and services to support autonomous vehicles, and/or the like.
  • SST value 334 ‘5’ corresponds to high-performance machine-type communications (HMTC) network slices 230, which can be optimized for loT and/or other devices that tend to require high throughput and high reliability.
  • MIoT massive Intemet-of-things
  • MMTC massive machine-type communications
  • a second set of SST values 334 (‘00000110’ through ‘01111111’ binary, or ‘6’ through ‘127’ decimal) is reserved for future definition by the standard.
  • a third set of SST values 334 (‘ 10000000’ through ‘ 11111111’ binary, or ‘128’ through ‘255’ decimal) is allocated for definition by the VNO 220.
  • all of the SD values 344 can be defined by the VNO 220.
  • Each SD value 344 can be associated by the VNO 220 with a corresponding SD description 346.
  • the SD description 346 can indicate a particular tenant (e.g., enterprise subscriber, etc.), class of service, or any other suitable designation that differentiates the particular network slice 230 from another network slice 230 of the same SST.
  • a large VNO 220 has a number of subscribers, including a large vehicle company (Company A), a large retailer (Company B), and a large logistics company (Company C).
  • the VNO 220 may decide to build out network services for each of these subscribers to include eMBB network slices 230 for all three companies, V2X network slices 230 for Company A and Company C, MIoT network slices 230 for Company B and Company C, etc. In such a case, the VNO 220 now has eMBB network slices 230 for three different customers, and the VNO 220 can use different SD values 344 to provide segmentation and differentiation between those network slices 230. [0049] In some cases, it may be desirable to treat network slices 230 as a group with respect to either a common SST dimension or a common SD.
  • a VNO 220 may desire to perform a slice orchestration or management function on a particular SST, such as by upgrading certain network functions for all subscribers that have been allocated network slices 230 of that particular SST.
  • the VNO 220 has multiple car companies as subscribers, and each car company is allocated at least one V2X network slice 230, differentiated by respective SD values 344.
  • Performing a function to affect all network slices 230 of the same SST may involve repeating related messaging by the VNO 220 among components of the network for each of the effected network slices 230. For example, a particular message operates on a designated network slice 230 by indicating the corresponding S-NSSAI 235 of the network slice 230.
  • a VNO 220 may desire to perform a slice orchestration or management function for a particular subscriber, such as by upgrading certain network functions for all network slices 230 associated with that subscriber’s SD value 344.
  • performing a function to affect all network slices 230 of the same SD may involve repeating related messaging by the VNO 220 among components of the network for each of the effected network slices 230. For example, a particular message operates on a designated network slice 230 by indicating the corresponding S-NSSAI 235 of the network slice 230. If there are twenty network slices 230 of the same SD, each of a different respective SST value 334, it may be necessary to repeat the message for each of the twenty network slices 230.
  • FIGS. 4A and 4B show an example of a novel schema 400 for network slice identification that provides efficient slice grouping along the SST dimension and/or along the SD dimension, according to embodiments described herein.
  • the novel slice identification schema 400 is shown in a similar manner to the conventional schema 300 of FIGS. 3 A and 3B.
  • the novel slice identification schema 400 is illustrated as backwards-compatible with the conventional schema 300 of the S-NSSAI 235.
  • the wildcard SST option 410 is assigned to any of the set of SST values 334 from ‘6’ to ‘127’, which are reserved for designation in the standard, but are as-yet unassigned (i.e., in the range of SST values 334 from ‘00000110’ to ‘01111111’ binary). Whether the wildcard SST option 410 is assigned to SST value 334 ‘O’, or to any of the unassigned SST values 334 between ‘6’ and ‘ 127’, such implementations involve inclusion of the assignment in the relevant wireless communication standards.
  • the wildcard SST option 410 is assigned to any of the set of SST values 334 from ‘ 128’ to ‘255’, which are reserved for designation by VNOs 220 without requiring acceptance by any standards organization (i.e., in the range of SST values 334 from ‘10000000’ to ‘11111111’ binary).
  • FIG. 4B shows an illustrative listing of SD information, including SD values 344 with corresponding SD descriptions 346.
  • the novel slice identification schema 400 includes at least one wildcard SD option 420.
  • the wildcard SD option 420 is assigned to a particular SD value 344, illustrated as ‘#XXXXX’ (with a corresponding SD description 346).
  • current standards allocate all of the more than 10 million possible SD values 344 for designation by the VNOs 220 without requiring acceptance by any standards organization. Implementations can assign the wildcard SD option 420 to any of over 16 million SD values 344.
  • FIGS. 4A and 4B shows only a single respective wildcard option
  • other implementations can include other numbers of w ildcard SST options 410 and/or wildcard SD options 420
  • some implementations use the set of SST values 334 reserved for VNO 220 designation (i.e., SST values 334 from ‘10000000’ to ‘11111111’ binary) for the wildcard SST option 410.
  • one or more subsets of those SST values 334 ca be related for grouping purposes, and one of the SST values 334 in each subset can be used as the wildcard SST option 410 for that subset.
  • FIG. 5 shows an illustrative cellular communication network 500 that supports wildcard-based slice grouping, according to various embodiments described herein.
  • the network 500 is shown with a single UE 110 in communication with the network infrastructure via a single tower 115.
  • the tower 115 can generally represent a radio access network (RAN), such as an eNodeB, or the like.
  • RAN radio access network
  • the network infrastructure is illustrated generally as a physical infrastructure 210 having subnetworks associated with virtual network operators (VNOs) 220. Only a single VNO 220 is show, but the physical network infrastructure 210 can support any suitable number of VNOs 220.
  • VNOs virtual network operators
  • Each VNO 220 can implement multiple (e.g., a large number ol) network slices 230, each supporting a standalone virtual network with its own network management, orchestration, etc. that is optimized or otherwise configured for supporting particular applications, providing particular services, etc. Additionally, as shown, wildcard SST options 410 and/or wildcard SD options 420 can be used to implement slice grouping for the network slices 230 of a VNO 220.
  • the “SST1 Slice Group” 520- 1 indicates a grouping of all network slices 230 common to a first SST, regardless of the SD (i.e., for all SDs having such a network slice 230).
  • the SST portion 237 indicates an SST value 334 of ‘ 1’
  • the SD portion 239 indicates an SD value 344 corresponding to the (e.g., or a) wildcard SD option 410.
  • Another illustrated example of wildcard-enabled slice groups are groupings in the SD dimension.
  • the “SD1 Slice Group” 510-1 indicates a grouping of all network slices 230 common to a first SD, regardless of the SST.
  • the SST portion 237 indicates an SST value 334 corresponding to the (e.g., or a) wildcard SST option 410, and the SD portion 239 indicates an SD value 344 of ‘ 1’ .
  • At least some of the communications between UEs 110, RAN components (e.g., tower 115), physical network infrastructure 210, virtual network functions, etc. include explicit slide identification. For example, communications regarding registration of UEs and establishment of a communication session, communications regarding slice management, and other types of communications include identification of S-NSSAIs 235 to indicate which network slice 230 or network slices 230 are invoked by the communications.
  • the network 500 shows a representation of UE registration and response messaging.
  • the UE 110 communicates a UE registration request message 202 to the RAN (e.g., to cell tower 115), which can pass along the message (e.g., with modification) to the network functions of the VNO 220.
  • a UE registration response message 504 is communicated to the UE 110 via the RAN to indicate at least one allowed NSSAI representing a set of S-NSSAIs 235.
  • the set of S-NSSAIs 235 of the at least one allowed NSSAI can include S-NSSAIs 235 corresponding to individual network slices 230 (e.g., 504-1), S-NSSAIs 235 corresponding to wildcard-enabled slice groups that are SD slice groups 510 (e.g., 504-2), and/or S-NSSAIs 235 corresponding to wildcard-enabled slice groups that are SST slice groups 520 (e.g., 504-3).
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B show illustrative flow diagrams 600 for UE registration and subsequent establishment of one or more communication sessions on a cellular network that supports wildcard-enabled slice groups, according to various embodiments.
  • a portion of the cellular network is shown to include a UE 110, a RAN 610, and common network functions (at least from the perspective of the UE 110).
  • the common network functions can include at least one or more access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 620, a unified data management (UDM) function 630, and a network slice selection function (NSSF) 640.
  • AMFs access and mobility management functions
  • UDM unified data management
  • NSSF network slice selection function
  • Embodiments begin at stage 604 by the UE 110 deriving a “requested” NSSAI from its configured NSSAI.
  • each VNO 220 can offer a collection of network services defined by a public land mobile network (PLMN).
  • PLMN public land mobile network
  • each UE 110 can be provisioned with a “configured NSSAI,” which can correspond to a collection of S-NSSAIs 235.
  • the UE 110 can then derive its requested NSSAI from the configuration of the PLMN.
  • the UE 110 can then send a UE registration request message 202-1 to the RAN 610.
  • the RAN 610 can select an appropriate AMF 620.
  • the AMF can communicate a UE registration response message 504 back to the UE 110 via the RAN 610.
  • the UE registration response message 504 indicates the allowed and/or rejected NSSAIs.
  • the UE 110 can request establishment of a communication session via one or more network slices 230.
  • the UE 110 can request a so-called “PDU session,” to provide end- to-end connectivity between the UE 110 and the specific data network or group of data networks that is implemented via the user plane function (UPF) or group of UPFs corresponding to a S-NSSAI 235 (e.g., representing a single network slice 230 or a wildcard- enabled slice group).
  • UPF user plane function
  • FIG. 6B a different portion of the cellular network is shown to include the UE 110, the RAN 610, and the AMF 620 of FIG. 6A, as well as one or more UPFs 650 and one or more session management functions (SMF) 660.
  • the UE 110 can request establishment of a communication session via one or more network slices 230. Such a request can involve sending a session establishment request message 625 that indicates a specific S-NSSAI 235 over which to establish the session.
  • the AMF 620 can engage a network function (NF) discovery routine with a network repository function (NRF) and/or engage a slice selecting service of the NSSF 640.
  • NF network function
  • NRF network repository function
  • unified access control allows the VNOs 220 to control network access, such as to determine which access attempts to allow or block in response to network congestion.
  • unified access control is based on so-called “access identities” and “access categones.”
  • VNOs 220 can broadcast barring information that identifies lists of barring parameters associated with access identities and access categories.
  • the access attempt can have a corresponding one or more access identities and an access category, and the UE 110 can determine whether it is allowed to make the access attempt based on comparing the corresponding access identity and access category to the previously broadcast barring information.
  • the unified access control allows a VNO 220 to permit or bar network access by any UE 110.
  • Some access identities and access categories can be defined by applicable network standards, and other can be reserved for definition and assignment by the VNOs 220.
  • VNO-defined unified access control parameters (e.g., VNO-defined access categories) can be specified in the serving PLMN.
  • FIGS. 7 and 8 shows illustrative flow diagrams for methods 700 and 800, respectively, of performing unified access control with slice groups, according to various embodiments.
  • the methods 700 and 800 can be implemented in any suitable communication network, such as those described above.
  • NAS non-access stratum
  • the methods 700 and 800 involve non-access stratum (NAS) communications in a cellular network, such as between a UE 110 and an AMF 620.
  • the AMF 620 can communicate unified access control messaging 705 to the UE 110, such as by broadcasting barring information that indicates access identities and/or access categories that are barred from access to the network.
  • NAS non-access stratum
  • Embodiments described herein provide two novel approaches to unified access control of network slice groups in a cellular communication network infrastructure. Both approaches generally begin by negotiating (e.g., between an access and mobility management function (AMF) and a user equipment device (UE) via a radio access network (RAN)) a unified access control schema corresponding to an operator-defined access category that indicates a criteria type configured to support slice grouping.
  • AMF access and mobility management function
  • UE user equipment device
  • RAN radio access network
  • the approaches can then map a slice group identifier to a corresponding value field of a barring information message in accordance with the unified access control schema, the slice group identifier uniquely identifying an operator-defined group of network slices of a plurality of network slices, each of the plurality of network slices being uniquely identifiable by a network slice identifier separate from the slice group identifier.
  • the approaches can then communicate the barring information message from the AMF to the UE via the RAN to indicate to the UE which of the plurality of network slices is barred from use in establishing communication sessions between the UE and the cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the UE ultimately receives the barring information message (e.g., and locally stores barring information encoded therein) indicating to the UE which of a plurality of network slices is barred from use in establishing communication sessions between the UE and the cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the UE trigger establishment of a communication session between the UE and the cellular communication network infrastructure, and the triggering can invoke at least one network slice of the at least one operator-defined group of network slices.
  • the UE can determine, based on the barring information message, whether the at least one network slice is barred from use in establishing communication sessions between the UE and the cellular communication network infrastructure.
  • the UE can then establish a communication session with the cellular communication network infrastructure (via a virtualized data network defined by the at least one network slice responsive) only after determining that the invoked network slice is not barred in the barring information.
  • FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method 700 to implement a first novel approach to unified access control over network slice groups, according to some embodiments described herein.
  • Such an approach uses an S-NSSAI criteria type as part of a VNO-defined access category with its contents (e.g., value fields) configured to support wildcard-enabled slice groups.
  • Embodiments of the method 700 can begin at stage 704 by negotiating a unified access control schema of the S-NSSAI type.
  • Such a negotiation can be performed, for example, between the AMF 620 and one or more UEs 110 during UE 110 registration with the network, or at any other suitable time.
  • the negotiation can define a schema by which to indicate those of the network slices that are barred and those that are allowed.
  • the schema can define value fields that can be evaluated (e.g., interpreted) by a receiving UE 110 once the UE 110 is made aware of the schema.
  • the schema can define the manner in which S-NSSAIs 235 are indicated (e.g., in which octet, in which bit positions, in what format, in which order, how many bits per S-NSSAI, etc.) and the manner of indicating whether a particular S-NSSAI is barred (e.g., a bit value of ‘ 1’ can indicate that a particular S-NSSAI 235 mapped to that bit position is barred from access by an associated UE 110).
  • embodiments can map each of multiple S-NSSAIs to corresponding value fields of barring information in accordance with the schema, where at least one of the mapped S-NSSAIs uniquely identifies a wildcard-enabled slice group.
  • the AMF 620 can inform the UE 110 of a mapping between a number of S-NSSAIs 235 and some number of bits.
  • embodiments of the UE 110 can receive and locally store the barring information.
  • the UE 110 can trigger a session establishment routine for establishing a PDU session, or other suitable communication session, between the UE 110 and the network using the network slice identified by a particular S-NSSAI 235.
  • the UE 110 can determine whether the requested S-NSSAI 235 is barred according to the barring information received and stored at stage 720. If the S-NSSAI 235 is not barred, a session can be established via the requested S-NSSAI 235 (stage 732). If the S-NSSAI 235 is barred, a session cannot be established via the requested S-NSSAI 235 (stage 734).
  • FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of a method 800 to implement a second novel approach to unified access control over network slice groups, according to some embodiments described herein.
  • Such an approach uses a novel “slice group criteria type” as part of a VNO-defined access category with its contents (e.g., value fields) configured to support VNO-defined slice groups.
  • the S-NSSAI criteria type in invoked by setting the eighth octet of the VNO-defined access category definition to ‘00000010’.
  • the criteria type octet can be followed by one or more S-NSSAI length-value value fields.
  • each value field can include one octet to indicate the length (in octets) of a following S-NSSAI value field, followed by the number of octets of the N-NSSAI value field to identify the S-NSSAI (e.g., one octet for the SST value and three octets for the SD value, as described above).
  • Embodiments of the method 800 can begin at stage 804 by negotiating a unified access control schema of the slice group criteria type. Such a negotiation can be performed, for example, between the AMF 620 and one or more UEs 110 during UE 110 registration with the network, or at any other suitable time.
  • the negotiation can define a schema by which to define VNO-defined slice groups (i.e., at least to identify which network slices are part of any particular VNO-defined slice group) and by which to indicate which of the VNO- defined slice groups are barred or allowed.
  • the schema can define value fields that can be evaluated (e.g., interpreted) by a receiving UE 110 once the UE 110 is made aware of the schema.
  • embodiments can map each of multiple VNO-defined slice groups to corresponding value fields of barring information in accordance with the schema.
  • the AMF 620 can inform the UE 110 of a mapping between a number of VNO- defined slice group and some number of bits. Subsequently, the AMF 620 can broadcast barring information by setting some of the bits to ‘1’ and other bits to ‘0’ (e.g., ‘1’ indicates that UE 110 is barred from accessing the S-NSSAI 235 mapped to that bit, and c 0’ indicates that the UE 110 is allowed access to the S-NSSAI 235 mapped to that bit; or vice versa). In this way, any device that is not registered with the AMF 620 may be able to pick up the broadcast barring information, but will be unable to interpret the information without the schema received during the registration.
  • S-NSSAI 235 If the S-NSSAI 235 is not barred, a session can be established via the requested S-NSSAI 235 (stage 732). If the S-NSSAI 235 is barred, a session cannot be established via the requested S-NSSAI 235 (stage 734).

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

Abstract

Des modes de réalisation concernent de nouvelles approches pour gérer des groupes de tranches de réseau dans des communications de strate d'accès et de strate de non-accès dans un réseau de communication cellulaire. Un nouveau schéma d'identification de tranche peut prendre en charge une identification de niveau de groupe de groupes de tranches de réseau sans lister individuellement les tranches de réseau. Certains modes de réalisation mettent en œuvre un identifiant de tranche qui prend en charge des options de type de tranche/service (SST) Wildcard et/ou des options de différenciateur de tranche (SD) Wildcard pour prendre en charge des groupes de tranches activés par Wildcard. Certains modes de réalisation permettent l'utilisation de tels groupes de tranches activés par Wildcard dans le contexte d'une commande d'accès unifiée. Certains modes de réalisation introduisent un nouveau type de critère à une commande d'accès unifiée pour prendre en charge expressément un groupement de tranches flexibles.
PCT/US2023/024420 2022-06-07 2023-06-05 Groupe de tranches de réseau WO2023239636A1 (fr)

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US17/834,069 US20230397088A1 (en) 2022-06-07 2022-06-07 Unified access control with network slice grouping
US17/834,147 US20230397091A1 (en) 2022-06-07 2022-06-07 Network slicing group
US17/834,069 2022-06-07
US17/834,147 2022-06-07

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Citations (2)

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