Network slice management apparatus and network slice management method

• US 10,638,308 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaoyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US16/022,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20180310169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network slice management apparatus, a service capability exposure function apparatus, and a network slice management method. According to the network slice management apparatus and the service capability exposure function apparatus in the present disclosure, the service capability exposure function apparatus obtains, based on information provided in an application request, information corresponding to a network slice of a core network. The service capability exposure function apparatus further queries an address of a network element in the network slice and communicates with the network element.

Claims

1. A network slice management apparatus collaborating with a service capability exposure function apparatus and an application server, comprising:

a memory, configured to store network slice information;

a communicator, configured to receive a network element address query request from the service capability exposure function apparatus, wherein the network element address query request comprises application information and a network element type indication, and the network element type indication indicates a network element having an Internet Protocol address; and

at least one processor, configured to;

in response to receiving the network element address query request from the service capability exposure function apparatus;

obtain network slice information from the memory based on the received application information; and

after obtaining the network slice information, obtain, based on the obtained network slice information and the received network element type indication, the Internet Protocol address of the network element;

wherein the communicator is further configured to send the Internet Protocol address of the network element to the service capability exposure function apparatus.

2. The network slice management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network element address query request further comprises a tracking area identifier, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to obtain, based on the network slice information, the tracking area identifier, and the network element type indication, the Internet Protocol address of the network element.

3. The network slice management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communicator is further configured to send a tracking area identifier and a network element Internet Protocol address list to the service capability exposure function apparatus.

4. A network slice management method, applied to a network slice management apparatus, wherein the network slice management apparatus comprises a communicator, at least one processor, and a memory, the at least one processor is coupled to the communicator and the memory, the memory is configured to store network slice information, and wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by the communicator, a network element address query request from a service capability exposure function apparatus, wherein the network element address query request comprises application information and a network element type indication, and the network element type indication indicates a network element having an Internet Protocol address; and

in response to receiving the network element address query request from the service capability exposure function apparatus;

obtaining, by the at least one processor, network slice information from the memory based on the received application information;

after obtaining the network slice information, obtaining, by the at least one processor and based on the obtained network slice information and the received network element type indication, the Internet Protocol address of the network element; and

sending, by the communicator, the Internet Protocol address of the network element to the service capability exposure function apparatus.

5. The network slice management method according to claim 4, wherein the network element address query request further comprises a tracking area identifier, and wherein the network slice management method further comprises:

obtaining, by the at least one processor and based on the network slice information, the tracking area identifier, and the network element type indication, the Internet Protocol address of the network element.

6. The network slice management method according to claim 4, wherein the network slice management method further comprises:

sending, by the communicator, a tracking area identifier and a network element Internet Protocol address list to the service capability exposure function apparatus.