CN111866759A - Group communication method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a group communication method and apparatus, which can realize the reporting of statistical information of the session granularity of the egress and the QoS operation of the quality of service. The method includes: a user plane network element receives a group message; the user plane network element determines a group session matching the group message; the user plane network element copies and distributes the group message to the user through the group session in multiple first sessions of the plane network element; or, the user plane network element duplicates and distributes the group packet to multiple egresses of the user plane network element through the group session.

Description

Group communication method and device

technical field

The present application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a group communication method and device.

Background technique

At present, the (3rd partnership generation project, 3GPP) technical standard (technical standard, TS) 29.244 defines a way of forwarding packets on the user plane, and its architecture is shown in FIG. 1 . Its working mechanism is that after the user plane function (UPF) network element receives the packet from the ingress (such as the N3 interface), it marks the packet according to the 5th generation (5G) user plane protocol of the packet (such as a tunnel). The endpoint identifier (tunnel endpointidentifier, TEID)) determines the session to which the message belongs. Then the UPF network element uses the packet detection rule (PDR) (possibly one or more) in the N4 session context (N4 session context) of the session to match the characteristic information of the packet to find the matching PDR . The PDR specifies a forwarding action rule (FAR), a quality of services (QoS) enforcement rule (QER) and a usage reporting rule (URR) corresponding to the packet. Further, the UPF network element may perform operations such as drop, forward, buffer, report to the control plane (notify), or duplicate (duplicate) on the packet according to the FAR. UPF network elements can perform QoS operations on packets according to the QER. UPF network elements can report statistics on packets according to URR. Finally, the message is sent out from the egress (such as the N6 interface). Among them, in the process that the UPF network element performs forwarding processing on the message according to the FAR, the key actions include specifying the egress identifier and the egress action. Egress actions may include, for example, adding outer header creation, transport level marking, forwarding policy, or header enrichment, and the like.

However, if the above solution is applied to group communication, since this solution can only be processed in a specific session of the ingress, it can only realize the statistical information reporting and QoS operation of the session granularity of the ingress, but cannot realize the statistics of the session granularity of the egress. Information reporting and QoS operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present application provide a group communication method and device, which can implement the reporting of session granularity statistics and QoS operations at the egress.

To achieve the above object, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

A first aspect provides a group communication method, the method includes: a user plane network element receiving a group message; the user plane network element determining a group session matching the group message; In the group session, the group message is copied and distributed to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element. Optionally, the plurality of first sessions include one or more user sessions, and/or one or more fifth-generation local area network 5GLAN sessions. In this solution, in the group communication scenario, the user plane network element can determine the group session that matches the group user packet, and copy and distribute the group packet to multiple users of the user plane network element through the group session. In the first session, statistical information reporting and QoS operation can be implemented in the first session. Therefore, based on this solution, not only the statistical information reporting and QoS operation of the session granularity of the ingress can be realized, but also the statistical information of the session granularity of the egress can be realized. Reporting and QoS operations.

In a possible design, the user plane network element copies and distributes the group packet to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session, including: the user plane network element uses the group session to copy and distribute the group packet. Copy the group message; the user plane network element forwards the copied group message to the local switch through the group session; the user plane network element forwards the copied group message through the local switch The message is distributed to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element. In the embodiment of the present application, the group message is copied by the group session, and the copied group message is distributed by the local exchange. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of the message in the user session, it can not only realize centralized configuration, but also facilitate management. , and for broadcast, considering that the processing rules of broadcast packets are known, that is, copy broadcast packets in the broadcast domain and send them to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface) except the sender of the broadcast packet. or other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so you only need to create a default policy as a broadcast policy, and you do not need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which can simplify the user Number of policies configured on plane NEs.

In a possible design, the user plane network element copies and distributes the group packet to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session, including: the user plane network element uses the group session to copy and distribute the group packet. Copy the group message; the user plane network element distributes the copied group message to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session. In the embodiment of the present application, group packets are copied and distributed by local exchange. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of packets in user sessions, not only can centralized configuration be realized, and management is convenient, but also for broadcast, the processing of broadcast packets is taken into consideration. The rules are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface or N6 The data network corresponding to the interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as the broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which can simplify the number of policies configured on the user plane NEs.

In a possible design, the user plane network element copies and distributes the group packet to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session, including: the user plane network element uses the group session to copy and distribute the group packet. Forward the group packet to the local switch; the user plane network element copies the group packet through the local switch; the user plane network element distributes the copied group packet to the user plane network element through the local switch of multiple first sessions. In the embodiment of the present application, the group message is copied and distributed by the group session. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of the message in the user session, not only can centralized configuration be realized, and management is convenient, but also for broadcasting, considering the The processing rules are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface or The data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as the broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which can simplify the number of policies configured on the user plane NEs.

In a possible design, the group session is a broadcast session; the group session includes a second FAR, and the second FAR indicates that the multiple first sessions corresponding to the group message are all sessions in the broadcast domain; And/or, the second FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast. Based on this solution, the group packet processed by the group session can be matched to all sessions in the broadcast domain.

In a possible design, the group session is a multicast session; the group session includes a third FAR, and the third FAR indicates that the egress identifier corresponding to the group packet is the identifier of the multiple first sessions and/or, the third FAR indicates that a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session is added to each group message in the copied group message as an outer message header. Based on this solution, the group packets processed by the group session can be matched to multiple first sessions.

In a possible design, the method further includes: the user plane network element determines a plurality of first sessions of the user plane network element according to the first session identifier and/or the peer tunnel identifier of the first session. Based on this solution, the user plane network element can determine multiple first sessions of the user plane network element receiving the group message.

In a second aspect, a group communication method is provided. The method includes: a user plane network element receiving a group message; the user plane network element determining a group session matching the group message; In the group session, the group packet is copied and distributed to multiple egresses of the user plane network element. Optionally, the multiple outlets may include, for example, one or more N3 interfaces, and/or one or more N9 interfaces, and/or one or more Nx interfaces, and/or one or more N6 interfaces. On the one hand, in the embodiment of the present application, the group message is copied and distributed by the group session. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of the message in the user session, not only can centralized configuration be realized, and management is convenient, but also for broadcasting, considering the broadcasting The processing rules of the packets are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user planes corresponding to the Nx interface) except the sender of the broadcast packet. NE or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as the broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which can simplify the number of policies configured on the user plane NEs. . On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, the group session directly distributes the group message to multiple egress, thereby reducing the processing process of the group message at the user plane network element.

With reference to the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the group message includes a group address; the user plane network element determines a group session matching the group message, including: a user The plane network element determines the group session matching the group message according to the group address. Since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the group session, it can not only process the group message from the data network (that is, the group message transmitted in the downlink), but also can process the group message received from the user session. Group packets can reduce the processing process of group packets on user plane network elements, and can also perform group-level statistical information reporting and QoS operations.

With reference to the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the user plane network element determines a group session that matches the group message, including: the user plane network element determines that the group message matches. The user plane network element forwards the group packet to the local switch through the second session; the user plane network element determines the group session matching the group packet through the local switch. Since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group packet from the second session, it is possible to perform ingress control on the group packet, report session granularity statistics of the ingress, and perform QoS operations.

With reference to the above first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the second session includes a user session or a 5G LAN session.

In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the local tunnel identifier of the second session is retained in the group packet processed through the second session. In this way, the sender of the group packet can be excluded from the subsequent forwarding of the group packet.

In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the second session includes a first forwarding action rule FAR, and the first FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast or multicast.

With reference to the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the method further includes: the user plane network element receives a request for creating or modifying a group session from the session management network element; Modify a group conversation request to create or modify the group conversation. Based on this solution, a group session can be created through the triggering of the session management network element.

With reference to the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the method further includes: the user plane network element receives a group join or leave request; the user plane network element creates or leaves the group according to the group join or leave request. Modify this group conversation. Based on this solution, the user plane network element can create a group session by itself.

With reference to the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible design, the group session includes processing policy information for processing group packets of one or more groups, wherein the one or more groups The processing policy information of the group packet of each group in the group includes the forwarding policy of the group packet. That is to say, the group session in this embodiment of the present application can process group messages of multiple groups, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In a third aspect, a user plane network element is provided for implementing the above various methods. The user plane network element includes corresponding modules, units, or means (means) for implementing the above method, and the modules, units, or means may be implemented by hardware, software, or by executing corresponding software in hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above functions.

In a fourth aspect, a user plane network element is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used for storing computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the user plane network element executes the above-mentioned first aspect or The method described in the second aspect.

In a fifth aspect, a user plane network element is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor is configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading an instruction in the memory, execute the first aspect or the second aspect according to the instruction the method described.

In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, and instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, when the computer-readable storage medium runs on a computer, the computer can execute the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising instructions which, when run on a computer, enable the computer to perform the method described in the first or second aspect above.

In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided (for example, the apparatus may be a chip or a chip system), the apparatus includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in the first aspect or the second aspect. In one possible design, the apparatus further includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data. When the device is a system-on-chip, it may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

The technical effects brought by any one of the design methods in the third aspect to the eighth aspect can refer to the technical effects brought by different design methods in the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of the user plane forwarding packet defined by the existing 3GPP TS29.244;

Fig. 2a is the communication schematic diagram under the existing broadcast scene;

FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram of communication in an existing multicast scenario;

Figure 2c is a schematic diagram of a user plane architecture of an existing 5G LAN service;

3a is a schematic diagram of a user session provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3b is a schematic diagram of a 5G LAN session provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3c is a schematic diagram 1 of a group session provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3d is a second schematic diagram of a group session provided by an embodiment of the present application;

4 is a schematic structural diagram of a session on a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present application;

5 is a schematic diagram of an inlet and an outlet provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart 1 of a group communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a second schematic flowchart of a group communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a third schematic flowchart of a group communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a fourth schematic flowchart of a group communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a fifth schematic flowchart of a group communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram 1 of a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 12 is a second schematic structural diagram of a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction of the related technologies of the present application is first given as follows.

First, 5G local area network (5G local area network, 5GLAN):

5GLAN service is a service provided by the current 5G network, which is mainly used in home communication, corporate office, factory manufacturing, car networking, power grid transformation and public security organs. The 5GLAN service can provide Internet protocol (IP) type or non-IP type (eg, Ethernet type) private communication for two or more terminal devices in a group. For example, the devices in a factory can form a group, and the devices in the group can send Ethernet packets to each other; or, the office equipment (such as mobile phones, computers or laptops) of employees in a department in the enterprise can be formed into a group. A group, sending IP packets to each other, etc. If the two terminal devices are not in the same group, they cannot communicate with each other.

Second, broadcast:

Broadcasting is a one-to-all communication method. In a network, a local area network (LAN) (for example, a 5G LAN) corresponds to a broadcast domain. The terminal devices subscribed to the LAN can form a broadcast group (also called a LAN group), wherein the terminal devices subscribed to the LAN can be called terminal members of the broadcast group, that is, the terminal devices It is to join a broadcast group (it may be to join one or more broadcast groups) during the signing process. For the relevant implementation, reference may be made to the existing solution, which will not be repeated here.

Wherein, any terminal device in the broadcast group that has joined the network can serve as a broadcast source to send broadcast messages; meanwhile, it can receive broadcast messages as a broadcast member. For example, it is assumed that terminal members in the broadcast group that have joined the network include terminal equipment 1, terminal equipment 2, terminal equipment 3, terminal equipment 4, terminal equipment 5, and terminal equipment 6. Taking the terminal device 1 as the broadcast source as an example, the corresponding communication diagram can be shown in Figure 2a, that is, the broadcast message sent by the terminal device 1 can be respectively transmitted to the terminal device 2, the terminal device 3, and the terminal device in the broadcast group. 4. Terminal equipment 5 and terminal equipment 6.

It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, the network access of the terminal members of the broadcast group refers to establishing a user plane connection, and a typical network access method is that the terminal initiates a packet data unit (packet data unit, PDU) session establishment request. Some implementation manners will not be repeated here.

The broadcast address in this embodiment of the present application may be a destination IP address that is all 1, such as 255.255.255.255; or, the broadcast address in this embodiment of the present application may also be a destination media access control (media access control, MAC) address of All are 1, such as 0xff:0xff:0xff:0xff:0xff:0xff. For details, please refer to the definition of the existing broadcast address, which will not be repeated here.

In addition, in this embodiment of the present application, unknown unicast packets or unknown multicast packets may also be processed in a broadcast manner. That is, for unicast packets or multicast packets that are uncertain how to be forwarded, broadcast processing can be performed on them as required or configured, which is described here in a unified manner, and will not be repeated below.

Third, multicast:

In this embodiment of the present application, one multicast source and multiple multicast members may form a multicast group (also referred to as a multicast group). Among them, the multicast group address is used as the destination address, the source that sends the IP packet is called the multicast source, and the multicast user who receives the multicast data is called the multicast member. That is, multicast is directional, and the direction is from the multicast source to the multicast members. The perspectives of the multicast source and multicast members cannot be changed, otherwise they belong to different multicast groups. For example, it is assumed that the terminal members in the LAN group include terminal equipment 1, terminal equipment 2, terminal equipment 3, terminal equipment 4, terminal equipment 5, and terminal equipment 6. Taking terminal device 1 as a multicast source and terminal device 3, terminal device 5 and terminal device 6 as multicast members to form a multicast group as an example, the corresponding communication diagram can be shown in Figure 2b, that is, the communication diagram sent by terminal device 1 The multicast packet can be transmitted to terminal equipment 3, terminal equipment 5 and terminal equipment 6 in the multicast group respectively.

Among them, in the embodiment of the present application, the multicast source is determined by the application layer of the open system interconnection (open system interconnection, OSI) model, and if the terminal device wants to receive multicast data, it can explicitly send the Internet group management protocol ( Internet group management protocol, IGMP) join (join) message to the network, the network will forward the multicast data sent by the multicast source to it after the terminal device joins a multicast group, that is to say, the multicast member It is dynamically added to the multicast group. For details, please refer to the existing implementation manner, which will not be repeated here.

Wherein, the multicast address in this embodiment of the present application may be a multicast IP version 4 (IP version 4, IPv4) address assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), in the range of 224.0.0.0 to 239.255. 255.255 range; alternatively, the multicast address in this embodiment of the present application may also be a multicast MAC address with the last bit of the high 48 bits in the 48-bit constant being 1, or the multicast address in this embodiment of the present application may also be other addresses , for details, refer to the definition of the existing multicast address, which will not be repeated here.

Fourth, groups and group conversations:

The group in this embodiment of the present application may include the above-mentioned broadcast group and multicast group.

The group session in this embodiment of the present application may include a broadcast session or a multicast session, wherein a broadcast session corresponds to a broadcast group, and a group message in a broadcast group may be referred to as a broadcast message; a multicast session corresponds to a multicast group The packets in the multicast group can be called multicast packets.

Fifth, the session on the user plane network element:

In this embodiment of the present application, the session on the user plane network element includes one or more of a group session, a user session, or a 5G LAN session.

The user session on the user plane network element may specifically be a session established by the user plane network element according to the session management network element or the assigned tunnel identifier (for example, a TEID) assigned by the user plane network element when the terminal device establishes a PDU session, or a session. It can be understood as the anchor point of the PDU session of the terminal device on the core network side. Its function is to anchor the terminal device to the user plane network element (that is, to connect a terminal device), so as to receive messages (such as group messages) sent by the terminal device through the user session and send messages to the user through the user session. The terminal device sends a message (such as a group message).

Specifically, the 5GLAN session on the user plane network element may be a session established on the user plane network element according to data forwarding requirements when creating/modifying the 5GLAN. The 5GLAN session is used to control the data forwarding between different user plane network elements of the 5GLAN service, and based on the implementation, it can also control the data forwarding between different terminal devices on the same user plane network element of the 5GLAN service. Figure 2c shows a schematic diagram of the user plane architecture of the existing 5G LAN service. The terminal device establishes a session with the user plane network element that provides the 5G LAN service, so as to access the user plane network element that provides the 5G LAN service. The user plane network elements that provide 5G LAN services can communicate with the existing LAN in the data network through the N6 interface, for example, communicate with a personal computer (PC) in the LAN; alternatively, the user plane network elements that provide 5G LAN services The connection between the user plane network element and the user plane network element is associated with sessions of different terminal devices to implement private communication, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The group session on the user plane network element may specifically be a session established on the user plane network element when creating a group communication or when creating/modifying a 5G LAN. The group session is used to forward group packets between any two of the terminal device, the user plane network element, and the data network (DN) according to a specific rule path.

Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 3a, when the terminal device 1 establishes a PDU session, assuming that the user plane network element accessed by the terminal device 1 is the user plane network element 1, the user plane network element 1 can manage the network element according to the session or The tunnel ID 1 allocated by the user plane network element 1 establishes the user session 1.

Or, exemplarily, as shown in Figure 3b, when a 5GLAN session 1 is created on the user plane network element 1, the 5GLAN session 1 may include the 5GLAN session 1 on the user plane network element 1 and the 5GLAN session on the user plane network element 2 Tunnel information between session 2. Optionally, the 5G LAN session 1 may include a forwarding rule for the group packet to the terminal device 2 connected to the user plane network element 1 .

It should be noted that Fig. 3b exemplarily takes 5GLAN session 1 of user plane network element 1 and 5GLAN session 2 of user plane network element 2 as 5GLAN sessions corresponding to the same 5GLAN group as an example. Of course, the user plane network There may also be 5GLAN sessions corresponding to other 5GLAN groups on element 2, which are not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Or, exemplarily, as shown in Figure 3c, when a multicast session is created on the user plane network element 1, the multicast session is used to copy the multicast packet and send the copied multicast packet to the user session 1 Or 5GLAN session 1; optionally, including limiting the reception of multicast packets from terminal device 3. The relevant description of the user session 1 can refer to the above-mentioned FIG. 3 a , and the relevant description of the 5G LAN session can refer to the above-mentioned FIG. 3 b , which will not be repeated here.

Or, exemplarily, as shown in Figure 3c, when a broadcast session is created on the user plane network element 1, the broadcast session is used to copy the broadcast message and send the copied broadcast message to all sessions in the broadcast domain, such as User session 1 or 5GLAN session 1. The relevant description of the user session 1 can refer to the above-mentioned FIG. 3 a , and the relevant description of the 5G LAN session can refer to the above-mentioned FIG. 3 b , which will not be repeated here.

Or, exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 3d , when a multicast session is created on the user plane network element 1, the multicast session is used to copy the multicast message and send the copied multicast message to the terminal device 2 , the 5GLAN session 2 and the data network (ie, the N6 side) on the user plane network element 2;

Or, exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 3d, when a broadcast session is created on the user plane network element 1, the broadcast session is used to copy the broadcast message and send the copied broadcast message to all outlets in the broadcast domain, such as The N3/N9 interface corresponding to the terminal device 2, the Nx interface corresponding to the user plane network element 2, and the N6 interface corresponding to the data network.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , in this embodiment of the present application, a session on a user plane network element may include one or more PDRs (PDR1, PDR2, PDR3, PDR4, ... in FIG. 4 ), these PDRs Used to match received packets (such as group packets). Wherein, each PDR specifies the FAR, QER, and URR corresponding to the packet. After determining the RDR (PDR2 in Figure 4) that matches the packet, the UPF network element can drop, forward, buffer, and report the packet to the control plane according to the FAR specified by the PDR. (notify) or copy (duplicate) operations, etc. The UPF network element can perform QoS operations on packets according to the QER specified by the PDR. The UPF network element can report statistics on packets according to the URR specified by the PDR. Wherein, in the process that the UPF network element performs forwarding processing on the message according to the FAR specified by the PDR, the key actions include specifying the egress identifier and the egress action. The egress action may include, for example, adding outer header creation, transport level marking, forwarding policy or header enhancement, and the like.

Sixth, entrance and exit:

The ingress in this embodiment of the present application refers to the physical interface/logical interface on the user plane network element for receiving user packets, and the egress refers to the physical interface/logical interface on the user plane network element for sending user packets. As shown in Figure 5. The logical interface between the terminal device and the user plane NE is the N3/N9 interface, the logical interface between the user plane NE and other user plane NEs is the Nx interface, and the physical interface/logical interface between the user plane NE and the DN The interface is an N6 interface.

It should be noted that, FIG. 5 is only for the convenience of description, and the inlet and the outlet are shown separately. Certainly, the ingress and the egress may correspond to the same physical interface/logical interface, or may correspond to different physical interfaces/logical interfaces, which are uniformly described here, and are not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Wherein, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "/" indicates that the objects associated before and after are an "or" relationship, for example, A/B can indicate A or B; in this application, "and/or" "It is only an association relationship that describes an associated object, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and/or B, which can mean: A alone exists, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A exists , B can be singular or plural. Also, in the description of the present application, unless stated otherwise, "plurality" means two or more than two. "At least one item(s) below" or similar expressions thereof refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item(s) or plural items(s). For example, at least one (a) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, c may be single or multiple . In addition, in order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the same or similar items with basically the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art can understand that the words "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words "first", "second" and the like are not necessarily different. Meanwhile, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations or illustrations. Any embodiments or designs described in the embodiments of the present application as "exemplary" or "such as" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "such as" is intended to present the related concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems. For example: it can be applied to a long term evolution (LTE) system or a new radio (NR) system (also called a 5G system), and can also be applied to other future-oriented new systems, such as programmable The user plane system is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. Furthermore, the term "system" can be used interchangeably with "network".

Optionally, if the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are applied to the NR system, the user plane network elements in the embodiments of the present application may correspond to the UPF network elements in the NR system, which are uniformly described here and will not be repeated below.

First, the main idea of the group communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application is given.

The main idea of the group communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application is to configure a group session on a user plane network element, and the group session is used for matching and processing group packets. In the group communication scenario, after receiving the group packet, the user plane network element determines a group session matching the group packet, and then copies and distributes the group packet to the user plane network element through the group session. of multiple first sessions. For the relevant description of the group conversation, reference may be made to the above-mentioned part of the nomenclature explanation, which will not be repeated here. The plurality of first sessions here may include one or more user sessions, and/or one or more 5G LAN sessions. For the relevant description of the user session and the 5G LAN session, reference may be made to the above-mentioned part of the nomenclature explanation, which will not be repeated here. In this solution, in the group communication scenario, the user plane network element can determine the group session that matches the group user packet, and copy and distribute the group packet to multiple users of the user plane network element through the group session. In the first session, statistical information reporting and QoS operation can be implemented in the first session. Therefore, based on this solution, not only the statistical information reporting and QoS operation of the session granularity of the ingress can be realized, but also the statistical information of the session granularity of the egress can be realized. Reporting and QoS operations.

The group communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described below through several possible implementation manners.

For example, in a possible implementation manner, taking the multiple first sessions including session 1 and session 2 as an example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the group communication method provided by this embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

S601. After the user plane network element receives the group packet (for example, it may be a group packet from the terminal device corresponding to the N3/N9 interface, other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface, or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), determine The group session that matches the group message.

S602. The user plane network element copies the group packet through the group session, and forwards the copied group packet to the local switch through the group session.

S603. The user plane network element distributes the copied group packet to session 1 and session 2 of the user plane network element through local switching.

S604: After the user plane network element processes the group packet through session 1 and session 2, it sends the group packet from the corresponding exit.

Wherein, in the above step S601:

A group session may include processing policy information of one or more group packets, and the processing policy information of each group packet includes the corresponding forwarding policy of the group packet, which is used to process the group of the corresponding group. message. The forwarding policy of the group message may include, for example, a PDR, where the PDR specifies the FAR, QER, and URR corresponding to the group message.

Taking a group packet as a multicast packet and a group session as a multicast session as an example, after the user plane NE receives the multicast packet, it can The tunnel information in the multicast packet) matches the PDR in a multicast session.

Alternatively, taking the group packet as a broadcast packet and the group session as a broadcast session as an example, after the user plane network element receives the broadcast packet, it can match the PDR in the broadcast session according to the broadcast address in the broadcast packet.

Or, for an unknown unicast packet or an unknown multicast packet, the PDR in the broadcast session can be matched according to the characteristic information of the packet. The characteristic information of the packet can be, for example, some fields in the address or other information. This application implements This example is not specifically limited.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, in the 5GLAN scenario, both the multicast session and the broadcast session can be combined with the 5GLAN session, that is, the PDR, FAR, etc. used for processing multicast packets or broadcast packets can be configured in a 5GLAN session. Here, a unified description is provided, and details are not repeated below.

Wherein, in the above step S602:

The PDR in the group session indicates the identity of the FAR that processes the group packet, and the user plane network element will copy and forward the group packet according to the rules in the FAR indicated by the PDR in the group session. Among them, in the process of forwarding processing, it is necessary to indicate the information of the receiving end of the group packet, and it is necessary to indicate that the sending port is internal forwarding.

Taking the group message as a broadcast message and the group session as a broadcast session as an example, the broadcast session may include a second FAR, and the second FAR indicates that the multiple first sessions corresponding to the group message are all sessions in the broadcast domain and/or, the second FAR indicates that a forwarding policy (forwarding policy) or a destination interface (destination interface) corresponding to the group packet is broadcast.

Alternatively, taking the group message as a multicast message and the group session as a multicast session as an example, the multicast session may include a third FAR, and the third FAR indicates that the exit identifiers corresponding to the group message are multiple An identifier of a session; and/or the third FAR indicates that a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session is added to each group packet in the copied group packet as an outer message header. Exemplarily, the FAR in the multicast session may indicate the egress identifier corresponding to the copied multicast packet, wherein the egress identifier corresponding to one multicast packet is the identifier of session 1, and the egress corresponding to the other multicast packet is the identifier of session 1. The ID is the ID of session 2. The identifier of session 1 may be, for example, the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 or the local tunnel identifier of session 1, and the identifier of session 2 may be, for example, the peer tunnel identifier of session 2 or the local tunnel identifier of session 2. Or, exemplarily, the FAR in the multicast session may instruct to add the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 to one of the copied multicast packets as an outer message header, and to add the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 to one of the copied multicast Another multicast packet adds the peer tunnel ID of session 2 as the outer header.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the present application, if session 2 is a 5GLAN session, the FAR in the group session may not need to indicate that the exit identifier is the identifier of the 5GLAN session, or need not indicate that the 5GLAN session is added to the group packet. The peer tunnel identifier is used as an outer message header, but only indicates processing in the 5GLAN corresponding to the current session (ingress session), that is, the egress information is only a 5GLAN group, which is described here uniformly and will not be repeated below.

Wherein, in the above step S603:

The local exchange in the embodiment of the present application can implement the functions of receiving and distributing the copied group message.

Wherein, taking the group session as the broadcast session as an example, the local exchange can distribute the duplicated broadcast message to all sessions in the broadcast domain.

Or, taking the group session as a multicast session as an example, the local switch can determine the session 1 of the user plane network element according to the identifier of the session 1 and/or the peer tunnel identifier of the session 1, and the local switch can determine the session 1 of the user plane network element according to the identifier of the session 2. , and/or the peer tunnel identifier of session 2 determines session 2 of the user plane network element.

The locally exchanged group packet matches the PDR in the session on the user plane network element, and then can be matched to the corresponding session, such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 6 .

Wherein, in the above step S604:

The group packet will be forwarded according to the FAR indicated by the PDR in the matched sessions (such as session 1 and session 2). For example, after adding/modifying the GTP-U header, the group packet will be sent from the egress. In addition, when this method is adopted, the group packet can be processed by using the QER and URR indicated by the PDR in the matched session, thereby realizing the reporting of session granularity statistics at the egress and QoS operation.

On the one hand, since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the group session, it can not only process the group message from the data network (that is, the group message transmitted in the downlink), but also can process the group message from the data network. The user session receives group packets, which can reduce the processing process of the group packets on the user plane network element, and can also perform group-level statistical information reporting and QoS operations. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, the group message is copied by the group session, and the copied group message is distributed by the local exchange. Configuration, easy management, and for broadcast, considering that the processing rules of broadcast packets are known, that is, broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including N3/N9 interfaces) other than the broadcast packet sender. The corresponding terminal equipment or other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as the broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session. Therefore, the number of policies configured on the user plane network element can be simplified. On the other hand, in this embodiment of the present application, group packets are sent from multiple first sessions (such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 6 ), so that egress control can be performed on group packets, and the session granularity of egress can be adjusted. Statistics reporting and QoS operations.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 6 , the foregoing step S601 in this embodiment of the present application may also be replaced with steps S605-S607 in FIG. 6 :

S605. After receiving the group message (for example, from a terminal device corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface), the user plane network element determines a second session matching the group message.

The embodiment of the present application takes the second session as session 3 as an example for description. The session 3 may be a user session or a 5G LAN session, which is not specifically limited in this application.

S606. The user plane network element forwards the group packet to the local switch through the second session.

For example, the FAR indicated by the PDR in the second session may instruct to perform local switching processing on the group packet, and then the user plane network element may forward the group packet to the local switching through the second session.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the local tunnel identifier of the second session is retained in the group packet processed through the second session. That is to say, when the FAR in the second session sends a group packet to the local exchange, it needs to indicate the sender information of the group packet, for example, retain the GTP-U header of the group packet, and then indicate the group packet. From a certain terminal device or from other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface. The group message processed by the second session retains the local tunnel identifier of the second session, so that the sender of the group message can be excluded when forwarding the group message in steps S607 and S602. Of course, if the method of the above step S601 is adopted, since the group packet is directly processed by the FAR that processes the group packet after entering the user plane network element, the sender information of the group packet can be obtained. The following description will not be repeated.

S607. The user plane network element determines a group session matching the group packet through local switching.

For example, the PDR in the group session can match the locally switched group packet according to the address and the entry (local switching) of the group packet, and then can match the corresponding group session.

Wherein, since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the second session, it can perform ingress control on the group message, report the statistical information of the ingress session granularity, and perform QoS operations.

Or, in another possible implementation manner, taking the multiple first sessions including session 1 and session 2 as an example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the group communication method provided by this embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

S701. After the user plane network element receives the group packet (for example, it may be a group packet from the terminal device corresponding to the N3/N9 interface, other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface, or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), determine The group session that matches the group message.

S702. The user plane network element forwards the group packet to the local switch through the group session.

S703. The user plane network element replicates and distributes the group packet to session 1 and session 2 of the user plane network element through local switching.

S704. After the user plane network element processes the group packet through session 1 and session 2, it sends the group packet from the corresponding exit.

The relevant description of the foregoing step S701 may refer to the foregoing step S601, which will not be repeated here.

The relevant description of the above-mentioned step S704 can refer to the above-mentioned step S604, which will not be repeated here.

Wherein, in the above step S702:

The PDR in the group session indicates the identifier of the FAR that processes the group packet, and the user plane network element will forward and process the group packet according to the rules in the FAR indicated by the PDR in the group session. Among them, in the process of forwarding processing, it is necessary to indicate that the sending port is internal forwarding.

Wherein, in the above step S703:

The local switching in the embodiment of the present application can implement the functions of receiving, copying, and distributing group packets.

For example, taking the group message as a broadcast message and the group session as a broadcast session as an example, the local exchange may indicate that the multiple first sessions corresponding to the broadcast message are all sessions in the broadcast domain; and/or the local exchange may indicate The forwarding policy or destination interface corresponding to the broadcast packet is broadcast. Furthermore, the local switch can replicate and distribute broadcast packets to all sessions in the broadcast domain.

Or, for example, taking the group message as a multicast message and the group session as a multicast session as an example, the local exchange may indicate that the identifiers of the outlets corresponding to the multicast message are identifiers of multiple first sessions, and/or, The local exchange may instruct to add a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session to each of the replicated multicast packets as an outer message header. For example, the local switch can copy the multicast packets and indicate that the exit identifier corresponding to one of the multicast packets is the identifier of session 1, and the exit identifier corresponding to the other multicast packet is the identifier of session 2. The identifier of session 1 may be, for example, the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 or the local tunnel identifier of session 1, and the identifier of session 2 may be, for example, the peer tunnel identifier of session 2 or the local tunnel identifier of session 2. Or, for example, the local switch can copy the multicast packets, and instruct one of the multicast packets to add the peer tunnel ID of session 1 as the outer message header, and another multicast packet to add the peer tunnel of session 2 Identifies as an outer message header. Furthermore, the local switch can distribute the replicated multicast packets to session 1 and session 2.

The locally exchanged group packet matches the PDR in the session on the user plane network element, and then can be matched to the corresponding session, such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 6 .

On the one hand, since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the group session, it can not only process the group message from the data network (that is, the group message transmitted in the downlink), but also can process the group message from the data network. The user session receives group packets, which can reduce the processing process of the group packets on the user plane network element, and can also perform group-level statistical information reporting and QoS operations. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, group packets are copied and distributed by local exchange. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of packets in user sessions, not only can centralized configuration be implemented, and management is convenient, but also for broadcasting, considering broadcasting The processing rules of the packets are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user planes corresponding to the Nx interface) except the sender of the broadcast packet. NE or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as the broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which can simplify the number of policies configured on the user plane NEs. . On the other hand, in this embodiment of the present application, group packets are sent from multiple first sessions (such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 7 ), so that egress control can be performed on group packets, and the session granularity of egress can be adjusted. Statistics reporting and QoS operations.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 7 , the foregoing step S701 in this embodiment of the present application may also be replaced with steps S605-S607 in FIG. 7 , and the related description of steps S605-S607 may refer to the embodiment described in FIG. 6 . This will not be repeated here.

Or, in another possible implementation manner, taking the multiple first sessions including session 1 and session 2 as an example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the group communication method provided by this embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

S801. After the user plane network element receives the group packet (for example, it may be a group packet from the terminal device corresponding to the N3/N9 interface, other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface, or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), determine The group session that matches the group message.

S802, the user plane network element copies the group message through the group session, and distributes the copied group message to the session 1 and the session 2 of the user plane network element through the group session.

S803: After the user plane network element processes the group packet through session 1 and session 2, it sends the group packet from the corresponding egress.

For the relevant description of the above step S801, reference may be made to the above step S601, which will not be repeated here.

The relevant description of the above step S803 may refer to the above step S604, which will not be repeated here.

Wherein, in the above step S802:

The PDR in the group session indicates the identity of the FAR that processes the group packet, and the user plane network element will copy and forward the group packet according to the rules in the FAR indicated by the PDR in the group session. Wherein, during the forwarding process, information indicating the receiving end of the group packet is required.

Taking the group message as a broadcast message and the group session as a broadcast session as an example, the broadcast session may include a second FAR, and the second FAR indicates that the multiple first sessions corresponding to the group message are all sessions in the broadcast domain and/or, the second FAR indicates that a forwarding policy (forwarding policy) or a destination interface (destination interface) corresponding to the group packet is broadcast.

Alternatively, taking the group message as a multicast message and the group session as a multicast session as an example, the multicast session may include a third FAR, and the third FAR indicates that the exit identifiers corresponding to the group message are multiple An identifier of a session; and/or the third FAR indicates that a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session is added to each group packet in the copied group packet as an outer message header. Exemplarily, the FAR in the multicast session may indicate the egress identifier corresponding to the copied multicast packet, wherein the egress identifier corresponding to one multicast packet is the identifier of session 1, and the egress corresponding to the other multicast packet is the identifier of session 1. The ID is the ID of session 2. The identifier of session 1 may be, for example, the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 or the local tunnel identifier of session 1, and the identifier of session 2 may be, for example, the peer tunnel identifier of session 2 or the local tunnel identifier of session 2. Or, exemplarily, the FAR in the multicast session may instruct to add the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 to one of the copied multicast packets as an outer message header, and to add the peer tunnel identifier of session 1 to one of the copied multicast Another multicast packet adds the peer tunnel ID of session 2 as the outer header.

The locally exchanged group packet matches the PDR in the session on the user plane network element, and then can be matched to the corresponding session, such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 6 .

On the one hand, since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the group session, it can not only process the group message from the data network (that is, the group message transmitted in the downlink), but also can process the group message from the data network. The user session receives group packets, which can reduce the processing process of the group packets on the user plane network element, and can also perform group-level statistical information reporting and QoS operations. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, the group message is copied and distributed by the group session. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of the message in the user session, not only can centralized configuration be realized, and management is convenient, but also for broadcasting, considering The processing rules of broadcast packets are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other users corresponding to the Nx interface) except the sender of the broadcast packet. plane network element or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as a broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which simplifies the configuration of policies on user plane network elements. quantity. On the other hand, in this embodiment of the present application, group packets are sent from multiple first sessions (such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 6 ), so that egress control can be performed on the group packets, and the session granularity of the egress can be adjusted. Statistics reporting and QoS operations.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 8 , the above-mentioned step S801 in the embodiment of the present application may also be replaced by the steps S605-S607 in FIG. 8 , and the related description of the steps S605-S607 may refer to the embodiment described in FIG. 6 . This will not be repeated here.

Alternatively, in another possible implementation manner, in this embodiment of the present application, it may not be necessary to configure a group session. For example, taking the multiple first sessions including session 1 and session 2 as an example, as shown in FIG. 9 , the group communication method provided by this embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

S901. After receiving the group packet (for example, it may be from a terminal device corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface), the user plane network element determines a second session matching the group packet.

S902. The user plane network element forwards the group packet to the local switch through the second session.

For example, the second session may include a first FAR, the first FAR instructs to perform local switching processing on the group packet, and then the user plane network element may forward the group packet to the local switching through the second session.

Or, for example, the second session may include a first FAR, and the first FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast or multicast, and the user plane network element may report the group packet through the second session. The message is forwarded to the local exchange.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the local tunnel identifier of the second session is retained in the group packet processed through the second session. That is to say, when the FAR in the second session sends a group packet to the local exchange, it needs to indicate the sender information of the group packet, for example, retain the GTP-U header of the group packet, and then indicate the group packet. From a certain terminal device or from other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface. The group message processed by the second session retains the local tunnel identifier of the second session, so that the sender of the group message can be excluded when forwarding the group message in step S903.

S903 , the user plane network element replicates and distributes the group packet to session 1 and session 2 of the user plane network element through local switching.

S904. After the user plane network element processes the group packet through session 1 and session 2, it sends the group packet from the corresponding egress.

The relevant description of the above step S901 may refer to the above step S601, which will not be repeated here.

The relevant description of the foregoing step S903 may refer to the foregoing step S703, which will not be repeated here.

The relevant description of the above-mentioned step S904 can refer to the above-mentioned step S604, which will not be repeated here.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the present application, if the second session includes the first FAR, the first FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast or multicast. There may also be no local switching, but the user plane NE copies and distributes the group packets to session 1 and session 2 of the user plane NE according to its own processing logic, and then the user plane NE processes through the session 1 and session 2. After the group packet is sent, the group packet is sent from the corresponding outlet, that is, the local switching can be regarded as a processing logic of the user plane network element, which is described here uniformly, and will not be repeated below.

On the one hand, since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the second session, it can perform ingress control on the group message, as well as ingress session granularity statistical information reporting and QoS operations. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, group packets are copied and distributed by local exchange. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of packets in user sessions, not only can centralized configuration be implemented, and management is convenient, but also for broadcasting, considering broadcasting The processing rules of the packets are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other user planes corresponding to the Nx interface) except the sender of the broadcast packet. NE or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so you only need to create a default policy as a broadcast policy, and you do not need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which simplifies the number of rules configured on user plane NEs. . On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, group packets are sent from multiple first sessions (such as session 1 and session 2 in FIG. 9 ), so that egress control can be performed on the group packets, and the session granularity of egress can be adjusted. Statistics reporting and QoS operations.

Alternatively, in another possible implementation manner, in this embodiment of the present application, it may not be necessary to distribute the group packet to multiple first sessions. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the group communication method provided by this embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

S1001. After the user plane network element receives a group packet (for example, it may be a group packet from a terminal device corresponding to the N3/N9 interface, other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface, or a data network corresponding to the N6 interface), determine The group session that matches the group message.

S1002. The user plane network element replicates and distributes the group packet to multiple egress through the group session.

The relevant description of the above step S1001 may refer to the above step S601, and details are not repeated here.

Wherein, in the above step S1002:

The PDR in the group session indicates the identity of the FAR that processes the group packet, and the user plane network element will copy and forward the group packet according to the rules in the FAR indicated by the PDR in the group session. Wherein, in the process of forwarding processing, an exit identifier needs to be specified. The exit identifier may be, for example, N6, N3, N9, or Nx, etc., which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

On the one hand, since the user plane network element in the embodiment of the present application receives the group message from the group session, it can not only process the group message from the data network (that is, the group message transmitted in the downlink), but also can process the group message from the data network. The user session receives group packets, which can reduce the processing process of the group packets on the user plane network element, and can also perform group-level statistical information reporting and QoS operations. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, the group message is copied and distributed by the group session. Compared with the existing copy and distribution of the message in the user session, not only can centralized configuration be realized, and management is convenient, but also for broadcasting, considering The processing rules of broadcast packets are known, that is, the broadcast packets are copied in the broadcast domain and sent to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or other users corresponding to the Nx interface) except the sender of the broadcast packet. plane network element or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), so only one default policy needs to be created as a broadcast policy, and there is no need to create a broadcast policy in each user session, which simplifies the configuration of policies on user plane network elements. quantity. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present application, the group message is directly distributed to multiple egress through the group session, so that the processing process of the group message at the user plane network element can be reduced.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 10 , the foregoing step S1001 in this embodiment of the present application may also be replaced with steps S605-S607 in FIG. 10 . For the related description of steps S605-S607, reference may be made to the embodiment described in FIG. 6 . This will not be repeated here.

Optionally, in the group communication method provided in this embodiment of the present application, the method for configuring a group session may include that a user plane network element receives a request for creating or modifying a group session from a session management network element; Modify group conversation requests, create or modify group conversations. For example, when a group is created or a terminal device/session/interface joins or leaves the group, the session management network element can create/modify the group packet processing policy by creating or modifying the group session request. Different from the existing policy for creating or modifying a user session, the group packet processing policy in this embodiment of the present application corresponds to the above-mentioned group session.

Or, optionally, in the group communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the method for configuring a group session may include: a user plane network element receives a group join or leave request; the user plane network element receives a group join or leave request according to the group join or leave request , to create or modify a group conversation. That is to say, the user plane NE can complete the creation/modification of the group packet processing policy by itself. For example, after the user plane NE receives the group join or leave request, it can create or modify the group according to the group join or leave request. session.

Optionally, considering that the processing rules of broadcast packets are known, that is, copy the broadcast packets in the broadcast domain and send them to other users (including the terminal equipment corresponding to the N3/N9 interface or the sender of the broadcast packets) other user plane network elements corresponding to the Nx interface or the data network corresponding to the N6 interface), therefore, in this embodiment of the present application, it is also not necessary to configure the broadcast session in the above-mentioned manner of configuring the group session, but consider the processing strategy corresponding to the broadcast session. It is the default processing strategy on the user plane network element, and the default processing strategy may not be limited to the processing mode of PDR and FAR. For example, the processing policy corresponding to the group session in FIG. 6 , FIG. 7 , FIG. 8 or FIG. 10 may be the default policy on the user plane network element. When the broadcast packet does not match other high-priority sessions, the forwarding process will be performed according to the default policy.

It can be understood that, in the above embodiments, the methods and/or steps implemented by user plane network elements may also be implemented by components (eg, chips or circuits) that can be used for user plane network elements.

The foregoing embodiments mainly introduce the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of method flow. It can be understood that, in order to implement the above-mentioned functions, the above-mentioned user plane network elements include corresponding hardware structures and/or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that the present application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein. Whether a function is performed by hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality using different methods for each particular application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

In this embodiment of the present application, the user plane network element can be divided into functional modules according to the foregoing method examples. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware, and can also be implemented in the form of software function modules. It should be noted that, the division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic, and is only a logical function division, and there may be other division manners in actual implementation.

For example, in the case of dividing each functional module in an integrated manner, FIG. 11 shows a schematic structural diagram of a user plane network element 110 . The user plane network element 110 includes a transceiver module 1101 and a processing module 1102 . The transceiver module 1101 may also be called a transceiver unit to implement a transceiver function, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver or a communication interface.

Among them, the transceiver module 1101 is used to receive group messages; the processing module 1102 is used to determine the group session matching the group message; the processing module 1102 is also used to copy and distribute the group message through the group session into multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 .

Optionally, the processing module 1102 is further configured to copy and distribute the group packet to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 through the group session, including: the processing module 1102 is further configured to copy the group packet through the group session. group message; forward the copied group message to the local switch through the group session; distribute the copied group message to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 through the local switch.

Or, optionally, the processing module 1102 is further configured to copy and distribute the group packet to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 through the group session, including: the processing module 1102 is further configured to use the group session Copy the group message; distribute the copied group message to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 through the group session.

Or, optionally, the processing module 1102 is further configured to copy and distribute the group packet to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 through the group session, including: the processing module 1102 is further configured to use the group session The group packet is forwarded to the local switch; the group packet is copied through the local switch; the copied group packet is distributed to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 through the local switch.

Optionally, the group session is a broadcast session; the group session includes a second FAR, and the second FAR indicates that multiple first sessions corresponding to the group message are all sessions in the broadcast domain; and/or, the second FAR indicates The forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast.

Or, optionally, the group session is a multicast session; the group session includes a third FAR, and the third FAR indicates that the egress identifiers corresponding to the group message are identifiers of multiple first sessions; and/or, the third FAR The FAR indicates that a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session is added to each group message in the copied group message as an outer message header.

Optionally, the processing module 1102 is further configured to determine multiple first sessions of the user plane network element 110 according to the first session identifier and/or the peer tunnel identifier of the first session.

Or, optionally, the group message includes a group address; the processing module 1102 is configured to determine a group session that matches the group message, and includes: a processing module 1102, configured to determine a group session matching the group message according to the group address. Text matching group conversations.

Optionally, the processing module 1102, configured to determine a group session matching the group message, includes: a processing module 1102, configured to determine a second session matching the group message; The message is forwarded to the local exchange; the group session that matches the group message is determined through the local exchange.

Optionally, the second session includes a user session or a 5G LAN session.

Optionally, the group packet processed by the second session retains the local tunnel identifier of the second session.

Optionally, the second session includes a first forwarding action rule FAR, and the first FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast or multicast.

Optionally, the transceiver module 1101 is further configured to receive a request for creating or modifying a group session from the session management network element; the processing module 1102 is further configured to create or modify a group session according to the request for creating or modifying a group session.

Optionally, the transceiver module 1101 is further configured to receive a group join or leave request; the processing module 1102 is further configured to create or modify a group session according to the group join or leave request.

Wherein, all relevant contents of the steps involved in the above method embodiments can be cited in the functional descriptions of the corresponding functional modules, which will not be repeated here.

In this embodiment, the user plane network element 110 is presented in the form of dividing each functional module in an integrated manner. "Module" herein may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), circuit, processor and memory executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and/or other functions that may provide the above-described functions device. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can think that the user plane network element 110 may take the form shown in FIG. 12 .

As shown in FIG. 12, the user plane network element 120 includes one or more processors 1201, a communication line 1202, and at least one communication interface (in FIG. 12, it is only exemplary to include the communication interface 1204, and a processor 1201 It is described as an example), and optionally, a memory 1203 may also be included.

The processor 1201 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a specific ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the programs of the present application.

The communication line 1202 may include a path for connecting the various components.

The communication interface 1204 may be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), and the like. For example, the transceiver module may be a device such as a transceiver or a transceiver. Optionally, the communication interface 1204 may also be a transceiver circuit located in the processor 1201 to implement signal input and signal output of the processor.

The memory 1203 may be a device having a storage function. For example, it may be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions The storage device can also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical disk storage, optical disk storage (including compact disc, laser disc, compact disc, digital versatile disc, blu-ray disc, etc.), magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and capable of being accessed by a computer any other medium, but not limited to. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor through communication line 1202 . The memory can also be integrated with the processor.

The memory 1203 is used for storing computer-executed instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 1201 . The processor 1201 is configured to execute the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 1203, so as to implement the group communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Or, optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the processor 1201 may also perform functions related to processing in the group communication method provided by the following embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 1204 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

Optionally, the computer-executed instructions in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1201 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 12 .

In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the user plane network element 120 may include multiple processors, for example, the processor 1201 and the processor 1208 in FIG. 12 . Each of these processors can be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. A processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and/or processing cores for processing data (eg, computer program instructions).

In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the user plane network element 120 may further include an output device 1205 and an input device 1206 . The output device 1205 is in communication with the processor 1201 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 1205 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector (projector), etc. . Input device 1206 is in communication with processor 1201 and can receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 1206 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, a sensor device, or the like.

The above-mentioned user plane network element 120 may be a general-purpose device or a dedicated device. For example, the user plane network element 120 may be a server, a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, an embedded device, or a similar structure in FIG. 12 . equipment. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the user plane network element 120 .

Specifically, the functions/implementation process of the transceiver module 1101 and the processing module 1102 in FIG. 11 can be implemented by calling the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1203 by the processor 1201 in the user plane network element 120 shown in FIG. 12 . Alternatively, the function/implementation process of the processing module 1102 in FIG. 11 may be implemented by the processor 1201 in the user plane network element 120 shown in FIG. 12 calling the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1203, and the transceiver module 1101 in FIG. 11 The function/implementation process of the can be implemented through the communication interface 1204 in the user plane network element 120 shown in FIG. 12 .

Since the user plane network element 110 provided in this embodiment can perform the above-mentioned group communication method, the technical effect that can be obtained can be referred to the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

It should be noted that, one or more of the above modules or units may be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of both. When any of the above modules or units are implemented in software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in the memory, and the processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into a SoC (system on chip) or an ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. The internal processing of the processor may further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field programmable gate array (FPGA), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), outside the core for executing software instructions to perform operations or processing. , or a logic circuit that implements dedicated logic operations.

When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware may be a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, Any or any combination of SoCs, FPGAs, PLDs, dedicated digital circuits, hardware accelerators, or non-integrated discrete devices that may or may not run the necessary software to perform the above method flows.

Optionally, this embodiment of the present application further provides a user plane network element (for example, the user plane network element may be a chip or a chip system), the user plane network element includes a processor, and is used to implement any of the above methods. method in the example. In a possible design, the user plane network element further includes a memory. The memory is used for storing necessary program instructions and data, and the processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the user plane network element to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the user plane network element. When the user plane network element is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, it may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on the computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be downloaded from a website site, computer, server, or data center Transmission to another website site, computer, server, or data center by wire (eg, coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (eg, infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or data storage devices including one or more servers, data centers, etc. that can be integrated with the medium. The usable media may be magnetic media (eg, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (eg, DVDs), or semiconductor media (eg, solid state disks (SSDs)), and the like.

Although the application is described herein in conjunction with the various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand and understand from a review of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims in practicing the claimed application. Other variations of the disclosed embodiments are implemented. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that these measures cannot be combined to advantage.

Although the application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the application as defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of this application. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims (30)

1. A group communication method, characterized in that the method comprises: User plane network elements receive group packets; determining, by the user plane network element, a group session matching the group message; The user plane network element replicates and distributes the group packet to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first sessions comprise one or more user sessions, and/or one or more fifth-generation local area network 5GLAN sessions. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user plane network element replicates and distributes the group packet to a plurality of first network elements of the user plane network element through the group session. session, including: The user plane network element replicates the group message through the group session; The user plane network element forwards the copied group message to the local exchange through the group session; The user plane network element distributes the copied group message to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the local switch. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user plane network element replicates and distributes the group packet to a plurality of first network elements of the user plane network element through the group session. session, including: The user plane network element replicates the group message through the group session; The user plane network element distributes the copied group message to a plurality of first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user plane network element copies and distributes the group packet to a plurality of first network elements of the user plane network element through the group session. session, including: The user plane network element forwards the group packet to the local exchange through the group session; The user plane network element replicates the group message through the local switch; The user plane network element distributes the copied group message to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the local switch. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the group session is a broadcast session; The group session includes a second FAR, and the second FAR indicates that multiple first sessions corresponding to the group message are all sessions in the broadcast domain; and/or, The second FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the group session is a multicast session; The group session includes a third FAR, and the third FAR indicates that the egress identifier corresponding to the group message is the identifier of the multiple first sessions; and/or, The third FAR indicates that a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session is added to each group message in the copied group message as an outer message header. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises: The user plane network element determines a plurality of first sessions of the user plane network element according to the first session identifier and/or the peer tunnel identifier of the first session. 9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the group message includes a group address; the user plane network element determines a group matching the group message. 10 . Sessions, including: The user plane network element determines a group session matching the group message according to the group address. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein determining, by the user plane network element, a group session matching the group packet comprises: determining, by the user plane network element, a second session that matches the group packet; The user plane network element forwards the group packet to the local exchange through the second session; The user plane network element determines a group session matching the group packet through the local exchange. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second session comprises a user session or a 5GLAN session. 12 . The method according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the group packet processed through the second session retains the local tunnel identifier of the second session. 13 . The method according to any one of claims 10-12, wherein the second session includes a first forwarding action rule FAR, and the first FAR indicates a forwarding mode corresponding to the group packet Or the destination interface is broadcast or multicast. 14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the method further comprises: The user plane network element receives a request for creating or modifying a group session from the session management network element; The user plane network element creates or modifies the group session according to the request for creating or modifying the group session. 15. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the method further comprises: the user plane network element receives a group join or leave request; The user plane network element creates or modifies the group session according to the group join or leave request. 16. A user plane network element, wherein the user plane network element comprises: a transceiver module and a processing module; the transceiver module for receiving group messages; the processing module, configured to determine a group session matching the group message; The processing module is further configured to copy and distribute the group message to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element through the group session. 17. The user plane network element according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of first sessions comprise one or more user sessions and/or one or more fifth-generation local area network 5GLAN sessions. The user plane network element according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the processing module is further configured to copy and distribute the group packet to the user plane network element through the group session. Multiple first sessions, including: The processing module is further configured to copy the group message through the group session; forward the copied group message to the local exchange through the group session; The latter group message is distributed to multiple first sessions of the user plane network element. The user plane network element according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the processing module is further configured to copy and distribute the group message to the user plane network element through the group session. Multiple first sessions, including: The processing module is further configured to copy the group message through the group session; distribute the copied group message to a plurality of first network elements of the user plane through the group session. in a session. 20. The user plane network element according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the processing module is further configured to copy and distribute the group message to the user plane network element through the group session. Multiple first sessions, including: The processing module is further configured to forward the group message to the local exchange through the group session; copy the group message through the local exchange; The group message is distributed to the multiple first sessions of the user plane network element. 21. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 16-20, wherein the group session is a broadcast session; the group session includes a second FAR, and the second FAR indicates the The multiple first sessions corresponding to the group message are all sessions in the broadcast domain; and/or, The second FAR indicates that the forwarding mode or destination interface corresponding to the group packet is broadcast. 22. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 16-19, wherein the group session is a multicast session; the group session includes a third FAR, and the third FAR indicates The egress identifiers corresponding to the group packets are identifiers of the multiple first sessions; and/or, The third FAR indicates that a different peer tunnel identifier of the first session is added to each group message in the copied group message as an outer message header. 23. The user plane network element according to claim 22, wherein, The processing module is further configured to determine a plurality of first sessions of the user plane network element according to the first session identifier and/or the peer tunnel identifier of the first session. 24. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 16-23, wherein the group message includes a group address; the processing module is configured to determine that the group message matches group conversations, including: The processing module is configured to determine a group session matching the group message according to the group address. 25. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 16-23, wherein the processing module, configured to determine a group session matching the group message, comprises: The processing module is configured to determine a second session that matches the group message; forward the group message to the local exchange through the second session; determine the connection with the group through the local exchange The group session to which the packet matches. 26. The user plane network element according to claim 25, wherein the second session comprises a user session or a 5G LAN session. 27 . The user plane network element according to claim 25 or 26 , wherein the group packet processed through the second session retains the local tunnel identifier of the second session. 28 . 28. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein the second session includes a first forwarding action rule FAR, and the first FAR indicates that the group packet corresponds to The forwarding method or destination interface is broadcast or multicast. 29. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 16-28, characterized in that: The transceiver module is further configured to receive a request for creating or modifying a group session from a session management network element; The processing module is further configured to create or modify the group session according to the request for creating or modifying the group session. 30. The user plane network element according to any one of claims 16-28, characterized in that: The transceiver module is further configured to receive a group join or leave request; The processing module is further configured to create or modify the group session according to the group join or leave request.

Images