US 12,452,341 B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for improved network function (NF) discovery between forwarded and forwarding NF repository functions (NRFs) to avoid preemption of NF profiles of producer NFs local to forwarding NRF
Amarnath Jayaramachar, Bangalore (IN); Yesh Goel, Bangalore (IN); and Doki Satish Kumar Patro, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, Redwood Shores, CA (US)
Filed by Oracle International Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 7, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/435,185.
Prior Publication US 2025/0254224 A1, Aug. 7, 2025
Int. Cl. H04L 67/51 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 67/51 (2022.05) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
11. A system for network function (NF) discovery between forwarded and forwarding NF repository functions (NRFs), the system comprising:
a first NRF including at least one processor and functioning as a forwarding NRF; and
a second NRF including at least one processor and functioning as a forwarded NRF, wherein:
the forwarding NRF is configured to receive an NF discovery request message generated by a consumer NF or a service communication proxy (SCP), determine not to process the NF discovery request message locally at the forwarding NRF, and transmit the NF discovery request message to the forwarded NRF;
the forwarded NRF is configured to receive the NF discovery request message, locate NF profiles of producer NFs having attributes that match query parameters in the NF discovery request message, determine that all of the NF profiles of the producer NFs having attributes that match the query parameters in the NF discovery request message indicate that the producer NFs are in a SUSPENDED state, in response to determining that the NF profiles indicate that the producer NFs are in the SUSPENDED state, apply empty-list functionality to promote the producer NFs to a REGISTERED state, and generate and transmit an NF discovery response message including the NF profiles of the producer NFs promoted to the REGISTERED state, and communicate, to the forwarding NRF, an indication of the application of the empty-list functionality; and
the forwarding NRF is configured to receive the NF discovery response message and the indication of the application of the empty-list functionality, apply a policy to process the indication of the application of the empty-list functionality, and transmit the NF discovery response message to the consumer NF or SCP that generated the NF discovery request message.