FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

This application relates to the field of mobile communication, and in particular, to mobile edge computing (MEC) node selection.

BACKGROUND OF THE APPLICATION

With the development of science and technology, currently, users have higher requirements for processing and transmission rates of communication services. Particularly, for a fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G) mobile communication network, requirements for a processing speed are higher. In MEC, computing, storage, and processing capabilities can be provided by using a nearby mobile access network, to reduce latency. Therefore, a mobile terminal needs to be scheduled to a MEC node closest to the mobile terminal.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method, an apparatus, and a system for selecting a MEC node, to resolve the problem of absence of a MEC node selection solution for a 5G mobile communication network in the related art.

The embodiments of this disclosure provide the following technical solutions:

According to an aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a method for selecting a MEC node, performed by an edge cloud gateway, the edge cloud gateway being configured in a system for selecting a MEC node, the system including at least a user plane function (UPF), the edge cloud gateway, and a global server load balance (GSLB) entity, the method specifically including:

receiving, by the edge cloud gateway, a domain name request forwarded by the UPF, in the domain name request, a domain name being a preset service acceleration domain name, or a destination address being an IP address of the GSLB, or protocol port information in the domain name request meeting a preset protocol port requirement;

obtaining a corresponding edge-application virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA, or VIP) from the GSLB based on the domain name request;

returning a domain name response to a terminal by using the UPF, the domain name response including at least the edge-application VIP;

receiving a service request forwarded by the UPF, a destination address of the service request being the edge-application VIP; and

determining a corresponding MEC processing server according to the service request and a preset offloading policy, and offloading the service request to the corresponding MEC processing server.

According to an aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides an edge cloud gateway for selecting a MEC node, the edge cloud gateway being configured in a system for selecting a MEC node, the system including at least a UPF, the edge cloud gateway, and a GSLB, specifically including:

a first receiving module, configured to receive a domain name request forwarded by the UPF, in the domain name request, a domain name being a preset service acceleration domain name, or a destination address being an IP address of the GSLB, or protocol port information in the domain name request meeting a preset protocol port requirement;

an obtaining module, configured to obtain a corresponding edge-application VIP from the GSLB based on the domain name request;

a transmitting module, configured to return a domain name response to a terminal by using the UPF, the domain name response including at least the edge-application VIP;

a second receiving module, configured to receive a service request forwarded by the UPF, a destination address of the service request being the edge-application VIP;

a determining module, configured to determine a corresponding MEC processing server according to the service request and a preset offloading policy; and

an offloading module, configured to offload the service request to the corresponding MEC processing server.

In one implementation, a recording module is further included, and is configured to record a request type of the domain name request, the request type representing a DNS request or a first HTTP DNS request.

In one implementation, the obtaining module is specifically configured to:

transmit a second HTTP DNS request to the GSLB based on the domain name request, the second HTTP DNS request including at least a service acceleration domain name, a source address, and a destination address, the source address being an IP address of the edge cloud gateway, and the destination address being an IP address of the GSLB; and

receive a first HTTP DNS response returned by the GSLB, the first HTTP DNS response including at least the edge-application VIP, the edge-application VIP being determined by the GSLB according to the IP address of the edge cloud gateway and the service acceleration domain name.

In one implementation, when in the domain name request, the protocol port information meets the preset protocol port requirement, or the destination address is the IP address of the GSLB, the obtaining module is specifically configured to:

resolve, when the request type of the domain name request is the DNS request, the domain name request to obtain the domain name in the domain name request, and re-encapsulate the resolved domain name request into a second HTTP DNS request; and

transmit the re-encapsulated second HTTP DNS request to the GSLB.

In one implementation, the transmitting module is specifically configured to:

return a DNS response when the request type of the domain name request is the DNS request; and

return a second HTTP DNS response when the request type of the domain name request is the first HTTP DNS request.

In one implementation, the UPF, the edge cloud gateway, and the GSLB respectively correspond to different pre-configuration rules, the pre-configuration rule representing a routing configuration for service acceleration.

In one implementation, the UPF corresponds to a first pre-configuration rule, the first pre-configuration rule including at least: forwarding the domain name request in which the domain name is the preset service acceleration domain name to the edge cloud gateway; or forwarding the domain name request in which the destination address is the IP address of the GSLB to the edge cloud gateway; or forwarding the service request in which the destination address is the edge-application VIP to the edge cloud gateway.

The edge cloud gateway corresponds to a second pre-configuration rule, the second pre-configuration rule including at least: the preset offloading policy.

The GSLB corresponds to a third pre-configuration rule, the third pre-configuration rule including at least: for an HTTP DNS request in which a source address is the IP address of the edge cloud gateway, returning a corresponding edge-application VIP based on the IP address of the edge cloud gateway and a service acceleration domain name in the HTTP DNS request.

In one implementation, the UPF corresponds to a fourth pre-configuration rule, the fourth pre-configuration rule including at least: forwarding the domain name request in which the protocol port information meets the preset protocol port requirement to the edge cloud gateway; or forwarding the domain name request in which the destination address is the IP address of the GSLB to the edge cloud gateway; or forwarding the service request in which the destination address is the edge-application VIP to the edge cloud gateway.

The edge cloud gateway corresponds to a fifth pre-configuration rule, the fifth pre-configuration rule including at least: the preset offloading policy, and has a DNS request resolving capability.

In one implementation, the first pre-configuration rule, the second pre-configuration rule, the fourth pre-configuration rule, or the fifth pre-configuration rule is configured by a configured edge controller or is locally configured,

the edge controller being configured in a cloud center of a core network in the system, and being communicably connected to the edge cloud gateway and the UPF respectively.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a system for selecting a MEC node, including at least a UPF, an edge cloud gateway, and a GSLB, specifically:

the UPF being configured to receive a domain name request transmitted by a terminal, and forward the domain name request to the edge cloud gateway when it is determined that in the domain name request, a domain name is a preset service acceleration domain name, or a destination address is an IP address of the GSLB, or when it is determined that protocol port information in the domain name request meets a preset protocol port requirement; and

the edge cloud gateway being configured to obtain a corresponding edge-application VIP from the GSLB based on the domain name request;

return a domain name response to a terminal by using the UPF, the domain name response including at least the edge-application VIP;

receive a service request forwarded by the UPF, the service request being forwarded when a destination address that is in the service request transmitted by the terminal and that is obtained by the UPF through resolution is the edge-application VIP; and

determine a corresponding MEC processing server according to the service request and a preset offloading policy, and offload the service request to the corresponding MEC processing server.

Another embodiment of this disclosure provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the processor, when executing the program, performing the method for selecting a MEC node according to the foregoing aspect.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a non-transitory storage medium, configured to store a computer program, the computer program being configured to perform the method for selecting a MEC node according to the foregoing aspect.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a computer program product including instructions, the instructions, when run on a computer, causing the computer to perform the method for selecting a MEC node according to the foregoing aspect.

The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this disclosure include at least the following beneficial effects:

A method for selecting a MEC node is provided, performed by an edge cloud gateway, the edge cloud gateway being configured in a system for selecting a MEC node, the system including at least a UPF, the edge cloud gateway, and a GSLB. For a domain name request transmitted by a terminal, the domain name request may be a DNS request or an HTTP DNS request. The UPF can analyze and process the domain name request, and forward the domain name request to the edge cloud gateway when service acceleration is required. Further, the edge cloud gateway performs processing, and may obtain an edge-application VIP from the GSLB, and transmit the edge-application VIP to the terminal by using the UPF, to make the terminal transmit a service request in which a destination address is the edge-application VIP, and offload the service request from the terminal to a corresponding MEC processing server. In this way, an edge cloud gateway is added, and compatibility with DNS and HTTP DNS addressing scenarios is achieved by transforming an existing network access procedure. Application scenarios are more flexible, a mechanism for selecting a MEC node is implemented, and the problem of absence of a MEC node selection solution for a 5G mobile communication networks is resolved, so that a nearby edge computing node can be selected for edge acceleration.

