Communication method, apparatus, and system for creating a user plane function (UPF) network element for serving an application in a local area

1 . A communication method, comprising:

receiving, by a network management network element from a data analytics network element, first information of an application being accessed by a terminal located in a first area, wherein the terminal accesses the application in a first application server located in a second area via a first user plane function network element where the terminal is not located in the second area and wherein the first information comprises a quantity of access times and/or service experience for the application;

determining, by the network management network element based on the first information, to create, within the first area, a second user plane function network element serving the application;

creating by the network management network element, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application;

creating a second application server in the first area to serve the application;

sending, by the network management network element, a first message to an application function network element, wherein the first message is usable to indicate that the network management network element triggers creation, within the first area, of the second user plane function network element for accessing the application in the second application server in the first area; and

based on the first information, offloading, by the network management network element, a service flow of the terminal to change accessing the application by the terminal via the first application server in the second area to accessing the application by the terminal via the second application server in the first area.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein before the sending, by the network management network element, the first message to the application function network element, the method further comprises:

triggering, by the network management network element, an operation of creating, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the sending, by the network management network element, the first message to the application function network element, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the network management network element, an acknowledgment message from the application function network element, wherein the acknowledgment message is usable to indicate that the network management network element is allowed to create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application, or the network management network element is allowed to create, within the first area, a second application server serving the application; and

triggering, by the network management network element, an operation of creating the second user plane function network element within the first area.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining, by the network management network element based on the first information, to create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application comprises:

determining, by the network management network element based on the first information, that the quantity of access times of the application is greater than or equal to a first threshold and/or the service experience of the application is less than or equal to a second threshold; and

determining, by the network management network element, to create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

triggering, by the network management network element based on the first information, an operation of creating, within the first area, a second application server serving the application.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first information is information about the application on the first application server and that is accessed from the second area by the terminal in the first area via the first user plane function network element; and

the second user plane function network element and/or the second application server are/is created within the first area, and the first area and the second area are different areas.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

sending, by the network management network element, a first request to the data analytics network element, wherein the first request is for requesting the first information of the application that is accessed by the terminal located in the first area.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first request comprises one or more of the following information: an application identifier of the application and information about a third area, wherein the first area is a sub-area of the third area, or the first area is the third area.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first request further comprises information about a first time period, wherein the first information comprises the quantity of access times and/or service experience for the application in a second time period, and the second time period is a sub-time period of the first time period, or the second time period and the first time period are a same time period.

10 . A communication apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

at least one processor connected to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory, to:

receive, from a data analytics network element, first information about an application being accessed by a terminal located in a first area, wherein the terminal accesses the application in a first application server located in a second area where the terminal is not located via a first user plane function network element located in the second area, and wherein the first information comprises a quantity of access times and/or service experience for the application;

determine, based on the first information, to create, within the first area, a second user plane function network element serving the application;

create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application;

create a second application server in the first area to serve the application;

send a first message to an application function network element, wherein the first message is usable to indicate that the network management network element triggers creation, within the first area, of the second user plane function network element for accessing the application in the second application server in the first area; and

based on the first information, offload, by the network management network element, a service flow of the terminal to change accessing the application by the terminal via the first application server in the second area to accessing the application by the terminal via the second application server in the first area.

11 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to, before the sending the first message to the application function network element, trigger an operation of creating, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application.

12 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to, after the sending the first message to the application function network element, receive an acknowledgment message from the application function network element, wherein the acknowledgment message is usable to indicate that the network management network element is allowed to create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application, or the network management network element is allowed to create, within the first area, the second application server serving the application, and to trigger an operation of creating the second user plane function network element within the first area.

13 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the first information, to create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application by determining, based on the first information, that the quantity of access times is greater than or equal to a first threshold and/or the service experience is less than or equal to a second threshold, and determining to create, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application.

14 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

trigger, based on the first information, an operation of creating, within the first area, the second application server serving the application.

15 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first information is information about the application that is created on a second application server and that is accessed from the first area via the second user plane function network element; and

the second user plane function network element and/or the second application server are/is created within the first area, and the first area and the second area are different areas.

16 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a first request to the data analytics network element, wherein the first request is for requesting the first information about the application that is accessed by the terminal located in the first area.

17 . The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the first request comprises one or more of the following information: an application identifier of the application and information about a third area, wherein the first area is a sub-area of the third area, or the first area is the third area.

18 . The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the first request further comprises information about a first time period, wherein the first information comprises the quantity of access times and/or service experience for the application in a second time period, and the second time period is a sub-time period of the first time period, or the second time period and the first time period are a same time period.

19 . A communication system, comprising:

a network management network element; and

an application function network element;

wherein the network management network element is configured to receive, from a data analytics network element, first information about an application being accessed by a terminal located in a first area, wherein the terminal accesses the application in a first application server located in a second area via a first user plane function network element where the terminal is not located in the second area, and wherein the first information comprises a quantity of access times and/or service experience for the application, determine, by the network management network element based on the first information, to create, within the first area, a second user plane function network element serving the application, create by the network management network element, within the first area, the second user plane function network element serving the application, create a second application server in the first area to serve the application, and send, by the network management network element, a first message to an application function network element, wherein the first message is usable to indicate that the network management network element triggers creation, within the first area, of the second user plane function network element for accessing the application in the second application server in the first area; and

wherein the network management network element, based on the first information, is configured to offload a service flow of the terminal to change accessing the application by the terminal via the first application server in the second area to accessing the application by the terminal via the second application server in the first area.