Method and apparatus of failure handling for traffic steering

1 . A method performed by a network node in a Core Network, CN, for handling a failure during traffic steering, comprising:

receiving traffic steering control information from a second network node;

detecting an error during any one of:

N6-Local Area Network, LAN, Traffic Steering;

SGi-LAN Traffic Steering;

Application Function, AF, Influence Traffic Steering; and

reporting the detected error to the second network node;

requesting a User Plane Function, UPF, to implement a Packet Detection Rule, PDR, based on the traffic steering control information; and

receiving an error code that indicates the UPF cannot enforce the PDR.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the error comprises detecting the error by validating the received traffic steering control information.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the error comprises detecting the error based on the received error code.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein reporting the detected error comprises providing a failure report comprising a selected failure code to the second network node.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected failure code comprises any of:

TRAFFIC_STEERING_ERROR indicating one of the following failures:

a failure related to enforcement of traffic steering at SGI-LAN, N6-LAN or Fifth Generation, 5G-LAN; and

a failure related to implementation of a Policy and Charging Control, PCC, rule at a Network Function, NF, service consumer; and

DNAI_ROUTE_ERROR indicating one of the following failures:

a failure related to enforcement of traffic steering associated with a Data Network Access Identifier, DNAI; and

a failure related to implementation of the PCC rule at the NF service consumer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an updated traffic steering control information from the second network node, wherein the updated traffic steering control information is determined based on the detected error.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node comprises a Session Management Function, SMF and the second network node comprises a Policy Control Function, PCF.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node comprises a Packet Data Network Gateway Control Plane, PGW-C, and the second network node comprises a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF.

9 . A method performed by a second network node (i.e., a Policy Control Function, PCF or Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, in a Core Network, CN, for handling a failure during traffic steering, comprising:

providing traffic steering control information to a network node (i.e., a Session Management Function, SMF or Packet Data Network Gateway Control Plane, PGW-C);

receiving a failure report from the network node that indicates an error during any one of:

N6-LAN Traffic Steering;

SGi-LAN Traffic Steering;

Application Function, AF, Influence Traffic Steering; and

performing one or more actions in response to receiving the failure report.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the failure report comprises receiving the failure report comprising a selected failure code.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the selected failure code comprises any of:

TRAFFIC_STEERING_ERROR indicating one of the following failures:

a failure related to enforcement of traffic steering at SGI-LAN, N6-LAN or 5G-LAN; and

a failure related to implementation of the PCC rule at a Network Function, NF, service consumer; and

DNAI_ROUTE_ERROR indicating one of the following failures:

a failure related to enforcement of traffic steering associated with a Data Network Access Identifier, DNAI; and

a failure related to implementation of the PCC rule at the NF service consumer.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein performing one or more actions comprises providing an updated traffic steering control information to the network node, wherein the updated traffic steering control information is determined based on the failure report.

13 . A method performed by a User Plane Function, UPF, for handling a failure during traffic steering, comprising:

receiving a request from a Session Management Function, SMF, in a Core Network, CN, to implement a Packet Detection Rule (PDR) based on traffic steering control information received by the SMF; and

providing an error code to the SMF in response to the UPF being unable to enforce the PDR.

14 . A network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to:

receive traffic steering control information from a second network node;

detect an error during any one of:

N6-LAN Traffic Steering;

SGi-LAN Traffic Steering;

Application Function, AF, Influence Traffic Steering; and

report the detected error to the second network node;

request a User Plane Function, UPF, to implement a Packet Detection Rule (PDR) based on the traffic steering control information; and

receive an error code that indicates the UPF cannot enforce the PDR.

15 . A second network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to:

provide traffic steering control information to a network node;

receive a failure report from the network node that indicates an error during any one of:

N6-Local Area Network, LAN, Traffic Steering;

SGi-LAN Traffic Steering;

Application Function, AF, Influence Traffic Steering;

and

perform one or more actions in response to receiving the failure report.

16 . A network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to:

receive a request from a Session Management Function, SMF, in a Core Network, CN, to implement a Packet Detection Rule (PDR) based on traffic steering control information received by the SMF; and

provide an error code to the SMF in response to the UPF being unable to enforce the PDR.