Communication method, apparatus, and system
A communication method is provided. A first network element receives an association identifier of a first application from a session management network element, where the association identifier is for associating different quality of service QoS flows of the first application. The first network element performs joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows of the first application that each carry the association identifier. Based on this solution, the first network element can identify, based on the association identifier, QoS flows belonging to a same application, and perform joint scheduling, thereby ensuring that the QoS flows of the same application can arrive at a terminal device simultaneously or a time interval between arrivals at the terminal device is small, so that the service experience of a user can be improved.
1 . A communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a user plane network element, an association identifier of an application from a session management network element, wherein the association identifier indicates a plurality of different quality of service (QoS) flows of the application to be associated; and
performing, by the user plane network element, joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows of the application that each carry the association identifier;
wherein the performing the joint scheduling comprises:
sending, by the user plane network element, the plurality of QoS flows to an access network device, wherein a sending time interval between any two continuously sent QoS flows in the plurality of QoS flows does not exceed a first time threshold.
2 . The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication method further comprises:
receiving, by the access network device, the association identifier from the session management network element;
receiving, by the access network device, at least two QoS flows from the user plane network element, wherein the at least two QoS flows comprise the plurality of QoS flows of the first application; and
mapping, by the access network device to a first radio bearer, a QoS flow that is in the at least two QoS flows and that carries a first QoS flow identifier and the association identifier.
3 . The communication method according to claim 2 , wherein the communication method further comprises:
mapping, by the access network device to a second radio bearer, another QoS flow that is in the at least two QoS flows and that carries a second QoS flow identifier and the association identifier.
4 . The communication method according to claim 2 , wherein the communication method further comprises:
mapping, by the access network device to a third radio bearer, another QoS flow that is in the at least two QoS flows and that does not carry the association identifier.
5 . The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication method further comprises:
receiving, by the access network device, the plurality of QoS flows from the user plane network element; and
sending, by the access network device, the plurality of QoS flows to a terminal based on sending proportions respectively corresponding to priorities of the different QoS flows in the plurality of QoS flows.
6 . The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by the user plane network element, the association identifier comprises:
receiving, by the user plane network element, QoS policies of the plurality of QoS flows from the session management network element, wherein the QoS policies each carry the association identifier.
7 . The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the session management network element, the association identifier of the application; and
sending, by the session management network element, the association identifier to the user plane network element.
8 . The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the user plane network element, indication information from the session management network element; and
the performing the joint scheduling further comprises:
performing, by the user plane network element, the joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows based on the indication information.
9 . The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing the joint scheduling comprises:
receiving, by the user plane network element, data packets of the application;
classifying, by the user plane network element, the data packets of the application into the plurality of QoS flows.
10 . The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the access network device, the association identifier from session management network element;
accepting, by the access network device and based on the association identifier, the plurality of QoS flows from a user plane network element; or
rejecting, by the access network device and based on the association identifier, the plurality of QoS flows from the user plane network element.
11 . An apparatus, comprising:
a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to cause the apparatus to:
receive an association identifier of an application from a session management network element, wherein the association identifier indicates a plurality of different quality of service (QoS) flows of the application to be associated; and
perform joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows of the application that each carry the association identifier;
wherein the performing the joint scheduling comprises:
sending the plurality of QoS flows to an access network device, wherein a sending time interval between any two continuously sent QoS flows in the plurality of QoS flows does not exceed a first time threshold.
12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein receiving the association identifier from the session management network element comprises:
receiving QoS policies of the plurality of QoS flows from the session management network element, wherein the QoS policies each carry the association identifier.
13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive indication information from the session management network element; and
the performing the joint scheduling further comprises:
performing joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows based on the indication information.
14 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the performing the joint scheduling comprises:
receiving data packets of the application;
classifying the data packets of the application into the plurality of QoS flows.
15 . A communication system, comprising:
a session management network element implemented by at least one processor executing code stored in at least one memory, and a user plane network element implemented by the at least one processor executing code stored in the at least one memory, wherein
the session management network element is configured to: send, to the user plane network element, an association identifier of an application that indicates a plurality of different quality of service (QoS) flows of the application to be associated;
the user plane network element is configured to: receive the association identifier of the application, and perform joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows of the application that each carry the association identifier; and wherein
the performing the joint scheduling comprises:
sending, by the user plane network element, the plurality of QoS flows to an access network device, wherein a sending time interval between any two continuously sent QoS flows in the plurality of QoS flows does not exceed a first time threshold.
16 . The communication system according to claim 15 , wherein sending, to the user plane network element, the association identifier comprises:
sending QoS policies of the plurality of QoS flows to the user plane network element, wherein the QoS policies each carry the association identifier.
17 . The communication system according to claim 15 , wherein
the user plane network element is further configured to receive indication information from the session management network element; and
the user plane network element is further configured to perform the joint scheduling by:
performing joint scheduling on the plurality of QoS flows based on the indication information.
18 . The communication system according to claim 15 , further comprising the access network device, wherein the access network device is configured to:
receive the plurality of QoS flows from the user plane network element; and
send the plurality of QoS flows to a terminal based on sending proportions respectively corresponding to priorities of the different QoS flows in the plurality of QoS flows.
19 . The communication system according to claim 15 , wherein the access network device is configured to receive QoS policies of the plurality of QoS flows from the session management network element, wherein the QoS policies each carry the association identifier.
20 . The communication system according to claim 15 , wherein the performing the joint scheduling comprises:
receiving, by the user plane network element, data packets of the application;
classifying, by the user plane network element, the data packets of the application into the plurality of QoS flows.