Dynamic discovery mechanism in 5G systems and methods

1. At least one computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor in a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method of registering network functions (NFs) in a Fifth Generation (5G) telecommunications network that includes a domain name system (DNS), the method comprising:

establishing at least one global network repository function (NRF) and at least one regional NRF for the 5G telecommunications network based on communicating with the DNS;

instantiating a new NF having a target region;

based on the instantiation, obtaining a global list at the new NF based on communicating with the DNS,

wherein the global list identifies the at least one global NRF;

obtaining a regional list at the new NF based on communicating with one or more of the global NRFs according to the global list and the target region of the new NF,

wherein the regional list identifies the at least one regional NRF;

dynamically registering the new NF with one or more regional NRFs according to the regional list; and

obtaining at the new NF a function list based on communicating with the one or more regional NRFs, wherein the function list identifies one or more other NFs associated with the new NF and/or the one or more regional NRFs.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF and the at least one regional NRF includes initiating the at least one global NRF and the at least one regional NRF for the 5G telecommunications network.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF includes:

instantiating a new NRF having an identifier;

receiving at the new NRF a global list from the DNS;

comparing the global list to an initial configuration that represents a predetermined quantity of global NRFs; and

based on the comparison, adding the identifier of the new NRF at the DNS as a global NRF.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein establishing the at least one regional NRF includes:

instantiating a new NRF having an identifier;

receiving at the new NRF one or more lists from the DNS, the global NRF, or a combination thereof;

comparing the one or more lists to an initial configuration that represents a predetermined quantity, a regional assignment, or a combination thereof of regional NRFs; and

based on the comparison, adding the identifier of the new NRF at the at least one global NRF as a regional NRF.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

instantiating the new NF includes:

monitoring network activities,

comparing the network activities to a predetermined threshold condition, and

initiating the new NF based on the comparison; and

dynamically registering the new NF includes registering the new NF directly in response to the comparison.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF includes verifying existence of at least one global NRF based on communicating with the DNS.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the global list includes:

identifying an address for the DNS;

sending one or more queries to the DNS for the global list; and

receiving the global list from the DNS.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the regional list includes:

identifying an address for one of the global NRFs based on the global list;

sending one or more queries to the one of the global NRFs for the regional list corresponding to the target region; and

receiving the regional list from the one of the global NRFs.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

obtaining the regional list includes a sequence for the regional NRFs associated with the target region; and

dynamically registering the new NF includes communicating with one or more of the regional NRFs associated with the target region according to the sequence.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the new NF is at least initially instantiated as a charging function (CHF), a session management function (SMF), and/or a policy control function (PCF).

11. A computing system for registering network functions (NFs) in a Fifth Generation (5G) telecommunications network including at least one domain name system (DNS), the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory operably coupled to the at least one processor and storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the computing system to:

establish at least one global network repository function (NRF) and at least one regional NRF for the 5G telecommunications network based on communicating with the DNS;

instantiate a new network function (NF) associated with a target region;

based on the instantiation, obtain a global list at the new NF based on communicating with the DNS,

where the global list identifies the at least one global NRF;

obtain a regional list at the new NF based on communication with one or more of the global NRFs according to the global list and the target region of the new NF,

wherein the regional list identifies the at least one regional NRF;

dynamically register the new NF with one or more regional NRFs according to the regional list; and

obtain, at the new NF, a function list based on communicating with the one or more regional NRFs,

wherein the function list identifies one or more other NFs associated with the new NF and/or the one or more regional NRFs.

12. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF and the at least one regional NRF further causes the computing system to initiate the at least one global NRF and the at least one regional NRF for the 5G telecommunications network.

13. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF further causes the computing system to:

instantiate a new NRF having an identifier;

receive at the new NRF a global list from the DNS;

compare the global list to an initial configuration that represents a predetermined quantity of global NRFs; and

based on the comparison, add the identifier of the new NRF at the DNS as a global NRF.

14. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein establishing the at least one regional NRF further causes the computing system to:

instantiate a new NRF having an identifier;

receive at the new NRF one or more lists from the DNS, the global NRF, or a combination thereof;

compare the one or more lists to an initial configuration that represents a predetermined quantity, a regional assignment, or a combination thereof of regional NRFs; and

based on the comparison, add the identifier of the new NRF at the at least one global NRF as a regional NRF.

15. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein:

instantiating the new NF further causes the computing system to:

monitor network activities,

compare the network activities to a predetermined threshold condition, and

initiate the new NF based on the comparison; and

dynamically registering the new NF further causes the computing system to register the new NF directly in response to the comparison.

16. A computer-implemented method of registering network functions (NFs) in a Fifth Generation (5G) telecommunications network that includes a domain name system (DNS), the method comprising:

establishing at least one global network repository function (NRF) and at least one regional NRF for the 5G telecommunications network based on communicating with the DNS;

instantiating a new NF having a target region;

based on the instantiation, obtaining a global list at the new NF based on communicating with the DNS,

wherein the global list identifies the at least one global NRF;

obtaining a regional list at the new NF based on communicating with one or more of the global NRFs according to the global list and the target region of the new NF,

wherein the regional list identifies the at least one regional NRF;

dynamically registering the new NF with one or more regional NRFs according to the regional list; and

obtaining at the new NF a function list based on communicating with the one or more regional NRFs, wherein the function list identifies one or more other NFs associated with the new NF and/or the one or more regional NRFs.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF and the at least one regional NRF includes initiating the at least one global NRF and the at least one regional NRF for the 5G telecommunications network.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein establishing the at least one global NRF includes:

instantiating a new NRF having an identifier;

receiving at the new NRF a global list from the DNS;

comparing the global list to an initial configuration that represents a predetermined quantity of global NRFs; and

based on the comparison, adding the identifier of the new NRF at the DNS as a global NRF.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein establishing the at least one regional NRF includes:

instantiating a new NRF having an identifier;

receiving at the new NRF one or more lists from the DNS, the global NRF, or a combination thereof;

comparing the one or more lists to an initial configuration that represents a predetermined quantity, a regional assignment, or a combination thereof of regional NRFs; and

based on the comparison, adding the identifier of the new NRF at the at least one global NRF as a regional NRF.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein:

instantiating the new NF includes:

monitoring network activities,

comparing the network activities to a predetermined threshold condition, and

initiating the new NF based on the comparison; and

dynamically registering the new NF includes registering the new NF directly in response to the comparison.