Binding indications for load balancing and redundancy for communications between network function instances in a 5G core network

1. A method comprising:

at a network function (NF) instance or NF service instance,

constructing a message with one or more headers used to signal binding information, by:

populating, in the one or more headers, a binding indication comprising an address of the NF instance or NF service instance, the binding indication being associated with a service;

populating, in the one or more headers, one or more alternative binding indications comprising one or more alternative addresses of one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances, the one or more alternative binding indications being associated with the same service as the binding indication;

wherein the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances are equivalent NFs or equivalent NF services of the same NF Set or same NF Service Set as the NF instance or NF service instance; and

causing the message to be sent for communication to a recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more headers used to signal binding information comprise a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) custom header for 3gpp-Sbi-Binding according to Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the NF instance or NF service instance is configured to have access to context data for processing, and

the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances are configured to have access to the same context data for processing as the NF instance or NF service instance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the address is for use by the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance for communication of messages to the NF instance or NF service instance for the service, and

the one or more alternative addresses are for use by the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance for the communication of the messages to the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances for the same service, for load balancing with or backup failure measure for the NF instance or NF service instance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the message to be sent comprises causing the message to be sent via a proxy for communication to the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance, and wherein:

the address is for use by the proxy for communication of messages to the NF instance or NF service instance for the service, and

the one or more alternative addresses are for use by the proxy for the communication of the messages to the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances for the same service, for load balancing with or backup failure measure for the NF instance or NF service instance.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

at the NF instance or NF service instance,

prior to constructing the message, obtaining, from an NF Repository Function (NRF), the one or more alternative addresses of the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances of the same NF Set or same NF Service Set.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message indicates a request or a response, and wherein:

the NF instance or NF service instance comprises an NF Consumer instance, the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances comprises one or more alternative NF Consumer instances, and the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance comprises an NF Producer instance, or

the NF instance or NF service instance comprises an NF Producer instance, the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances comprises one or more alternative NF Producer instances, and the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance comprises an NF Consumer instance.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more alternative binding indications is associated with a scope parameter having a predetermined value or designation indicating it as an equivalent NF or equivalent NF service for the same service as the binding indication.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the proxy comprises a Service Communication Proxy (SCP).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein each alternative binding indication is further associated with an additional parameter or value indicating a priority or a weight associated with the alternative binding indication for load balancing with or backup failure measure for the NF instance or NF service instance.

11. A method comprising:

at a recipient network function (NF) instance or recipient NF service instance, or at a proxy for the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance,

receiving a message with one or more headers used to signal binding information;

obtaining, from the one or more headers, a binding indication comprising an address of an NF instance or NF service instance, the binding indication being associated with a service;

obtaining, from the one or more headers, one or more alternative binding indications comprising one or more alternative addresses of one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances, the one or more alternative binding indications being associated with the same service as the binding indication;

wherein the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances are equivalent NFs or equivalent NF services of the same NF Set or same NF Service Set as the NF instance or NF service instance;

caching in memory the address of the NF instance or NF service instance, and the one or more alternative addresses of the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances;

using the address retrieved from the memory for communication of messages to the NF instance or NF service instance for the service; and

using the one or more alternative addresses retrieved from the memory for the communication of the messages to the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances for the same service, for load balancing with or backup failure measure for the NF instance or NF service instance.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more headers used to signal binding information comprise a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) custom header for 3gpp-Sbi-Binding according to Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein each alternative binding indication is further associated with an additional parameter or value indicating a priority or a weight value associated with the alternative binding indication for the load balancing with or the backup failure measure for the NF instance or NF service instance.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message indicates a request or a response, and wherein:

the NF instance or NF service instance comprises an NF Consumer instance, the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances comprises one or more alternative NF Consumer instances, and the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance comprises an NF Producer instance, or

the NF instance or NF service instance comprises an NF Producer instance, the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances comprises one or more alternative NF Producer instances, and the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance comprises an NF Consumer instance.

15. The method of claim 11 , which is performed at the proxy which comprises a Service Communication Proxy (SCP).

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

each of the one or more alternative binding indications is indicated with a scope parameter having a predetermined value or designation indicating it as an equivalent NF or equivalent NF service for the same service as the binding indication,

the NF instance or NF service instance is configured to have access to context data for processing, and

the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances are configured to have access to the same context data for processing as the NF instance or NF service instance.

17. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory elements coupled to the one or more processors;

instructions stored in the one or more memory elements;

the instructions being executable on the one or more processors for operation as a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) for:

receiving a message with one or more headers used to signal binding information, the message being destined to a recipient network function (NF) instance or recipient NF service instance;

obtaining, from the one or more headers, a binding indication comprising an address of an NF instance or NF service instance, the binding indication being associated with a service;

obtaining, from the one or more headers, one or more alternative binding indications comprising one or more alternative addresses of one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances, the one or more alternative binding indications being associated with the same service as the binding indication;

wherein the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances are equivalent NFs or equivalent NF services of the same NF Set or same NF Service Set as the NF instance or NF service instance;

caching in memory the address of the NF instance or NF service instance, and the one or more alternative addresses of the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances;

using the address retrieved from the memory for communication of messages to the NF instance or NF service instance for the service; and

using the one or more alternative addresses retrieved from the memory for the communication of the messages to the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances for the same service, for load balancing with or backup failure measure for the NF instance or NF service instance.

18. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more headers used to signal binding information comprise a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) custom header for 3gpp-Sbi-Binding according to Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications.

19. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein:

the NF instance or NF service instance is configured to have access to context data for processing, and the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances are configured to have access to the same context data for processing as the NF instance or NF service instance, and

the NF instance or NF service instance comprises an NF Consumer instance, the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances comprises one or more alternative NF Consumer instances, and the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance comprises an NF Producer instance, or

the NF instance or NF service instance comprises an NF Producer instance, the one or more alternative NF instances or alternative NF service instances comprises one or more alternative NF Producer instances, and the recipient NF instance or recipient NF service instance comprises an NF Consumer instance.

20. The computing device of claim 18 , wherein each of the one or more alternative binding indications is indicated in the HTTP custom header with a scope having a predetermined value or designation which indicates it as an equivalent NF or equivalent NF service for the same service as the binding indication.