Virtual network communication method, device, and system

1. A group session management network element, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the group session management network element to:

obtain tunnel information of a first user plane network element serving a first terminal device belonging to a first virtual network group, wherein the first user plane network element is managed by a first session management network element; and

send a first message to a second session management network element, wherein the first message comprises an identifier of the first terminal device, an identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element; and the identifier of the first terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element are adapted to configure a first forwarding rule on a second user plane network element managed by the second session management network element, and the first forwarding rule is configured to indicate to the second user plane network element to send a first data packet to the first user plane network element when one terminal device that belongs to the first virtual network group and that is served by the second user plane network element sends the first data packet to the first terminal device.

2. The group session management network element according to claim 1 , wherein the program instructions further cause the group session management network element to:

receive, in a process in which the first terminal device establishes a session, a second message from the first session management network element, wherein the second message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the first session management network element; and

store a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the first session management network element.

3. The group session management network element according to claim 2 , wherein the second message further comprises at least one of an identifier of the first virtual network group or the tunnel information of the first user plane network element serving the first terminal device; and wherein the program instructions further cause the group session management network element to:

store a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device, the identifier of the first session management network element, and at least one of the identifier of the first virtual network group and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element.

4. The group session management network element according to claim 3 , wherein the program instructions further cause the group session management network element to:

obtain, when the mapping relationship comprises the tunnel information of the first user plane network element, the tunnel information of the first user plane network element serving the first terminal device.

5. The group session management network element according to claim 3 , wherein the program instructions further cause the group session management network element to:

send, when the mapping relationship does not comprise the tunnel information of the first user plane network element, a third message to the first session management network element, wherein the third message requests to establish a tunnel for the first terminal device; and

receive, from the first session management network element, the tunnel information of the first user plane network element serving the first terminal device.

6. The group session management network element according to claim 5 , wherein the program instructions further cause the group session management network element to:

receive, from the second session management network element, tunnel information of the second user plane network element serving a second terminal device belonging to the first virtual network group; and

send a fourth message to the first session management network element, wherein the fourth message comprises an identifier of the second terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the second user plane network element; and the identifier of the second terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the second user plane network element are adapted to configure a second forwarding rule on the first user plane network element, and the second forwarding rule is configured to indicate to the first user plane network element to send a second data packet to the second user plane network element when one terminal device that belongs to the first virtual network group and that is served by the first user plane network element sends the second data packet to the second terminal device.

7. The group session management network element according to claim 1 , wherein the program instructions further cause the group session management network element to:

receive, before obtaining tunnel information of a first user plane network element, a fifth message for requesting the first forwarding rule from the second session management network element.

8. A second session management network element, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second session management network element to:

send, in a process in which a second terminal device belonging to a first virtual network group establishes a session, a first message to a group session management network element, wherein the first message comprises an identifier of the second terminal device and an identifier of the second session management network element;

receive a second message from the group session management network element, wherein the second message comprises an identifier of a first terminal device belonging to the first virtual network group, an identifier of the first virtual network group, and tunnel information of a first user plane network element serving the first terminal device, wherein the first user plane network element is managed by a first session management network element; and

configure, based on the identifier of the first terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element, a first forwarding rule on a second user plane network element managed by the second session management network element, wherein the first forwarding rule indicates the second user plane network element to send a first data packet to the first user plane network element when one terminal device that belongs to the first virtual network group and that is served by the second user plane network element sends the first data packet to the first terminal device.

9. The second session management network element according to claim 8 , wherein the program instructions further cause the second session management network element to:

receive a third message for requesting the first forwarding rule from the second user plane network element;

determine that the first forwarding rule does not exist on the second session management network element; and

send a fourth message for requesting the first forwarding rule to the group session management network element.

10. The second session management network element according to claim 8 , wherein the first message further comprises the identifier of the first virtual network group.

11. The second session management network element according to claim 8 , wherein the first message further comprises tunnel information of the second user plane network element serving the second terminal device.

12. The second session management network element according to claim 8 , wherein the program instructions further cause the second session management network element to:

receive, from the group session management network element, a fifth message for requesting to establish a tunnel for the second terminal device; and

send, to the group session management network element, tunnel information of the second user plane network element serving the second terminal device.

13. A communication system, wherein the communication system comprises:

a group session management network element and a second session management network element,

the group session management network element is configured to obtain tunnel information of a first user plane network element serving a first terminal device belonging to a first virtual network group, wherein the first user plane network element is managed by a first session management network element;

the group session management network element is further configured to send a first message to the second session management network element, wherein the first message comprises an identifier of the first terminal device, an identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element; and

the second session management network element is configured to: receive the first message from the group session management network element, and configure, based on the identifier of the first terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element, a first forwarding rule on a second user plane network element managed by the second session management network element, wherein the first forwarding rule is configured to indicate to the second user plane network element to send a first data packet to the first user plane network element when one terminal device that belongs to the first virtual network group and that is served by the second user plane network element sends the first data packet to the first terminal device.

14. The communication system according to claim 13 , wherein the communication system further comprises the first session management network element;

the first session management network element is configured to: send, in a process in which the first terminal device establishes a session, a second message to the group session management network element, wherein the second message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the first session management network element; and

the group session management network element is further configured to: receive the second message from the first session management network element, and store a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the first session management network element.

15. The communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the second message further comprises at least one of the identifier of the first virtual network group and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element serving the first terminal device; and

that the group session management network element is further configured to store a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the first session management network element comprises:

the group session management network element is further configured to store a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device, the identifier of the first session management network element, and at least one of the identifier of the first virtual network group and the tunnel information of the first user plane network element.

16. The communication system according to claim 15 , wherein the group session management network element is configured to: obtain, when the mapping relationship comprises the tunnel information of the first user plane network element, the stored tunnel information of the first user plane network element serving the first terminal device.

17. The communication system according to claim 15 , wherein the group session management network element is configured to: send, when the mapping relationship does not comprise the tunnel information of the first user plane network element, a third message to the first session management network element, wherein the third message is used to request to establish a tunnel for the first terminal device; and

the group session management network element is further configured to receive the tunnel information that is of the first user plane network element serving the first terminal device and that is from the first session management network element.

18. The communication system according to claim 17 , wherein

the second session management network element is further configured to send, to the group session management network element, tunnel information of the second user plane network element serving a second terminal device belonging to the first virtual network group;

the group session management network element is further configured to receive, from the second session management network element, the tunnel information of the second user plane network element serving the second terminal device;

the group session management network element is further configured to send a fourth message to the first session management network element, wherein the fourth message comprises an identifier of the second terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the second user plane network element; and

the first session management network element is further configured to: receive the fourth message from the group session management network element, and configure a second forwarding rule on the first user plane network element based on the identifier of the second terminal device, the identifier of the first virtual network group, and the tunnel information of the second user plane network element, wherein the second forwarding rule is configured to indicate to the first user plane network element to send a second data packet to the second user plane network element when one terminal device that belongs to the first virtual network group and that is served by the first user plane network element sends the second data packet to the second terminal device.

19. The communication system according to claim 13 , wherein

the second session management network element is further configured to receive, from the second user plane network element, a fifth message for requesting the first forwarding rule; send, after determining that the first forwarding rule does not exist on the second session management network element, a sixth message for requesting the first forwarding rule to the group session management network element; and

the group session management network element is further configured to: receive the sixth message from the second session management network element.