Service Discovery Extension in a 5G Mobile Communication Network

摘要

It is disclosed a server node, a 5G mobile communication network and a method performed therein, providing information, to a network function (NF) service consumer, for supporting selection of an NF instance out of a group of NF instances providing a target NF service. By using a network repository function (NRF) discovery request/response procedure, and an NF cluster instance ID that relates NF instances providing a certain service where the NF instances are hosted by one and the same NF, the NRF 406 determines IP addresses with which the requested service can be accessed. By using the NF cluster instance, one or more IP addresses for accessing NF instances providing the requested service hosted by one and the same NF 402, 404 is provided to the NF service consumer 408. The latency sensitive services and where load balancing is required, the NF service instance value knowledge about specific NF hosting the requested service, as well as High availability (HA) support.