A method for transmitting in a communication network uplink data from an application module in a user terminal. The method includes: determining, by the user terminal, if a correspondence exists between an application module providing at least one uplink packet and at least one rule designating a network slice instantiation to be used for transmitting uplink packets in the communication network; and in response to a determination by the user terminal that the application module providing at least one uplink packet corresponds to a rule designating a network slice instantiation to be used for transmitting the uplink packet in the communication network, transmitting the at least one uplink packet from the user terminal to an entity for access to a user plane of the designated network slice instantiation.

A method for transmitting in a communication network uplink data from an application module in a user terminal. The method includes: determining, by the user terminal, if a correspondence exists between an application module providing at least one uplink packet and at least one rule designating a network slice instantiation to be used for transmitting uplink packets in the communication network; and in response to a determination by the user terminal that the application module providing at least one uplink packet corresponds to a rule designating a network slice instantiation to be used for transmitting the uplink packet in the communication network, transmitting the at least one uplink packet from the user terminal to an entity for access to a user plane of the designated network slice instantiation.

According to one embodiment, a method for associating network functions with a network slice instance of a mobile radio communication network is described comprising an Network Slice Management Function, NSMF, creating an identifier for a network slice instance, NSI, for Operations Administration and Management, OAM, wherein the mobile radio communication network comprises a core network and an OAM system, wherein the OAM system comprises at least the NSMF which has interfaces to network functions in the core network, wherein the network functions provide a communication service to a mobile terminal and wherein the core network further comprises a Network Repository Function, NRF, that maintains an association of network functions and network slice instances of the mobile radio communication network; and the NSMF or the NRF notifying one or more network functions about their association with the network slice instance.

According to one embodiment, a method for associating network functions with a network slice instance of a mobile radio communication network is described comprising an Network Slice Management Function, NSMF, creating an identifier for a network slice instance, NSI, for Operations Administration and Management, OAM, wherein the mobile radio communication network comprises a core network and an OAM system, wherein the OAM system comprises at least the NSMF which has interfaces to network functions in the core network, wherein the network functions provide a communication service to a mobile terminal and wherein the core network further comprises a Network Repository Function, NRF, that maintains an association of network functions and network slice instances of the mobile radio communication network; and the NSMF or the NRF notifying one or more network functions about their association with the network slice instance.

This patent application discloses a radio access network slice generation method, a radio access network, and a slice manager. The method includes: receiving, by a radio access network, a radio access network slice generation request message sent by a slice manager; and generating, by the radio access network, a radio access network slice. The radio access network slice generation request message includes information about a service type, and a protocol stack corresponding to the service type is configured for the radio access network slice. In this patent application, there is no need to repeatedly deploy different radio access networks to meet different service types, and therefore operating expenses are reduced. The radio access network slice may be quickly generated, and this facilitates rapid deployment of a new service.

This patent application discloses a radio access network slice generation method, a radio access network, and a slice manager. The method includes: receiving, by a radio access network, a radio access network slice generation request message sent by a slice manager; and generating, by the radio access network, a radio access network slice. The radio access network slice generation request message includes information about a service type, and a protocol stack corresponding to the service type is configured for the radio access network slice. In this patent application, there is no need to repeatedly deploy different radio access networks to meet different service types, and therefore operating expenses are reduced. The radio access network slice may be quickly generated, and this facilitates rapid deployment of a new service.

A management device for managing a radio access network includes: a RAN slice management unit configured to manage a slice of the radio access network; a radio resource management unit configured to abstract and manage a radio resource possessed by a radio base station included in a radio network; an optical resource management unit configured to abstract and manage an optical resource possessed by an optical communication device included in an optical network; and a base station resource management unit configured to abstract and manage a base station resource possessed by a base station device included in a base station network. When a slice generation request is received from a higher-level management device, the RAN slice management unit determines an abstracted radio resource, an abstracted optical resource and an abstracted base station resource to be assigned to a slice, based on requested performance of the slice.

A management device for managing a radio access network includes: a RAN slice management unit configured to manage a slice of the radio access network; a radio resource management unit configured to abstract and manage a radio resource possessed by a radio base station included in a radio network; an optical resource management unit configured to abstract and manage an optical resource possessed by an optical communication device included in an optical network; and a base station resource management unit configured to abstract and manage a base station resource possessed by a base station device included in a base station network. When a slice generation request is received from a higher-level management device, the RAN slice management unit determines an abstracted radio resource, an abstracted optical resource and an abstracted base station resource to be assigned to a slice, based on requested performance of the slice.

A mobile communication device including a wireless transceiver, a storage device, and a controller is provided. The wireless transceiver performs wireless transmission and reception using a Radio Access Technology (RAT). The storage device stores program code of a management program. The controller loads and executes the management program in an application framework layer to perform management of network slicing configuration, including: inquiring of the wireless transceiver about first network slicing configuration that is currently applied in the wireless transceiver; in response to an application being activated, determining whether the first network slicing configuration meets one or more requirement parameters of the application; and in response to the first network slicing configuration meeting the requirement parameters of the application, sending a first configuration success message to the application without requesting the wireless transceiver to reconfigure the first network slicing configuration.

A management method includes receiving, by a first management unit, a first management request, where the first management request carries requirement information of a network slice or indication information, and the indication information is used to obtain the requirement information of the network slice. The method further includes obtaining, by the first management unit, requirement information of a first subnet based on the requirement information of the network slice, and determining, by the first management unit, requirement information of a first network resource required by the first subnet, where the requirement information of the first network resource is used to select, create, configure, activate, or request a first network resource instance that satisfies the requirement information of the first network resource.