Patent attributes
A method for service communication proxy (SCP)-specific prioritized producer network function (NF) discovery and routing includes maintaining, at the SCP, a producer NF latency database including SCP-specific producer NF latency information. The method further includes receiving a discovery request message or receiving a service request message having a 3GPP-Sbi-Discovery header and generating, at the SCP, a discovery request message in response to the received service request message and modifying, the discovery request message to include the SCP-specific producer NF latency information. The method further includes forwarding, by the SCP, the discovery request message to an NF repository function (NRF). The method further includes, at the NRF, creating a list of NF and their associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances capable of providing the service identified in the discovery request message. The method further includes setting or adjusting, by the NRF and based on the SCP-specific producer NF latency information, priorities of NF and service profiles of producer NF and producer NF service instances in the list. The method further includes forwarding, by the NRF and to the SCP, a discovery response message including the list of NF and associated service profiles of producer NF instances and their respective producer NF service instances.