Step 1a.
The NRM client 1 sends the application connectivity request (source identity and IP address, destination identities, service requirements) to the NRM Server. The service requirement from the source includes packet size, packet transmission interval, packet E2E latency, allowed packet loss rate/packet loss amount/packet error rate, etc. The destination may be multiple UEs (devices). The identity of source and destination may be the application user identity or the MAC address.
Step 1b.
The NRM server determines whether the UE of NRM client 1 is authorized to connect to the destination UEs for direct service communications via Uu. If UE of NRM client 1 is authorized to connect to the destination UEs, then a response is provided to the NRM client 1 indicating acceptance of the request.
Step 2a.
The NRM client 2 sends the application connectivity request (destination identity and IP address, source identity, service requirements) to the NRM server. The service requirements from the destination includes the service requirements as described in step 1a.
Step 2b.
The NRM server determines whether the UE of NRM client 2 is authorized to connect to the destination UEs for direct service communications via Uu. If UE of NRM client 2 is authorized to connect to the destination UEs, then a response is provided to the NRM client 2 indicating acceptance of the request.
Step 3.
Based on the service requirements received in step 1 and step 2, the NRM server determines the parameters and patterns for direct service connectivity between the source UE and the destination UE via Uu and also the transport requirements (i.e., QoS requirements for the 3GPP system (e.g. 5GS)). Further, the NRM server derives the individual QoS requirements for the source UE and the destination UE from the transport requirement accordingly, i.e., the QoS requirements required between the source UE of NRM client 1 and the 3GPP network and the QoS requirements required between the destination UE of NRM client 2 and the 3GPP network. This step may also include retrieving the direct link status of the UEs (e.g. PDU Session Status, UE reachability). If the NRM server determines that direct service connectivity via Uu is not authorized or not possible with the given connectivity requirements, it skips step 4 and proceeds to steps 5 and 6, informing each NRM client accordingly.
NRM server will process E2E connectivity establishment between NRM client 1 and NRM client 2 only after it receives the request from NRM client 2. There can be several NRM clients (destinations) which will perform step 2 and NRM server will process their E2E connectivity with NRM client 1 (source) as and when the requests are received by the NRM server.
Step 4.
The NRM server triggers 3GPP system to establish QoS flow between the UE of NRM client 1 and the 3GPP network and the QoS flow between the UE of NRM client 2 and the network with individual QoS requirements derived from step 3 followed the procedure as specified in
TS 23.502,
TS 23.501.
Step 5.
The NRM server sends the application connectivity notification (connectivity/session information) to NRM client 1 indicating successful establishment of the connectivity. The connectivity/session information may contain the accepted destination identities.
Step 6.
The NRM server sends the application connectivity notification (connectivity/session information) to NRM client 2 indicating successful establishment of the connectivity.