FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
THE PATENTS RULE 0) 003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
APPLICANT
JIO PLATFORMS LIMITED
of Office-101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India; Nationality: India
The following specification particularly describes
the invention and the manner in which
it is to be performed

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material,
which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design, and/or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless
telecommunication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for managing session data of a network function.
DEFINITION
[0003] As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally
intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used to indicate otherwise.
[0004] The term ‘auditor timer’ as used herein, refers to a timing mechanism
within a network function cluster that schedules and initiates periodic checks for maintaining session data consistency across active, standby, and spare instances. It ensures that sessions are evaluated for staleness and, if necessary, removed to maintain data integrity.
[0005] The term ‘delta auditor time’ as used herein refers to an additional
time interval added to the auditor timer to dynamically adjust synchronization timings. It enhances the accuracy and efficiency of session data synchronization between an active, a standby, and a spare instance, ensuring that all instances remain

up to date with minimal latency.
[0006] The term ‘session data’ as used herein refers to the data associated
with a particular session within a network function, including information such as session identifiers, state information, and any relevant metadata required for the session management and continuity across different instances of the network function.
[0007] The term ‘network function’ as used herein refers to a functional
building block within a network infrastructure that provides specific networking capabilities such as routing, firewall, load balancing, and alike, and may be deployed as part of a cluster to ensure high availability and reliability.
[0008] The term ‘cluster’ as used herein refers to a group of interconnected
network function instances, including the active, the standby, and the spare instances, that work together to provide redundancy, load balancing, and failover capabilities to ensure continuous service availability and reliability.
[0009] The term ‘active instance’ as used herein refers to a primary network
function instance within a cluster that handles live traffic, processes requests, and executes tasks in real-time to deliver services to clients or end-users.
[0010] The term ‘standby instance’ as used herein refers to a secondary
network function instance within a cluster that maintains synchronized state information with the active instance and is ready to take over the active role instantly in case of failure or disruption of the active instance.
[0011] The term ‘spare instance’ as used herein refers to an additional
backup network function instance within a cluster that remains idle but is fully configured and synchronized with both the active and standby instances, providing an extra layer of redundancy and reliability.
[0012] The term ‘refresh time’ as used herein refers to the timestamp
indicating the last update time of session data, which is used to determine the

staleness and validity of the session data for synchronization purposes.
[0013] The term ‘RPC (Remote Procedure Call)’ as used herein refers to a
communication protocol used to replicate session data across different instances in the cluster, ensuring that any changes made on the active instance are propagated to the standby and spare instances in real-time or near-real-time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The following description of the related art is intended to provide
background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admission of the prior art.
[0015] To ensure high availability, uninterrupted services and efficient
failover mechanisms, network functions (NFs) are deployed in clusters of three – namely an active instance, a standby instance, and a spare instance. The active instance is a primary NF that handles the live traffic and performs the intended functions. The active instance is responsible for processing requests, executing tasks, and delivering services to clients or end-users. The standby instance is a redundant copy of the active instance. The standby instance closely monitors the active instance and maintains synchronized state information. The standby instance is ready to take over the active role instantly in case of a failure or disruption in the active instance. This ensures seamless failover and continuity of services. The spare instance is an additional backup NF that remains idle but is fully configured and synchronized with the active and the standby instances. The spare instance serves as an additional safety net in case both the active and the standby instances encounter failures simultaneously. The spare instance may be quickly activated to restore services in such critical situations. Any changes made on the active instance

are propagated to the standby and spare instances to keep them updated through a replication remote procedure call (RPC). The RPC ensures that the data remains synchronized or consistent among all instances in real-time or near-real-time.
[0016] During a cluster upgrade, when the active instance performs bulk
replication, there may be a potential mismatch of session data at the standby and spare instances compared to the active instance as all instances are maintaining same auditor timer. Session validation is staggered or rate-limited in the active instance. However, rate limiting is not applied in the standby and the spare instances. Thus, the standby and spare instances remove the session silently which are stale or invalid, prior to the active instance. However, a problem of cluster mismatch is encountered during cluster upgrades in conventional systems.
[0017] There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide a system and a method
that can mitigate the problems associated with the prior arts.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0018] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a
method that utilizes a delta auditor time in conjunction with an auditor timer to effectively identify and remove stale sessions in both the standby instance and the spare instance, thereby enhancing system reliability.
[0019] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a
method that ensures session consistency across all instances in a cluster through the addition of the delta auditor time, thereby preventing data mismatches and ensuring seamless operations.
[0020] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a
method where the use of the auditor timer with the delta auditor timer improves data integrity, system performance, resource utilization, and the overall reliability of the cluster.
[0021] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a

method that employs a delta auditor timer to maintain a consistent and robust environment for session management, thereby contributing to the seamless and uninterrupted operation of network functions.
[0022] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and
method that dynamically adjusts synchronization timings based on session conditions and operational requirements, ensuring that data remains up-to-date and synchronized across the active instance, the standby instance, and the spare instance.
[0023] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and
method that minimizes system downtime and enhances failover mechanisms by ensuring that the standby and the spare instances are always prepared to take over from the active instance with minimal disruption.
[0024] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and
method that reduces the likelihood of session data mismatches during cluster upgrades, ensuring a smooth and efficient upgrade process with minimal impact on ongoing operations.
[0025] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and
method that silently removes stale sessions without generating explicit notifications or errors, thereby maintaining smooth operation, and reducing administrative overhead.
SUMMARY
[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a
method for managing session data of a network function. The method comprising receiving, by a processing engine, at least one request for managing a session data in a cluster of the network function. The method comprising determining, by the processing engine, whether a flag associated with the session data is one of a true flag or a false flag. The true flag indicates a requirement for synchronizing the

session data associated with at least one of a spare instance and a standby instance with an active instance. The false flag indicates no requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of the spare instance and the standby instance with the active instance. Responsive to determining that the flag is true, the method comprises triggering, by the processing engine, an auditor timer for synchronization of the session data. Responsive to determining that the flag is false, the method comprises calculating, by the processing engine, a new value for the auditor timer based on a refresh time and current time of the session data. The method comprises triggering by the processing engine, the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the standby instance of the network function.
[0027] In some embodiments, the calculating of the new value for the
auditor timer comprises: calculating a time difference between the current time and the refresh time associated with the session data, determining if the time difference is greater than a sum of the auditor timer and a delta auditor time, upon determining the time difference is greater than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, setting the new value for the auditor timer to the delta auditor time, and upon determining the time difference is less than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, subtracting a time difference from the auditor timer and adding the delta auditor time to obtain the new value for the auditor timer.
[0028] In some embodiments, the delta auditor time is configurable through
one of a configuration setting, or a command-line interface (CLI).
[0029] In some embodiments, the method further comprising storing a
session data object in a map data structure to associate each session identifier with the session data object.
[0030] In some embodiments, the method further comprising setting a
refresh time for each session data, wherein the refresh time indicates a last update time for the session data.

[0031] In some embodiments, the triggering of the auditor timer for
synchronization of the session data comprises receiving, by the processing engine, a request to trigger the auditor timer, setting, by the processing engine, a refresh time of the session data, storing, by the processing engine, the session data in the map data structure, and starting the auditor timer to schedule periodic synchronization of the session data.
[0032] In some embodiments, the method further comprising triggering the
auditor timer to detect and remove stale sessions silently without generating unnecessary alerts.
[0033] In some embodiments, the new value of the auditor timer is
calculated based on a last refresh time of the session data, ensuring the session data that is not recently updated is considered for removal.
[0034] In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a
system for managing session data of a network function. The system comprises a memory, and a processing engine communicatively coupled with the memory, configured to receive at least one request for managing a session data in a cluster of the network function. The processing engine is configured to determine whether a flag associated with the session data is one of a true flag or a false flag. The true flag indicates a requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of a spare instance and a standby instance with an active instance. The false flag indicates no requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of the spare instance and the standby instance with the active instance. Responsive to determining that the flag is true, the processing engine is configured to trigger an auditor timer for synchronization of the session data. Responsive to determining that the flag is false, the processing engine is configured to calculate a new value for the auditor timer based on a refresh time and current time of the session data. The processing engine is configured to trigger the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the standby instance of

the network function.
[0035] In some embodiments, to calculate the new value for the auditor
timer, the processing engine is configured to calculate a time difference between the current time and the refresh time associated with the session data, determine if the time difference is greater than a sum of the auditor timer and a delta auditor time, upon determining the time difference is greater than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, set the new value for the auditor timer to the delta auditor time, and upon determining the time difference is less than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, subtract a time difference from the auditor timer and adding the delta auditor time to obtain the new value for the auditor timer.
[0036] In some embodiments, the delta auditor time is configurable through
one of a configuration setting, or a command-line interface (CLI).
[0037] In some embodiments, the processing engine is configured to store a
session data object in a map data structure to associate each session identifier with the session data object.
[0038] In some embodiments, the processing engine is configured to set a
refresh time for each session data, the refresh time indicates a last update time for the session data.
[0039] In some embodiments, to trigger the auditor timer for
synchronization of the session data, the processing engine is configured to receive a request to trigger the auditor timer, set a refresh time of the session data, store the session data in the map data structure, and start the auditor timer to schedule periodic synchronization of the session data.
[0040] In some embodiments, the processing engine is configured to trigger
the auditor timer to detect and remove stale sessions silently without generating unnecessary alerts.
[0041] In some embodiments, the new value of the auditor timer is

calculated based on a last refresh time of the session data, ensuring the session data that is not recently updated is considered for removal.
[0042] In another exemplary embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is
described. The UE is communicatively coupled with a network, the coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the network, a connection request from the UE, sending, by the network, an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, the network is configured for performing a method for managing session data of a network function.
[0043] The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments
and the following detailed description thereof are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of this disclosure and are not restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0044] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and
constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes the disclosure of electrical components, electronic components, or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.
[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture for managing
session data of a network function, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system configured for

managing session data of the network function, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system architecture of a network
function with an active instance, a standby instance, and a spare instance, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process flow for managing session
data of the network function, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for managing session
data of the network function, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0050] FIG. 6 illustrates a computer system in which or with which the
embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.
[0051] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more
detailed description of the disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 - Network architecture
102-1 and 102-2– Users
104-1 and 104-2 –User Equipments
106 - Network
108 - System
200 - Block Diagram
202 - Processor

204 - Memory
206 - A plurality of interface(s)
208 - Processing engine
210 - Database
212 - Receiving module
214 - Auditor timer module
214 - Other module(s)
300 – System Architecture
302 - Active instance
302a - Network function
302b - Auditor timer module
304 - Standby instance
304a - Network function
304b - Auditor timer module
306 - Spare instance
306a - Network function
306b - Auditor timer module
600 - A computer system
610 - External storage device
620 - Bus

630 - Main memory 640 - Read only memory 650 - Mass storage device 660 - Communication port(s) 670 - Processor
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0052] In the following description, for explanation, various specific details
are outlined in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.
[0053] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and
is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[0054] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a
thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other

components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
[0055] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a
process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
[0056] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to
mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive like the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.
[0057] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an
embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the

phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
5 [0058] The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments
only and is not intended to be limiting the disclosure. As used herein, the singular
forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless
the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms
“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the
10 presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or
components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
15 [0059] The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for managing
session data of a network function. The session data may include information associated with a user session, including, but not limited to, session identifiers, state information, activity logs, and any other relevant data that needs to be maintained and synchronized across network function instances. In network environments,
20 ensuring high availability, uninterrupted services, and efficient failover
mechanisms is critical. Network functions are typically deployed in clusters comprising an active, a standby, and spare instances to achieve these goals. The active instance handles live traffic and performs essential tasks, while the standby and spare instances provide redundancy and backup to maintain service continuity
25 in case of failures. The present disclosure presents a novel approach utilizing
auditor timers and delta auditor timers to monitor, synchronize, and manage session data across these instances, thereby improving data consistency, system performance, and overall reliability of the network function cluster. This involves dynamic adjustments of synchronization timings based on session conditions and
30 operational requirements, ensuring that stale or outdated session data is efficiently
15

identified and removed, thus maintaining the integrity and robustness of the network function.
[0060] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will be
explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1-6.
5 [0061] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) for
implementing a system (108) configured for managing session data of a network function, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the network architecture (100) may include
one or more computing devices or user equipments (UEs) (104-1 and 104-2)
10 associated with one or more users (102-1 and 102-2) in an environment. A person
of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more users (102-1 and 102-2) may be individually referred to as the user (102) and collectively referred to as the users (102). Similarly, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more UEs (104-1 and 104-2) may be individually referred to as the UE (104)
15 and collectively referred to as the UEs (104). A person of ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate that the terms “computing device(s)” and “user equipment” may be used interchangeably throughout the disclosure. Although two UEs (104) are depicted in FIG. 1, however any number of the user equipments (104) may be included without departing from the scope of the ongoing description. In an
20 embodiment, each of the UE (104) may have a first unique identifier attribute
associated therewith. In an embodiment, the first unique identifier attribute may be indicative of at least one of a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), a Subscriber Permanent Identifier
25 (SUPI), and the like.
[0063] In an embodiment, the UE (104) may include smart devices
operating in a smart environment, for example, an Internet of Things (IoT) system. In such an embodiment, the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, smart phones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., mechanical, thermal, electrical,
16

magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices, a networked
lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories, networked
vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, smart television (TV), computers, a
smart security system, a smart home system, other devices for monitoring or
5 interacting with or for the users (102) and/or entities, or any combination thereof.
A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that can integrate seamlessly with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected.
10 [0064] In an embodiment, the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to,
a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, a phablet device, and so on), a wearable computer device (e.g., a head-mounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, and so on), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop computer,
15 a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer, a media playing device, a
portable gaming system, and/or any other type of computer device with a wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the UE (104) may include, but is not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electro-mechanical, or an equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices such as virtual
20 reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, a laptop, a general-purpose
computer, a desktop, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a mainframe computer, or any other computing device. In addition, the UE (104) may include one or more in-built or externally coupled accessories including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, an audio aid, a microphone, a keyboard, and
25 input devices for receiving input from the user (102) or an entity such as touch pad,
a touch enabled screen, an electronic pen, and the like. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the UE (104) may not be restricted to the mentioned devices and various other devices may be used.
[0065] In FIG. 1, the UE (104) may communicate with the system (108) via
30 a network (106) for enabling the system (108) to manage session data of a network
17

function. In other words, the UE (104) may be communicatively coupled with the
network (106), the coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the network (106), a
connection request from the UE (104), sending, by the network (106), an
acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104) and transmitting a
5 plurality of signals in response to the connection request. The plurality of signals is
responsible for communicating with the system (108) for managing session data of a network function.
[0066] In an embodiment, the network (106) may include at least one of a
Fifth Generation (5G) network, a Sixth Generation (6G) network, or the like. The
10 network (106) may enable the UEs (104) to communicate with other devices in the
network architecture (100) and/or with the system (108). The network (106) may include a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In another embodiment, the network (106) may be implemented as, or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a
15 wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a
mobile network, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like. In an embodiment, the network (106) may include, by way of example but not limitation, at least a portion of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer,
20 store, route, switch, process, or a combination thereof, etc. one or more messages,
packets, signals, waves, voltage or current levels, some combination thereof, or so forth.
[0067] The network (106) may also include, by way of example but not
limitation, one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, an internet, an
25 intranet, a public network, a private network, a packet-switched network, a circuit-
switched network, an ad hoc network, an infrastructure network, a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cable network, a cellular network, a satellite network, a fibre optic network, or some combination thereof.
[0068] As will be explained in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 2 to 6, in
18

order to manage session data of a network function, initially the system (108)
receives at least one request for managing session data in a cluster of the network
function. The system (108) further determines whether a flag associated with the
session data is one of a true flag or a false flag. The true flag indicates a requirement
5 for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of a spare instance
and a standby instance with an active instance. The false flag indicates no requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of the spare instance and the standby instance with the active instance. Responsive to determining that the flag is true, the system (108) triggers an auditor timer for
10 synchronization of the session data. Responsive to determining that the flag is false,
the system (108) calculates a new value for the auditor timer based on a refresh time and current time of the session data. Further, the system (108) triggers the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the standby instance of
15 the network function.
[0069] Although FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of the network
architecture (100), in other embodiments, the network architecture (100) may
include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components,
or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 1. Additionally, or
20 alternatively, one or more components of the network architecture (100) may
perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the network architecture (100).
[0070] FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram (200) of the system
(108) configured for managing session data of a network function, in accordance
25 with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0071] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include one or more
processor(s) (202). The one or more processor(s) (202) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that
19

process data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one
or more processor(s) (202) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-
readable instructions stored in a memory (204) of the system (108). The memory
(204) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or
5 routines in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which may be
fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The
memory (204) may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for
example, volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM), or non-volatile
memory such as erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash
10 memory, and the like.
[0072] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include an interface(s)
(206). The interface(s) (206) may comprise a variety of interfaces, for example,
interfaces for data input and output devices (I/O), storage devices, and the like. The
interface(s) (206) may facilitate communication through the system (108). The
15 interface(s) (206) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more
components of the system (108). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, a processing engine (208) and a database (210).
[0073] In an embodiment, the processing engine (208) may be implemented
as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable
20 instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine
(208). In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine (208) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and the
25 hardware for the processing engine (208) may comprise a processing resource (for
example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine (208). In such examples, the system may comprise the machine-readable storage medium
30 storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or
20

the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine (208) may be implemented by electronic circuitry.
[0074] In an embodiment, the database (210) may include data that may be
5 either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the
components of the processor (202) or the processing engine (208). In an embodiment, the database (210) may be indicative of including, but not limited to, a relational database, a distributed database, a cloud-based database, or the like.
[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing engine (208) may
10 include one or more modules selected from any of a receiving module (212), a
determining module (214), an auditor timer module (216), and other modules (218) having functions that may include, but are not limited to, testing, storage, and peripheral functions, such as a wireless communication unit for remote operation, and the like.
15 [0076] The receiving module (212) may be configured to receive at least
one request for managing session data in a cluster of the network function. In particular, the receiving module (212) is designed to receive various types of requests that pertain to managing session data. These requests may originate from different sources within the network function cluster. The received requests involve
20 operations such as creating, updating, or deleting session data, which is crucial for
maintaining accurate and up to date information across the cluster.
[0077] The determining module (214) may be configured to determine
whether a flag associated with the session data is one of a true flag or a false flag.
True flag indicates that there is a need to synchronize the session data associated
25 with at least one of the spare or standby instances with the active instance.
Additionally, the false flag indicates that no immediate synchronization is required for the session data with the active instance.
[0078] The determining module (214) checks a status of the flag associated
21

with each session data. The flag may be a remote procedure call (RPC) flag. The
RPC ensures that changes or updates made on one instance (such as, the active
instance) are propagated to other instances (such as, the standby instance and the
spare instance) in real time or near real time. In other words, the RPC ensures that
5 the data remains synchronized or consistent among all instances in the cluster.
[0079] The auditor timer module (216) may be configured to manage the
timing mechanisms essential for synchronizing session data across different
instances (e.g., the active instance, the standby instance, and the spare instance)
within the cluster. When synchronization is necessary (as indicated by the true flag),
10 the auditor timer module (216) triggers the auditor timer to ensure timely
synchronization of session data. The auditor timer module (216) may also trigger
the auditor timer to detect and remove stale sessions silently without generating
unnecessary alerts, thereby maintaining smooth operation, and reducing
administrative overhead. The unnecessary alerts refer to notifications that are non-
15 critical and do not require immediate attention or intervention from system
administrators. These alerts may indicate routine operations, such as the automatic
cleanup of stale sessions, which do not affect the overall functionality or
performance of the system. In order to free up administrators’ time for more
important tasks, it is intended to minimize noise and prevent the administrators from
20 receiving excessive amounts of unimportant notification.
[0080] In some embodiments, to trigger the auditor timer for
synchronization of the session data, the auditor timer module (216) may initially receive a request to trigger the auditor timer. This request serves as a signal to start the synchronization process, ensuring that the session data remains consistent
25 across different instances (e.g., the active instance, the standby instance, and the
spare instance) within the cluster. Once the request is received, the auditor timer module (216) proceeds to set a refresh time for the session data. The refresh time is a timestamp indicating the last time the session data was updated. This is for tracking the freshness of the session data and determining when the next
30 synchronization should occur. After setting the refresh time, the auditor timer
22

module (216) stores the session data in the map data structure. The map data
structure is a specialized data organization method that allows for efficient
association of session identifiers with their corresponding session data. By storing
the session data in this structured manner, the system ensures quick access and
5 retrieval of session information, facilitating smooth synchronization operations.
Finally, the auditor timer module (216) starts the auditor timer to schedule periodic
synchronization of the session data. The auditor timer acts as a scheduler, triggering
synchronization events at predefined intervals based on the refresh time and other
timing parameters. By starting the auditor timer, the auditor timer module (216)
10 ensures that the session data is regularly checked and updated, maintaining
consistency, and preventing stale or outdated sessions in cluster.
[0081] The auditor timer module (216) may also manage a delta auditor
time, which is used to adjust the synchronization timing dynamically based on
session conditions. The session conditions may include frequency and intensity of
15 interactions or transactions associated with sessions, session duration, frequency of
session data updated or modified, and the like.
[0082] For cases where the flag is false, the auditor timer module (216)
calculates a new value (e.g., a recalibrated timing) for the auditor timer based on a last refresh time and the current time of the session data. The recalibration ensures
20 that the auditor timer is adjusted to maintain synchronization of the session data
according to the session data most recent update, even when immediate synchronization is not required. It should be noted that the new value is an updated or recalibrated time interval for the auditor timer, different from the original or previous value, to accommodate the current state of the session data. The
25 calculation of the new value may involve calculating a time difference between the
current time and the refresh time associated with the session data. In order to calculate the time difference, the auditor timer module (216) may retrieve the last updated refresh time associated with a session data object stored in the map data structure. The session data object is a structured entity that includes all the relevant
30 information associated with a session in the network function. This information
23

includes attributes such as session identifiers, timestamps (last refresh time), flags
(e.g., RPC flag), and possibly other metadata specific to the session state or
requirements. Each session data object represents a distinct session within the
network function. Further, the map data structure is used to associate keys (in this
5 case, session identifiers) with their corresponding session data objects. In particular,
the map data structure is employed to efficiently store and retrieve session data
objects based on their unique session identifiers. By accurately determining this
time difference, the system ensures that the auditor timer may be dynamically
adjusted to reflect the current state of the session data across the network function
10 or clustered environment.
[0083] Depending on the determined time difference, the auditor timer
module (216) sets a new value for the auditor timer. It should be noted that the new
value of the auditor timer is determined based on the last refresh time of the session
data, ensuring the session data that is not recently updated is considered for
15 removal. If the time difference exceeds a predefined threshold, the auditor timer is
reset to a shorter interval (delta auditor time). Otherwise, it adjusts the timer value to maintain proper synchronization intervals.
[0084] In a more elaborative way, upon determining that the time difference
is greater than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, the auditor
20 timer module (216) may set the new value for the auditor timer to the delta auditor
time. Alternatively, upon determining that the time difference is less than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, the auditor timer module (216) may subtract a time difference from the auditor timer and add the delta auditor time to obtain the new value for the auditor timer.
25 [0085] Once the new value is calculated, the auditor timer module (216)
may trigger the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the standby instance of the network function.
[0086] Although FIG. 2 shows exemplary components of the system (108),
24

in other embodiments, the system (108) may include fewer components, different
components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components
than depicted in FIG. 2. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of
the system (108) may perform functions described as being performed by one or
5 more other components of the system (108).
[0087] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system architecture (300) of a
network function with an active instance, a standby instance, and a spare instance, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
10 [0088] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the system includes three network function
NF instances configured in a cluster, i.e., an active instance (302), a standby instance (304), and a spare instance (306). The network function instances may maintain session information in a map data structure for each interfaces involved. In data structure, the network function instances may maintain several parameters
15 that may include, but not be limited to, a key (e.g., the unique identifier for the
session), a session data object, an RPC flag that indicates whether to write the data on a channel, and a `reliable` (a flag indicating the reliability of the write operation).
[0089] The active instance (302) serves as a primary instance handling live
traffic and performing intended network function (302a). It includes an auditor
20 timer module (302b) responsible for monitoring and managing session data,
incorporating delta auditor time to ensure session consistency. The active instance (302) maintains a direct connection to a central database (308) for data storage and retrieval and synchronizes data with the standby (304) instance and the spare instance (306).
25 [0090] The standby instance (304) acts as a backup, closely monitoring the
active instance (302) and is ready to take over in case of failure. It consists of a network function (304a) and an auditor timer module (304b) to ensure session data remains synchronized with the active instance (302) using the delta auditor time. The standby instance (304) maintains a connection with the central database (308)
25

for data synchronization and receives data from the active instance (302) to stay updated.
[0091] The spare instance (306) serves as an additional backup that remains
idle but fully synchronized with the active instance (302) and the standby instance
5 (304). It includes a network function (306a), and an auditor timer module (306b) to
ensure that the session data remains synchronized with the active instance (302), using the delta auditor time to handle session consistency during replication. The spare instance (306) may connect to an alternative database (310) for backup storage, additional redundancy and data synchronization and receives data from the
10 active instance (302) to ensure it may quickly take over if both the active instance
(302) and the standby instance (304) fail. In an embodiment, each instance (e.g., the active instance (302), the standby instance (304), and the spare instance (306)) includes a Command Line Interface (CLI) or a configuration setting that allows for configuration adjustments. The configuration adjustments include setting the delta
15 auditor time, thereby providing flexibility in managing the session data.
Additionally, a Session Management Protocol (SMP) within each instance manages the sessions and their states, working closely with the auditor timer modules to detect and remove stale sessions.
[0092] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process flow (400) for managing
20 session data of the network function, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0093] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the process flow (400) for managing the
session data of the network function, begins with a request initiation, at step 402.
Upon receiving this request, session information is collected and prepared to be put
25 into a data structure, at step 404. A decision point then checks whether the RPC flag
is set to true, at step 406. If the RPC flag is true, indicating that the session data should be replicated to other instances, a request timer is started for auditing purposes, at step 408. Subsequently, the refresh time for the session data is set, reflecting the last update time, and the session data is placed into a map data
26

structure, at step 410. The auditor timer is then set to the delta auditor time, a predefined interval for auditing the session data, at step 416.
[0094] If the RPC flag is false, the session data is directly placed into the
map data structure without initiating a request timer, at step 412. The process flow
5 (400) then calculates the difference between the current time and the refresh time
of the session data and checks if this difference is greater than the sum of the current
auditor timer and the delta auditor time, at step 414. If the time difference is greater,
the auditor timer is set to the delta auditor time, at step 416. Otherwise, the new
auditor timer is calculated by adding the delta auditor time to the current auditor
10 timer, at step 418.
[0095] After determining the appropriate value for the auditor timer, the
auditor timer is started at step 420, which triggers the auditing process at the
calculated interval. The process flow (400) ends at step 422. This sequence of steps
ensures that session data is effectively managed and audited, with specific actions
15 taken based on the state of the RPC flag and the calculated time intervals.
[0096] Thus, the auditor timer of the system (108) may focus specifically
on monitoring and managing sessions within the cluster. The auditor timer may be designed to detect and handle stale or outdated sessions, ensuring data consistency and integrity.
20 [0097] Further, the auditor timer has an ability to remove stale sessions
silently. Instead of generating explicit notifications or errors, the auditor timer may quietly remove outdated sessions from the system. This silent removal mechanism may help maintain smooth operation without unnecessary disruptions or alerts. By periodically checking the status of sessions on different instances, the auditor timer
25 may identify sessions that have become outdated or inconsistent due to factors, such
as replication delays, upgrade processes, or failures. Furthermore, by identifying and removing stale sessions, the auditor timer may ensure that all instances have up-to-date and synchronized data so as to prevent inconsistencies and data mismatches that could otherwise occur during cluster operations.
27

[0098] The auditor timer may determine a relative to the last refresh time of
sessions. This approach may ensure that the sessions that have not been recently
updated or refreshed may be considered for removal. By considering the activity
and freshness of sessions, the auditor timer may target the most likely stale sessions
5 for removal.
[0099] The auditor timer may further facilitate efficient utilization of
available resources. By removing stale sessions that otherwise consume resources
such as processing and/memory resources, the auditor timer helps optimize resource
utilization by freeing up resources that can be allocated to active and valid sessions.
10 Furthermore, by removing stale sessions, the auditor timer may reduce the
processing overhead associated with managing outdated sessions, allowing the system to allocate resources more efficiently and respond faster to active session requests.
[00100] The auditor timer may also facilitate the high availability and
15 reliability of a cluster. By promptly identifying and removing stale sessions, the
auditor timer may ensure that the system operates with accurate and reliable session data. This, in turn, enhances the overall availability and performance of the services provided by the cluster.
[00101] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method (500) for managing
20 session data of the network function, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[00102] The method (500), at step 502 includes receiving, by a processing
engine, at least one request for managing a session data in a cluster of the network function.
25 [00103] The method (500), at step 504 includes determining, by the
processing engine, whether a flag associated with the session data is one of a true flag or a false flag. The true flag indicates a requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of a spare instance and a standby instance
28

with an active instance. The false flag indicates no requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of the spare instance and the standby instance with the active instance.
[00104] Responsive to determining that the flag is true, the method (500), at
5 step 506 includes triggering, by the processing engine, an auditor timer for
synchronization of the session data. In some embodiments, triggering of the auditor
timer for synchronization of the session data may include receiving, by the
processing engine, a request to trigger the auditor timer, setting, by the processing
engine, a refresh time of the session data, storing, by the processing engine, the
10 session data in the map data structure, and starting the auditor timer to schedule
periodic synchronization of the session data. In some embodiments, the method (500) includes triggering the auditor timer to detect and remove stale sessions silently without generating unnecessary alerts.
[00105] Responsive to determining that the flag is false, the method (500), at
15 step 508 includes calculating, by the processing engine, a new value for the auditor
timer based on a refresh time and current time of the session data. In some
embodiments, the method (500) includes setting a refresh time for each session data.
The refresh time indicates a last update time for the session data. It should be noted
that the new value of the auditor timer is calculated based on a last refresh time of
20 the session data.
[00106] In some embodiments, to calculate the new value for the auditor
timer, the method (500) includes calculating a time difference between the current
time and the refresh time associated with the session data, determining if the time
difference is greater than a sum of the auditor timer and a delta auditor time, upon
25 determining the time difference is greater than the sum of the auditor timer and the
delta auditor time, setting the new value for the auditor timer to the delta auditor time, and upon determining the time difference is less than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, subtracting a time difference from the auditor timer and adding the delta auditor time to obtain the new value for the auditor timer. In
29

some embodiments, the delta auditor time is configurable through one of a configuration settings, or a CLI.
[00107] The method (500), at step 510 includes triggering, by the processing
engine, the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized
5 session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the
standby instance of the network function.
[00108] FIG. 6 illustrates an example computer system (600) in which or
with which the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.
[00109] As shown in FIG. 6, the computer system (600) may include an
10 external storage device (610), a bus (620), a main memory (630), a read-only
memory (640), a mass storage device (650), a communication port(s) (660), and a
processor (570). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system
(600) may include more than one processor and communication ports. The
processor (670) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the
15 present disclosure. The communication port(s) (660) may be any of an RS-232 port
for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit
or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other
existing or future ports. The communication ports(s) (660) may be chosen
depending on a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network
20 (WAN), or any network to which the computer system (600) connects.
[00110] In an embodiment, the main memory (630) may be Random Access
Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art.
The read-only memory (640) may be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not
limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chip for storing static
25 information e.g., start-up or basic input/output system (BIOS) instructions for the
processor (670). The mass storage device (650) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and/or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
30

(SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and/or Firewire interfaces).
[00111] In an embodiment, the bus (620) may communicatively couple the
processor(s) (670) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The
5 bus (620) may be, e.g., a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended
(PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (670) to the computer system (600).
10 [00112] In another embodiment, operator, and administrative interfaces, e.g.,
a display, keyboard, and cursor control device may also be coupled to the bus (620) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system (600). Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (660). Components
15 described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should
the aforementioned exemplary computer system (600) limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[00113] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred
embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that
20 many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from
the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be implemented merely as illustrative of the disclosure and
25 not as a limitation.
[00114] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a system and a method
where the auditor timer with the delta auditor time reduces the processing overhead associated with managing outdated sessions, allowing the network function to allocate resources more efficiently and respond faster to active session requests.
31

[00115] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a system and a method
where the auditor timer with the delta auditor time ensures that the network function operates with accurate and reliable session data. This, in turn, enhances the overall availability and performance of the services provided by the cluster.
[00116] In an aspect, the present disclosure can be implemented within a
communication network at various network function levels.
[00117] Thus, the present disclosure provides technical advancement related
to session data management in the network function within a high-availability cluster environment. This advancement addresses the limitations of existing solutions by introducing the auditor timer module that incorporates the delta auditor time for dynamic synchronization timing adjustments. The disclosure involves unique aspects such as session monitoring, silent session removal, and synchronization relative to the last refresh time, which offer significant improvements in data consistency, integrity, and system reliability. By implementing the delta auditor time feature, the present disclosure enhances the management of session data across the active, the standby, and the spare instances, resulting in improved performance, seamless failover, and efficient resource utilization.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[00118] The present disclosure provides a system and a method that utilizes
the delta auditor time in conjunction with the auditor timer to identify sessions that have become outdated or inconsistent due to various factors such as replication delays, upgrade processes, or failures.
[00119] The present disclosure provides a system and a method where the
delta auditor time in conjunction with the auditor timer helps to maintain data consistency across the cluster. By identifying and removing stale sessions, they ensure that all instances have up-to-date and synchronized data.

[00120] The present disclosure provides a system and a method where the
utilization of the auditor timer with the delta auditor time removes these stale sessions and helps to optimize resource utilization by freeing up resources that can be allocated to the active and valid sessions.
[00121] The present disclosure provides a system and a method where the
use of the auditor timer with the delta auditor time reduces the processing overhead associated with managing outdated sessions, allowing the network function to allocate resources more efficiently and respond faster to active session requests.
[00122] The present disclosure provides a system and a method where the
auditor timer with the delta auditor time ensures that the network function operates with accurate and reliable session data. This, in turn, enhances the overall availability and performance of the services provided by the cluster.
[00123] The present disclosure provides a system and method that
dynamically adjusts synchronization timings based on session conditions and operational requirements, ensuring that data remains up-to-date and synchronized across the active instance, the standby instance, and the spare instance.
[00124] The present disclosure provides a system and a method where the
delta auditor timer with the auditor timer plays a crucial role in maintaining a consistent and robust environment for session management and contributes to the seamless operation of the system.

WE CLAIM:
1. A method (500) for managing session data of a network function, the
method (500) comprising:
receiving (502), by a processing engine (208), at least one request for managing the session data in a cluster of the network function;
determining (504), by the processing engine (208), whether a flag
associated with the session data is one of a true flag or a false flag, wherein:
the true flag indicates a requirement for synchronizing the
session data associated with at least one of a spare instance and a
standby instance with an active instance, and
the false flag indicates no requirement for synchronizing the
session data associated with at least one of the spare instance and the
standby instance with the active instance;
responsive to determining that the flag is true, triggering (506), by the processing engine (208), an auditor timer for synchronization of the session data;
responsive to determining that the flag is false, calculating (508), by the processing engine (208), a new value for the auditor timer based on a refresh time and current time of the session data; and
triggering (510), by the processing engine (208), the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the standby instance of the network function.
2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating the new value
for the auditor timer comprises:
calculating, by the processing engine (208), a time difference between the current time and the refresh time associated with the session data;

determining, by the processing engine (208), if the time difference is greater than a sum of the auditor timer and a delta auditor time;
upon determining the time difference is greater than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, setting, by the processing engine (208), the new value for the auditor timer to the delta auditor time; and
upon determining the time difference is less than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, subtracting, by the processing engine (208), the time difference from the auditor timer and adding the delta auditor time to obtain the new value for the auditor timer.
3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the delta auditor time is configurable through one of a configuration setting, or a command-line interface (CLI).
4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storing a session data object in a map data structure to associate each session identifier with the session data object.
5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising setting a refresh time for each session data, wherein the refresh time indicates a last update time for the session data.
6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 4, wherein triggering the auditor timer for synchronization of the session data comprises:
receiving, by the processing engine (208), a request to trigger the auditor timer;
setting, by the processing engine (208), the refresh time of the session data;
storing, by the processing engine (208), the session data in the map data structure; and

starting, by the processing engine (208), the auditor timer to schedule periodic synchronization of the session data.
7. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising triggering the auditor timer to detect and remove stale sessions silently without generating unnecessary alerts.
8. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the new value of the auditor timer is calculated based on a last refresh time of the session data.
9. A system (108) for managing session data of a network function, the system (108) comprising:
a memory (204); and
a processing engine (208) communicatively coupled with the memory (204), configured to:
receive at least one request for managing a session data in a cluster of the network function;
determine whether a flag associated with the session data is one of a true flag or a false flag, wherein:
the true flag indicates a requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of a spare instance and a standby instance with an active instance, and
the false flag indicates no requirement for synchronizing the session data associated with at least one of the spare instance and the standby instance with the active instance;
responsive to determining that the flag is true, trigger an auditor timer for synchronization of the session data;
responsive to determining that the flag is false, calculate a new value for the auditor timer based on a refresh time and current time of the session data; and

trigger the auditor timer with the calculated new value to maintain synchronized session data across one or more of the active instance, the spare instance, and the standby instance of the network function.
10. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein to calculate the new value
for the auditor timer, the processing engine (208) is configured to:
calculate a time difference between the current time and the refresh time associated with the session data;
determine if the time difference is greater than a sum of the auditor timer and a delta auditor time;
upon determining the time difference is greater than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, set the new value for the auditor timer to the delta auditor time; and
upon determining the time difference is less than the sum of the auditor timer and the delta auditor time, subtract the time difference from the auditor timer and adding the delta auditor time to obtain the new value for the auditor timer.
11. The system (108) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the delta auditor time is configurable through one of a configuration setting, or a command-line interface (CLI).
12. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing engine (208) is configured to store a session data object in a map data structure to associate each session identifier with the session data object.
13. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing engine (208) is configured to set a refresh time for each session data, wherein the refresh time indicates a last update time for the session data.

14. The system (108) as claimed in claim 12, wherein to trigger the auditor timer
for synchronization of the session data, wherein the processing engine (208)
is configured to:
receive a request to trigger the auditor timer; set the refresh time of the session data; store the session data in the map data structure; and
start the auditor timer to schedule periodic synchronization of the session data.
15. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing engine (208) is configured to trigger the auditor timer to detect and remove stale sessions silently without generating unnecessary alerts.
16. The system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the new value of the auditor timer is calculated based on a last refresh time of the session data.
17. A user equipment (UE) (104) communicatively coupled with a network (106), the coupling comprises steps of:
receiving, by the network (106), a connection request from the UE (104);
sending, by the network (106), an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104); and
transmitting, by the network (106), a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, wherein management of session data of a network function in the network (106) is performed by a method (500) as claimed in claim 1.