DESC:
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EXECUTING DATA PLANE COMMANDS IN A NETWORK

2. APPLICANT(S)
Name Nationality Address
JIO PLATFORMS LIMITED INDIAN Office - 101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India
3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
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 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 THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for executing data plane commands in a network.
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 ‘Graphical User Interface (GUI)’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a visual interface that allows users to interact with a system.
[0005] The term ‘data plane commands’ refers to an instruction or set of instructions that is executed within a data plane of a fifth generation (5G) network or sixth generation (6G) network. The data plane commands perform various tasks such as forwarding data packets to specific destinations, filtering data packets, modifying data packets headers and the like.
[0006] The term ‘User Plane Function (UPF)’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a data plane in 5G network or 6G network. The UPF is a network function that is responsible for handling and managing data traffic that flows between a user equipment (UE) and external networks such as the Internet. The UPF routes and forwards data packets, enforces policies related to user data and manages traffic in 5G and 6G networks.
[0007] The term ‘User Plane Function Graphical User Interface (UPF GUI)’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a graphical interface that allows users, network administrators, or network operators to interact and manage the UPF. The UPF GUI simplifies configuration, monitoring, control of the UPF’s functionalities by providing a visual, user-friendly way to execute data plane commands (interchangeably referred to as DP commands), and other tasks that requires command line inputs.
[0008] The term ‘Data Plane ID or DP ID’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a unique identifier that is assigned to a specific DP command. The DP command helps in differentiate between different DP commands ensuring that correct operation is performed on selected server.
[0009] The term ’UPF backend’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to an infrastructure that handles the processing management and execution of tasks related to the UPF in the network. The UPF backend is responsible for carrying out the actual operations and DP commands issued through the UPF GUI.
[0010] The term ‘UPF database’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a specialized database that stores and manages data related to operations and management of the UPF. The UPF database is essential for the UPF to perform tasks such as routing, traffic management, session handling, data packets forwarding.
[0011] The term ‘server Internet Protocol (IP) address’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a unique numerical identifier assigned to a server on the network, used to locate and communicate with the server.
[0012] These definitions are in addition to those expressed in the art.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0013] The following description of 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 be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.
[0014] In telecommunication, a User Plane Function (UPF) is a network function of Fifth generation (5G) network. The UPF is responsible for data routing and forwarding in the 5G network. The UPF is a distinct Virtual Network Function (VNF) that offers a high-performance forwarding engine for user data traffic. The UPF achieves ultra-fast data forwarding using a Vector Packet Processing (VPP) technology while retaining compatibility with all the user plane functionality. The UPF is the function that does all of the work to connect the data from a Radio Area Network (RAN) to the Internet. Further, a communication area is divided into multiple circles. Each circle includes multiple sites, and each site includes multiple clusters. Further, each cluster has multiple servers. Each server is assigned to a unique internet protocol (IP) address.
[0015] In existing systems, users manually access each server and log in to execute data plane (DP) commands. This requires typing out commands directly on the server's terminal. As each server has its unique set of server IP addresses for command execution, managing servers becomes difficult. The correct execution of commands on the appropriate server is cumbersome and prone to errors. This makes the entire process faulty, leading to network disruption, data inconsistency, and a loss of service reliability.
[0016] Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods that overcome the limitations of the prior art.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0017] Some of the objectives of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies are as listed herein below.
[0018] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for executing data plane commands in a network.
[0019] Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a user-friendly interface that allows the users to effortlessly select their desired inputs (for example, circle, site, cluster, data plane (DP) commands, and DP Identifiers (IDs), etc.) from drop-down menus on the user interface.
[0020] Another objective of the present disclosure is to eliminate the need for manual typing and ensure zero chances of errors by allowing users to select a specific server Internet Protocol (IP) address and DP command from the drop-down menu option and provide any additional input for execution of DP command.
[0021] Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a fail-safe system for executing DP commands.
[0022] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, a system for interactive interface-based command execution in a network is described. The system includes a processing engine configured to generate a user interface. The user interface is configured to receive one or more inputs from a user for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields. The user interface is configured to automatically populate a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity. The user interface is configured to provide a command selection option to the user. The user interface is configured to receive a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers to execute the selected command based on the selected server identifier. The user interface is configured to generate an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier.
[0024] In some embodiments, the at least one entity comprises a circle, a site, and a cluster.
[0025] In some embodiments, the list of server identifiers comprises a list of internet protocol (IP) addresses of a server where the selected commands are to be executed.
[0026] In some embodiments, the one or more inputs comprise at least one of: a click event on a button, a tap event on a button, dragging and dropping objects within the user interface, voice commands, and gestures.
[0027] In some embodiments, the plurality of input fields comprises at least one of: a drop-down menu, a radio button, a check box, a slider and a range selector.
[0028] In some embodiments, the plurality of input fields is implemented as a drop-down menu.
[0029] In some embodiments, a separate drop-down menu is implemented upon selection of the at least one entity by the user, wherein the separate drop-down menu is dynamically updated based on the selected at least one entity.
[0030] In some embodiments, the user interface is configured to display the result of the command execution on an output terminal.
[0031] In another exemplary embodiment, a method for interactive interface-based command execution in a network is described. The method includes generating a user interface. The method includes receiving one or more inputs from a user for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields. The method includes automatically populating a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity. The method includes providing a command selection option to the user. The method includes receiving, a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers for the execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier. The method includes generating, an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier.
[0032] 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 interactive interface-based command execution in the network. The method includes generating a user interface. The method includes receiving one or more inputs from a user for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields. The method includes automatically populating a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity. The method includes providing a command selection option to the user. The method includes receiving, a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers for the execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier. The method includes generating, an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier.
[0033] 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
[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in 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.
[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture implementing a system configured for executing data plane commands in a network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the system configured for executing the data plane commands in the network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system architecture for executing the data plane commands in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for executing the data plane commands in the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of a method for executing the data plane commands in the network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a computer system in which or with which the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.
[0041] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

100 – Network architecture
102-(1-N) – Users
104-(1-N) – User Equipments
106– Network
108 – System
200 – Block Diagram
202 – Processor(s)
204 – Memory
206 – Interface(s)
208 – Processing Engine
210 – Database
300 – System architecture
302-1– Client 1 User plane function (UPF) GUI 1
302-2– Client 2 UPF GUI 2
302-3– Client 3 UPF GUI 3
302-4– Client 4 UPF GUI 4
304– External server
306– UPF backend server
308– UPF database
310-(1-3)– Servers
400– Flow Diagram
500 – Flow Diagram
600 – Computer System
610 – External Storage Device
620 – Bus
630 – Main Memory
640 – Read Only Memory
650 – Mass Storage Device
660 – Communication Port
670 – Processor
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0042] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth 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 any 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. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.
[0043] 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.
[0044] 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 in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
[0045] 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.
[0046] 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.
[0047] 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.
[0048] 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 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. It should be noted that the terms “mobile device”, “user equipment”, “user device”, “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the present disclosure. These terms are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure or imply any specific functionality or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for convenience and clarity of description. The present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined herein.
[0049] As used herein, an “electronic device”, or “portable electronic device”, or “user device” or “communication device” or “user equipment” or “device” refers to any electrical, electronic, electromechanical and computing device. The user device is capable of receiving and/or transmitting one or parameters, performing function/s, communicating with other user devices and transmitting data to the other user devices. The user equipment may have a processor, a display, a memory, a battery and an input-means such as a hard keypad and/or a soft keypad. The user equipment may be capable of operating on any radio access technology including but not limited to IP-enabled communication, Zig Bee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, etc. For instance, the user equipment may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone, smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other device as may be obvious to a person skilled in the art for implementation of the features of the present disclosure.
[0050] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other 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 interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
[0051] In telecommunication, a User Plane Function (UPF) is a network function of Fifth generation (5G) network. The UPF is responsible for data routing and forwarding in the 5G network. The UPF is a distinct Virtual Network Function (VNF) that offers a high-performance forwarding engine for user data traffic. The UPF achieves ultra-fast data forwarding using a Vector Packet Processing (VPP) technology while retaining compatibility with all the user plane functionality. The UPF is the function that does all of the work to connect the data from a Radio Area Network (RAN) to the Internet. Further, a communication area is divided into multiple circles. Each circle includes multiple sites, and each site includes multiple clusters. Further, each cluster has multiple servers. Each server is assigned to a unique internet protocol (IP) address.
[0052] In existing systems, users manually access each server and log in to execute data plane (DP) commands. This requires typing out commands directly on the server's terminal. As each server has its unique set of server IP addresses for command execution, managing servers becomes difficult. The correct execution of commands on the appropriate server is cumbersome and prone to errors. This makes the entire process faulty, leading to network disruption, data inconsistency, and a loss of service reliability.
[0053] Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems that provide efficient graphical user interface (GUI) solutions for executing data plane commands.
[0054] The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing a method and a system for executing data plane commands on multiple servers based on selections made in a user plane function graphical user interface (UPF GUI). The users may effortlessly select their desired inputs (for example, circle, site, cluster, data plane commands, and data plane Identifiers (IDs)) from one or more options (for example, drop-down options) through the UPF GUI. This eliminates the need for manual typing of commands and ensures zero chances of errors occurring during manual typing.
[0055] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0056] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 1- FIG. 6.
[0057] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture 100 of a system 108 for executing data plane commands (interchangeably referred to as DP commands) in a network 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the network architecture 100 may include one or more User Equipments (UEs) 104-1, 104-2…104-N associated with one or more users 102-1, 102-2…102-N in an environment. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more users 102-1, 102-2…102-N may be 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, 104-2…104-N may be collectively referred to as the UE 104 or the UEs 104. Although only three UE 104 are depicted in FIG. 1, however, any number of the UE 104 may be included without departing from the scope of the ongoing description.
[0058] 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 are not limited to, smartphones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., a mechanical, a thermal, an electrical, a magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices, networked lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories, networked vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, a smart television (TV), computers, a smart security system, a smart home system, other devices for monitoring or 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 not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that may integrate seamlessly with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected.
[0059] Additionally, in some embodiments, the UE 104 may include, but not limited to, a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smartphone, 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, 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 wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the UE 104 may include, but are not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices, such as virtual 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. Further, 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 input devices for receiving input from the user 102 or an entity such as a touchpad, 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.
[0060] In FIG. 1, the UE 104 may communicate with the system 108 through a network (e.g., a Radio Access Network (RAN) 106 for sending or receiving various types of data. In an embodiment, the network 106 may include at least one of a 5G network, a Sixth Generation (6G) network, or the like. The network 106 may enable the UE 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 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.
[0061] 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, 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. The network 106 may also include, by way of example but not limitation, one or more of the RAN, a wireless network, a wired network, an internet, an 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 fiber optic network, or some combination thereof.
[0062] In an embodiment, the UE 104 is communicatively coupled with the network (RAN) 106. The network 106 may receive a connection request from the UE 104. The network 106 may send an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE 104. The UE 104 may transmit a plurality of signals in response to the connection request.
[0063] 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 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.
[0064] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram 200 of the system 108 configured for executing the data plane commands in the network 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is explained in conjunction with FIG. 1.
[0065] 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 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 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 include any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as a Random-Access Memory (RAM), or a non-volatile memory such as an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), a flash memory, and the like.
[0066] In an embodiment, the system 108 may include an interface(s) 206. The interface(s) 206 may include 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 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.
[0067] In an embodiment, the system 108 may include a processing engine 208 that may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable 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 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 108 may comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system 108 and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine 208 may be implemented by electronic circuitry.
[0068] In an embodiment, the system 108 may include a database 210 that comprises data (e.g., the one or more parameters, etc.) that may be either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processor 202 or the processing engine 208.
[0069] Data plane commands are specific instructions or operations executed within the data plane of the network 106 to manage, control or manipulate the flow of user data packets. The data plane is the part of the network 106 responsible for the actual transmission of user data. The data plane commands determine how and where the data packets should be routed within the network 106, ensuring efficient and correct delivery of data packets to its intended destination.
[0070] The user plane function (UPF) is a fundamental network function (NF) within a 5G network architecture. The UPF is responsible for handling the user data traffic within the network 106. The UPF manages, routes, and forward data packets between the RAN and external data network such as internet, enterprise networks and similar.
[0071] In an embodiment, the processing engine 208 is configured to generate a user interface. The user interface is generated when the user 102 interacts with the UE 104 for the purpose of executing data plane commands. In examples, the user interface may be a user plane function graphical user interface (UPF GUI). The UPF GUI is a user interface that is designed to interact with the UPF within the network 106. The UPF GUI provides the user 102 with a user-friendly way to control and manage the data plane operations within the network 106.
[0072] In an embodiment, the user interface is configured to receive one or more inputs from a user 102 for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields. The plurality of input fields includes at least one of: a drop-down menu, a radio button, a check box, a slider and a range selector.
[0073] In one aspect, the at least one entity comprises a circle, a site, and a cluster. Optionally, the one or more inputs includes at least one of: a click event on a button, a tap event on a button, dragging and dropping objects within the user interface, voice commands, and gestures.
[0074] In this regard, the user interface may receive the one or more inputs when the user 102 physically interacts with a mouse to perform the click event on the button, or utilizes a touchscreen to perform a tap event on the button that may be displayed in the user interface. Furthermore, the user interface may receive voice commands provided by the user 102 through a microphone, as well as receive one or more inputs generated by gestures, such as swiping, on the UE 104.
[0075] The term ‘circle’ refers to the geographical area or region where the network services are provided. The circle may be an area like a state or a city, and by selecting the circle, the user 102 targets the servers within that city or state. The term ‘site’ refers to a specific physical location within the circle where a network infrastructure such as base stations or data centres are located. The user 102 may select the site to narrow down the target to a particular location within the selected circle. Moreover, the term ‘cluster’ refers to a grouping of network elements or servers within a site that share similar characteristics or serve a common purpose. The cluster may be a group of servers handling similar types of traffic or located in close proximity to each other. The user 102 may selects the cluster to specify further the targeted server for the execution of data plane commands.
[0076] In an embodiment, the user interface is configured to automatically populate a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity. The list of server identifiers includes a list of IP addresses of at least one server (interchangeably referred as server IP address). The list of IP addresses could be populated dynamically based on various factors such as predefined configuration provided by the system administrator, configured based on the organization’s network architecture, or discovery protocols (such as DNS (Domain Name System), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), or SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol)) may be used to automatically populate the available servers IP addresses on the network. These discovered server IP addresses are then populated in real-time, ensuring only active servers are displayed.
[0077] In an embodiment the server IP addresses may be stored in the database 210, such that when the user 102 makes selection of the at least one entity (circle, site cluster), a query may be sent to the database 210 to retrieve the corresponding server IP address associated with the selected at least one entity i.e., the circle, site, and cluster combination. Based on certain conditions (e.g., user roles, permissions, or specific tasks), a tailored list of server IP addresses is populated from the database 210 and shown to the user 102 within the user interface. The database 210 is a specialized database within the 5G network that stores and manages data related to the operations and management of the UPF. The database 210 is essential for storing information pertaining to UPF tasks such as routing, traffic management, session handling, and data packet forwarding.
[0078] In an embodiment, the plurality of input fields is implemented as drop-down menu. Each input field is represented by a drop-down menu containing a list of predefined options. The user interacts with the drop-down menu by clicking or tapping on it, which reveals the available options
[0079] In an aspect, a separate drop-down menu is implemented upon selection of the at least one entity by the user 102, wherein separate the drop-down menu is dynamically updated based on the selected the at least one entity. It should be appreciated that the options displayed in the drop-down menu are dynamically updated based on the selections made in their corresponding superset categories. Specifically, upon the selection of at least one entity by the user 102, the options or list presented in the drop-down menu are modified according to the user's previous selection of the at least one entity (for example, circle, site and cluster). For example, if user 102 first selects a "site" from the drop-down menu, the subsequent options displayed in the separate drop-down menu for "list of server IP addresses" will be filtered to show only the server IP addresses associated with the selected site. Similarly, selecting a specific "circle" may further refine the list of available server identifiers, ensuring that user 102 is only presented with relevant and valid options based on prior selections. This dynamic updating of the drop-down menu ensures a streamlined and context-aware user experience.
[0080] .In an implementation, each circle, site, and cluster combination are provided with its unique set of server IP addresses for the data plane command execution. The user interface provide the drop-down menu for the selection of circle, site, cluster, and server IP addresses. The user interface allows the user 102 to effortlessly select the desired at least one entity (for example, circle, site, cluster), from the drop-down menu. This eliminates manual typing for selecting server IP addresses for data plane command execution.
[0081] Further, the user 102 selects the corresponding server IP address from the list of server IP addresses. The user 102 selects based on the selected circle, site, and cluster combination such that data should be forwarded to the intended server IP address.
[0082] In an embodiment, the user interface is configured to provide a command selection option. The command selection option in the user interface can be provided through various techniques such as dropdown menus, radio buttons, command palettes, contextual menus, toolbars, and similar. The command selection option includes at least one data plane command.
[0083] In an embodiment, the user interface is configured to receive a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of server identifier from the populated list of the server identifiers for the execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier. The user interface receives the selected at least one data plane command and data plane Identifier (ID) from the command selection option and the selected server identifier from the user 102 using the one or more inputs. In this regard, the separate drop-down menu appears after the user 102 selects the at least one entity. In the separate drop-down menu, the user 102 selects the desired data plane command, and desired server identifier to execute on the selected server. More elaborately, when the user 102 makes a choice in the drop-down menu, such as the circle, the site, and the cluster and similar, the available selection in the other drop-down menu is automatically updated to reflect the most relevant options based on the user’s previous choices. For example, upon selecting a specific circle, relevant data plan command and relevant server IP addresses may be displayed in the separate drop-down menu.
[0084] The user 102 starts by selecting a command (for example, “update forwarding rules") from the available command selection options via the separate dropdown menu. After selecting the command, the user interface displays a list of available server identifiers. The list can be presented in various input formats, such as a dropdown menu listing all available server identifiers. The user 102 then selects the desired server identifier (for example, "IP address ABC), which is tied to a specific server. Once the user 102 selects both the command and the server identifier, the user interface may confirm the selection before proceeding with the execution. This can include displaying the chosen command and the selected server identifier for the user 102 to verify.
[0085] The user interface receives the selected data plane command, and server IP address. And further the system 108 sends it to the selected server IP address for execution.
[0086] In an embodiment, the user interface is configured to generate an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected identifier. The selected command is executed in the server, and a response is given to a UPF backend server. The command execution may involve performing operations on data, interacting with databases, or invoking APIs. Once the at least one data plane command is executed, the system 108 generates an output based on the operation. This output could be a status message indicating success, failure, or errors (e.g., "Command executed successfully" or "Server not found"), a retrieved or modified data (e.g., updated records, file downloads, or server logs). The output generated by the server is then sent back to the UPF backend server. Further the UPF backend server interacts with the user interface for rendering this output to the user 102 .
[0087] In an embodiment, the result of the command execution is displayed in the user interface on an output terminal. The output terminal refers to a component of the user interface where the result of the command execution is displayed to the user 102. It acts as a display area or interface section that shows the output data or status of a command executed on the selected server. The output terminal can be implemented as a text-based console, a graphical panel (for example, a dashboard or visual panel within the user interface that shows results in the form of tables, charts, or indicators), a pop-up window, a notification area (for e.g., a section in the user interface that provides success/failure notifications or execution status) and similar. Notably, the output terminal may be located below the drop-down menu in the user interface.
[0088] In this regard, once the data plane command is executed, the system 108 gathers the results of the execution. The processed output is then displayed in the output terminal, such as in the console window, in the output panel or similar. Moreover, if the result requires user attention, a pop-up notification or alert might also be generated, providing the user 102 with immediate feedback on the execution.
[0089] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system architecture 300 for executing the data plane commands in the network 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0090] With reference to FIG. 3, a communication flow between a plurality of clients User Plane Function Graphical User Interface (UPF GUI) 302-(1-4), an external server 304, a UPF backend server 306, a UPF database 308, and a plurality of servers 310-(1-3) is depicted. In an implementation, the UPF backend server 306 may be implemented within the system 108. In some implementations, the UPF backend server 306 may be the system 108. In examples, the UPF database 308 may be the database 210.
[0091] The plurality of client UPF GUI 302-(1-4) includes Client 1 UPF GUI 1 302-1, Client 2 UPF GUI 2 302-2, Client 3 UPF GUI 3 302-3, Client 4 UPF GUI 4 302-4. The plurality of servers 310-(1-3) includes server 1 310-1, server 2 310-2, and server 3 310-3. The plurality of client UPF GUI 302 may communicate with the plurality of servers 310 via the external server 304 and the UPF backend server 306. The external server 304 may be an Ngnix server.
[0092] A user 102 may select circles, sites, and clusters in the UPF GUI 302. The UPF GUI 302 may uniquely broadcast circle, site, and cluster mapping data across the GUI 302 to ensure consistent mapping visibility. The external server 304 may receive a query or data request from a client UPF GUI 302. The external server 304 may send the received query or data request to the UPF backend server 306. The UPF backend server 306 may communicate with the UPF database 308. The UPF backend server 306 may manage and organize backend server IP addresses in the UPF database 308. The UPF backend server 306 may store the server IP addresses in the UPF database 308.
[0093] In an implementation, each circle, site, and cluster combination are provided with its unique set of server IP addresses for command execution. The UPF GUI 302 provides a drop-down menu for selecting circle, site, cluster, and server IP addresses. The UPF GUI 302 allows users to select their desired one or more inputs effortlessly. This eliminates manual typing for selecting server IP addresses for data plane command execution. The errors that occur during manual typing are avoided, ensuring the correct execution of commands on the appropriate server. The UPF GUI 302 provides a more streamlined and error-free process, making it a fail-safe solution for executing data plane commands.
[0094] In an implementation, the external server 304 may include information related to Application Programming Interface (API) paths and UPF backend information. The API call may be a software intermediary that allows two applications to communicate. The APIs are used to extract and share data. In angular applications, the API call is made to connect the application with server-side resources, enabling the applications to interact with the back-end services.
[0095] In an aspect, the UPF backend server 306 may function as an intermediary layer interacting with the diverse servers to manage data requests efficiently. The UPF backend server 306 may accept the data request from the UPF GUI 302 via the external server 304. The UPF backend server 306 may process the data request to make a tailored request based on the initial requirement. The UPF backend server 306 may pass the collated data to the external server 304. Then, the external server 304 forwards the data to the UPF GUI 302. The UPF GUI 302 may render the data for display to the user 102.
[0096] According to an aspect, the UPF backend server 306 may manage and organize server IP addresses in the UPF database 308. The server IP addresses are categorized based on various criteria, including circles, sites, and cluster combinations. Thereby ensuring precise and efficient data management and retrieval.
[0097] In an aspect, the UPF backend server 306 may determine according to the data request which server 310 is to contact based on the specific details and requirements of the incoming data requests from the client UPF GUI 302.
[0098] In an implementation, the UPF GUI 302 may request the data from the plurality of servers 310 via the UPF backend server 306. The UPF backend server 306 may decide which server needs to be contacted for each data request. The UPF backend server 306 selects the appropriate server from the plurality of servers 310 for each data request. The UPF backend server 306 gets the data from the appropriate server from the plurality of servers 310 and collates the data. The UPF backend server 306 forwards the data to the UPF GUI 302 through the external server 304.
[0099] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram 400 executing data plane commands in the network 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The FIG. 4 is explained in conjunction with FIG.1, FIG. 2 and FIG.3.
[00100] At step 402 of flow diagram 400, a user 102 selects a circle, site, or cluster through the UPF GUI 302. The UPF GUI 302 is a user-friendly interface that allows users to effortlessly select their desired inputs (for example, circle, site, cluster, data plane commands, and data plane IDs) from an option (for example, a drop-down option). This eliminates the need for manual typing. The UPF GUI 302 ensures a more streamlined and error-free process, making it a fail-safe solution for executing data plane commands. Further, the options within the options (for example, drop-down options) dynamically change based on the selections made in their superset categories.
[00101] At step 404 of the flow diagram 400, the system 108 automatically populates a list of corresponding server IP addresses based on a selected specific circle, site, and cluster.
[00102] At step 406 of the flow diagram 400, the user 102 selects the corresponding server IP address from the list of corresponding server IP addresses.
[00103] At step 408 of the flow diagram 400, a separate option (for example, a drop-down option) for a list of data plane commands is provided to the user 102. The user 102 may select the desired data plane command and data plane ID (interchangeably referred to as DP ID) from the list. Further, the user 102 may input any necessary arguments (or comments), if required, that are to be executed on the server.
[00104] At step 410 of the flow diagram 400, the user 102 submits the selected data plane command and data plane ID. As the user 102 selects server IP addresses, data plane commands, and data plane IDs from the option (for example, drop-down option), the need for manual typing is eliminated. Errors that occur during manual typing are avoided, thereby ensuring zero chances of errors.
[00105] At step 412 of the flow diagram 400, the UPF backend server 306 receives the selected server IP addresses, data plane commands, and data plane IDs.
[00106] At step 414 of the flow diagram 400, the UPF backend server 306 sends the data plane command to the desired server 310 (i.e., any of the servers 310-(1-N). The server 310 may execute the data plane command.
[00107] At step 416 of the flow diagram 400, the server responds to the UPF backend server 306 after executing the data plane command.
[00108] At step 418 of the flow diagram 400, the UPF backend server 306 provides an output to be displayed in a dedicated output terminal located below the input options (for example, drop-down options) on the UPF GUI 302.
[00109] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of a method 500 for executing data plane commands in the network 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00110] At step 502, the method 500 includes generating, by the processing engine 208, a user interface 302. The user interface 302 is generated when the user 102 interacts with the UE 104.
[00111] At step 504, the method 500 includes receiving, by the user interface 302, one or more inputs from a user for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields. The plurality of input fields for selecting the at least one unit is implemented as drop-down menus. The options in each drop-down menu dynamically update based on selections made in the other drop-down menus.
[00112] At step 506, the method 500 includes automatically populating, by the user interface 302, a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity. The user interface 302 is configured to provide a server identifier selection option in response to receiving the one or more inputs for selecting the at least one entity.
[00113] At step 508, the method 500 includes providing, a command selection option. The command selection option comprises at least one data plane command.
[00114] At step 510, the method 500 includes receiving, a selection of a command from the command selection option and selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers for the execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifers..
[00115] At step 512, the method 500 includes generating, by the user interface 302, an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifiers. The result of the command execution is displayed by the user interface 302 on an output terminal.
[00116] In an 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 executing graphical user interface based (GUI) commands in the network. The method includes generating a user interface. The method includes receiving one or more inputs from a user for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields. The method includes automatically populating a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity. The method includes providing a command selection option to the user. The method includes receiving, a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers for the execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier. The method includes generating, an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier.
[00117] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer system 600 in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.
[00118] As shown in FIG. 6, the computer system 600 may include an external storage device 610, a bus 620, a main memory 630, a read-only memory 640, a mass storage device 650, communication port(s) 660, and a processor 670. 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 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 port(s) 660 may be chosen depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system connects.
[00119] 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) chips for storing static 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 device 650 includes, but is not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and/or Firewire interfaces), one or more optical discs, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage, e.g., an array of disks.
[00120] The bus 620 communicatively couples the processor 670 with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The 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.
[00121] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display, keyboard, joystick, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to the bus 620 to support direct operator interaction with the computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) 660. Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[00122] The present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution by providing a method and a system for executing data plane commands on multiple servers using a user plane function graphical user interface (UPF GUI). The UPF GUI is a user-friendly interface that allows users to effortlessly select desired inputs, including circle, site, cluster, data plane commands, and data plane IDs, from one or more options (for example, drop-down options). The UPF GUI ensures a more streamlined and error-free process, making it a fail-safe solution for executing data plane commands. Further, the options within the options (for example, drop-down options) dynamically change based on the selections made in their superset categories. As the user selects the server IP address, data plane commands, and data plane ID from the options (for example, drop-down options), the need for manual typing is eliminated. Errors that occur during manual typing are avoided, thereby ensuring zero chances of errors.
[00123] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is determined by the claims that follow. The present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present disclosure when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[00124] The present disclosure provides a system and a method for executing data plane commands in a network.
[00125] The present disclosure provides a system and a method that reduces manual errors associated with typing data plane commands directly into a server.
[00126] The present disclosure provides a system and a method that streamlines the process of executing data plane commands by providing a unified UPF GUI for selection and execution.
[00127] The present disclosure provides a system and a method for improving the overall user experience by dynamically adjusting available options based on a user selection, which further minimizes inconsistency and maintains the scalability of the network.
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
We Claim:
1. A system (108) for interactive interface-based command execution in a network (106), the system (108) comprising:
a processing engine (208) configured to generate a user interface (302), the user interface (302) configured to:
receive one or more inputs from a user (102) for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields;
automatically populate a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity;
provide a command selection option to the user (102);
receive a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers for execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier; and
generate an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier.

2. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one entity comprises a circle, a site, and a cluster.

3. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the list of server identifiers comprises a list of internet protocol (IP) addresses of at least one server.

4. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more inputs comprise at least one of: a click event on a button, a tap event on a button, dragging and dropping objects within the user interface (302), voice commands, and gestures.

5. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of input fields comprises at least one of: a drop-down menu, a radio button, a check box, a slider and a range selector.

6. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of input fields is implemented as a drop-down menu.

7. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a separate drop-down menu is implemented upon selection of the at least one entity by the user (102), wherein the separate drop-down menu is dynamically updated based on the selected at least one entity.

8. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface (302) is configured to display the result of the command execution on an output terminal.

9. A method (500) for interactive interface-based command execution in a network (106) , the method (500) comprising steps of:
generating, by a processing engine (208), a user interface (302);
receiving, by a user interface (302), one or more inputs from a user (102) for selecting at least one entity from a plurality of input fields;
automatically populating a list of server identifiers corresponding to the selected at least one entity;
providing a command selection option to the user (102);
receiving a selection of a command from the command selection option and a selection of a server identifier from the populated list of server identifiers for the execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier; and
generating an output of a result of the command execution of the selected command based on the selected server identifier.

10. The method (500) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one entity comprises a circle, a site, and a cluster.

11. The method (500), as claimed in claim 9, wherein the list of server identifiers comprises a list of internet protocol (IP) addresses of at least one server.

12. The method (500) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the one or more inputs comprise at least one of: a click event on a button, a tap event on a button, dragging and dropping objects within the user interface (302), voice commands, and gestures.

13. The method (500) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of input fields comprises at least one of: a drop-down menu, a radio button, a check box, a slider and a range selector.

14. The method (500) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of input fields is implemented as a drop-down menu.

15. The method (500) as claimed in claim 9, wherein a separate drop-down menu is implemented upon selection of the at least one entity by the user (102), wherein the separate drop-down menu is dynamically updated based on the selected the at least one entity.
16. The method (500) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the result of the command execution is displayed by the user interface (302) on an output terminal.
17. A user equipment (UE) (104) communicatively coupled with a communication network (106), the coupling comprises of:
receiving, by the communication network (106), a connection request from the UE (104);
sending, by the communication network (106), an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104); and
transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, wherein the communication network (106) is configured for performing a method (500) for interactive interface-based command execution in a network (106) as claimed in claim 9.