5.3.1 AIOTF Discovery and Selection

The AIOTF discovery and selection functionality is used to determine AIOTF instances(s) to handle an AIoT service operation request.

For inventory or command, the NEF determines AIOTF instances(s) by providing the NRF with Target Area information and the NRF returning AIOTF instance(s) that match the provided Target Area information, or by using local configuration.

A service operation request received by the NEF from an AF may include External Target Area information and the NEF uses it to determine the Target Area information that is provided to the AIOTF and NRF, if used. The External Target Area information is a pre-configured External Area Identifier or geographic area (e.g., a civic address or GAD shapes). The Target Area information is a list of AIoT Areas.

NOTE 1: The mapping between AIoT Areas and External Area Identifiers information provided by an AF is configured in the NEF.

When an AIoT service operation request indicates individual AIoT Device(s), the AIOTF instance(s) may be selected by taking into account the last known AIOTF instance(s) (e.g. AIOTF ID/address) for those AIoT Device(s) obtained from the ADM.

When a service operation request received by the NEF from an AF includes external UE ID (i.e., GPSI ), the NEF queries the UDM to get the SUPI based on the external UE ID. The NEF queries the UDM using the Nudm_UECM_Get service operation to get the serving AMF of the UE reader and selects the AIOTF according to the local configuration.

NOTE 2: The NEF is configured with the mapping between the AMF ID and AIOTF ID(s).

For AF Subscription for DO-A Data Delivery, the NEF discovers and selects the AIOTF by providing the NRF with target device information (e.g. the domain information of the supported AIoT Device Permanent ID), or based on local configuration.

For AIoT command service operation indicating individual DO-A capable device, the NEF retrieves the serving AIOTF information by querying the ADM.