6.2.18 Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF)

The Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) includes one or more of the following functionalities:

• Support data collection from NFs and AFs;
• Support data collection from OAM;
• Support retrieval of information from data repositories (e.g. UDR via UDM for subscriber-related information or via NEF(PFDF) for PFD information);
• Support data collection of location information from LCS system;
• NWDAF service registration and metadata exposure to NFs and AFs;
• Support analytics information provisioning to NFs and AFs;
• Support analytics collection from MDAF;
• Support Machine Learning (ML) model training and provisioning to NWDAF containing AnLF, NWDAF containing MTLF, or LMF;
• Support ML Model storage to and retrieval from ADRF;
• Support bulked data related to Analytics ID(s) provisioning for NFs;
• Support accuracy information about Analytics IDs provisioning for NFs;
• Support accuracy information or accuracy degradation about ML model provisioning for NFs;
• Support roaming exchange capability to exchange data and analytics between PLMNs;
• Support Horizontal Federated Learning (HFL) to train an ML model among multiple NWDAFs (containing MTLF);
• Support Vertical Federated Learning (VFL) as VFL Server or VFL Client.

The details of the NWDAF functionality are defined in TS 23.288 [86].

NOTE 1: Some or all of the NWDAF functionalities can be supported in a single instance of an NWDAF.

NOTE 2: NWDAF functionality beyond its support for Nnwdaf is out of scope of 3GPP.