Multi-UPF: A Multi-Protocol Forwarding UPF towards 6G

Currently, the User Plane Function (UPF) in the 5th Generation Core Network (5GC) only supports forwarding for GTP (GPRS Tunneling Protocol). On the one hand, the emergence of technologies like network slicing reflects the growing demand for customized services, exposing deficiencies in GTP, such as its limited underlying network awareness. Some performance-efficient protocols (e.g., SRv6) are regarded as alternative solutions. On the other hand, the rigidity of single IP network architecture fails to meet the diversified and intelligent user requirements of ubiquitous 6G scenarios. The polymorphic smart network is considered an effective solution and a prominent trend in 6G network architecture research. However, the current research on 6G polymorphic networks primarily focuses on the overall network architecture design, lacking specific polymorphic capability design for particular network components. Thus, this paper proposes a polymorphic UPF—Multi-UPF, which achieves support for multiple communication protocols’ forwarding on a single UPF through P4 programming. The experiment tests Multi-UPF’s forwarding capabilities and latency for various communication protocols in 5GC. The results indicate that our approach can well support multiple communication protocol forwarding, with latency within feasible ranges. We also design the visual interface of Multi-UPF for the convenience of users. Multi-UPF provides initial validation of SRv6’s compatibility and potential replacement for GTP, simultaneously expanding the choice of communication protocols. This work lays the groundwork for polymorphic capability in subsequent 6G architecture design.