LLM-based Multi-Criteria Deep Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic Efficient 5G UPF Selection

Abdelrahman Soliman, Ahmed Refaey Hussein, Lei Lei

User plane function (UPF) selection in 5G networks is an active area of research, with various limited approaches proposed to enhance network efficiency and manage resources effectively. In this paper, we address this gap in the related literature by proposing a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) UPF selection method that utilizes a dynamic, multi-objective reward function and validating it on a real-world 5G emulation platform. The proposed method is based on the large language models' (LLMs) translation of network operator intents and the network data analytics function (NWDAF) abnormality alerts. The experimental results validated in the real-world experimental setup demonstrate that our dynamic DRL solution achieves an effective balance between latency, power consumption, and traffic distribution, outperforming the heuristic baselines and fixed DRL by 16.89%. These findings highlight the real-world applicability of our approach for dynamic, intent-driven UPF selection.