Use case description

The main goal of the target use case for the Chatbot Assistance Network App, within the scope of EVOLVED-5G Project, is to establish a dedicated series of actions that will take place in a factory environment to facilitate the handling of maintenance scenarios via a Chatbot platform. This use case focuses on maintenance scenarios within a factory environment. The goal is to introduce a chatbot application for reporting malfunctions and facilitating the necessary actions to address and fix the reported issues. The Network App developed to support this Use Case utilises location services, providing helpful information about the specific area to the user, user authentication restrict access to unauthorized personnel to specific areas, and offers relative
material or manuals about the equipment in those. Also, notifies available specialized technicians to solve a pending issue. Additionally, the INF web-based chatbot platform has been modified to support and utilize the features provided from the described Network App.
 

Detailed Architecture 

The architecture of the Network App includes the following
elements:
• The FastAPI Server, responsible for exposing the necessary APIs used for interaction
between the vApp and Network Application. Additionally, it can return user location or required machine files based on the API call.
• The Evolved5G SDK, facilitating communication with the NEF.
• The Database and File Server, which stores administrative information crucial for the realization of the use case scenario.
• The Web Admin GUI, serves as the user interface for managing administrative information and interacting with the database and file server.

When the user is logged in, the process is initiated by entering the word "work" in the chatbot.
The following sequence of steps is then executed:
• The command is sent to the Web Chatbot Backend.
• The Web Chatbot Backend calls the appropriate endpoint of NetApp
(http://localhost:8000/AreaMachines/) while sharing the relevant worker ID.
• Network Application (since it is registered with CAPIF), through the mentioned
endpoint, communicates with the NEF Emulator using the Evolved5G SDK and retrieves
the cell ID corresponding to the worker's indoor location.
• Utilizing the obtained cell ID, Network Application accesses the database to retrieve a
list of machines located in that cell, flagged as malfunctioning, and returns it to the vApp.
The list is displayed on the chatbot screen as buttons for the user to select from.
• The user chooses a desired machine by pressing the associated button, transmitting the
respective machine ID to the Web Chatbot Backend.
• The Web Chatbot Backend then calls the appropriate endpoint of NetApp
(http://localhost:8000/MachineFiles/) while sharing the relevant machine ID.
• Based on the machine ID, Network App accesses the database, retrieves the files
associated with the specific machine, and returns them as a list to the vApp. The list is
displayed on the chatbot screen as buttons corresponding to the machine list mentioned
earlier.
• Finally, the user can view each file by selecting the respective linked button
 

Additional dependencies

The successful operation of the Network Application relies on hardware and software
dependencies as follows:

Hardware dependencies:
1. Server or Hosting Environment: Network Application is typically deployed on servers or
hosting environments capable of running Python applications. The minimum
recommended specifications for the server or hosting environment are as follows:
• Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalent
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Storage: 20 GB or higher

2. Network Connectivity: The server or hosting environment should have a stable and
reliable internet connection. Network Application handle HTTP requests and responses,
so network connectivity is essential for the proper functioning of the project.

Furthermore, it would be necessary to have CAPIF and NEF in place for the operation to
be successful, and also start your scenario in the NEF web interface.

Software dependencies:
1. Database: MySQL MariaDB
2. Apache web server: For the hosting and the file server
3. Python: Also, our Network Application relies on several essential Python libraries like
SQLAlchemy and Pydantic to deliver powerful functionality and ensure smooth
operations.
4. PHP: For the Web Admin GUI