FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
“METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING DATA RELATED TO NETWORK FUNCTIONS”
We, Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian National, of Office - 101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India.
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING DATA RELATED TO
NETWORK FUNCTIONS
CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] The present disclosure takes priority from Indian Patent Application
No. 202321059830 filed on 6th September 2023, and Indian Patent Application No. 202321060576 filed on 8th September 2023.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network
management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for managing data related to network functions.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The following description of the related art is intended to provide
background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.
[0004] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past
few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology

marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.
[0005] Managing and orchestrating effectively different releases and versions
of the Cloud-Native Network Function (CNF) and/or virtual network function (VNF) data Dictionary (such as, environment variable data, docker image data) emerges as a pivotal challenge during the CNFs design, deployment, and instantiation of the applications phase into a particular operating component such as the service manager. It is an extremely crucial step of maintaining the data dictionary effectively and further providing seamless communication of various components in the network. These data dictionaries cannot be managed directly by operating components such as the service manager. For instance, if the service manager is temporarily disabled or turned off, it is likely to miss some releases or versions of the alarm dictionary, which may lead to various network issues. There is a need for an interface to connect Release Management Repository (RMR) and the service manager harmoniously and streamline this procedure. Further, there is a need for an interface to make sure that data dictionary reservations run without a hitch and makes it simple to access the dictionary for operational support needs. The overall effectiveness and dependability of CNF/VNF activities depend heavily on the appropriate operation of this interface.
[0006] Therefore, there are a number of limitations to the existing solutions
and in order to overcome these and such other limitations of the known solutions it is necessary to provide an efficient solution for granting access to data related to network functions.

SUMMARY
[0007] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present
disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for managing
data related to network functions. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, for a repository manager, at least a dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of a network function. The method further comprises generating, by a generation unit connected at least to the transceiver unit, at the repository manager, a link for at least the dataset, and a metadata set associated with at least the dataset. The method further comprises storing, by a storage unit connected at least to the generation unit, via the repository manager, the dataset, the link, and the metadata set. The method further comprises publishing, by a publishing unit connected at least the storage unit, via the repository manager to a service manager, through an interface, at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the dataset is stored at
a storage instance of the repository manager, and the metadata set is stored in a database connected to at least the repository manager.
[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the storage instance
comprises a first dataset. The step of receiving, by the transceiver unit, for at least the repository manager, at least the dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of the network function comprises: receiving, by the transceiver unit, for at least the repository manager, a second dataset; and storing, by the storage unit via at least

the repository manager, at the storage instance, the second dataset. The second dataset is recent relative to the first dataset.
[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit, for the repository manager, a request related to an operation of the network function. The operation is related to one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function. The method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, to the repository manager, a request for at least a dataset related to the one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function. The method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, via the repository manager to the service manager through the interface, at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the repository manager
is a release repository manager (RMR).
[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more
operational parameters comprises environment variable data, wherein at least the dataset is an environment variable file, and wherein the service manager is a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), and wherein the interface is an RM_IM interface.
[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more
operational parameters comprises virtual network function component (VNFC) data, wherein at least the dataset is a VNFC docker image file, wherein the service manager is a VNFC, and wherein the interface is an RM_VC interface.
[0015] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for managing
data related to network functions. The system comprises a transceiver unit configured to receive, for a repository manager, at least a dataset relating to a set of

operational parameters of a network function. The system further comprises a generation unit connected at least to the transceiver unit, the generation unit configured to generate, at the repository manager, a link for at least the dataset, and a metadata set associated with at least the dataset. The system further comprises a storage unit connected at least to the generation unit, the storage unit configured to store, via the repository manager, the dataset, the link, and the metadata set. The system further comprises a publishing unit connected at least the storage unit, the publishing unit configured to publish, via the repository manager to a service manager, through an interface, at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0016] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
[0017] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method
for managing data related to network functions.
[0018] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
allows for the generation of metadata to data files.
[0019] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution
that generates a metadata access link associated with the plurality of metadata.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and
constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not

necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system architecture
of a network functions virtualization management and orchestration (NFV MANO) platform, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device
upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing
data related to network functions, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method for managing
data related to network functions, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for
managing environmental variable data, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary call flow data diagram for a process
for managing environmental variable data, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 6A illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for
managing virtual network function component (VNFC) docker image data, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 6B illustrates an exemplary call flow data diagram for a process
for managing VNFC docker image data, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0029] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.
[0031] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is
not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary

embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[0032] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a
thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.
[0033] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", "primary",
"secondary", "target" and the like, herein do not denote any order, ranking, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.
[0034] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a
process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.
[0035] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean
serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms

“includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive—in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word—without precluding any additional or other elements.
[0036] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating
processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.
[0037] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-
device”, “a smart-device”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and/or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0038] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or
computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.
[0039] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared
boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may refer to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.
[0040] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded
herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
[0041] As used herein the transceiver unit includes at least one receiver and at
least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units/components within the system and/or connected with the system.

[0042] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions
have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing a method and a system for managing data related to network functions.
[0043] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system architecture
[100] of a network functions virtualization management and orchestration (NFV MANO) platform, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The NFV MANO platform is configured to be a programmable and virtualized model that works on the concept of zero-touch operations. With the advent of NFV and cloud-native technologies, there has been a push to separate hardware components from software components. Here, hardware components may be commercially available, and off-the shelf components, and the software components may be supplied in the form of Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) and Containerized Network Functions (CNFs). The NFV MANO platform supports not only virtualized but also containerized workloads at data centers, and enables provisioning of fast, on-demand services over hybrid networks – making sure traditional networks are NFV-ready.
[0044] The NFV MANO platform allows network operators to seamlessly
discover, program, and automate infrastructure across both traditional and virtual networks. The NFV MANO platform leverages an open and vendor agnostic approach that enables network operators to implement NFV-based services in a multi-cloud environment. The NFV MANO platform may be configured to serve distributed cloud operations to support the emerging need for distributed 4G/5G core infrastructure. Further, the NFV MANO platform can be flexibly deployed for any combination of NFV Infrastructure (NFVI), including NFV telco cloud, container-based infrastructure, or any other private/public edge cloud. Some of the key features of the NFV MANO platform may be,

[0045] Hybrid Orchestration Platform – The NFV MANO platform has the
capability to orchestrate VNFs, CNFs, and networks using API-based integrations with southbound systems, which includes virtualized infrastructure managers (VIMs), software-defined networking (SDN) controllers, container infrastructure or edge computing platforms. The NFV MANO platform optimizes the manual processes involved in deploying and installing network elements with an automated orchestration framework. The platform not only supports centralized deployments, but also enables multi-access edge computing (MEC) orchestration in the context of the ETSI standards. It supports both NFV orchestration (NFVO) and MEC orchestration capabilities.
[0046] Service Lifecycle Management – The NFV MANO platform delivers
carrier-grade capabilities for instantiating, managing, and chaining VNFs/CNFs in network services across distributed environments. These capabilities automate and optimize the full lifecycle of network services and VNFs/CNFs through real-time orchestration of VNF Managers (VNFMs), Element Managers (EMs), VIMs, and SDN controllers. It drives service fulfilment and delivery based on flexible service design models.
[0047] Physical and Virtual Inventory Management – The NFV MANO
platform maintains an up-to-date inventory of all service and network resources, both physical and virtual. Virtual resource levels are discovered via interaction with the virtual infrastructure managers deployed in a telco cloud and physical resource levels are discovered via a network discovery process. This helps the solution to take accurate decisions on where to deploy services. The inventory is dynamically updated as resources are added, removed, assigned, and de-assigned, and services are created, scaled, and terminated. The solution’s dynamic inventory enables policy-driven scaling and healing of services.

[0048] Edge Computing – The MEC architecture allows the NFV MANO
platform to instantiate MEC applications and NFV virtualized network functions on the same virtualization infrastructure, and to reuse ETSI NFV MANO components to fulfil a part of the MEC management and orchestration tasks.
[0049] Adaptive Troubleshooting and Operations – The NFV MANO platform
includes an intent-based application programming interface (API) layer, which helps in integrating the NFV with machine learning platforms.
[0050] Support for CNFs in Addition to VNFs – The NFV MANO platform
not only supports virtual network functions, but in case the network elements are containerized, they can also be onboarded and managed by the platform.
[0051] N-Way Scaling Architecture – The NFV MANO platform does not have
a single-point of failure as the NFV MANO platform uses N-way active scale out architecture of the frontend and backend. NoSQL database rings are adopted, and the front-end application logic is composed of multiple processes embodied as microservice components. Each microservice component communicates with other components through APIs and webhook call-backs.
[0052] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device
[200] (herein, also referred to as a computer system [200]) upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method for managing data related to network functions utilising the system [300]. In another implementation, the computing device [200] itself implements the method for fault management in the network using one or more units configured within the computing device [200], wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0053] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other
communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor [204] coupled with bus [202] for processing information. The hardware processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor [204]. The main memory [206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a read only memory (ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202] for storing static information and instructions for the processor [204].
[0054] A storage device [210], such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-
state drive is provided and coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and instructions. The computing device [200] may be coupled via the bus [202] to a display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for displaying information to a computer user. An input device [214], including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor [204]. Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling cursor movement on the display [212]. The input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0055] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described
herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computing device [200] causes or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206]. Such instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium, such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.
[0056] The computing device [200] also may include a communication
interface [218] coupled to the bus [202]. The communication interface [218] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a local network [222]. For example, the communication interface [218] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface [218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
[0057] The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data,
including program code, through the network(s), the network link [220] and the

communication interface [218]. In the Internet example, a server [230] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the ISP [226], the local network [222], a host [224] and the communication interface [218]. The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received, and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later execution.
[0058] The present disclosure is implemented by a system [300] (as shown in
FIG. 3). In an implementation, the system [300] may include the computing device [200]. It is further noted that the computing device [200] is able to perform the steps of a method [400] (as shown in FIG. 4).
[0059] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the system [300] for
managing data related to network functions, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300] comprises at least one transceiver unit [302], at least one generation unit [304], at least one storage unit [306], and at least one publishing unit [308]. The system [300] further comprises a database [310] configured for storage of data. In an embodiment, the data may be stored as datasets. The system [300] further comprises a repository manager [320], and an service manager [322]. The system further comprises one or more storage instances [309] of the repository manager [320], or associated with the repository manager [320]. Also, all of the components / units of the system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in FIG. 3, all units shown within the system [300] should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown; however, the system [300] may comprise multiple such units or the system [300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. In another implementation, the system [300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system [300] may reside partly in the server/ network entity and partly in a user equipment.

[0060] The system [300] is configured for managing data related to network
functions, with the help of the interconnection between the components/units of the system [300].
[0061] The system [300] is further communicably coupled to one or more
network functions (NFs) [330]. In an implementation, the one or more NFs [330] may include cloud-native network functions (CNFs), and/or virtual network functions (VNFs). The CNFs, and the VNFs may further be associated with respective microservices cloud-native network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs). In other implementations, the one or more NFs [330] may include, without limitations, policy control function (PCF), sessions management function (SMF), network repository function (NRF) etc. In an embodiment, the repository manager [320] is a release repository manager (RMR). The RMR may be a repository or a data storage center, that is configured to store release notes, and/or different versions of software or firmware data for components in a network. In an embodiment, the service manager [322] is one of a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), and a VNFC.
[0062] The transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive, for the repository
manager [320], at least a dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of a network function [330]. In an embodiment, the set of operational parameters comprises information or data relating to operation of the network function [330] that may be required performing a task on the network function [330]. The task may be performed by the service manager [322], for instance. The task may include, without limitations, initialising the network function [330], modifying the network function [330], terminating the network function [330], extracting an output from the network function [330], providing an input to network function [330], scaling the network function [330] etc. Depending on the nature of the operation to be performed, the data may correspondingly vary. In an embodiment, at least the

dataset may be configured to be received from a user equipment (UE) through a user interface (UI).
[0063] The generation unit [304] is connected at least to the storage unit [306],
and to the database [310]. The generation unit [304] is configured to generate a link for at least the dataset. The link may refer to an address path indicative of a location of storage of at least the dataset. The link may further include an executable file, which, when selected, and executed, may provide access to data contained within at least the dataset. The generation unit [304] may further be configured to generate a metadata set associated with at least the dataset. In an embodiment, the metadata set may include details relating to a location of the dataset, a size of the dataset, a type of operational parameter contained in the dataset, a file name of the dataset etc. In an embodiment, the metadata set may be embedded in the generated link. In an embodiment, the metadata may be embedded using a uniform resource locator (URL).
[0064] The storage unit [306] is connected at least to the generation unit [304],
and is configured to store, via the repository manager [320] the dataset, the link, and the metadata set. In an embodiment, the dataset is stored at a storage instance [309] of the repository manager [320], and the metadata set is stored in a database [310] connected to at least the repository manager [320]. The link may be associated with either one or both of the dataset, and the metadata set.
[0065] The publishing unit [308] is connected at least to the storage unit [306],
and is configured to publish via the repository manager [320] to the service manager [322] through an interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set. The interface [324] may be a communication pathway between the repository manager [320], and the service manager [322] that facilitates communication (such as, exchange of data and/or instructions) therebetween. The interface [324] may be provided at the repository manager [320], or at the service manager [322]. In an

implementation of the present disclosure, the interface [324] is provided at the repository manager [320]. The publishing unit [308] is configured to provide at least one of the link, and the metadata set based on receipt, from the service manager [322] of a request.
[0066] In an implementation, the service manager [322] is configured to
perform the operation or to manage execution of the operation on the network function [330]. In order to do so, the service manager [322] transmits a request of the requisite data (i.e., the dataset) to the repository manager [320]. The repository manager [320] generates a link for the stored data in the database [310] and transmits the link and the metadata set to the service manager [322]. Thus, the service manager [322] is able to access the requisite data without the need for the repository manager [320] to retrieve the dataset from the database [310], and then, in turn, to transmit the data to the service manager [322]. As a result, the bandwidth for data exchange between the repository manager, and the service manager is minimally used, and the repository manager [320] may be able to process a greater number of requests from the service manager [322] at any instant of time.
[0067] In an embodiment, the database [310] comprises a first dataset. In an
embodiment, to receive, for the repository manager [320], at least the dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of a network function [330], the transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive, for the repository manager [320], a second dataset. The step further comprises storing, by the storage unit [306] via the repository manager [320], at the database [310], the second dataset. In an embodiment, the second dataset is recent relative to the first dataset. In other words, the system [300] is adapted to update the database [310] with datasets, in the event of receipt of a newer or a later version of the dataset that is stored in the database [310]. In an embodiment, the storage unit [306] stores the first and the second datasets with different labels in the database [310]. In another embodiment, the storage unit [306] rewrites the first dataset with the second dataset.

[0068] In an embodiment, the transceiver unit [302] is further configured to
receive, for the repository manager [320], a request related to an operation of the network function [330]. The operation is related to one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function. The transceiver unit [302] is further configured to transmit, to the repository manager [320], a request for at least a dataset related to the one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330]. The transceiver unit [302] is further configured to transmit, , via the repository manager [320], to the interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
[0069] In an embodiment, the operation to be performed on the network
function [330] may relate to instantiation of the network function [330]. In such an embodiment, the operational parameters may include environment variable data. In an embodiment, the configuration data may be presented in a dataset. In an example, the dataset may be an environment variable data file. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, the service manager [332] may be a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM). The PVIM and the repository manager [320] (e.g., the RMR) may communicate via an RM_IM interface.
[0070] In an embodiment, the operation to be performed on the network
function [330] may relate to launching services or microservices related to the network function [330]. The network function [330] may be a VNF. In such an embodiment, the operational parameters may include VNF image data. In an embodiment, the counter data may be presented in a dataset. In an example, the dataset may be a VNF image data file. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, the service manager [332] may be a VNFC. The VNFC and the repository manager [320] (e.g., the RMR) may communicate via an RM_VC interface.

[0071] In an embodiment, the repository manager [320] comprises a plurality
of repository managers. At any instance, any one or more repository managers may be operational, and the others may be secondary or spare repository managers. However, each of the plurality of repository managers is communicably coupled with others, and with the system [300]. In an embodiment, the method [400] further comprises providing, by the publishing unit [308] via one or more of the plurality of repository managers [320] to the service manager [322], through the interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
[0072] Thus, the repository managers may maintain a continuous and
uninterrupted operation in the system [300]. In an event, when any one or more of the repository managers is non-functional, any of the remaining repository managers may operate in their stead to maintain continuous and uninterrupted operation of the system [300].
[0073] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method [400] for
managing data related to network functions, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. In an implementation the method [400] is performed by the system [300] (shown in FIG. 3). Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] starts at step [402].
[0074] At step [404], the method [400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver
unit [302], for the repository manager [320], at least the dataset relating to the set of operational parameters of the network function [330].
[0075] At step [406], the method [400] comprises generating, by the generation
unit [304], the link for at least the dataset, and the metadata set associated with at least the dataset.

[0076] At step [408], the method [400] comprises storing, by the storage unit
[306] via the repository manager [320], the dataset, the link, and the metadata set.
[0077] At step [410], the method [400] comprises publishing, by the publishing
unit [308], via the repository manager [320] to the service manager [322], through an interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
[0078] The step [404] of receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], for the
repository manager [320], at least the dataset relating to the set of operational parameters of the network function [330] further comprises: receiving, by the transceiver unit [302] for the repository manager [320], the second dataset. The step [404] further comprises: storing, by the storage unit [306] via the repository manager [320], at the storage instance [309], the second dataset. The second dataset is recent relative to the first dataset.
[0079] The method [400] further comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit
[302], for the repository manager [320], a request related to an operation of the network function [330]. The operation is related to one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330]. The method [400] further comprises: transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], to the repository manager [320], a request for at least a dataset related to the one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330]. The method [400] further comprises transmitting, by the publishing unit [308], via the repository manager [320] to the interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
[0080] Thereafter, at step [412], the method [400] is terminated.
[0081] While the present disclosure relates to functionalities provided for a 4G
and/or 5G telecommunication network, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the elements of the present disclosure may also relate to other

telecommunication networks, such as 6G, and that such applications may be construed to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0082] FIGs. 5A and 5B illustrate exemplary block diagram [500] and call
flow data diagram [550], respectively for a process for managing environment variable data, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [500] comprises a release repository manager (RMR) [502], and a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM) [504]. The RMR [502], and the PVIM [504], are connected through a RM_IM interface. The RMR [502], and the PVIM [504] are further coupled to a database [508], a storage instance [509] associated with the RMR [502], a user interface (UI) [512], and network functions [510]. The database [508] is further connected to a network management service (NMS) [514].
[0083] The RMR [502] is configured to receive an “upload environment
variable file” request from the UI [512]. The RMR [502] subsequently stores the configuration dictionary in the storage instance [509]. The RMR [502] further generates a link, and a metadata set for the stored environment variable. The RMR [502] stores the metadata set in the database [508].
[0084] The RMR [502] receives a request from the PVIM [504] for access to
the environment variable file. The RMR [502] transmits the link and metadata set to the PVIM [504], in response.
[0085] Acknowledgments are exchanged between the RMR [502] and the
PVIM [504] for every exchange of data and requests. Further, communication between the RMR [502] and the PVIM [504] occurs via the RM_IM interface.
[0086] FIGs. 6A and 6B illustrate exemplary block diagram [600] and call
flow data diagram [650], respectively for a process for managing virtual network

function (VNF) docker image file data, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [600] comprises a release repository manager (RMR) [602], and a virtual network function component (VNFC) [604]. The RMR [602], and the VNFC [604], are connected through a RM_VC interface. The RMR [602], and the VNFC [604] are further coupled to a database [608], a storage instance [509], a user interface (UI) [612], and network functions [610]. The database [608] is further connected to a network management service (NMS) [614].
[0087] The RMR [602] is configured to receive an “upload VNF docker image
file” request from the UI [612]. The RMR [602] subsequently stores the VNF docker image file in the storage instance [609]. The RMR [602] further generates a link, and a metadata set for the stored VNF docker image file. The RMR [502] stores the metadata set in the database [608].
[0088] The RMR [602] receives a request from the VNFC [604] for access to
the VNF docker image file. The RMR [602] transmits the link and metadata set to the VNFC [604], in response.
[0089] Acknowledgments are exchanged between the RMR [602] and the
VNFC [604] for every exchange of data and requests. Further, communication between the RMR [602] and the VNFC [604] occurs via the RM_VC interface.
[0090] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed
implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

[0091] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be
acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components/units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

We Claim:
1. A method [400] for managing data related to network functions [330], the
method [400] comprising:
- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302], for a repository manager [320], at least a dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of a network function [330];
- generating, by a generation unit [304] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], at the repository manager [320], a link for at least the dataset, and a metadata set associated with at least the dataset;
- storing, by a storage unit [306] connected at least to the generation unit [304], via the repository manager [320], the dataset, the link, and the metadata set; and
- publishing, by a publishing unit [308] connected at least the storage unit [306], via the repository manager [320] to a service manager [322], through an interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.

2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dataset is stored at a storage instance [309] of the repository manager [320], and the metadata set is stored in a database [310] connected to the repository manager [320].
3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storage instance [309] comprises a first dataset, and wherein the step of receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], for the repository manager [320], at least the dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of the network function [330] comprises:

- receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], for the repository manager [320], a second dataset; and
- storing, by the storage unit [306] via the repository manager [320], at the storage instance [309], the second dataset,
wherein the second dataset is recent relative to the first dataset.

4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises:
- receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], for the repository manager [320], a request related to an operation of the network function [330], wherein the operation is related to one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330];
- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], to the repository manager [320], a request for at least a dataset related to the one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330]; and
- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], via the repository manager [320] to the service manager [322] through the interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.

5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the repository manager [320] is a release repository manager (RMR).
6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises environment variable data, wherein at least the dataset is an environment variable file, and wherein the service manager [322] is a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), and wherein the interface [324] is an RM_IM interface.
7. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises virtual network function component (VNFC) data, wherein at least the dataset is a VNFC docker image file, wherein the service manager [322] is a VNFC, and wherein the interface [324] is an RM_VC interface.
8. A system [300] for managing data related to network functions [330], the system [300] comprising:

- a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, for a repository manager [320], at least a dataset relating to a set of operational parameters of a network function [330];
- a generation unit [304] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], the generation unit [304] configured to generate, at the repository manager [320], a link for at least the dataset, and a metadata set associated with at least the dataset;
- a storage unit [306] connected at least to the generation unit [304], the storage unit [306] configured to store, via the repository manager [320], the dataset, the link, and the metadata set; and
- a publishing unit [308] connected at least the storage unit [306], the publishing unit [308] configured to publish, via the repository manager [320] to a service manager [322], through an interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.
9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dataset is stored at a storage instance [309] of the repository manager [320], and the metadata set is stored in a database [310] connected to the repository manager [320].
10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the storage instance [309] comprises a first dataset, and wherein, to receive, for the repository manager [320], at least the dataset relating to one or more operational parameters of the network function [330]:
- the transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive, for the repository manager [320], a second dataset; and
- the storage unit [306] is configured to store, via the repository manager [320], at the storage instance [309], the second dataset,
wherein the second dataset is recent relative to the first dataset.

11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transceiver unit [302] is
configured to:
- receive, for the repository manager [320], a request related to an operation of the network function [330], wherein the operation is related to one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330]; and
- transmit, to the repository manager [320], a request for at least a dataset related to the one or more of the set of operational parameters of the network function [330]; and
- transmit, via the repository manager [320] to the service manager [322] through the interface [324], at least one of the link, and the metadata set.

12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the repository manager [320] is a release repository manager (RMR).
13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the set of operational parameters comprises environment variable data, wherein at least the dataset is an environment variable file, and wherein the service manager [322] is a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), and wherein the interface [324] is an RM_IM interface.
14. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the set of operational parameters comprises virtual network function component (VNFC) data, wherein at least the dataset is a VNFC docker image file, wherein the service manager [322] is a VNFC, and wherein the interface [324] is an RM_VC interface.