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 EVALUATING A HYSTERESIS FOR AN ERROR EVENT”
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.
2
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING A HYSTERESIS FOR AN ERROR EVENT
FIELD OF INVENTION
5
[0001]
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to management of operations within a network. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event.
10
BACKGROUND
[0002]
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 15 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.
[0003]
Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few 20 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. The third generation 25 (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 30 connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless
3
communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable
of delivering more services to its users.
[0004]
Generally, there may be multiple network functions (NFs) in telecommunication networks, which may use network resources respectively 5 allocated to each of them. Based on the allocated network resources, the NF may perform an operation in the network that may be within the resource capacity of said NF.
[0005]
In cases where the allocated network resources get exhausted due to 10 overutilization and the NF may need to perform an additional operation, the network function may be unable to do so and may generate an error. Further, in cases where an operation that may entail a quantity of resources more than what has been allocated to the NF is assigned to the NF, the NF may be unable to do so. The NF may also raise an alarm indicating that the capacity of the NF has been 15 exhausted.
[0006]
For example, conventionally, to resolve such problem, a network administrator or operator may assess the NF, resources allocated to the NF, resources required for performing the operation, available resources in the network, 20 etc. Based on the assessment, the network operator may optimize the network resource allocation by manually modifying the allocated resources on the NF, or assigning another NF, or performing a healing operation on said NF.
[0007]
However, such process may be inefficient and cumbersome. This problem 25 may be further aggravated in cases where the network operator has performed the network optimization, and an error again comes up. As a result of this, the network operator may need to repeatedly perform the network resource optimization, thereby leading to an inefficient, cumbersome, and computationally expensive task.
30
4
[0008]
Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to develop methods and systems which addresses the need to provide an efficient solution for notifying automatic scale in/out request, for making intelligent decisions in real-time, and for transmitting automatic scaling or automatic-healing request to microservices server, which the present disclosure aims to address. 5
SUMMARY
[0009]
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. 10 This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0010]
An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit 15 at a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) module, an error event for a Network Function (NF). The method further comprises retrieving, by a retrieval unit at the NPDA module, one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error event, wherein the one or more policies comprises a predefined hysteresis threshold. The method further comprises determining, by a 20 determining unit, a number of instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period. The method further comprises comparing, by a processing unit at the NPDA module, the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold. Based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold, the 25 method further comprises, evaluating, by an evaluation unit at the NPDA module, a hysteresis for the error event.
[0011]
In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is lower than the predefined threshold, the 30
5
method further comprises evaluating, by the evaluation unit, a negative hysteresis
for the error event.
[0012]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is greater than the predefined threshold, the 5 method further comprises evaluating, by the evaluation unit, a positive hysteresis for the error event.
[0013]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises, on evaluation of a positive hysteresis for the error event, generating, by 10 a generation unit, a response message indicating an occurrence of the positive hysteresis.
[0014]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, based on the response message, the method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, the 15 response message to a user, wherein the user, based on the generated response message, is to implement the one or more corrective actions.
[0015]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, based on the response message, the method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit to a 20 Policy Execution Engine (PEE), a request for implementing the one or more corrective actions for the error event. The PEE is to transmit the one or more corrective actions to a network manager, wherein the network manager is to implement the one or more corrective actions.
25
[0016]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the error event comprises at least one of a resource threshold event received from a Capacity Monitoring Manager Platform (CMM), for the NF, and an alarm enrichment request received from a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), for the NF.
30
6
[0017]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more corrective actions are selected from a group of corrective actions comprising restarting the NF, halting the NF, migrating the NF to a new host, scaling of the NF, and a combination thereof.
5
[0018]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the Network Function (NF) is selected from a group of NFs comprising virtual network function (VNF), container network function components (CNF), and combinations thereof, wherein the VNF further comprises one or more VNF components, and the CNF further comprises one or more CNF components. 10
[0019]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the error event is received by the transceiver unit from an event routing manager (ERM) module.
[0020]
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the NPDA module 15 and the PEE are in communication through a NA_PE interface.
[0021]
Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event. The system comprises a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) module. The 20 NPD module comprises a transceiver unit, a retrieval unit, a determining unit, a processing unit, and an evaluation unit connected at least with each other. The transceiver unit is configured to receive an error event for a Network Function (NF). The retrieval unit is configured to retrieve one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error event, wherein the one or more policies comprises a predefined 25 hysteresis threshold. The determining unit is configured to determine a number of instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period. The processing unit is configured to compare the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold. The evaluation unit is configured to evaluate a hysteresis for the error event based on the comparison of 30
7
the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined
threshold.
[0022]
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for evaluating a hysteresis 5 for an error event. The instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes a transceiver unit of the system to receive an error event for a Network Function (NF). Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a retrieval unit to retrieve one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error event, wherein the one or more 10 policies comprises a predefined hysteresis threshold. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a determining unit to determine a number of instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a processing unit to compare the number of instances of receiving 15 of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes an evaluation unit to evaluate a hysteresis for the error event based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold.
20
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0023]
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
25
[0024]
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for implementing one or more corrective actions during an error event.
[0025]
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for automatic detection of scaling (In/Out) / healing operations. 30
8
[0026]
It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that makes intelligent decisions in real-time through event-driven operation based on the provisioned policies.
[0027]
It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide valuable solution 5 for addressing network issues, improving the overall stability and performance of the network infrastructure, and facilitating efficient scaling / healing processes and enables swift and informed actions.
[0028]
An object of the invention is to provide a solution that for notifying 10 automatic scale in/out request based on NPDA hysteresis threshold policies.
[0029]
Another object of the invention is to provide a solution for generating and storing a set of threshold-based policies associated from one or more network functions of the network, wherein each threshold-based policy from the set of 15 threshold-based policies is associated with at least one network function from the one or more network functions.
[0030]
Another object of the invention is to provide a solution that receives least a resource detail, and a resource threshold exceed event request tiggered by a 20 microservice and fetch a threshold-based policy from the set of threshold-based policies based on at least the resource detail.
[0031]
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a solution that performs a hysteresis evaluation based on at least the resource detail and the 25 threshold-based policy associated with the resource detail and notify, an automatic-scale In/Out request for the one or more network functions of the network based on the hysteresis evaluation.
9
[0032]
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for transmitting automatic scaling or automatic-healing request to microservice servers by NPDA server.
[0033]
It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that 5 informs scale-in/scale-out/healing of a microservice server in the event the gating criteria is true, which usually happens when there is a breach in the reported load at NPDA server.
[0034]
It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that 10 enables tracking of a microservice server load and informing a threshold-based policy breach decision (scaling or healing) by NPDA server in real-time, thereby mitigating any network resource failures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 15
[0035]
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, 20 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 25 drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.
[0036]
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture; 30
10
[0037]
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 implementation of the present disclosure;
[0038]
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for evaluating a 5 hysteresis for an error event, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure;
[0039]
FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present 10 disclosure; and
[0040]
FIG. 5 illustrates another method flow diagram for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. 15
[0041]
The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION 20
[0042]
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 25 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.
30
11
[0043]
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 5 arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[0044]
Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of 10 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.
15
[0045]
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.
[0046]
Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process 20 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 25 included in a figure.
[0047]
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 30 aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not
12
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 5 similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word—without precluding any additional or other elements.
[0048]
As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for 10 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 15 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.
20
[0049]
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 25 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 30 are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
13
[0050]
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”), 5 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.
10
[0051]
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 also be referred 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 15 called.
[0052]
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 20 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.
25
[0053]
As used herein the transceiver unit include 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.
30
14
[0054]
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 method and system of evaluating a hysteresis for an error event.
5
[0055]
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture/platform [100], in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. The MANO architecture [100] may be developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of a network 10 node(s) etc/service(s). The MANO architecture [100] deploys the network node(s) in the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native/ Container Network Function (CNF). The system as provided by the present disclosure may comprise one or more components of the MANO architecture [100]. The MANO architecture [100] may be used to automatically instantiate the VNFs into the 15 corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform. In an implementation, the system may comprise a NFV Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) [1096] component.
20
[0056]
As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user interface layer [102], a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) design function module [104], a platform foundation services module [106], a platform core services module [108] and a platform resource adapters and utilities module [112] All the components may be assumed to be 25 connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.
[0057]
The NFV and SDN design function module [104] comprises a network manager [1042], a VNF catalog [1044], a network services catalog [1046], a 30 network slicing and service chaining manager [1048], a physical and virtual
15
resource manager [1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager [1052]. The
network manager [1042] may be responsible for deciding on which server of the communication network the microservice may be instantiated. The network manager [1042] may manage the overall flow of incoming/ outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The network manager may have a VNF lifecycle 5 manager and the CNF lifecycle manager in case the network is working utilising the VNF and CNF. The network manager [1042] may be responsible for determining which sequence to be followed for executing the process. For e.g. in an AMF network function of the communication network (such as a 5G network), sequence for execution of processes P1 and P2 etc. The VNF catalog [1044] stores 10 the metadata of all the VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalog [1046] stores the information of the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service chaining manager [1048] manages the slicing (an ordered and connected sequence of network service/ network functions (NFs)) that must be applied to a specific networked data packet. The physical and virtual 15 resource manager [1050] stores the logical and physical inventory of the VNFs. Just like the network manager [1042], the CNF lifecycle manager [1052] may be similarly used for the CNFs lifecycle management.
[0058]
The platforms foundation services module [106] comprises a 20 microservices elastic load balancer [1062], an identity & access manager [1064], a command line interface (CLI) [1066], a central logging manager [1068], and an event routing manager [1070]. The microservices elastic load balancer [1062] may be used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identity & access manager [1064] may be used for logging purposes. The 25 command line interface (CLI) [1066] may be used to provide commands to execute certain processes which requires changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] may be responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the MANO platform [100]. These logs may be used for debugging purposes. The event routing manager [1070] may be responsible for 30
16
routing the events i.e., the application programming interface (API) hits to the
corresponding services.
[0059]
The platforms core services module [108] comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082], an assure manager [1084], a performance manager 5 [1086], a policy execution engine [1088], a capacity monitoring manager [1090], a release management (mgmt.) repository [1092], a configuration manager & golden configuration template (GCT) [1094], an NFV platform decision analytics [1096], a platform NoSQL DB [1098], a platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100], a VNF backup & upgrade manager [1102], a micro service auditor [1104], and a platform 10 operations, administration and maintenance manager [1106]. The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082] may monitor the infrastructure part of the NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU utilization by the VNF. The assure manager [1084] may be responsible for supervising the alarms the vendor may be generating. The performance manager [1086] may be responsible for managing 15 the performance counters. The policy execution engine (PEE) [1088] may be responsible for managing all the policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CMM) [1090] may be responsible for sending the request to the PEE [1088]. The release management repository (RMR) [1092] may be responsible for managing the releases and the images of all of the vendor’s network nodes. The configuration 20 manager & GCT [1094] manages the configuration and GCT of all the vendors. The NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA) [1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the network resources. It is further noted that the policy execution engine (PEE) [1088], the configuration manager & (GCT) [1094] and the (NPDA) [1096] work together. The platform NoSQL DB [1098] may be a platform 25 database for storing all the inventory (both physical and logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF. It may be noted that the platform NoSQL DB [1098] may be just a narrower implementation of the present disclosure, and any other kind of structure for the database may be implemented for the platform database such as relational or non-relational database. The platform schedulers 30 and cron jobs [1100] may schedule the task such as but not limited to triggering of
17
an event, traverse the network graph etc. The
VNF backup & upgrade manager [1102] takes backup of the images, binaries of the VNFs and the CNFs and produces those backups on demand in case of server failure. The micro service auditor [1104] audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical case, instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture [100] may be using the network resources. 5 In such case, the micro service auditor [1104] audits and informs the same so that resources can be released for services running in the MANO architecture [100]. The audit assures that the services only run on the MANO platform [100]. The platform operations, administration and maintenance manager [1106] may be used for newer instances that are spawning. 10
[0060]
The platform resource adapters and utilities module [112] further comprises a platform external API adaptor and gateway [1122], a generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON) [1124], a docker service adaptor [1126], an OpenStack API adapter [1128], and a NFV gateway [1130]. The platform external 15 API adaptor and gateway [1122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the MANO platform [100]) that requires the network resources. The generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON) [1124] may get directly the data of the vendor system in the XML, CSV, JSON format. The docker service adaptor [1126] may be the interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO 20 architecture [100] for communication. The OpenStack API adapter [1128] may be used to connect with the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV gateway [1130] may be responsible for providing the path to each services going to/incoming from the MANO architecture [100].
25
[0061]
The Docker Service Adapter (DSA) [1126] may be a microservices-based component that may be designed to deploy and manage Container Network Functions (CNFs) and their components (CNFCs) across Docker nodes. The DSA [1126] may offer REST endpoints for key operations, such as uploading container images to a Docker registry, terminating CNFC instances, and creating Docker 30 volumes and networks. The CNFs, that may be network functions packaged as
18
containers, may consist of multiple CNFCs. The DSA
[1126] facilitates the deployment, configuration, and management of these components by interacting with Docker's API, ensuring proper setup and scalability within a containerized environment. The DSA provides a modular and flexible framework for handling network functions in a virtualized network setup. 5
[0062]
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device [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 10 evaluating a hysteresis for an error event utilising the system [300]. In another implementation, the computing device [200] itself implements the method for evaluating the hysteresis for the error event 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. 15
[0063]
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 20 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 25 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 30 information and instructions for the processor [204].
19
[0064]
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), 5 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 10 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. 15
[0065]
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. 20 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 25 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.
30
20
[0066]
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 5 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, 10 electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
[0067]
The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link [220] and the 15 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 20 execution.
[0068]
Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. In one example, the system 25 [300] may be implemented as or within a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) module. In another example, as depicted in FIG. 3, the system [300] may include the NPDA module [302]. The system [300] may also include additional components in communication with the NPDA module [302], which have not been depicted in FIG. 3, and would be understood to a person 30 skilled in the art.
21
[0069]
In another example, the system [300], may be in communication with a Policy Execution Engine (not depicted in FIG. 3). Such PEE may be understood as PEE [1088], as explained in conjunction with FIG. 1. In cases, where the system [300] is implemented as or within the NPDA module, the system [300] and the PEE 5 [1088] may be in communication through a NA_PE interface. The NA_PE interface may refer to an interface used for exchanging data between the NPDA module and the PEE [1088] for facilitating the communication.
[0070]
The system [300] may be in further communication with other network 10 entities/components known to a person skilled in the art. Such network entities/components have not been depicted in FIG. 3 and not explained here for the sake of brevity.
[0071]
As depicted in FIG. 3, the system [300] may include at least one transceiver 15 unit [304], at least one retrieval unit [306], at least one determining unit [308], at least one processing unit [310], at least one evaluation unit [312], and at least one generation unit [314]. In cases where the system [300] may be implemented as the NPDA module, the aforementioned units may be a part of the system [300].
20
[0072]
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 25 numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a user device/ user equipment to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system [300] may be a part of the user device/ or may be independent of but in communication with the user device (may also referred herein as a UE). In another 30 implementation, the system [300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet
22
another implementation, the system [300] may reside partly in the server/ network
entity and partly in the user device.
[0073]
The system [300] is configured for evaluating the hysteresis for the error event, with the help of the interconnection between the components/units of the 5 system [300].
[0074]
As would be understood, the error event may refer to a scenario where there exists an error associated with reaching a performance capacity of a particular Network Function (NF), or an error associated with disruption of a network function 10 due to issues such as crash, hardware failure, power outage, etc.
[0075]
In an implementation of the present disclosure, the Network Function (NF) may be selected from a group of NFs comprising virtual network function (VNF), container network function (CNF), and combinations thereof, wherein the VNF 15 further comprises one or more VNF components, and the CNF further comprises one or more CNF components. As used herein, the VNF may refer to software applications that deliver network functions such as directory services, routers, firewalls, load balancers, etc. The CNF may be a component or a software service that fulfils certain network functionalities while adhering to cloud-native design 20 principles without requiring any hardware or appliance to house it. the components used for implementing the VNF may be called as the VNF components (VNFC). The component used for implementing the CNF may be called as the CNF components (CNFC).
25
[0076]
Further, the hysteresis for the error event may refer to the probability of occurrence and the actions and policies that were formed in case of the error events occurred in the past. The hysteresis may indicate a pattern in the occurrence of the error event and may be used for making decisions based on the past data present in the set of data. 30
23
[0077]
In operation, for evaluating the hysteresis for the error event, the transceiver unit [304] may receive an error event for the Network Function (NF). In one example, the transceiver unit [304] may receive the error event from the event routing manager (ERM) module [1070].
5
[0078]
In one example, the error event may be a resource threshold event, for the NF, received from the Capacity Monitoring Management (CMM) Platform [1090]. In another example, the error event may be an alarm enrichment request, for the NF, receive from a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM) module.
10
[0079]
The resource threshold event for the NF may refer to a scenario where the NF or its instance (or a processing component) reaches its limits in terms of resources such as performance capabilities, storage capabilities, etc. The alarm enrichment request may refer to a request associated with troubleshooting or gathering additional information about an error or fault for confirmation and better 15 management of alarms. The PVIM may be similar to the physical & virtual resource manager [1050] used for storing the logical and physical inventory of the VNFs.
[0080]
It may be noted that the aforementioned error events are only exemplary, and not to be construed to limit the scope of the present subject matter in any 20 manner. Any other examples of error events may be received by the transceiver unit [304]. All such examples would lie within the scope of the present subject matter.
[0081]
Continuing further, once the error event has been retrieved, then the retrieval unit [306] may retrieve one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error 25 event. The one or more policies may comprise a predefined hysteresis threshold. The one or more policies may refer to the set of rules that are made, for example, to manage the resources and allocation of the resources, and may be generated by the PEE [1088] or a policy control function, or any other entity known to (and obvious to) a person skilled in the art. The predefined hysteresis threshold may refer 30 to a set limit which may indicate a limit on the number of occurrences of the error
24
events. It may be noted that in some implementations of the present disclosure, the
predefined hysteresis threshold present within the fetched one or more policies may also be configurable by a network entity, or a network operator.
[0082]
Thereafter, the determining unit [308] may determine a number of instances 5 of receiving the error event within a predefined time period. The predefined time period may refer to a set period of time for recording the frequency of occurrences of the error events. The number of instances of receiving the error events may provide the frequency of the error events within the predefined time period indicating a rate of occurrence of error events. This helps in analyzing the pattern 10 of the error events. Such information may be kept as logs of data and may be used for determining the frequency of occurrence of the error events in the past. In an example, the NPDA module [302] keeps on checking and updating a counter and resets the counter after the expiry of the predefined time period.
15
[0083]
After the determination of the number of error instances of error events, the processing unit [310] may then compare the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold.
[0084]
On comparison, the evaluation unit [312] evaluates a hysteresis for the error 20 event based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold. As would be understood, the hysteresis for the error event may refer to a pattern or repeated occurrence of the error events.
[0085]
In further implementations of the present disclosure, the evaluation unit 25 [312] evaluates a negative hysteresis for the error event when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is lower than the predefined threshold. The negative hysteresis for the error event indicates that there is no need for implementing corrective actions, since it is not a regular issue. The negative hysteresis for the error event may refer to a scenario of no repeated occurrences of 30 the error event. The predefined threshold may be compared in such events and the
25
negative hysteresis is identified if the number of occurrences of the error event is
lower than the predefined threshold. For example, if the predefined threshold is 5, and if the hysteresis for the error event is indicative of 3 error events, then in such case, due to the hysteresis being lower than the predefined threshold, it may be said to be a negative hysteresis for the error event. And, the system [300] may continue 5 to receive the error events.
[0086]
In another implementation of the present disclosure, the evaluation unit [312] evaluates a positive hysteresis for the error event when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is greater than the predefined threshold. 10 The positive hysteresis for the error event indicates that there is a need for implementing corrective actions, since it is a regular issue and hinders the overall network performance. The positive hysteresis for the error event may refer to a scenario of repeated occurrences of the error event. The predefined threshold may be compared in such events and the positive hysteresis is identified if the number 15 of occurrences of the error event is higher than the predefined threshold then it may indicate that the particular NF instance is not able to perform optimally, and requires a corrective action to be performed. For example, if the predefined threshold is 5, and if the hysteresis for the error event is indicative of 6 error events, then in such case, due to the hysteresis for the error event being higher than the predefined 20 threshold, it may be said to be a positive hysteresis for the error event.
[0087]
Also, in another implementation of the present disclosure, the generation unit [314] generates a response message indicating an occurrence of the positive hysteresis, based on evaluation of the positive hysteresis for the error event. The 25 response is generated in order to be provided as a notification. The notification enables providing a notification that there exists the hysteresis for the error event.
[0088]
Accordingly, after response has been generated, the transceiver unit [304] transmits the response message to a user based on the generated response message. 30 The user, such as a network administrator or network operator, is to implement the
26
one or more corrective actions based on the generated response message.
The user is notified about the existence of the hysteresis for the error event. The notification to the user allows the user to take corrective measures for the error event. The user may manually perform the one or corrective actions based on the notification. Also, the notification enables the user to analyze the hysteresis for the error event and 5 accordingly analyze the need for taking the corrective measures. It may be noted that the notification may be sent as a popup message or a graphical user interface on a user equipment of the user. For sending the notification, various other alternatives may also be used as may be known in the art and obvious to a person skilled in the art and shall not be considered to be limited in nature. 10
[0089]
In another implementation of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit [302] transmits, to a Policy Execution Engine (PEE) [1088], a request for implementing one or more corrective actions for the error event. In an example, the request for the one or more corrective actions may be transmitted over an interface 15 between the NPDA module [302] and the PEE [1088] such as the NA_PE interface. The PEE [1088] is responsible to transmit the one or more corrective actions to the network manager [1042]. The network manager [1042] then implements the one or more corrective actions. In one example, the network manager may be implemented as a combination of at least a Virtual Network Function Lifecycle Manager (VLM) 20 and other unit.
[0090]
In an implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more corrective actions are selected from a group of corrective actions comprising restarting the NF, halting the NF, migrating the NF to a new host, scaling of the NF, and a combination 25 thereof. The restarting of the NF may refer to the physical restart or switching the power ON state and the power OFF state of the instance running the NF. The migration of the NF to the new host may refer to a change in the instance running/performing the NF and accordingly shift the NF to another instance which is healthy and without any errors. The one or more corrective actions in case of the 30 alarm enrichment request enables healing of the network function. The scaling the
27
NF may refer to scaling in or scaling out of the resources allocated to a particular
instance of the NF. As would be understood, the scaling in and scaling out may refer to increase or decrease in the resource allocation of a particular NF instance, in order to manage the performance requirements of the network function.
5
[0091]
Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for implementing one or more corrective actions during an error event, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method [400] is performed by the NPDA module [302]. Further, in an implementation, the NPDA module [302] may be present in a server device to 10 implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] starts at step [402].
[0092]
As would be understood, the error event may refer to a scenario where there exists an error associated with reaching a performance capacity of a particular 15 Network Function (NF), or an error associated with disruption of a network function due to issues such as crash, hardware failure, power outage, etc.
[0093]
In operation, for implementing one or more corrective actions during an error event, the method [400], at step [404], involves receiving, by a first 20 transceiver unit [304] at a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) module [302], an error event for a network function (NF).
[0094]
In certain implementations of the present disclosure, the error event may be 25 received by the first transceiver unit [304] from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070].
[0095]
In another implementation of the present disclosure, the Network Function (NF) is selected from a group of NFs comprising virtual network function (VNF), 30 container network function (CNF), and combinations thereof, wherein the VNF
28
further comprises one or more VNF components, and the CNF further comprises
one or more CNF components. As used herein, the VNF may refer to software applications that deliver network functions such as directory services, routers, firewalls, load balancers, etc. The CNF may be a component or a software service that fulfils certain network functionalities while adhering to cloud-native design 5 principles without requiring any hardware or appliance to house it.
[0096]
In one example, the error event may be a resource threshold event, for the NF, received from the Capacity Monitoring Management (CMM) Platform [1090]. In another example, the error event may be an alarm enrichment request, for the NF, 10 received from a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM) module.
[0097]
The resource threshold event for the NF may refer to a scenario where the NF or its instance (or a processing component) reaches its limits in terms of resources such as performance capabilities, storage capabilities, etc. The alarm 15 enrichment request may refer to a request associated with troubleshooting or gathering additional information about an error or fault for confirmation and better management of alarms. The PVIM may be similar to the physical & virtual resource manager [1050] used for storing the logical and physical inventory of the VNFs.
20
[0098]
It may be noted that the aforementioned error events are only exemplary, and not to be construed to limit the scope of the present subject matter in any manner. Any other examples of error events may be received by the transceiver unit [304]. All such examples would lie within the scope of the present subject matter.
25
[0099]
After, the error event is retrieved, then at step [406], the method [400] comprises retrieving, by a retrieval unit [306] at the NPDA module [302], one or more policies defined for the Network Function (NF) based on the error event. The one or more policies comprises a predefined hysteresis threshold. The one or more policies may refer to the set of rules that are made, for example, to manage the 30 resources and allocation of the resources, and may be generated by the PEE [1088]
29
or a policy control function, or any other entity known to (and obvious to) a person
skilled in the art. The predefined hysteresis threshold may refer to a set limit which may indicate a limit on the number of occurrences of the error events. It may be noted that in some implementations of the present disclosure, the predefined hysteresis threshold present within the fetched one or more policies may also be 5 configurable by a network entity, or a network operator.
[0100]
Once, the policy is retrieved, then at step [408], the method [400] comprises determining, by a determination unit [308], a number of instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period. The predefined time period may 10 refer to a set period of time for recording the frequency of occurrences of the error events. The number of instances of receiving the error events may provide the frequency of the error events within the predefined time period indicating a rate of occurrence of error events. This helps in analyzing the pattern of the error events. Such information may be kept as logs of data and may be used for determining the 15 frequency of occurrence of the error events in the past. In an example, the NPDA module [302] keeps on checking and updating a counter and resets the counter after the expiry of the predefined time period.
[0101]
After the determination of the number of error instances of error events, then 20 at step [410], the method [400] comprises comparing, by a processing unit [310] at the NPDA module [302], the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold.
[0102]
On comparison, then at step [412], the method [400] involves based on the 25 comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold, evaluating, by an evaluation unit [312] at the NPDA module [302], a hysteresis for the error event. As would be understood, the hysteresis for the error event may refer to a pattern or repeated occurrence of the error events.
30
30
[0103]
In further implementations of the present disclosure, when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is lower than the predefined threshold, the method further comprises: evaluating, by the evaluation unit [312], a negative hysteresis for the error event. The negative hysteresis for the error event indicates that there is no need for implementing corrective actions, since it is not a regular 5 issue. The negative hysteresis for the error event may refer to a scenario of no repeated occurrences of the error event. The predefined threshold may be compared in such events and the negative hysteresis is identified if the number of occurrences of the error event is lower than the predefined threshold. For example, if the predefined threshold is 5, and if the hysteresis for the error event is indicative of 3 10 error events, then in such case, due to the hysteresis being lower than the predefined threshold, it may be said to be a negative hysteresis for the error event.
[0104]
In further implementations of the present disclosure, when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is greater than the predefined threshold, the 15 method further comprises: evaluating, by the evaluation unit [312], a positive hysteresis for the error event. The positive hysteresis for the error event indicates that there is a need for implementing corrective actions, since it is a regular issue and hinders the overall network performance. The positive hysteresis for the error event may refer to a scenario of repeated occurrences of the error event. The 20 predefined threshold may be compared in such events and the positive hysteresis is identified if the number of occurrences of the error event is higher than the predefined threshold then it may indicate that the particular NF instance is not able to perform optimally, and requires a corrective action to be performed. For example, if the predefined threshold is 5, and if the hysteresis for the error event is indicative 25 of 6 error events, then in such case, due to the hysteresis for the error event being higher than the predefined threshold, it may be said to be a positive hysteresis for the error event.
[0105]
Also, in another implementation of the present disclosure, on evaluation of 30 a positive hysteresis for the error event, the method further comprises generating,
31
by a generation unit [314], a response message indicating an occurrence of the
positive hysteresis. The response is generated in order to be provided as a notification. The notification enables providing a notification that there exists the hysteresis for the error event.
5
[0106]
Accordingly, after response has been generated, based on the response message, the method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [304], the response message to a user, wherein the user, based on the generated response message, is to implement the one or more corrective actions. The user is notified about the existence of the hysteresis for the error event. The notification to the user 10 allows the user to take corrective measures for the error event. The user may manually perform the one or corrective actions based on the notification. Also, the notification enables the user to analyze the hysteresis for the error event and accordingly analyze the need for taking the corrective measures. It may be noted that the notification may be sent as a popup message or a graphical user interface 15 on a user equipment of the user. For sending the notification, various other alternatives may also be used as may be known in the art and obvious to a person skilled in the art and shall not be considered to be limited in nature.
[0107]
In another implementation of the present disclosure, the method comprises 20 transmitting, by the transceiver unit [304], to a Policy Execution Engine (PEE) [1088], a request for implementing the one or more corrective actions for the error event. The PEE [1088] is responsible for transmitting the one or more corrective actions to the network manager [1042]. The network manager [1042] then implements the one or more corrective actions. 25
[0108]
In an implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more corrective actions are selected from a group of corrective actions comprising restarting the NF, halting the NF, migrating the NF to a new host, scaling of the NF, and a combination thereof. The restarting of the NF may refer to the physical restart or switching the 30 power ON state and the power OFF state of the instance running the NF. The
32
migration of the NF to the new host may refer to a change in the instance
running/performing the NF and accordingly shift the NF to another instance which is healthy and without any errors. The one or more corrective actions in case of the alarm enrichment request enables healing of the network function. The scaling the NF may refer to scaling in or scaling out of the resources allocated to a particular 5 instance of the NF. As would be understood, the scaling in and scaling out may refer to increase or decrease in the resource allocation of a particular NF instance, in order to manage the performance requirements of the network function.
[0109]
Thereafter, at step [414], the method [400] is terminated. 10
[0110]
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary method [500] flow diagram showing exemplary implementations for implementing the one or more corrective actions during the error event, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. As shown in the FIG. 5, the method [500] starts at step [502]. 15
[0111]
It may be noted that the method [500] starts by receiving an error event.
[0112]
In one example, as depicted by step [504], the error event is the resource threshold event received after the event is triggered by the CMM [1090] as provided 20 above. In another example, as depicted by step [506], the error event is the alarm enrichment request, and is received after the event is triggered by the PVIM. It may be noted that the CMM [1090] and the PVIM may be CMM microservice or PVIM microservice in case these belongs to a microservices-based architecture.
25
[0113]
Then, at step [508], the ERM [1070] provides the error event data associated with the error event based on the error event raised by either the CMP or the PVIM. The error event data helps in determination of the policies to be used for making corrective actions.
30
33
[0114]
After, the error event data is received, then at step [510], the NPDA module [302] may retrieve the one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error event. The one or more policies may comprise a predefined hysteresis threshold.
[0115]
Then at step [512], the method [500] involves determining if a number of 5 instances of received error event within a predefined time period. The NPDA module [302] keeps on checking and updating a counter and resets the counter after the expiry of the predefined time period.
[0116]
Then at step [514], the NPDA module [302] checks if the number of error 10 events received are higher than the predefined hysteresis threshold by evaluating a hysteresis for the error event based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold. After the evaluation is complete, it may result in a positive hysteresis in case of a yes and a negative hysteresis in case of a no. In such cases, the positive hysteresis indicates repeated 15 occurrences, and negative hysteresis indicates non-repetitive nature of the error event.
[0117]
The step involves making an evaluation of the positive hysteresis and negative hysteresis based on the comparison with the threshold. In case of the 20 negative hysteresis for the error event, the method [500] loops back to step [508] and may continue to receive the error events. In case of the positive hysteresis for the error event, the step [514] moves to either step [516] or step [518].
[0118]
In one example, upon evaluation of the positive hysteresis, the method [500] 25 may proceed to step [516]. At step [516], the NPDA generates a response message indicating the occurrence of the positive hysteresis, and then transmits the generated response message to a user, such as a network administrator or a network operator. By sending the response message the user is notified that certain corrective measures are required due to the hysteresis for the error event. Thereafter, the user 30 may implement the one or more corrective actions to negate the error event.
34
[0119]
In another example, upon evaluation of the positive hysteresis, the method [500] may proceed to step [518]. At step [518], the method [500] involves transmitting a request to the PEE [1088] for implementing the one or more corrective actions to negate the error event. The PEE [1088], on receiving the 5 request from the NPDA, may fetch one or more corrective actions, and may transmit the same to the Network Manager [1042], as depicted by Step [520]. The Network Manager [1042] may perform the one or more corrective actions. For implementing the corrective actions, certain decisions associated with the implementation of the healing decisions, or the scaling decisions may then be taken by the Network 10 Manager [1042].
[0120]
Then, at step [522], the method [500] may be terminated.
[0121]
The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable 15 storage medium storing instructions for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event. The instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes a transceiver unit of the system to receive an error event for a Network Function (NF). Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a retrieval unit [306] to retrieve one or more 20 policies defined for the NF based on the error event, wherein the one or more policies comprises a predefined hysteresis threshold. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a determining unit [308] to determine a number of instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when 25 executed, causes a processing unit [310] to compare the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes an evaluation unit [312] to evaluate a hysteresis for the error event based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined 30 threshold.
35
[0122]
As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for implementing one or more corrective actions during an error event. The present disclosure enables making intelligent decisions in real-time through event-driven operation based on the provisioned policies. Further, it may 5 be noted that the present disclosure provides monitoring of the error events, analyses the error event data and policies required for taking corrective actions, and also provides implementation of the corrective actions to be taken. Further, the present solution provides a technically advanced solution for notifying automatic scale in/out request based on NPDA hysteresis threshold policies. The present 10 solution offers a notable technical advantage of manifesting in its capacity to execute intelligent, real-time decisions driven by meticulously provisioned policies and hysteresis evaluation. This attribute sets it apart as a formidable solution for tackling network challenges, ultimately bolstering the stability and performance of the network infrastructure. The present disclosure provides the ability to facilitate 15 efficient scaling operations (In/Out) empowers swift, well-informed actions, ensuring that network resources are optimally allocated. By seamlessly integrating event-driven operations with predefined policies, this innovation demonstrates its value in the realm of network management, offering a dynamic and responsive approach to network optimization. This, in turn, leads to a marked improvement in 20 overall network resilience and efficiency.
[0123]
Also, the present disclosure provides a solution that informs scale-in/scale-out/healing of a microservice server in the event the gating criteria is true, which usually happens when there is a breach in the reported load. The present disclosure 25 provides a solution that enables tracking of a microservice server load and informing a threshold-based policy breach decision (scaling or healing) by NPDA server in real-time, thereby mitigating any network resource failures.
[0124]
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed 30 implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and
36
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. 5
[0125]
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 10 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 15 of the present disclosure.
37
We Claim:
1.
A method for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a transceiver unit [304] at a Network Function 5 Virtualization (NFV) Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) module [302], an error event for a Network Function (NF);
-
retrieving, by a retrieval unit [306] at the NPDA module [302], one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error event, wherein the one or more policies comprises a predefined hysteresis threshold; 10
-
determining, by a determining unit [308], a number of instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period;
-
comparing, by a processing unit [310] at the NPDA module [302], the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold; and 15
-
based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold, evaluating, by an evaluation unit [312] at the NPDA module [302], a hysteresis for the error event.
2.
The method as claimed in claim 1, when the number of instances of 20 receiving of the error event is lower than the predefined threshold, the method further comprises: evaluating, by the evaluation unit [312], a negative hysteresis for the error event.
3.
The method as claimed in claim 1, when the number of instances of 25 receiving of the error event is greater than the predefined threshold, the method further comprises: evaluating, by the evaluation unit [312], a positive hysteresis for the error event.
4.
The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: 30
38
-
on evaluation of a positive hysteresis for the error event, generating, by a generation unit [314], a response message indicating an occurrence of the positive hysteresis.
5.
The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, based on the response message, 5 the method further comprises:
-
transmitting, by the transceiver unit [304], the response message to a user, wherein the user, based on the generated response message, is to implement the one or more corrective actions.
10
6.
The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, based on the response message, the method further comprises:
-
transmitting, by the transceiver unit [304], at the NPDA module [302] to a Policy Execution Engine (PEE) [1088], a request for implementing one or more corrective actions for the error event; wherein the PEE 15 [1088] is to transmit the one or more corrective actions to a network manager [1042], and wherein the network manager [1042] is to implement the one or more corrective actions.
7.
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error event comprises at least 20 one of a resource threshold event received from a Capacity Monitoring Manager Platform (CMM) [1090], for the NF, and an alarm enrichment request received from a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), for the NF.
25
8.
The method as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the one or more corrective actions are selected from a group of corrective actions comprising restarting the NF, halting the NF, migrating the NF to a new host, scaling of the NF, and a combination thereof.
30
39
9.
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Network Function (NF) is selected from a group of NFs comprising virtual network function (VNF), container network function components (CNF), and combinations thereof, wherein the VNF further comprises one or more VNF components, and the CNF further comprises one or more CNF components. 5
10.
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error event is received by the transceiver unit [302] from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070].
10
11.
The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the NPDA module [302] and the PEE [1088] are in communication through a NA_PE interface.
12.
A system [300] for evaluating a hysteresis for an error event, the system [300] comprising a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Platform 15 Decision Analytics (NPDA) module [302], wherein the NPDA module [302] comprises:
-
a transceiver unit [304] configured to receive an error event for a Network Function (NF);
-
a retrieval unit [306] connected at least to the transceiver unit [304], the 20 retrieval unit [306] configured to retrieve one or more policies defined for the NF based on the error event, wherein the one or more policies comprises a predefined hysteresis threshold;
-
a determining unit [308] connected at least to the retrieval unit [306], the determining unit [308] configured to determine a number of 25 instances of receiving of the error event within a predefined time period;
-
a processing unit [310] connected at least to the determining unit [308], the processing unit [310] configured to compare the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined hysteresis threshold; and 30
40
-
an evaluation unit [312] connected at least to the processing unit [310], the evaluation unit [312] configured to evaluate a hysteresis for the error event based on the comparison of the number of instances of receiving of the error event with the predefined threshold.
5
13.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit [312] is further configured to evaluate a negative hysteresis for the error event, when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is lower than the predefined threshold.
10
14.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit [312] is further configured to evaluate a positive hysteresis for the error event when the number of instances of receiving of the error event is greater than the predefined threshold.
15
15.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 14, the system [300] further comprises a generation unit [314] connected at least to the evaluation unit [312], the generation unit [314] configured to generate a response message indicating an occurrence of the positive hysteresis, based on evaluation of the positive hysteresis for the error event. 20
16.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein the transceiver unit [304] is further configured to transmit the response message to a user based on the generated response message, wherein the user is to implement the one or more corrective actions based on the generated response message. 25
17.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein, based on the response message:
-
the transceiver unit [302] is further configured to transmit, to a Policy Execution Engine (PEE) [1088], a request for implementing the one or 30 more corrective actions for the error event; wherein the PEE [1088] is
41
to
transmit the one or more corrective actions to a network manager [1042], and wherein the network manager [1042] is to implement the one or more corrective actions.
18.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the error event comprises 5 at least one of a resource threshold event received from a Capacity Monitoring Manager (CMM) Platform [1090], for the NF, and an alarm enrichment request received from a physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM), for the NF. 10
19.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the one or more corrective actions are selected from a group of corrective actions comprising restarting the NF, halting the NF, migrating the NF to a new host, scaling of the NF, and a combination thereof. 15
20.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the Network Function (NF) is selected from a group of NFs comprising virtual network function (VNF), container network function components (CNF), and combinations thereof, wherein the VNF further comprises one or more VNF components, and the CNF further comprises one or more CNF components. 20
21.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the error event is received by the transceiver unit [304] from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070]. 25
22.
The system [300] as claimed in claim 17, wherein the NPDA module [302] and the PEE [1088] are in communication through a NA_PE interface.