1
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 OF
1970)
&
5 THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
10 “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS ON
NETWORK FUNCTIONS”
15 We, Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian National, of Office - 101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point,
Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India.
20
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is
to be performed.
25
2
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS ON NETWORK
FUNCTIONS
TECHNICAL FIELD
5
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network performance
management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
methods and systems for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions.
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 present disclosure. However, it should
15 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
decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first
20 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
25 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.
30
[0004] With the development and evolution of wireless communication systems, the
number of network functions implemented in a wireless communication system has also
3
increased. Thus, with this increased number of the network functions implemented in place,
management of these network functions has also become complex. In many instances, there
are configuration changes that are made to the applications for proper management of network
functions. These configuration changes impact the service as the service needs to be shut down
5 for the time when these changes are made to the systems. In other instances, there are counters
such as performance counters, severity wise alarms that need to be monitored. Also, there is no
on-demand fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) management
done in the currently existing systems and methods. To perform seamless operations, it is
necessary to monitor FCAPS of inventory service. However, the manual management of the
10 network functions has several shortcomings such as the manual management is time
consuming, services are impacted during the time of implementation of changing configuration
parameters, requirement of a lot of efforts, and being prone to human errors, etc.
[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide a method and a system
15 for managing network functions at command line interface on a single platform, which the
present disclosure aims to address.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
20 [0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment
disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
[0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for
performing one or more operations on network functions that does not impact a service while
25 the changes such as configuration changes are being applied to the services, i.e., service
downtime is reduced to zero or minimal.
[0008] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that is less time
consuming.
30
[0009] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that involves
less human effort, and is less prone to errors.
4
SUMMARY
[0010] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a
5 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.
[0011] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for performing one or
more operations on one or more network functions. The method comprises receiving, by a
10 transceiver unit at a command line interface (CLI), at least one command for performing at
least one operation on at least one network function (NF), wherein the at least one command
comprises a set of details relating to at least the operation. The method further comprises
converting, by a converting unit at the CLI, the received at least one command to a predefined
format. The method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit from the CLI, the
15 at least one converted command to an orchestration service module. Further, the method
comprises executing, by an execution unit at the orchestration service module, the at least one
converted command to perform the corresponding at least one operation on the at least one NF.
Further, the method comprises transmitting, by a communication unit from the orchestration
service module, to the CLI, a notification indicative of performing of the at least one operation
20 on the at least one NF.
[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises
initialising, by a processing unit, prior to receiving at least the command, the CLI by steps of
requesting, by the processing unit at the CLI, a credential of a user of the CLI. Further,
25 receiving, by the processing unit at the CLI, the credential of the user of the CLI. Further,
validating, by the processing unit, the credential of the user of the CLI, and in response to a
positive validation of the credential of the user of the CLI, the CLI is initialised.
[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises
30 storing, by a storage unit, at a database, a record of the at least one operation performed on the
at least one NF.
5
[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the predefined format is hypertext
transfer protocol (HTTP).
[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one command
5 corresponds to at least one of registering of network functions, deregistering of the network
functions, and changing configuration parameters of the network functions.
[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the set of details comprises
information related to at least one of instantiation of network functions, termination of the
10 network functions, intermediate level termination the network functions, backup operations
related to the network functions, restore operations related to the network functions, and update
operations related to the network functions.
[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for performing one
15 or more operations on one or more network functions. The system comprises a transceiver unit
configured to receive, at a command line interface (CLI), at least one command for performing
at least one operation on at least one network function (NF), where the at least one command
comprises a set of details relating to the at least one operation. Further, the system comprises a
converting unit connected at least with the transceiver unit, the converting unit configured to
20 convert, at the CLI, the received at least one command to a predefined format. Further, the
transceiver unit is configured to transmit, from the CLI, the at least one converted command to
an orchestration service module. Further, the system comprises an execution unit configured
to execute, at the orchestration service module, the at least one converted command to perform
the corresponding at least one operation on the at least one NF. Further, the system comprises
25 a communication unit at least connected with the execution unit, the communication unit is
configured to transmit, from the orchestration service module, to the CLI, a notification
indicative of performing of the at least one operation on the at least one NF.
[0018] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
30 computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for performing one or more operations
on one or more network functions, the storage medium comprising executable code which,
when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit to receive, at a
command line interface (CLI), at least one command for performing at least one operation on
6
at least one network function (NF), wherein the at least one command comprises a set of details
relating to the at least one operation; a converting unit to convert, at the CLI, the received at
least one command to a predefined format; the transceiver unit to transmit, from the CLI, the
at least one converted command to an orchestration service module; an execution unit to
5 execute, at the orchestration service module, the at least one converted command to perform
the corresponding at least one operation on the at least one NF; and a communication unit to
transmit, from the orchestration service module, to the CLI, a notification indicative of
performing of the at least one operation on the at least one NF.
10 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] 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.
15 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
20 includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such
components.
[0020] FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core
(5GC) network architecture.
25
[0021] 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.
30 [0022] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for performing one or
more operations on network functions, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the
present disclosure.
7
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for performing one or more operations
on network functions in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
5 [0024] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary block diagram of a system for performing one
or more operations on network functions, in accordance with exemplary implementations of
the present disclosure.
[0025] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description
10 of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific
15 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
20 problems discussed above.
[0027] 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
25 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.
[0028] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough
30 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,
8
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.
[0029] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which
5 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.
10
[0030] 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
15 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
20 other elements.
[0031] 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
25 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
30 working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or
processing unit is a hardware processor.
9
[0032] 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
5 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
10 the features of the present disclosure.
[0033] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computerreadable 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
15 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.
20 [0034] 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 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.
25
[0035] 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
30 controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field
Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
10
[0036] 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.
5
[0037] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several
shortcomings. Without limitations, some of the shortcomings may include service downtimes
experienced due to failure of a service, time consumption for applying changes to configuration
of the network, requirement of human intervention, which are further prone to, etc. The present
10 disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of
technology by providing a method and a system of performing one or more operations on
network functions.
[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core
15 (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present
disclosure. As shown in figure 1, the 5GC network architecture [100] includes a user equipment
(UE) [102], a radio access network (RAN) [104], an access and mobility management function
(AMF) [106], a Session Management Function (SMF) [108], a Service Communication Proxy
(SCP) [110], an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) [112], a Network Slice Specific
20 Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF) [114], a Network Slice Selection
Function (NSSF) [116], a Network Exposure Function (NEF) [118], a Network Repository
Function (NRF) [120], a Policy Control Function (PCF) [122], a Unified Data Management
(UDM) [124], an application function (AF) [126], a User Plane Function (UPF) [128], a data
network (DN) [130], wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in
25 a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present
disclosure.
[0039] The RAN [104] is the part of a mobile telecommunications system that connects
user equipment (UE) [102] to the core network (CN) and provides access to different types of
30 networks (e.g., 5G network). It consists of radio base stations and the radio access technologies
that enable wireless communication.
11
[0040] The AMF [106] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing access and
mobility aspects, such as UE registration, connection, and reachability. It also handles mobility
management procedures like handovers and paging.
5 [0041] The SMF [108] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing sessionrelated aspects, such as establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions. It coordinates with the
User Plane Function (UPF) for data forwarding and handles IP address allocation and QoS
enforcement.
10 [0042] The SCP [110] is a network function in the 5G core network that facilitates
communication between other network functions by providing a secure and efficient messaging
service. It acts as a mediator for service-based interfaces.
[0043] The AUSF [112] is a network function in the 5G core responsible for authenticating
15 UEs during registration and providing security services. It generates and verifies authentication
vectors and tokens.
[0044] The NSSAAF [114] is a network function that provides authentication and
authorization services specific to network slices. It ensures that UEs can access only the slices
20 for which they are authorized.
[0045] The NSSF [116] is a network function responsible for selecting the appropriate
network slice for a UE based on factors such as subscription, requested services, and network
policies.
25
[0046] The NEF [118] is a network function that exposes capabilities and services of the
5G network to external applications, enabling integration with third-party services and
applications.
30 [0047] The NRF [120] is a network function that acts as a central repository for
information about available network functions and services. It facilitates the discovery and
dynamic registration of network functions.
12
[0048] The PCF [122] is a network function responsible for policy control decisions, such
as QoS, charging, and access control, based on subscriber information and network policies.
5 [0049] The UDM [124] is a network function that centralizes the management of
subscriber data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.
[0050] The AF [126] is a network function that represents external applications interfacing
with the 5G core network to access network capabilities and services.
10
[0051] The UPF [128] is a network function responsible for handling user data traffic,
including packet routing, forwarding, and QoS enforcement.
[0052] The DN [130] refers to a network that provides data services to user equipment
15 (UE) in a telecommunications system. The data services may include but are not limited to
Internet services, private data network related services.
[0053] The 5GC network architecture also comprises a plurality of interfaces for
connecting the network functions with a network entity for performing the network functions.
20 The NSSF [116] is connected with the network entity by the interface denoted as (Nnssf)
interface in the figure. The NEF [118] is connected with the network entity by the interface
denoted as (Nnef) interface in the figure. The NRF [120] is connected with the network entity
by the interface denoted as (Nnrf) interface in the figure. The PCF [122] is connected with the
network entity by the interface denoted as (Npcf) interface in the figure. The UDM [124] is
25 connected with the network entity by the interface denoted as (Nudm) interface in the figure.
The AF [126] is connected with the network entity by the interface denoted as (Naf) interface
in the figure. The NSSAAF [114] is connected with the network entity by the interface denoted
as (Nnssaaf) interface in the figure. The AUSF [112] is connected with the network entity by the
interface denoted as (Nausf) interface in the figure. The AMF [106] is connected with the
30 network entity by the interface denoted as (Namf) interface in the figure. The SMF [108] is
connected with the network entity by the interface denoted as (Nsmf) interface in the figure. The
SMF [108] is connected with the UPF [128] by the interface denoted as (N4) interface in the
13
figure. The UPF [128] is connected with the RAN [104] by the interface denoted as (N3)
interface in the figure. The UPF [128] is connected with the DN [130] by the interface denoted
as (N6) interface in the figure. The RAN [104] is connected with the AMF [106] by the
interface denoted as (N2). The AMF [106] is connected with the RAN [104] by the interface
5 denoted as (N1). The UPF [128] is connected with other UPF [128] by the interface denoted as
(N9). The interfaces such as Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Npcf, Nudm, Naf, Nnssaaf, Nausf, Namf, Nsmf, N9, N6,
N4, N3, N2, and N1 can be referred to as a communication channel between one or more
functions or modules for enabling exchange of data or information between such functions or
modules, and network entities.
10
[0054] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device [200] (herein,
also referred to as a computer system [200]) upon which one or more features of the present
disclosure may be implemented in accordance with an exemplary implementation of the
present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a
15 method for performing one or more operations on network functions, utilising a system, or one
or more sub-systems, provided in the network. In another implementation, the computing
device [200] itself implements the method for performing one or more operations on network
functions, 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
20 disclosure.
[0055] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other communication
mechanism(s) for communicating information, and a hardware processor [204] coupled with
the bus [202] for processing said information. The hardware processor [204] may be, for
25 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
30 processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in a non-transitory storage media accessible to
the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a special purpose device that is
customized to perform operations according to the instructions. The computing device [200]
14
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].
[0056] A storage device [210], such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is
5 provided and coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and instructions. The computing
device [200] may be coupled by 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 user of the computing device [200]. An
input device [214], including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may
10 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 cursor controller [216] typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis
15 (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the cursor controller [216] to specify positions
in a plane.
[0057] 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
20 which, in combination with the computing device [200], causes or programs the computing
device [200] to be a special-purpose device. 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]. The one or more instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another
25 storage medium, such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the one or more sequences of
the one or more 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.
30
[0058] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface [218]
coupled to the bus [202]. The communication interface [218] provides two-way data
communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a local network [222]. For
15
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 telecommunication line. In another example, the
communication interface [218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data
5 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 different types of
information.
10 [0059] The computing device [200] can send and receive data, including program code,
messages, etc. through the network(s), the network link [220] and the communication interface
[218]. In an example, a server [230] might transmit a requested code for an application program
through the Internet [228], the ISP [226], the local network [222], the host [224] and the
communication interface [218]. The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as
15 it is received, and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later
execution.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for performing
one or more operations on network functions, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary
20 implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300] comprises at least one transceiver
unit [302], at least one converting unit [304], at least one execution unit [306], at least one
communication unit [308], at least one processing unit [310] and at least one storage unit [312].
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 the figures all units shown within the
25 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. Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a user
device/ user equipment [102] to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system
30 [300] may be a part of the user device [102]/ or may be independent of but in communication
with the user device [102] (may also referred herein as a UE). 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 the user device.
16
[0061] The system [300] is configured for performing operations on one or more network
functions, with the help of the interconnection between the components/units of the system
[300].
5
[0062] 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
10 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.
15
[0063] The system [300] comprises the transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, at a
command line interface (CLI) [314], at least one command for performing at least one
operation on at least one network function (NF). The CLI [314] mentioned herein refers to a
textual interface that facilitates a direct communication medium for the management of
20 network functions (NFs), particularly cloud-native network functions (CNFs) and virtualized
network functions (VNFs). Herein, the CNFs are NFs that are designed and implemented in a
cloud-native environment. Similarly, VNFs are representations of network functions that
traditionally run on dedicated hardware.
25 [0064] The at least one command mentioned here may further allow the users to perform
the at least one operation on the NFs. Further, the at least one command corresponds to at least
one of registering of network functions, deregistering of the network functions, and changing
configuration parameters of the network functions. Moreover, each command comprises a set
of details relating to the at least one operation.
30
[0065] In one example, the at least one command may refer to the registering of NFs.
Herein, the command registering of NFs (such as the CNF or VNF) may include the set of
details which may further include an information related to an instantiation of network
17
functions. The commands related to instantiation further specify how a new NF (such as the
CNF or VNF) requires to be deployed. The information may include the required compute
resources, networking configurations, and other dependencies that are required to be set up for
the NF to function properly.
5
[0066] In another example, the at least one command may refer to the deregistering of the
NFs. Herein, the command deregistering of NFs (such as the CNF or VNF) may include the
set of details which may further include an information related to the termination of the network
functions. The commands related to termination may include information such as a specific NF
10 that is to be terminated or any other requirements that may be required for handling active
sessions or active connections. In one aspect, the command related to the termination can be a
full termination of NFs (complete shutdown of the NF). In another aspect, the command related
to the termination can be an intermediate level termination (such as partial shutdown or scaling
down of the NFs).
15
[0067] In yet another example, the at least one command may refer to changing
configuration parameters of the NFs, that may allow users to update the settings or parameters
of a particular NF. The changing configuration parameters command may further include an
information such as information associated with the update operations of the NFs. The
20 information mentioned herein may include but not limited to an update type information, an
update version information, and any other dependencies required during the update of the NFs.
[0068] In yet another example, the set of details may further include information
associated with the backup and restore operations of the NFs. The information mentioned
25 herein may include details for creating backups of network configurations or data related to the
NFs. For example, during a backup, the command might specify what data or settings need to
be saved, while the restore command may further specify the details for how to reapply the
information to restore a NF to a previous state.
30 [0069] The system [300] further comprises the processing unit [310] connected at least
with the transceiver unit [302]. Herein, prior to receiving the at least one command the
processing unit [310] may require initialising the CLI [314]. Further, the initialising of the CLI
18
[314] may refer to a process by which the CLI [314] is eligible for receiving and executing
commands from authorized users.
[0070] Further, for initialising the CLI [314], the processing unit [310] is configured to
5 request a credential of a user of the CLI [314]. The processing unit [310] firstly requests the
credentials from the user, and then the processing unit [310] is configured to receive, the
credential of the user of the CLI [314], implying that the processing unit [310] then receives
the user credentials that are provided by the user. Thereafter, the processing unit [310] may
capture the user input and further process the user credentials for authentication.
10
[0071] Further, the processing unit [310] is configured to validate the credential of the user
of the CLI [314]. The processing unit [310] may further cross-verify the received user
credentials with a pre-configured authentication data, stored in a memory associated with the
processing unit [310]. Herein, the validation of the user credentials is performed by at least one
15 of a password-based authentication process, a token-based authentication process, a multifactor authentication process or similar as would be known to a person skilled in the art.
[0072] In an event of a positive validation of the user credentials, the processing unit [310]
confirms that the user is authorized to proceed. Further, in response to this positive validation,
20 the CLI [314] is initialized for a specific user session, enabling said user to issue commands
related to NFs.
[0073] In an event of a negative validation of the user credentials, the processing unit [310]
denies access, and the CLI [314] remains uninitialized which may further prevent any
25 unauthorized operations.
[0074] The system [300] further comprises the converting unit [304] connected at least
with the transceiver unit [302], the converting unit [304] is configured to convert, at the CLI
[314], the received at least one command to a predefined format. The transceiver unit [302],
30 post receiving the at least one command may further transmit the at least one command to the
converting unit [304]. The converting unit [304] may then convert the at least one command to
the predefined format that is applicable to the NFs.
19
[0075] In one aspect, the converting unit [304] may break the at least one command into
multiple parts and then by analysing the syntax and structure of the command to extract specific
details such as the operation type (e.g., registration, update, etc.), network function identifiers,
5 and parameters (e.g., configurations, versions, etc.) may further parse the at least one
command. Further, the converting unit [304] may map the parsed at least one command to
convert the at least one command into the predefined format.
[0076] Herein, the predefined format is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The HTTP is
10 a widely used application-layer protocol in network communications, primarily designed for
transferring information between clients and servers. Further, the conversion of the at least one
command into the predefined format, facilitates an interaction (execution) of at least one
command within the NFs.
15 [0077] Thereafter, the transceiver unit [302] is further configured to transmit, from the
CLI [314], the at least one converted command to an orchestration service module [316]. Post
conversion of the at least one command into the predefined format, the transceiver unit [302]
may transmit the at least one converted command to the orchestration service module [316].
The orchestration service module [316] may facilitate a communication between the CLI [314]
20 and one or more docker-based services, which are required for hosting the CNFs and VNFs. In
an exemplary implementation, the orchestration service module [316] is a docker service
adapter (DSA) module.
[0078] The system [300] further comprises the execution unit [306] configured to execute,
25 at the orchestration service module [316], the at least one converted command to perform the
corresponding at least one operation on the at least one NF. Post receiving the at least one
converted command at the orchestration service module [316], the orchestration service
module [316] may translate the at least one converted command into specific one or more
docker operations (such as updating a service) and accordingly the execution unit [306] may
30 carry out the at least one operation mentioned in the at least one converted command on the
designated NFs (such as the CNFs and the VNFs).
20
[0079] Further, the system [300] comprises the communication unit [308] at least
connected with the execution unit [306], the communication unit [308] is configured to
transmit, from the orchestration service module [316], to the CLI [314], a notification
indicative of performing of the at least one operation on the at least one NF. Herein, the
5 notification indicative may refer to a message or signal sent by the communication unit [308],
which informs the user about the status or outcome of the operation performed on the NF. After
the execution of the at least one converted command, the communication unit [308] may further
deliver the notification associated with an outcome of the execution of the command to the CLI
[314]. The notification may provide real-time updates on the status of the operation, which may
10 further allow the user at the CLI [314] to monitor the progress and determine if the command
was successfully executed or if any errors occurred.
[0080] In one example, the notification is a success notification, indicating that the
requested operation on the NF was successfully completed.
15
[0081] In another example, the notification is a failure notification, indicating that the
operation may have encountered an issue or failed to execute properly.
[0082] In yet another example, the notification is a progress report associated with the
20 status of the one or more operations that may take a longer time period to execute.
[0083] The system [300] further comprises the storage unit [312] connected at least with
the communication unit [308], the storage unit [312] is configured to store, at a database [318],
a record of the at least one operation on the at least one NF. Herein, the storage unit [312] is
25 responsible for persisting a record of each operation performed on the NFs that are available
for auditing in future, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and similar as known to a
person skilled in the art.
[0084] In one example, the storage unit [312] may store in the database [318], the
30 operation performed on the NFs based on a time period of the execution of the command.
21
[0085] In another example, the storage unit [312] may store in the database [318], the
operation performed on the NFs based on one or more parameters which may include at least
one of an operation type, an NF identity, a user information, an operational status, and alike.
5 [0086] In an embodiment, the CLI [314] and orchestration service module [316] may be
communicably coupled to each other by an interface. In an embodiment, the interface may be
a CL_SA interface.
[0087] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for performing one
10 or more operations on network functions, in accordance with exemplary implementations of
the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method [400] is performed by the
system [300]. Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a server device
to implement the features of the present disclosure.
15 [0088] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] initially starts at step [402].
[0089] At step [404], the method [400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit [302]
from the command line interface (CLI) [314], at least one command for performing at least one
operation on the at least one network function (NF). Herein, the at least one command
20 corresponds to at least one of registering of network functions, deregistering of the network
functions, and changing configuration parameters of the network functions.
[0090] Further, the at least one command comprises a set of details relating to at least the
operation. In addition, the set of details comprises information related to at least one of
25 instantiation of network functions, termination of the network functions, intermediate level
termination of the network functions, backup operations related to the network functions,
restore operations related to the network functions, and update operations related to the network
functions.
30 [0091] The method [400] further comprises initialising, by the processing unit [310] that
prior to receiving at least the command, by steps of requesting, by the processing unit [310] at
the CLI [314], a credential of a user of the CLI [314]. Next, receiving, by the processing unit
22
[310] at the CLI [314], the credential of the user of the CLI [314]. Thereafter, validating, by
the processing unit [310], the credential of the user of the CLI [314]. Further, in response to
the positive validation of the credential of the user of the CLI [314], the CLI [314] is initialised
5 [0092] At step [406], the method [400] comprises converting, by the converting unit [304]
at the CLI [314], the received at least one command to a predefined format. Herein, the
predefined format is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).
[0093] At step [408], the method [400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit
10 [302] from the CLI [314], the at least one converted command to the orchestration service
module [316].
[0094] At step [410], the method [400] comprises executing, by the execution unit [306]
at the orchestration service module [316], the at least one converted command to perform the
15 corresponding at least one operation on the at least one NF.
[0095] At step [412], the method [400] comprises transmitting, by the communication unit
[308] from the orchestration service module [316], to the CLI [314], a notification indicative
of performing of the at least one operation on the at least one NF.
20
[0096] The method [400] further comprises storing, by the storage unit, at the database
[318], a record of the at least one operation performed on the at least one NF.
[0097] The method [400] herein, terminates at step [414].
25
[0098] Referring to FIG. 5, another exemplary block diagram of a system [500] for
performing one or more operations on network functions, is shown, in accordance with the
exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [500] comprises a command
line interface (CLI) [502], a docker service adapter (DSA) [504], a business logic unit [506], a
30 cloud [508], a south-bound system [510], and a database [512].
23
[0099] It is to be noted that, the CLI [502], DSA [504], and the database [512] mentioned
herein are similar to the CLI [314], orchestration service module [316], and the database [318]
as mentioned in the FIG. 3.
5 [0100] The CLI [502] herein interacts with the user for sending and receiving event-based
commands related to network functions. The CLI [502] interface allows users to initiate
operations like instantiating, terminating, or updating network functions.
[0101] The DSA [504] herein handles the event request-response loop. The DSA [504]
10 firstly processes the commands received from the CLI [502], then the DSA [504] converts the
commands to the appropriate format (such as http) and further communicates with the cloud
and south-bound systems to ensure operations are executed on the respective network
functions.
15 [0102] The business logic unit [506] mentioned herein is utilized to interpret and process
the commands that are received to the DSA [504] from the CLI [502].
[0103] The cloud [508] herein may represent a network entity for hosting cloud-native
network functions (CNFs). The cloud [508] interacts with the DSA [504] to receive instructions
20 for CNF operations such as deployment, scaling, or updating.
[0104] The south-bound system [510] may be associated with virtualized network
functions (VNFs) that require management. The south-bound system [510] may be responsible
for instantiation, termination or updating of the VNFs. Further, the south-bound system [510]
25 may perform backup and restoration operations.
[0105] The database [512] herein is responsible for storing the records of operations
performed on the network functions (CNFs and VNFs). The records may be part of a log of
operations that may be used for further operations, such as analysis of the operations performed
30 on the network functions.
24
[0106] The present disclosure further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage
medium, storing instructions for performing one or more operations on one or more network
functions, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or
more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit [302] to receive, at a command line interface
5 (CLI) [314], at least one command for performing at least one operation on at least one network
function (NF), wherein the at least one command comprises a set of details relating to the at
least one operation; a converting unit [304] to convert, at the CLI [314], the received at least
one command to a predefined format; the transceiver unit [302] to transmit, from the CLI [314],
the at least one converted command to a orchestration service module [316]; an execution unit
10 [306] to execute, at the Orchestration service module [316], the at least one converted
command to perform the corresponding at least one operation on the at least one NF; and a
communication unit [308] to transmit, from the Orchestration service module [316], to the CLI
[314], a notification indicative of performing of the at least one operation on the at least one
NF.
15
[0107] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution for performing one or more operations on network functions. The present
solution facilitates making changes such as configuration changes without impacting a service
while the changes are being applied to the services, i.e., service downtime is reduced to zero
20 or minimal. Further, the present solution is less time consuming as compared to the manual
process. Further, the present invention is less prone to errors as there is no manual intervention.
[0108] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed
implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many
25 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.
30
25
We Claim:
1. A method [400] for performing one or more operations on one or more network
functions, the method [400] comprising:
5 - receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] at a command line interface (CLI) [314], at
least one command for performing at least one operation on at least one network
function (NF), wherein the at least one command comprises a set of details relating
to at least the operation;
- converting, by a converting unit [304] at the CLI [314], the received at least one
10 command to a predefined format;
- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] from the CLI [314], the at least one
converted command to an orchestration service module [316];
- executing, by an execution unit [306] at the orchestration service module [316], the
at least one converted command to perform the corresponding at least one operation
15 on the at least one NF; and
- transmitting, by a communication unit [308] from the orchestration service module
[316], to the CLI [314], a notification indicative of performing of the at least one
operation on the at least one NF.
20 2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises initialising,
by a processing unit [310], prior to receiving at least the command, the CLI [314] by:
- requesting, by the processing unit [310] at the CLI [314], a credential of a user of
the CLI [314];
- receiving, by the processing unit [310] at the CLI [314], the credential of the user
25 of the CLI [314]; and
- validating, by the processing unit [310], the credential of the user of the CLI [314],
wherein, in response to a positive validation of the credential of the user of the CLI
[314], the CLI [314] is initialised.
30 3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises storing, by
a storage unit, at a database [318], a record of the at least one operation performed on the
at least one NF.
26
4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined format is hypertext
transfer protocol (HTTP).
5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one command corresponds
5 to at least one of registering of network functions, deregistering of the network functions,
and changing configuration parameters of the network functions.
6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of details comprises information
related to at least one of instantiation of network functions, termination of the network
10 functions, intermediate level termination the network functions, backup operations
related to the network functions, restore operations related to the network functions, and
update operations related to the network functions.
7. A system [300] for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions,
15 the system [300] comprising:
- a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, at a command line interface (CLI)
[314], at least one command for performing at least one operation on at least one
network function (NF), wherein the at least one command comprises a set of details
relating to the at least one operation;
20 - a converting unit [304] connected at least with the transceiver unit [302], the
converting unit [304] configured to convert, at the CLI [314], the received at least
one command to a predefined format;
- the transceiver unit [302] is further configured to transmit, from the CLI [314], the
at least one converted command to an orchestration service module [316];
25 - an execution unit [306] configured to execute, at the orchestration service module
[316], the at least one converted command to perform the corresponding at least
one operation on the at least one NF; and
- a communication unit [308] at least connected with the execution unit [306], the
communication unit [308] is configured to transmit, from the orchestration service
30 module [316], to the CLI [314], a notification indicative of performing of the at
least one operation on the at least one NF.
27
8. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein a processing unit [310] connected at
least with the transceiver unit [302], wherein prior to receiving the at least one command,
the processing unit [310], at the CLI [314] is configured to:
- requesting, a credential of a user of the CLI [314];
5 - receiving, the credential of the user of the CLI [314]; and
- validating the credential of the user of the CLI [314],
wherein, in response to a positive validation of the credential of the user of the CLI
[314], the CLI [314] is initialised.
10 9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein a storage unit [312] connected at least
with the communication unit [308], the storage unit [312] is configured to store, at a
database [318], a record of the at least one operation on the at least one NF.
10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein the predefined format is hypertext
15 transfer protocol (HTTP).
11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one command corresponds
to at least one of registering of network functions, deregistering of the network functions,
and changing configuration parameters of the network functions.
20
12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein the set of details comprises information
related to at least one of instantiation of network functions, termination of the network
functions, intermediate level termination the network functions, backup operations
related to the network functions, restore operations related to the network functions, and
25 update operations related to the network functions.