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 INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP)
POOL MANAGEMENT”
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 INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) POOL
MANAGEMENT
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
5
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of
network management. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure
relate to internet protocol (IP) pool management in a communication network.
10 BACKGROUND
[0002] The following description of 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
15 disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to
enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and
not as admissions of 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 antilog 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] Inventory service(s)/ inventory in the communication network is
responsible for maintaining 5 virtual inventory and physical inventory. The inventory
service also maintains a relation between physical and virtual resources. Also, it
describes physical and virtual resources with respect to different attributes using
updates from external micro-services. Thus, the data accuracy majorly depends on
the micro-services which are responsible for creating, updating, and deleting the
10 inventory resources, along with updating the inventories.
[0005] Further, other services query information model (IM) relations, attributes
etc., using query application programming interface (APIs) provided by the IM.
The Virtual IP Pool (VIP) is often managed by way of using spreadsheet, thereby
15 leading to risks of IP addresses being duplicated, which further leads to service
outage. This also aggravates the problem of significant time spent for provisioning
new IP addresses.
[0006] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art for efficient IP pool
20 management with the help of automation by way of providing systems and methods
for IP pool management, which the present disclosure aims to address.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
25 [0007] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
[0008] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method to
automate the IP pool management using an inventory service.
30
4
[0009] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution for
automating the administration of tasks related to IP pool management.
[0010] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to
enhance reliability 5 by lowering the risk of misconfigurations by avoiding
overlapping subnets and duplicate IP addresses.
SUMMARY
10 [0011] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure
in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description.
This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
15 [0012] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for internet
protocol (IP) pool management. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver
unit via a User Interface (UI), an IP pool creation request comprising parameters
associated with one or more IP sites. The method further comprises retrieving, by a
retrieval unit from a database, one or more information field parameters for the
20 received IP pool creation request. The one or more retrieved information field
parameters comprise at least one of a network name parameter, a pool type
parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter. Furthermore,
the method comprises generating, by a generation unit, an array of IP addresses
associated with the one or more IP sites based on at least the one or more retrieved
25 information field parameters. Moreover, the method comprises creating, by a
creation unit, an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.
[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprising
determining, by a determination unit, a validation status associated with the one or
30 more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined
5
information field validation rules. In case the determined validation status is
successful, the method performs the generating step.
[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in case the determined
validation status 5 is unsuccessful, the method comprises triggering, by a processing
unit, an unsuccessful IP pool status.
[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises
generating, by the generation unit, a log comprising at least one or more real time
10 records associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in realtime.
The method further comprises generating, by the generation unit, one or more
updated information field parameters based on the one or more information field
parameters retrieved from the generated log. The method also comprises updating,
by the generation unit, the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated
15 information field parameters.
[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the log is generated based
on at least the one or more real time records, wherein at least the one or more real
time records is based on at least one of a non-assigned IP address space status, an
20 assigned IP address space status, and a host name status associated with the IP pool.
[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for internet
protocol (IP) pool management. The system comprises a transceiver unit configured
to receive, via a User Interface (UI), an IP pool creation request comprising
25 parameters associated with one or more IP sites. The system further comprises a
retrieval unit configured to retrieve, from a database, one or more information field
parameters for the received IP pool creation request. The one or more retrieved
information field parameters comprise at least one of a network name parameter, a
pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter. The
30 system also comprises a generation unit configured to generate an array of IP
6
addresses associated with the one or more IP sites based on at least the one or more
retrieved information field parameters. The system also comprises a creation unit
configured to create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.
[0018] Another aspect of the 5 present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for internet protocol (IP)
pool management, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when
executed by one or more units of a system, causes a transceiver unit to receive, via
a User Interface (UI), an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated
10 with one or more IP sites; a retrieval unit to retrieve, from a database, one or more
information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request, wherein the
one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of a
network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and
a gateway parameter; a generation unit to generate an array of IP addresses
15 associated with the one or more IP sites based on at least the one or more retrieved
information field parameters; and a creation unit to create an IP pool based on the
array of IP addresses.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
20
[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. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
25 emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present
disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and
may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated
by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of
electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to
30 implement such components.
7
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a
management and orchestration (MANO) architecture, in accordance with
exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
5
[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.
10 [0022] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for internet
protocol (IP) pool management, in accordance with exemplary implementations of
the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method flow diagram for internet protocol
15 (IP) pool management, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary method flow chart for internet protocol
(IP) pool management, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present
20 disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary method flow diagram depicting interaction
between a platform virtual infrastructure manager (PVIM) unit with its modules
and user interface (UI) and other microservice modules for IP pool management, in
25 accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0026] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
8
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] 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. 5 It will be apparent, however, that
embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific
details. Several features described hereafter can 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
10 problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be
fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of
the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in
which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different
drawings.
15
[0028] 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.
20 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.
[0029] It should be noted that the terms "mobile device", "user equipment", "user
25 device", “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used
interchangeably for the purpose of describing the disclosure. The user device can
receive and/or transmitting one or parameters, performing
function/s, communicating with other user devices and transmitting data to the
other user devices. The user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a
30 mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal
9
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 at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection
unit and any other such unit(s) which are 5 required to implement the features of the
present disclosure. The user equipment may have a processor, a display, a memory,
a battery and an input-means such as a hard keypad and/or a soft keypad. The user
equipment may be capable of operating on any radio access technology including
but not limited to IP-enabled communication, Zig Bee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low
10 Energy, Near Field Communication, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, etc. For
instance, the user equipment may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone,
smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop,
a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer,
mainframe computer, or any other device as may be obvious to a person skilled in
15 the art for implementation of the features of the present disclosure. These terms are
not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or imply any specific functionality
or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for
convenience and clarity of description. The disclosure is not limited to any
particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other
20 equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without
departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined herein.
[0030] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough
understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of
25 ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these
specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other
components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to
obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known
circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without
30 unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
10
[0031] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process
which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure
diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as
a sequential process, many of the operations 5 can 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 [0032] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean
serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the
subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any
aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or
15 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
20 additional or other elements.
[0033] Further, the user device and/or a system as described herein to implement
technical features as disclosed in the present disclosure may also comprise
a “processor” or “processing unit”, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry
25 for processing instructions. The 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 Processor (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application
Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other
30 type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data
11
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 is a hardware processor.
[0034] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” 5 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
10 called.
[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,
15 a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller,
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array
circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
20 [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.
25 [0037] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have
several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the issues discussed
in the background section and other existing problems in this field of technology
by efficient IP pool management. The present disclosure relates to a system that
carries out the administration of tasks related to IP pool management, such as
30 allocation of IP address from different pools and serve as an IP Allocation Manager
12
(IPAM). The present disclosure utilises an async event-based implementation to get
the VIP pool creation request any time so that the VIP/ IP management can be done
using inventory service, where it provides and allocates IPs on requirement and
same is being updated in a database. The present disclosure is implemented with
the help of various components of 5 a management and orchestration (MANO)
architecture/ platform.
[0038] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
10
[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a
management and orchestration (MANO) architecture/ platform [100], in
accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The MANO
architecture [100] is developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure
15 automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of a
network node(s) etc. The MANO architecture [100] deploys the network node(s) in
the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native/ Container Network
Function (CNF). A system [300] (as shown in FIG.3) may comprise one or more
components of the MANO architecture [100]. The MANO architecture [100] is
20 used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the corresponding environment of the present
disclosure so that it could help in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to
the platform.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user
25 interface layer, a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined
network (SDN) design function module [104]; a platforms foundation services
module [106], a platform core services module [108] and a platform resource
adapters and utilities module [112], wherein all the components are assumed to be
connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for
30 implementing features of the present disclosure.
13
[0041] The NFV and SDN design function module [104] further comprises a VNF
lifecycle manager (compute) [1042]; a VNF catalogue [1044]; a network services
catalogue [1046]; a network slicing and service chaining manager [1048]; a
physical and virtual resource manager [1050] and a 5 CNF lifecycle manager [1052].
The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] is responsible for on which server of
the communication network the microservice will be instantiated. The VNF
lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] manages the overall flow of incoming/
outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The VNF lifecycle manager
10 (compute) [1042] is 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 catalogue [1044] stores the metadata of all the VNFs (also CNFs in
some cases). The network services catalogue [1046] stores the information of the
15 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 resource manager [1050] stores the logical and physical
inventory of the VNFs. Just like the VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042], the
20 CNF lifecycle manager [1052] is similarly used for the CNFs lifecycle
management.
[0042] The platforms foundation services module [106] further comprises a
microservices elastic load balancer [1062]; an identify & access manager [1064]; a
25 command line interface (CLI) [1066]; a central logging manager [1068]; and an
event routing manager [1070]. The microservices elastic load balancer [1062] is
used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identify
& access manager [1064] is used for logging purposes. The command line interface
(CLI) [1066] is used to provide commands to execute certain processes which
30 requires changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] is
14
responsible for keeping the logs of every services. Theses logs are generated by the
MANO platform [100]. These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event
routing manager [1070] is responsible for routing the events i.e., the application
programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.
5
[0043] The platforms core services module [108] further comprises NFV
infrastructure monitoring manager [1082]; an assure manager [1084]; a
performance manager [1086]; a policy execution engine [1088]; a capacity
monitoring manager [1090]; a release management (mgmt.) repository [1092]; a
10 configuration manager & (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 operations, administration and maintenance manager [1106]. The NFV
infrastructure monitoring manager [1082] monitors the infrastructure part of the
15 NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU utilization by the VNF. The assure manager
[1084] is responsible for supervising the alarms the vendor is generating. The
performance manager [1086] is responsible for manging the performance counters.
The policy execution engine (PEGN) [1088] is responsible for all the managing the
policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CPM) [1090] is responsible for sending
20 the request to the PEGN [1088]. The release management (mgmt.) repository
(RMR) [1092] is responsible for managing the releases and the images of all the
vendor network node. The configuration 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
25 further noted that the policy execution engine (PEGN) [1088], the configuration
manager & (GCT) [1094] and the (NPDA) [1096] work together. The platform
NoSQL DB [1098] is a database for storing all the inventory (both physical and
logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF. The platform schedulers and
cron jobs [1100] schedules the task such as but not limited to triggering of an event,
30 traverse the network graph etc. The VNF backup & upgrade manager [1102] takes
15
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] using the network resources then the
micro service auditor [1104] audits and informs 5 the same so that resources can be
released for services running in the MANO architecture [100], thereby assuring the
services only run on the MANO platform [100]. The platform operations,
administration and maintenance manager [1106] is used for newer instances that
are spawning.
10
[0044] 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 API adapter
[1128]; and a NFV gateway [1130]. The platform external API adaptor and gateway
15 [1122] is 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] gets directly the data of the vendor system in the XML, CSV,
JSON format. The docker service adaptor [1126] is the interface provided between
the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture [100] for communication. The API
20 adapter [1128] is used to connect with the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV
gateway [1130] is responsible for providing the path to each services going
to/incoming from the MANO architecture [100].
[0045] The present disclosure can be implemented on a computing device [200] as
25 shown in FIG. 2. The computing device [200] implements the present disclosure in
accordance with the MANO architecture/ platform [100] (as shown in FIG. 1). FIG.
2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the 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
30 computing device [200] may also implement a method [400] (as shown in FIG. 4)
16
and for IP pool management utilising a system [300] (as shown in FIG. 3). In
another implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method
[500] (as shown in FIG. 5) for IP pool management utilising the system [300]. In
yet another implementation, the computing system [200] may implement a method
[600] (as shown in FIG. 5) for IP 5 pool management utilising the system [300]. In
another implementation, the computing device [200] itself implements the method
[400] and the method [500] for IP pool management in a communication network
using one or more units configured within the computing device [200], wherein said
one or more units can implement the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.
10
[0046] 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
15 computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a randomaccess
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
20 processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media
accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a specialpurpose
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
25 information and instructions for the processor [204].
[0047] 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
30 display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD),
17
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 5 a cursor controller [216], such as
a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction
information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling
cursor movement on the display [212]. The input device typically has two degrees
of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow
10 the device to specify positions in a plane.
[0048] 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
15 or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine.
According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the
computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more
sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206]. Such
instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium,
20 such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the sequences of instructions
contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the
process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present
disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with
software instructions.
25
[0049] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface
[218] coupled to the bus [202]. The communication interface [218] provides a twoway
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
30 integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or
18
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 [5 218] sends and receives electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing
various types of information.
[0050] The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data, including
10 program code, through the network(s), the network link [220] and the
communication interface [218]. In the Internet example, a server [230] might
transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the
ISP [226], the local network [222], the host [224] and the communication interface
[218]. The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received,
15 and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later
execution.
[0051] The present disclosure is implemented by the system [300] (as shown in
FIG. 3). The system [300] may be implemented using the computing device [200]
20 (as shown in FIG. 2). In an implementation, the computing device [200] may be
connected to the system [300] to perform the present disclosure.
[0052] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of the system [300] for
internet protocol (IP) pool management, is shown, in accordance with the
25 exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300] comprises
at least one transceiver unit [302]; at least one retrieval unit [304]; at least one
database [306]; at least one generation unit [308]; at least one creation unit [310];
at least one determination unit [312]; and at least one processing unit [314]; and at
least one user interface (UI) [316]. The system [300] is connected to one or more
30 IP sites [318]. In an implementation, a user equipment/ user device (UE) [320]
19
interacts with the system [300] for IP pool management of the one or more IP sites
[318]. 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 number
of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
Further, in an implementation, the 5 system [300] may be present in the UE [320] to
implement the features of the present disclosure. The system [300] may be a part of
the UE [320] / or may be independent of but in communication with the UE [320].
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
10 server/ network entity and partly in the UE [320]. In yet another implementation,
the UE [320] may independently implement the present disclosure while interacting
with the one or more IP sites [318].
[0053] The system [300] is configured for IP pool management, with the help of
15 the interconnection between the components/units of the system [300].
[0054] The transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive, via the User Interface
(UI) [316], an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with the
one or more IP sites [318]. The one or more IP sites [318] herein may refer to
20 locations or segments within the communication network where the specific IP
pools are allocated for distribution of services over the network. The IP pool
creation request is sent by an operator (such as Network administrator) that handles
critical infrastructure of the network for dynamic or static assignment of IP. The IP
pool creation request is generally handled by the network management function.
25
[0055] Upon receipt of the IP pool creation request, the retrieval unit [304] is
configured to retrieve one or more information field parameters for the received IP
pool creation request from the database [306]. It is to be noted that the one or more
information field parameters include parameters required for ensuring proper IP
30 allocation and network configuration. The one or more information field parameters
20
may include, but not limited to, IP range, network size, and gateway for routing
network traffic. The one or more retrieved information field parameters may
comprise at least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP
and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter.
5
[0056] The network name parameter is responsible for identifying the network by
a unique name for distinguishing it from the other networks. The pool type
parameter determines how IP addresses are to be distributed. The IP and netmask
parameter defines IP range and portion of IP used for the network and host. The
10 gateway parameter is responsible for specifying the default gateway to route the
network traffic.
[0057] Further, the generation unit [308] is configured to generate an array of IP
addresses associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or
15 more retrieved information field parameters. The array of IP addresses is
responsible for storing multiple IPs as individual elements.
[0058] In an exemplary implementation, the generation unit [308] is also
configured to generate a log comprising at least one or more real time records
20 associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in real-time. The
term log herein refers to a captured and stored real time record that is used for
displaying one or more datasets to analyze activity, identify trends and help predict
future events pertaining the one or more information field parameters. The real-time
log enhances monitoring thereby, helping the network administrators to react faster
25 and reduce the risk of critical downtime of the communication network. Further,
the generation unit [308] is configured to generate one or more updated information
field parameters based on the one or more information field parameters retrieved
from the generated log. Furthermore, the generation unit [308] is configured to
update the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated information field
30 parameters.
21
[0059] In an exemplary implementation, the log is generated based on at least the
one or more real time records. The one or more real time records is based on at least
one of: a non-assigned IP address space status, an assigned IP address space status,
and a host name status associated with the IP pool.
5
[0060] Thereafter, the creation unit [310] of the system [300] is configured to create
an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses. The IP pool herein refers to a
sequential range of IP addresses within a certain network. The IP pool allows a user
to organize and categorize dedicated IP addresses to improve deliverability of
10 services in the communication network. For example, the user (e.g., a network
administrator) can create multiple pool configurations, where each pool has a
priority, and a group assigned.
[0061] In an exemplary implementation, the determination unit [312] is configured
15 to determine a validation status associated with the one or more retrieved
information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field
validation rules. The validation status is an indicator that the one or more field
information parameters are effective, efficient, and aligned with the IP pool creation
request. In case the determined validation status is successful, the generation unit
20 [308] is configured to generate the array of IP addresses.
[0062] The set of predefined information field rules may refer to protocols that
ensure the correctness and proper format of the data contained within the
information field parameters. For e.g., IPv6 and IPv4 address based information
25 field parameters are different depending upon the network size and the gateway.
The validation rules thus help in preventing configuration errors during the network
setup.
[0063] In case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, the processing unit
30 [314] is configured to trigger an unsuccessful IP pool status.
22
[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for internet
protocol (IP) pool management, in accordance with exemplary implementations of
the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method [400] is
performed by the system [300] (as shown in FIG. 3). Further, in an implementation,
the system [300] may be present in a server 5 device to implement the features of the
present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] starts at step [402].
[0065] At step [404], the method [400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit
[302] via the User Interface (UI) [316], the IP pool creation request comprising
10 parameters associated with one or more IP sites [318]. The one or more IP pool sites
[318] may refer to locations or segments within the communication network where
the specific IP pools are allocated for distribution of services of the network.
[0066] At step [406], the method [400] comprises retrieving, by the retrieval unit
15 [304] from the database [306], the one or more information field parameters for the
received IP pool creation request. It is to be noted that the one or more information
field parameters include parameters required for ensuring proper IP allocation and
network configuration. The information field parameters may include but not
limited to IP range, network size, gateway for routing network traffic etc. The one
20 or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of: a network
name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a
gateway parameter.
[0067] At step [408], the method [400] further comprises generating, by the
25 generation unit [308], the array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP
sites [318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters.
The array of IP addresses is responsible for storing multiple IPs as individual
elements.
23
[0068] In an implementation, the method [400] also comprises generating, by the
generation unit [308], a log comprising at least one or more real time records
associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in real-time. The
method [400] also comprises generating, by the generation unit [308], one or more
updated information field 5 parameters based on the one or more information field
parameters retrieved from the generated log. The method [400] further comprises
updating, by the generation unit [308], the array of IP addresses based on the one
or more updated information field parameters.
10 [0069] At step [410], the method [400] further comprises creating, by the creation
unit [310], the IP pool based on the array of IP addresses. The IP pool here refers
to a sequential range of IP addresses within a certain network.
[0070] In an implementation, the method [400] also comprises determining, by the
15 determination unit [312], the validation status associated with the one or more
retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field
validation rules. The validation status is an indicator that the one or more field
information parameters are effective, efficient and aligned with the IP pool creation
request. In case the determined validation status is successful, the method [400]
20 performs the generating step.
[0071] In case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, the method [400]
comprises triggering, by the processing unit [314], the unsuccessful IP pool status.
25 [0072] Thereafter, the method [400] terminates at step [412].
[0073] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary method [500] flow chart for internet
protocol (IP) pool management is shown, in accordance with the exemplary
embodiments of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the method [500] is
30 implemented by the system [300] (as shown in FIG. 3). In addition, the method
24
[500] automates the administration of tasks related to internet protocol (IP) pool
management such as but not limited to allocation of IP address from different IP
pools and thereby serving as an IP Allocation Manager (IPAM). Further, the
method [500] is implemented by a platform virtual infrastructure manager (PVIM)
5 unit [602] (as depicted in FIG. 6).
[0074] In a non-limiting implementation of the present disclosure, the method
[500], upon the start of the process of IP pool management, is performed in the
below-mentioned manner.
10
[0075] At step 1 (S1), the method [500] comprises creation of a pool request by an
inventory service (such as the IP site [318]). At step 2 (S2), the method [500]
comprises retrieving information field parameters/ details such as but not limited to
any IP site which has a Network Name, Pool Type, IP/Netmask, Gateway related
15 information for pool creation etc.
[0076] At step 3 (S3), the method [500] comprises validation of the information
field parameters. If validation is successful, the method [500] proceeds onto next
step 4 (S4). In case the validation is unsuccessful, then step 5 (S5) is executed which
20 prompts a message that “IP Pool cannot be created with required details”.
[0077] At step S4, the method [500] comprises generation of the array of IP
addresses available for the IP and netmask.
25 [0078] Step 6 (S6) is executed when the field information parameters/ details are
stored in the database (DB) [306]. In one implementation, the DB [306] maintains
accurate and current records of IP assignments and available addresses. The DB
[306] may include a non-relational database. For example, a non-relational database
may include a NoSQL database. The DB [306] may store information, such as but
30 not limited to, free/assigned IP address space, status of each IP address, hostname
associated with each IP address, and size of subnets and current users. Thus, if any
25
future request for IP allocation comes, then the system [300] assigns free IP from
the IP pool and update the details appropriately.
[0079] In this manner, a timely auto-synchronization of the virtual IP (VIP) pool
can take place thereby, leading to effective 5 IP pool management. The Virtual IP
refers to IP that does not correspond to an actual physical network interface or port.
The purpose of VIP pool is to provide IP addresses that can float between two or
more physical network nodes thereby, providing redundancy.
10 [0080] Referring to FIG.6, an exemplary method [600] flow diagram depicting
interaction between a platform virtual infrastructure manager (PVIM) unit [602]
with its modules and the user equipment (UE) [320] and other microservice
modules [604] for IP pool management is shown, in accordance with exemplary
embodiments of the present disclosure. The PVIM unit [602] comprises a PVIM
15 server [6022] and a PVIM database (DB) [6024].
[0081] The PVIM unit [602] is used for notification of VNF/ CNF/ VNFC/ CNFC
instances resources alarms in the MANO architecture [100] (as shown in FIG. 1).
In an exemplary implementation, the PVIM unit [602] carries out the IP space
20 management, such as allocation of IP address from different pools and thus serve
as an IP Allocation Manager (IPAM). Further, the PVIM [602] comprises various
components of the MANO architecture [100] (as shown in FIG. 1). Also, all of the
components/ units of the PVIM unit [602] are assumed to be connected to each
other unless otherwise indicated below. Also, in FIG. 6, only a few units are shown,
25 however, the PVIM unit [602] may comprise multiple such units or the PVIM unit
[602] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the
features of the present disclosure.
[0082] In an implementation, the PVIM unit [602] may be present in the user
30 equipment (UE) [320]/ device to implement the features of the present disclosure.
The PVIM unit [602] may be a part of the UE [320]/ or may be independent of but
26
in communication with the UE [320]. In another implementation, the PVIM unit
[602] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the
PVIM unit [602] may reside partly in the server/ network entity and partly in the
UE [320].
5
[0083] For managing the IP pool, an IP pool create request is sent to the PVIM
server [6022] via the UE [320] by executing step 1 (S1). Thereafter, PVIM server
[6022] sends the acknowledgement as response in step 2 (S2). The
acknowledgement is indicative of the fact that the field information parameters/
10 details of the one or more IP sites [318] have been taken into consideration for IP
allocation. At step 3 (S3), one or more microservices [604] sends get/ update request
to a PVIM database [6024]. At step 4 (S4), the PVIM unit [602] sends response to
the one or more microservices [604] that the pool for IP allocation has been created.
15 [0084] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for internet protocol (IP)
pool management, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when
executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes a transceiver unit [302] to
receive, via a User Interface (UI) [316], an IP pool creation request comprising
20 parameters associated with one or more IP sites [318]. Further, the executable code
which, when executed, causes a retrieval unit [304] to retrieve, from a database
[306], one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation
request. The one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least
one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask
25 parameter, and a gateway parameter. Further, the executable code which, when
executed, causes a generation unit [308] to generate an array of IP addresses
associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or more
retrieved information field parameters. Further, the executable code which, when
executed, causes a creation unit [310] to create an IP pool based on the array of IP
30 addresses.
27
[0085] 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 5 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 encompassed within the scope of the present
10 disclosure.
[0086] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution for automating the administration of tasks related to IP space
management, such as the allocation of IP addresses from different pools, and serves
15 as an IP Allocation Manager (IPAM). The present disclosure offers several
advantages, including an inventory service for IP allocation and management,
acting as a centralized repository that builds an inventory of networks, subnets, and
IP addresses, allowing administrators to maintain accurate and up-to-date records
of IP assignments and available addresses. Additionally, the present disclosure
20 enhances reliability by reducing the risk of misconfigurations, such as overlapping
subnets and duplicate IP addresses. The present disclosure also effectively utilizes
VIP allocation, which is configured for auto-failover when the primary server is
down and automatically reverts when the primary server is restored. Furthermore,
the system is fully integrated through APIs, making it a central repository that
25 supports cloud-based provisioning approaches.
[0087] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed
implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and
that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the
30 principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations
28
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.
29
We Claim:
1. A method [400] for internet protocol (IP) pool management, the method
[400] comprising:
receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] via a User Interface (UI) [316],
an IP pool creation request 5 comprising parameters associated with one or
more IP sites [318];
retrieving, by a retrieval unit [304] from a database [306], one or
more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request,
wherein the one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at
10 least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and
netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter;
generating, by a generation unit [308], an array of IP addresses
associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or
more retrieved information field parameters; and
15 creating, by a creation unit [310], an IP pool based on the array of
IP addresses.
2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, comprising determining, by a
determination unit [312], a validation status associated with the one or more
20 retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined
information field validation rules, wherein in case the determined validation
status is successful, the method [400] performs the generating step.
3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 2, wherein in case the determined
25 validation status is unsuccessful, the method [400] comprises triggering, by
a processing unit [314], an unsuccessful IP pool status.
4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
generating, by the generation unit [308], a log comprising at least
30 one or more real time records associated with one or more information field
parameters retrieved in real-time;
30
generating, by the generation unit [308], one or more updated
information field parameters based on the one or more information field
parameters retrieved from the generated log; and
updating, by the generation unit [308], the array of IP addresses
5 based on the one or more updated information field parameters.
5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the log is generated based
on at least the one or more real time records, wherein at least the one or
more real time records is based on at least one of: a non-assigned IP address
10 space status, an assigned IP address space status, and a host name status
associated with the IP pool.
6. A system [300] for internet protocol (IP) pool management, the system
[300] comprising:
15 a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, via a User Interface
(UI) [316], an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated
with one or more IP sites [318];
a retrieval unit [304] connected to at least the transceiver unit [302],
the retrieval unit [304] configured to retrieve, from a database [306], one or
20 more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request,
wherein the one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at
least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and
netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter;
a generation unit [308] connected to at least the retrieval unit [304],
25 the generation unit [308] configured to generate an array of IP addresses
associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or
more retrieved information field parameters; and
a creation unit [310] connected to at least the generation unit [310],
the creation unit [310] configured to create an IP pool based on the array of
30 IP addresses.
31
7. The system [300] as claimed in claim 6, wherein a determination unit [312]
is configured to determine a validation status associated with the one or
more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined
information field validation rules, wherein in case the determined validation
status is successful, the generation 5 unit [308] is configured to generate the
array of IP addresses.
8. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein in case the determined
validation status is unsuccessful, a processing unit [314] is configured to
10 trigger an unsuccessful IP pool status.
9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 6, wherein the generation unit [308]
is further configured to:
generate a log comprising at least one or more real time records
15 associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in realtime;
generate one or more updated information field parameters based on
the one or more information field parameters retrieved from the generated
log; and
20 update the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated
information field parameters.
10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the log is generated based
on at least the one or more real time records, wherein at least the one or more
25 real time records is based on at least one of: a non-assigned IP address space
status, an assigned IP address space status, and a host name status associated
with the IP pool.