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 TO MANAGE VIRTUAL NETWORK
FUNCTION (VNF) INSTANCES IN A NETWORK”
We, Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian National, of Office - 101, Saffron, Nr. Centre
15 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 TO MANAGE VIRTUAL NETWORK
5 FUNCTION (VNF) INSTANCES IN A NETWORK
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to network performance
10 management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure
relate to a method and a system to manage virtual network function (VNF) instances
in a network.
BACKGROUND
15
[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 be appreciated that this section is used only
20 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
25 advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was
based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the
advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data
services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology
marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and
30 location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized
wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and
3
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
5 more services to its users.
[0004] Virtual Network Function instantiation is a process to deploy and configure
a virtual network function in a virtualized environment. The VNF instantiation is
required to scale the network functions (such as load balancing). Resource
10 management is also required while instantiating VNF in the virtualized
environment. To efficiently manage the resources, there is a need to accurately
determine the count of VNF instances. The existing methods and systems fail to
provide or consider an accurate number of VNF instances count which increases
the overhead on existing VNF instance resources like CPU and RAM.
15
[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to manage Virtual Network
Function (VNF) instances in a network by minimizing the overhead on system
resources and providing an accurate number of VNF instance counts, which the
present disclosure aims to address.
20
SUMMARY
[0006] 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.
25 This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method to manage Virtual
Network Function (VNF) instances in a network. The method includes receiving,
30 by a transceiver unit at a capacity management platform (CP) from a Network
Slicing Services Chain Manager (NSSCM), a request message over an interface,
4
the request message is related to providing a number of VNF instance counts for
executing one or more services. The method further includes determining, by a
processing unit at the CP, the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one
or more services, based on the request message. The method further includes
5 sending, by the transceiver unit from the CP to the NSSCM, a response message to
the request message, the response message comprising the number of VNF instance
counts for executing the one or more services.
[0008] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the request message and
10 the response message are communicated using one or more representational state
transfer application programming interfaces (REST API) over a Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP).
[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more VNF
15 instance counts are used to perform at least one of: an instantiation procedure of
one or more VNFs to execute the one or more services, and a termination procedure
of one or more VNFs to execute the one or more services.
[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the interface is a CP_SL
20 interface to facilitate communication between the CP and the NSSCM.
[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the CP_SL interface
optimizes resource allocation.
25 [0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the number of VNF
instance countsfor executing the one or more services is sent in a predefined format.
[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system to manage
Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a network. The system comprises a
30 transceiver unit configured to receive, by a transceiver unit at a capacity
management platform (CP) from a Network Slicing Services Chain Manager
5
(NSSCM), a request message over an interface, the request message is related to
providing a number of VNF instance counts for executing one or more services.
The system further comprises a processing unit connected at least with the
transceiver unit, the processing unit is configured to determine, at the CP, the
5 number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more services, based on
the request message. The transceiver unit is further configured to send, from the CP
to the NSSCM, a response message to the request message, the response message
comprising the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more
services.
10
[0014] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium storing instructions to manage Virtual Network
Function (VNF) instances in a network, the instructions include executable code
which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes a transceiver unit
15 to receive, by a transceiver unit at a capacity management platform (CP) from a
Network Slicing Services Chain Manager (NSSCM), a request message over an
interface, the request message is related to providing a number of VNF instance
counts for executing one or more services. The executable code when executed
further causes a processing unit to determine, at the CP, the number of VNF instance
20 counts for executing the one or more services, based on the request message. The
executable code when executed further causes the transceiver unit to send, from the
CP to the NSSCM, a response message to the request message, the response
message comprising the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or
more services.
25
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0015] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
30
6
[0016] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method to
manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a network.
[0017] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a
5 method for optimizing, via the CP_SL interface, the network operations by
minimizing the overhead on system resources and providing an accurate number of
VNF instance count.
[0018] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
10 provides an accurate or precise number of VNF instance counts as delivered by the
CP microservice to be instantiated during the instantiation phase.
[0019] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to
minimize the overhead on system resources like CPU and RAM by ensuring precise
15 resource allocation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute
20 a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods
and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the
different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present
disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as
25 limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system
according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the
disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such
drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used
to implement such components.
30
7
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of
management and orchestration (MANO) architecture/ platform [100].
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon
5 which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance
with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system to manage Virtual
Network Function (VNF) instances in a network, in accordance with exemplary
10 implementations of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram to manage Virtual Network
Function (VNF) instances in a network, in accordance with exemplary
implementations of the present disclosure.
15
[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram to manage Virtual Network
Function (VNF) instances in a network, in accordance with exemplary
implementations of the present disclosure.
20 [0026] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
25 [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. 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
30 another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not
8
address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the
problems discussed above.
[0028] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not
5 intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather,
the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in
the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment.
It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and
arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the
10 disclosure as set forth.
[0029] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough
understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these
15 specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components
may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the
embodiments in unnecessary detail.
[0030] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process
20 which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure
diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as
a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or
concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process
is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not
25 included in a figure.
[0031] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean
serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the
subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any
30 aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or
9
designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques
known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms
“includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed
description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive—in a manner
5 similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word—without precluding
any additional or other elements.
[0032] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor”
includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for
10 processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special
purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality
of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital
Signal Processing (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific
Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of
15 integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing,
input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of
the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or
processing unit is a hardware processor.
20 [0033] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”,
“a smart-device”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”,
“a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a
communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and/or computing device
or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The
25 user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart
phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant,
tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable
of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may
contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which
30 are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
10
[0034] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or
computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a
form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable
medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”),
5 magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other
types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data
that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective
functions.
10 [0035] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary
across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information
or data. The interface may also be referred to as a set of rules or protocols that define
the communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with
each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be
15 called.
[0036] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded
herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a
general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a
20 digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller,
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array
circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
25 [0037] 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.
30 [0038] As used herein, the virtual network function (VNF) refers to a network
function module that operates in virtualized environments such as virtual machines
11
or containers. This virtualization allows for dynamic scaling and rapid adaptation
to changing network conditions, improving and reducing hardware requirements.
[0039] As used herein, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is the set of rules for
5 transferring files such as text, images, sound, video, and other multimedia files over
the web.
[0040] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have
several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above10 mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing a
method and a system to manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a
network.
[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a
15 management and orchestration (MANO) architecture/ platform [100], in
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. The MANO
architecture [100] may be developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure
automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of
network node(s)/ service(s) etc. The MANO architecture [100] deploys the network
20 node(s) in the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native/
Container Network Function (CNF). The system as provided by the present
disclosure may comprise one or more components of the MANO architecture [100].
The MANO architecture [100] may be used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the
corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in
25 onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user
interface layer [102], a network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined
network (SDN) design function module [104], a platform foundation services
30 module [106], a platform core services module [108] and a platform resource
adapters and utilities module [112]. All the components are assumed to be
12
connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for
implementing features of the present disclosure.
[0043] The NFV and SDN design function module [104] comprises a VNF
5 lifecycle manager (compute) [1042], a VNF catalog [1044], a network services
catalog [1046], a network slicing and service chain manager [1048], a physical and
virtual resource manager [1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager [1052]. The VNF
lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] may be responsible for deciding on which
server of the communication network, the microservice will be instantiated. The
10 VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] may manage the overall flow of
incoming/ outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The VNF lifecycle
manager (compute) [1042] may be responsible for determining which sequence to
be followed for executing the process. For e.g., in an AMF network function of the
communication network (such as a 5G network), a sequence for execution of
15 processes P1 and P2 etc. The VNF catalog [1044] stores the metadata of all the
VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalog [1046] stores the
information on the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service
chain manager [1048] manages the slicing and chaining (an ordered and connected
sequence of network service/ network functions (NFs) that must be applied to a
20 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 CNF lifecycle manager [1052] may be used for the
CNF lifecycle management.
25 [0044] The platform foundation services module [106] comprises a microservices
elastic load balancer [1062], an identify & access manager [1064], a command line
interface (CLI) [1066], a central logging manager [1068], and an event routing
manager [1070]. The microservices elastic load balancer [1062] may be used for
maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identify & access
30 manager [1064] may be used for logging purposes. The command line interface
(CLI) [1066] may be used to provide commands to execute certain processes that
13
require changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] may be
responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the
MANO platform [100]. These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event
routing manager [1070] may be responsible for routing the events i.e., the
5 application programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.
[0045] The platforms core services module [108] comprises an NFV infrastructure
monitoring manager [1082], an assure manager [1084], a performance manager
[1086], a policy execution engine [1088], a capacity monitoring manager [1090], a
10 release management (mgmt.) repository [1092], a 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 microservice auditor [1104], and a platform operations, administration and
maintenance manager [1106]. The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082]
15 monitors the infrastructure part of the NFs. For example, any metrics such as CPU
utilization by the VNF. The assure manager [1084] may be responsible for
supervising the alarms the vendor may be generating. The performance manager
[1086] may be responsible for managing the performance counters. The policy
execution engine (PEGN) [1088] may be responsible for managing all of the
20 policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CMM) [1090] may be responsible for
sending the request to the PEGN [1088]. The release management (mgmt.)
repository (RMR) [1092] may be responsible for managing the releases and the
images of all of the vendor's network nodes. The configuration manager & (GCT)
[1094] manages the configuration and GCT of all the vendors. The NFV platform
25 decision analytics (NPDA) [1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the
network resources. It may be 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] may be a database for storing all the
inventory (both physical and logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF.
30 The platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100] schedule the tasks such as but not
limited to triggering of an event, traversing the network graph etc. The VNF backup
14
& upgrade manager [1102] takes a backup of the images, and binaries of the VNFs
and the CNFs and produces that backup on demand in case of server failure. The
microservice auditor [1104] audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical
case, instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture [100] may be using
5 the network resources. In such cases, the microservice auditor [1104] audits and
informs the same so that resources can be released for services running in the
MANO architecture [100]. The audit assures that the services only run on the
MANO platform [100]. The platform operations, administration, and maintenance
manager [1106] may be used for newer instances that are spawning.
10
[0046] The platform resource adapters and utilities module [112] further comprises
a platform external API adaptor and gateway [1122]; a generic decoder and indexer
(XML, CSV, JSON) [1124]; a docker service adaptor [1126]; an OpenStack API
adapter [1128]; and a NFV gateway [1130]. The platform's external API adaptor
15 and gateway [1122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the
MANO platform [100]) that require 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] may be the
interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture [100] for
20 communication. The OpenStack API adapter [1128] may be used to connect with
the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV gateway [1130] may be responsible for
providing the path to each service going to/incoming from the MANO architecture
[100].
25 [0047] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device [200]
upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an
implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method to
manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a network utilising the
30 system [300]. In another implementation, the computing device [200] itself
implements the method to manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a
15
network using one or more units configured within the computing device [200],
wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as
disclosed in the present disclosure.
5 [0048] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other
communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware
processor [204] coupled with the bus [202] for processing information. The
hardware processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor.
The computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a
10 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 the execution of the instructions to be
executed by the processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory
15 storage media accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200]
into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations
specified in the instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a readonly memory (ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202]
for storing static information and instructions for the processor [204].
20
[0049] A storage device [210], such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state
drive is provided and coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and
instructions. The computing device [200] may be coupled via the bus [202] to a
display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD),
25 Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for
displaying information to a computer user. An input device [214], including
alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the
bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor
[204]. Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as a
30 mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction
information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling
16
cursor movement on the display [212]. The input device typically has two degrees
of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow
the device to specify positions in a plane.
5 [0050] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described
herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware
and/or program logic which in combination with the computing device [200] causes
or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine.
According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the
10 computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more
sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206]. Such
instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium,
such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the sequences of instructions
contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the
15 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.
[0051] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface
20 [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
integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or
a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of
25 telephone line. As another example, the communication interface [218] may be a
local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a
compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such
implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing
30 various types of information.
17
[0052] The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data, including
program code, through the network(s), the network link [220], and the
communication interface [218]. In the Internet example, a server [230] might
transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the
5 ISP [226], the local network [222], a host [224], and the communication interface
[218]. The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received,
and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later
execution.
10 [0053] The computing device [200] encompasses a wide range of electronic
devices capable of processing data and performing computations. Examples of
computing device [200] include, but are not limited only to, personal computers,
laptops, tablets, smartphones, servers, and embedded systems. The devices may
operate independently or as part of a network and can perform a variety of tasks
15 such as data storage, retrieval, and analysis. Additionally, computing device [200]
may include peripheral devices, such as monitors, keyboards, and printers, as well
as integrated components within larger electronic systems, showcasing their
versatility in various technological applications.
20 [0054] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] to
manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a network, is shown, in
accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The
system [300] comprises at least one transceiver unit [302], and at least one
processing unit [304]. Also, all of the components/ units of the system [300] are
25 assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown
in the figures all units shown within the system [300] should also be assumed to be
connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the
system [300] may comprise multiple such units or the system [300] may comprise
any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present
30 disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a user
device/ user equipment to implement the features of the present disclosure. The
18
system [300] may be a part of the user device or may be independent of but in
communication with the user device (may also referred to 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/
5 network entity and partly in the user device.
[0055] The system [300] is configured to manage Virtual Network Function (VNF)
instances in a network, with the help of the interconnection between the
components/units of the system [300].
10
[0056] The system [300] comprises a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive,
to a capacity management platform (CP) [1090] from a Network Slicing Services
Chain Manager (NSSCM) [1048], a request message over an interface, the request
message is related to providing a number of VNF instance counts for executing one
15 or more services or functions.
[0057] As used herein, the one or more services or functions of VNF may include
but are not limited to monitoring traffic based on security rules or policies, routing
data packets between networks, and distributing or balancing traffic across various
20 servers.
[0058] As used herein, the network slicing and service chain manager [1048]
manages the slicing and chaining (an ordered and connected sequence of network
service/ network functions (NFs) that must be applied to a specific networked data
25 packet.
[0059] As used herein, the capacity management platform (CP) monitors the usage
of each resource such as CPU, RAM, and storage across all Virtual Inventory
Manager (VIM) sites. The platform is also capable of monitoring these parameters
30 for each instance of the VNF. Further, the platform tags each resource with a
threshold value, which is user-defined. It then takes appropriate action when the
19
current usage of resources exceeds this value. Furthermore, the Capacity
Monitoring Platform or Capacity Management Platform constantly tracks the
network resource utilization and also provides input to analytics to trigger
appropriate scaling policies.
5
[0060] The transceiver unit [302] receives, at the capacity management platform
(CP) [1090] from the NSSCM [1048], the request message over an interface (also
referred to herein as capacity monitoring manager (CMM) [1090]). In an exemplary
aspect, the request is received in the form of a query for obtaining an accurate or
10 precise count of VNF instances required to execute one or more services. In an
exemplary aspect, the request includes an instance ID associated with at least one
VNF instance.
[0061] In an exemplary aspect, the interface is a CP_SL interface to facilitate
15 communication between the CMP [1090] and the NSSCM [1048]. In an exemplary
aspect, the CP_SL interface is operated by a network administrator and acts as a
communication bridge between CMM [1090] and NSSCM [1048]. In an exemplary
aspect, the CP_SL interface optimizes resource allocation. In an exemplary aspect,
the CP_SL is a REST API-based communication interface.
20
[0062] The CP_SL interface optimizes resource allocation by allocating more
resources to the under-provisioned Containerized Network Function Component
(CNFC) instance and by reducing the already allocated resources to the overprovisioned CNFC instance. In an exemplary aspect, the resources may include
25 such as but are not limited to CPU, RAM, storage, network, etc.
[0063] The system further includes a processing unit [304] connected at least with
the transceiver unit [302]. The processing unit [304] is configured to determine, at
the CP unit [1090], a number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more
30 services, based on the request message.
20
[0064] Based on the request message received at the CP unit [1090], the processing
unit [304] determines the precise number of VNF instance counts for executing the
one or more services. In an exemplary aspect, the processing unit determines the
precise number of VNF instance counts based on at least one policy (predefined
5 rules), instance ID (unique identifier representing each VNF instance) received in
the request, and the capacity information (e.g., CPU, memory, bandwidth associated
with at least one VNF) obtained at the CP unit for each instance ID. Further, the
capacity information is required to determine exact count of the VNF instances that
are required to execute services.
10
[0065] In an exemplary aspect, the processing unit [304] counts the accurate
number of VNF instances for minimizing the overhead of one or more resources
thereby preventing over-provisioning which may lead to wastage of resources, and
under-provisioning which may lead to errors or failures affecting the overall
15 efficiency of the network.
[0066] In an exemplary aspect, the one or more VNF instance counts are used to
perform at least one of: an instantiation procedure of one or more VNFs to execute
the one or more services, and a termination procedure of one or more VNFs to
20 execute the one or more services.
[0067] In an exemplary aspect, by performing the instantiation procedure, the
system [300] ensures that appropriate VNFs are provided to support one or more
services that are running on lesser VNFs.
25
[0068] In an exemplary aspect, by performing the termination procedure of one or
more VNFs, the system [300] removes additional VNFs that are no longer needed
resulting in efficient network performance and resource management.
30 [0069] The transceiver unit [302] is further configured to send, from the CP [1090]
to the NSSCM [1048], a response message to the request message, the response
21
message comprising the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or
more services.
[0070] The transceiver unit [302] sends the response message to the request
5 message from the CP [1090]. The response message comprises the number of VNF
instance counts for executing the one or more services.
[0071] In an exemplary aspect, the request message and the response message are
communicated using one or more representational state transfer application
10 programming interfaces (REST API) over a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
[0072] In an exemplary aspect, the request message and the response message are
communicated using the REST API which is an application programming interface
that uses HTTP for accessing one or more data types such as but not limited to GET,
15 PUT, POST, and DELETE data types, which refers to reading, updating, creating
and deleting operations related to resources.
[0073] In an exemplary aspect, the number of VNF instance counts for executing
the one or more services is sent in a predefined format.
20
[0074] In an exemplary aspect, the count for executing the one or more services is
sent in the predefined format which may include such as but is not limited to JSON,
CSV, XML format, etc.
25 [0075] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] to manage
Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a network, 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
30 the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400]
starts at step [402].
22
[0076] At step 404, the method [400] comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit
[302] at a capacity management platform (CP) [1090] from a Network Slicing
Services Chain Manager (NSSCM) [1048], a request message over an interface, the
5 request message is related to providing a number of VNF instance counts for
executing one or more services.
[0077] The transceiver unit [302] receives, from the NSSCM [1048], the request
message over the interface at the capacity management platform (CP) unit [1090]
10 (also referred to herein as capacity monitoring manager (CMM) [1090]). In an
exemplary aspect, the request is received in the form of a query for obtaining an
accurate or precise count of VNF instances required to execute the one or more
services. In an exemplary aspect, the request includes an instance ID associated
with at least one VNF instance.
15
[0078] In an exemplary aspect, the interface is a CP_SL interface to facilitate
communication between the CP [1090] and the NSSCM [1048].
[0079] In an exemplary aspect, the CP_SL interface is operated by a network
20 administrator and acts as a communication bridge between the CMM [1090] and
the NSSCM [1048].
[0080] In an exemplary aspect, the CP_SL interface optimizes resource allocation.
25 [0081] The CP_SL interface optimizes resource allocation by allocating more
resources to the under-provisioned one or more services and by reducing the already
allocated resources to the over-provisioned one or more resources. In an exemplary
aspect, the resources may include such as but are not limited to CPU, RAM, storage,
network etc.
30
23
[0082] At step 406, the method [400] comprises determining, by a processing unit
[304] at the CP [1090], the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one
or more services, based on the request message.
5 [0083] Based on the request message received at the CP [1090], the processing unit
[304] determines the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more
services. In an exemplary aspect, the processing unit [304] counts the accurate
number of VNF instances for minimizing the overhead of one or more resources
thereby preventing over-provisioning of resources which may lead to wastage of
10 resources, and under-provisioning which may lead to errors or failures affecting the
overall efficiency of the network.
[0084] In an exemplary aspect, the processing unit [304] determines the precise
number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more services using a
15 business logic or policies executed within the CP microservice when it receives an
event or request from the NSSCM [1048] (also referred to as SL microservice). In
an exemplary aspect, the processing unit determines the precise number of VNF
instance counts based on at least one policy (predefined rules), instance ID (unique
identifier representing each VNF instance) received in the request, and the capacity
20 information (e.g., CPU, memory, bandwidth associated with at least one VNF)
obtained at the CP unit for each instance ID. Further, the capacity information is
required to determine how many VNF instances are required to execute services.
[0085] In an exemplary aspect, the one or more VNF instance counts are used to
25 perform at least one of: an instantiation procedure of one or more VNFs to execute
the one or more services, and a termination procedure of one or more VNFs to
execute the one or more services.
[0086] In an exemplary aspect, by performing the instantiation procedure, the
30 system [300] ensures that appropriate VNFs are provided to support one or more
services that are running on lesser VNFs.
24
[0087] In an exemplary aspect, by performing the termination procedure of one or
more VNFs, the system [300] removes additional VNFs that are no longer needed
resulting in efficient network performance.
5
[0088] At step 408, the method [400] comprises sending, by the transceiver unit
[302] from the CP [1090] to the NSSCM [1048], a response message to the request
message, the response message comprising the number of VNF instance counts for
executing the one or more services.
10
[0089] The transceiver unit [302] sends the response message to the request
message from the CP [1090] to the NSSCM [1048]. The response message
comprises the precise number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more
services associated with the initial sent request message.
15
[0090] In an exemplary aspect, the request message and the response message are
communicated using one or more representational state transfer application
programming interfaces (REST API) over a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
20 [0091] In an exemplary aspect, the request message and the response message are
communicated using the REST API which is an application programming interface
that uses HTTP for accessing one or more data types such as but not limited to GET,
PUT, POST, and DELETE data types, which refers to reading, updating, creating
and deleting operations related to resources.
25
[0092] In an exemplary aspect, the number of VNF instance counts for executing
the one or more services is sent in a predefined format.
[0093] In an exemplary aspect, the predefined format may such as but is not limited
30 to JSON, CSV, XML format, etc.
25
[0094] Thereafter, at step [410], the method [400] is terminated.
[0095] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary process flow diagram [500] to manage
Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a network, in accordance with
5 exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. Also, as shown in
FIG. 5, the process [500] starts at step [502].
[0096] At step 504, the process [500] comprises receiving, from the NSSCM
[1048], the request message over an interface at the capacity management platform
10 (CP) unit [1090] (also referred to herein as capacity monitoring manager (CMM)
[1090]). In an exemplary aspect, the request is received in the form of a query for
obtaining an accurate or precise count of VNF instances required to execute one or
more services. In an exemplary aspect, the request message is a GET HTTP
message that includes GET_VNF_INSTANCES to receive the number of VNF
15 instances count.
[0097] At step 506, the process [500] comprises determining, at the CP unit [1090],
the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or more services, based
on the request message. The process [500] further comprises sending, from the CP
20 unit [1090] to the NSSCM [1048], a response message to the request message, and
the response message comprising the number of VNF instance counts for executing
the one or more services. The response message includes
NO_VNF_INSTANCES_PROVIDES to provide a number of VNF instance counts
to the NSSCM [1048].
25
[0098] Thereafter, at step [508], the method [500] is terminated.
[0099] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium storing instructions, the instructions to manage Virtual Network
30 Function (VNF) instances in a network include executable code which, when
executed by one or more units of a system, causes a transceiver unit to receive, at a
26
capacity management platform (CP) from a Network Slicing Services Chain
Manager (NSSCM), a request message over an interface, the request message is
related to providing a number of VNF instance counts for executing one or more
services. The executable code when executed further causes a processing unit to
5 determine, at the CP, the number of VNF instance counts for executing the one or
more services, based on the request message. The executable code when executed
further causes the transceiver unit to send, from the CP to the NSSCM, a response
message to the request message, the response message comprising the number of
VNF instance counts for executing the one or more services.
10
[0100] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution to manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a
network. The present invention provides a technically advanced solution for
optimizing, via the CP_SL interface, the network operations by minimizing the
15 overhead on system resources and providing an accurate number of VNF instance
counts. The present solution encompasses many advantages such as managing
resources, and providing the accurate number of VNF instance counts as delivered
by the CP microservice to be instantiated during the instantiation phase.
Furthermore, the present solution determines the precise or accurate number of
20 VNF instance counts by considering at least one policy (predefined rules), instance
ID (unique identifier representing each VNF instance) received in the request, and
the capacity information (e.g., CPU, memory, bandwidth associated with at least
one VNF) obtained at the CP unit for each instance ID. Moreover, the present
solution minimizes the overhead on system resources like CPU and RAM by
25 ensuring precise resource allocation.
[0101] 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
30 particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various
configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The
27
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
5 of the present disclosure.
[0102] 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
10 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.
15
28
We Claim:
1. A method to manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a
network, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] at a capacity management platform
5 (CP) [1090] from a Network Slicing Services Chain Manager (NSSCM)
[1048], a request message over an interface, the request message is
related to providing a number of VNF instance counts for executing one
or more services;
- determining, by a processing unit [304] at the CP [1090], the number of
10 VNF instance counts for executing the one or more services, based on
the request message;
- sending, by the transceiver unit [302] from the CP [1090] to the NSSCM
[1048], a response message to the request message, the response
message comprising the number of VNF instance counts for executing
15 the one or more services.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request message and the
response message are communicated using one or more representational
state transfer application programming interfaces (REST API) over a
20 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more VNF instance
counts are used to perform at least one of: an instantiation procedure of one
or more VNFs to execute the one or more services, and a termination
25 procedure of one or more VNFs to execute the one or more services.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface is a CP_SL
interface to facilitate communication between the CP [1090] and the
NSSCM [1048].
30
29
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the CP_SL interface optimizes
resource allocation.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of VNF instance
5 counts for executing the one or more services is sent in a predefined format.
7. A system to manage Virtual Network Function (VNF) instances in a
network, the system comprising:
a transceiver unit [302] configured to:
10 - receive, at a capacity management platform (CP) [1090] from a Network
Slicing Services Chain Manager (NSSCM) [1048], a request message
over an interface, the request message is related to providing a number
of VNF instance counts for executing one or more services;
a processing unit [304] connected at least with the transceiver unit [302],
15 the processing unit [304] is configured to:
- determine, at the CP [1090], the number of VNF instance counts for
executing the one or more services, based on the request message; and
- the transceiver unit [302] configured to:
send, from the CP [1090] to the NSSCM [1048], a response message
20 to the request message, the response message comprising the number of
VNF instance counts for executing the one or more services.
8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the request message and the
response message are communicated using one or more representational
25 state transfer application programming interfaces (REST API) over a
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more VNF instance
counts are used to perform at least one of: an instantiation procedure of one
30 or more VNFs to execute the one or more services, and a termination
procedure of one or more VNFs to execute the one or more services.
30
10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the interface is a CP_SL interface
to facilitate communication between the CP [1090] and the NSSCM [1048].
5 11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the CP_SL interface optimizes
resource allocation.
12. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the number of VNF instance
count for executing the one or more services is sent in a predefined format.