FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
“METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING INVENTORY OF
A NETWORK”
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 MANAGING INVENTORY OF A
NETWORK
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
5
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of
wireless communication systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present
disclosure relate to methods and systems for managing inventory of a 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 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
25 marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and
location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized
wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and
improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being
deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect
30 multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication
3
technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering
more services to its users.
[0004] Auditor service (AU) audits the resources in terms of physical memory,
5 RAM and CPU at Inventory Manager. For inventory to close sync with real time
available/used resources and minimizes the mismatch between Inventory Manager
(IM) and real time hardware, the users have to check manually and update the same.
There is a need to automate this process wherein AU is able to detect whether the
hosts contain lesser/more containers than the amount present in inventory managed
10 by IM and then auto-update. Also, there is no automation to check for the actual
resources used versus resources allocated in inventory.
[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide an efficient system
and method for managing inventory of a network, which the present disclosure aims
15 to address.
SUMMARY
[0006] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure
20 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.
[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for managing
25 inventory of a network. The method includes receiving, by a transceiver unit at an
auditor service (AU) unit, a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of
resources associated with one or more network functions. Next, the method includes
transmitting, by the transceiver unit, a request to a physical virtual inventory
management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request. Next, the method
30 includes receiving, by the transceiver unit, a set of resource details associated with
a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network
4
functions are executing. Next, the method includes retrieving, by a retrieving unit
at the AU unit, a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers
from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. Next, the method includes comparing,
by a comparator unit, the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of
5 current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween.
Thereafter, the method includes syncing, by a processing unit at the AU unit, the
set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the
deviation.
10 [0008] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the syncing
comprises updating, by the processing unit, the set of current resource details in the
PVIM unit.
[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the one or more
15 network functions is selected from a group consisting of container network function
components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs).
[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the resources are
audited based on at least one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request.
20
[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the entity
comprises at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and
a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC).
25 [0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for
managing inventory of a network. The system comprises an auditor service (AU)
unit. The AU unit further comprises a transceiver unit configured to: receive a
syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one
or more network functions; transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory
30 management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receive a set of
5
resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network
function of the one or more network functions are executing. The system further
comprises a retrieving unit configured to retrieve a set of current resource details
associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. The
5 system further comprises a comparator unit configured to compare the received set
of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine
presence of a deviation therebetween. The system furthermore comprises a
processing unit configured to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM
unit in response to presence of the deviation.
10
[0013] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing inventory of
a network, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one
or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit of the system to: receive a
15 syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one
or more network functions; transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory
management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receive a set of
resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network
function of the one or more network functions are executing; a retrieving unit of the
20 system to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers
from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit; a comparator unit of the system to
compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource
details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; a processing unit of the
system to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to
25 presence of the deviation.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
30 embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
6
[0015] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method
automating the sync process of PVIM with real time details from the SA of the
resource utilization by the CNFC or VNFC.
5
[0016] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution for on
demand clearance of the mismatch between actual resources and the entries present
at inventory.
10 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] 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
15 different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present
disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as
limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system
according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the
20 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.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a management and
25 orchestration (MANO) architecture.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon
which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with
exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
30
7
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing
inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the
present disclosure.
5 [0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for managing inventory of a
network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary system architecture for managing inventory
of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present
10 disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary sequence flow diagram for managing
inventory of a network, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the
present disclosure.
15
[0024] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
20
[0025] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of
embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that
embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific
25 details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one
another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not
address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the
problems discussed above.
8
[0026] 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.
5 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.
[0027] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough
10 understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these
specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components
may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the
embodiments in unnecessary detail.
15
[0028] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process
which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure
diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as
a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or
20 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.
[0029] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean
25 serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the
subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any
aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or
designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques
30 known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms
9
“includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed
description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive—in a manner
similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word—without precluding
any additional or other elements.
5
[0030] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor”
includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for
processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special
purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality
10 of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a (Digital
Signal Processing) DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific
Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of
integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing,
input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of
15 the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or
processing unit is a hardware processor.
[0031] 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”,
20 “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a
communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and/or computing device
or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The
user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart
phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant,
25 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 required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
30
10
[0032] 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 [0033] As used herein “interface” or “user interface refers to a shared boundary
across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information
or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define
communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with
each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be
15 called.
[0034] 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,
20 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.
25 [0035] 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 [0036] As used herein, Auditor service (AU) unit (such as microservice auditor
unit) perform the auditing of resources associated with containerized network
11
function components (CNFCs) and virtual network function components (VNFCs)
in the network.
[0037] As used herein, Physical and Virtual Inventory Manager (PVIM) module
5 maintains the inventory and its resources. After getting a request to reserve
resources from PEEGN, PVIM adds up the resources consumed by particular
network function as used resources and removes them from free resources. Further,
the PVIM updates this in NoSQL database.
10 [0038] As used herein, Docker Service Adapter (DSA) is a microservices-based
system designed to deploy and manage Container Network Functions (CNFs) and
their components (CNFCs) across Docker nodes. It offers REST endpoints for key
operations, including uploading container images to a Docker registry, terminating
CNFC instances, and creating Docker volumes and networks. CNFs, which are
15 network functions packaged as containers, may consist of multiple CNFCs. The
DSA facilitates the deployment, configuration, and management of these
components by interacting with Docker's API, ensuring proper setup and scalability
within a containerized environment. This approach provides a modular and flexible
framework for handling network functions in a virtualized network setup.
20
[0039] As used herein Platform Schedulers & Cron Jobs (PSC) may schedule a cron
job for auditing of resources for the CNFC/VNFC in the network at scheduled time
period and send a syncing request accordingly.
25 [0040] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have
several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the abovementioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing
method and system for managing inventory of a network.
30 [0041] The present disclosure aims to overcome the issues discussed in the
background section and other existing problems in this field of technology by
12
auditor requesting the details of the servers on which CNFCs are running from
Inventory Manager and then using the details, Swarm Adaptor is used to fetch the
actual resources used on the actual servers. Auditor using the details fetched from
Swarm adaptor, checks whether the amount of resources being used by
5 CNFC/VNFC at server level match with the data in inventory’s database. For
CNFCs with different number of resources, the details are sent to inventory
manager to update the same at its database.
[0042] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
10 description of the disclosure.
[0043] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15 [0044] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a
management and orchestration (MANO) architecture [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)/
20 service(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). 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
25 of the present disclosure so that it could help in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs
and VNFs to the platform.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user
interface layer [102], a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined
30 network (SDN) design function module [104], a platform foundation services
13
module [106], a Platform Schedulers & Cron Jobs module [108] and a platform
resource adapters and utilities module [112]. All the components are assumed to be
connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for
implementing features of the present disclosure.
5
[0046] The NFV and SDN design function module [104] comprises a VNF
lifecycle manager (compute) [1042], a VNF catalog [1044], a network services
catalog [1046], a network slicing and service chaining manager [1048], a physical
and virtual resource manager [1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager [1052]. The VNF
10 lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] may be responsible for deciding on which
server of the communication network, the microservice will be instantiated. The
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
15 be followed for executing the process. For e.g., in an AMF network function of the
communication network (such as a 5G network), sequence for execution of
processes P1 and P2 etc. The VNF catalog [1044] stores the metadata of all the
VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalog [1046] stores the
information of the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service
20 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 CNF lifecycle manager [1052] may be used for the CNFs
25 lifecycle management.
[0047] The platforms foundation services module [106] comprises a microservices
elastic load balancer [1062], an identity & access manager [1064], a command line
interface (CLI) [1066], a central logging manager [1068], and an event routing
14
manager [1070]. The microservices elastic load balancer [1062] may be used for
maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identity & access
manager [1064] may be used for logging purposes. The command line interface
(CLI) [1066] may be used to provide commands to execute certain processes which
5 requires changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] may be
responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the
MANO architecture [100]. These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event
routing manager [1070] may be responsible for routing the events i.e., the
application programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.
10
[0048] The platforms core services module [108] comprises NFV infrastructure
monitoring manager [1082], an assure manager [1084], a performance manager
[1086], a policy execution engine (PEGN) [1088], a capacity monitoring manager
[1090], a release management (mgmt.) repository [1092], a configuration manager
15 & GCT [1094], an NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA) [1096], a platform
NoSQL DB [1098]; a platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100], a VNF backup &
upgrade manager [1102], a microservice auditor [1104] (also referred to herein as
microservice auditor unit [1104]), and a platform operations, administration and
maintenance manager [1106]. The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082]
20 monitors the infrastructure part of the NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU
utilization by the VNF. The assure manager [1084] may be responsible for
supervising the alarms the vendor may be generating. The performance manager
[1086] may be responsible for managing the performance counters. The policy
execution engine (PEGN) [1088] may be responsible for managing all of the
25 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
30 decision analytics (NPDA) [1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the
15
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.
5 The platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100] schedules the task such as but not
limited to triggering of an event, traverse the network graph etc. The VNF backup
& upgrade manager [1102] takes backup of the images, binaries of the VNFs and
the CNFs and produces those backups on demand in case of server failure. The
microservice auditor unit [1104] audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical
10 case, instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture [100] may be using
the network resources. In such case, the microservice auditor unit [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 architecture [100]. The platform operations, administration and
15 maintenance manager [1106] may be used for newer instances that are spawning.
[0049] 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 swarm adaptor (DSA) [1126]; an OpenStack
20 API adapter [1128]; and a NFV gateway [1130]. The platform external API adaptor
and gateway [1122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the
MANO architecture [100]) that requiresthe 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 swarm adaptor (DSA) [1126] may be
25 the interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture [100]
for communication. The OpenStack API adapter [1128] may be used to connect
with the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV gateway [1130] may be responsible for
providing the path to each services going to/incoming from the MANO architecture
[100].
30
16
[0050] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary block diagram of a computing device
[200] (also referred herein as a computer system [200]) upon which the features of
the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary
implementation of the present disclosure, is shown. In an implementation, the
5 computing device [200] may also implement a method for managing inventory of
a network utilising the system. In another implementation, the computing device
[200] itself implements the method for managing inventory of a 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
10 disclosure.
[0051] 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
15 processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The
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
20 intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the
processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media
accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a specialpurpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the
instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a read only memory
25 (ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202] for storing static
information and instructions for the processor [204].
[0052] 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
30 instructions. The computing device [200] may be coupled via the bus [202] to a
17
display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD),
Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for
displaying information to a computer user. An input device [214], including
alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the
5 bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor
[204]. Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as
a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction
information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling
cursor movement on the display [212]. The input device typically has two degrees
10 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.
[0053] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described
herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware
15 and/or program logic which in combination with the computing device [200] causes
or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine.
According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the
computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more
sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206]. Such
20 instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium,
such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the sequences of instructions
contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the
process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present
disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with
25 software instructions.
[0054] 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
30 local network [222]. For example, the communication interface [218] may be an
18
integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or
a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of
telephone line. As another example, the communication interface [218] may be a
local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a
5 compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such
implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing
various types of information.
10 [0055] The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data, including
program code, through the network(s), the network link [220] and the
communication interface [218]. In the Internet example, a server [230] might
transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the
ISP [226], the local network [222], the host [224] and the communication interface
15 [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.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for
20 managing inventory of a network is shown, in accordance with the exemplary
implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300] comprises at least one
microservice auditor unit [1104]. The microservice auditor unit [1104] comprises
at least one transceiver unit [302], at least one retrieving unit [304], at least one
comparator unit [306], and at least one processing unit [308]. Also, all of the
25 components/ units of the system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other
unless otherwise indicated below. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown,
however, the system [300] may comprise multiple such units or the system [300]
may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features
of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the system [300] may reside in a
19
server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system [300] may
reside partly in the server/ network entity.
[0057] The system [300] is configured for managing inventory of a network, with
5 the help of the interconnection between the components/units of the system [300].
[0058] The system [300] comprises a microservice auditor unit [1104]. The
microservice auditor unit [1104] further comprises a transceiver unit [302]. The
transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive a syncing request from an entity for
10 syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions. For
managing inventory of the network, the transceiver unit [302] is configured to
receive syncing request for syncing the set of resources from the entity such as, at
least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform
scheduler and cron job (PSC). The set of resources may be such as, but not limited
15 to, server, physical memory, RAM and CPU. In an exemplary implementation, the
one or more network functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized
network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components
(VNFCs). In an exemplary implementation, the one or more network functions may
be associated with the network such as, but not limited to, 5G network, higher than
20 5G network (e.g., 6G network). The entity may send syncing request for avoiding
the mismatching of the allotted resources and consumption of the resources.
[0059] As used herein, the CLI is used by user (for e.g. by any network admin) for
executing/running a command from CLI interface to raise a “sync request”. For
25 example. “START_SYNC_FOR_CNF”.
[0060] In an exemplary implementation. the resources are audited based on at least
one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request. For example, a user such as, a
network administrator, a service provider or an authorised person may define the
30 pred-defined schedule such as, but not limited to every hour, number of day(s), and
20
number of week(s) for the auditing. Further, in real-time using manual request the
auditing may be done by sending syncing request vi the user interface or CLI.
[0061] The transceiver unit [302] is configured to transmit a request to a physical
5 virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request.
After receiving the syncing request, the transceiver unit [302] at the microservice
auditor unit [1104] is configured to transmit the request to the PVIM unit for getting
details associated with running the one or more network functions such as, CNFCs
or VNFCs.
10
[0062] The transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive a set of resource details
associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one
or more network functions are executing. In response to the request, the transceiver
unit [302] at the microservice auditor unit [1104] is configured to receive from the
15 PVIM the set of resource details associated with the list of servers on which the one
or more network functions, such as CNFCs and VNFCs are executing. In an
exemplary implementation, the set of resources details may associate with CPU,
physical memory and RAM.
20 [0063] The system [300] further comprises a retrieving unit [304]. The retrieving
unit [304] is configured to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with
the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. Further, the retrieving
unit [304] at the microservice auditor unit [1104] is configured to retrieve the set of
current resource details associated with the list of servers, such as but not limited
25 to, current consumption of CPU and memory by the CNFCs/VNFCs from the SA
unit.
[0064] The system [300] further comprises a comparator unit [306]. The
comparator unit [306] is communicatively coupled with the transceiver unit [302]
30 and retrieving unit [304]. The comparator unit [306] is configured to compare the
received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to
21
determine presence of a deviation therebetween. After receiving the retrieved set of
current resource details from the SA unit and received set of resource details from
the PVIM, the comparator unit [306] is configured for comparing the resources to
determine the used or consumed (i.e., current) set of the resources are same or
5 different with the received set of resource details. In an exemplary implementation,
the comparator unit [306] is configured to determine the deviation between
consumed resources and allotted resources. The deviation may be associated with
under used resources or over used resources by the CNFCs/VNFCs.
10 [0065] The system [300] further comprises a processing unit [308]. The processing
unit [308] is communicatively coupled the comparator unit [306]. The processing
unit [308] is configured to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit
in response to presence of the deviation. After receiving the comparison analysis,
if there is any deviation is present, the processing unit [308] is further configured
15 to update the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence
of the deviation. The processing unit [308] is configured to trigger the syncing of
the mismatched details of consumed resources and allotted resources associated
with the CNFC/VNFC to the PVIM unit. The PVIM unit may store the updated
details of the set of resources in a database. After performing the updates, the PVIM
20 unit may provide an acknowledgement to the entity (e.g., UI, CLI and PSC). In an
implementation after updating database, the PVIM unit may send an audited report
having details of the previous and current consumed resources and allotted
resources associated with the CNFC/VNFC to the entity or may store in the
database. In another implementation, the user may fetch the audited report
25 manually.
[0066] 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
22
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.
[0067] Referring to FIG. 4 an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for managing
inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the
present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method [400] is performed
10 by the system [300]. As shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] starts at step [402].
[0068] At step [404], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] at a microservice auditor unit
[1104], a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated
15 with one or more network functions. For managing inventory of the network, the
transceiver unit [302] may receive syncing request for syncing the set of resources
from the entity such as, at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line
interface (CLI), and a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC). The set of resources
may be such as, but not limited to, server, physical memory, RAM and CPU. In an
20 exemplary implementation, the one or more network functions is selected from a
group consisting of containerized network function components (CNFCs), and
virtual network function components (VNFCs). In an exemplary implementation,
the one or more network functions may be associated with the network such as, but
not limited to, 5G network, higher than 5G network (e.g., 6G network). The entity
25 may send syncing request for avoiding the mismatching of the allotted resources
and consumption of the resources.
[0069] In an exemplary implementation. the resources are audited based on at least
one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request. For example, a user such as, a
30 network administrator, a service provider or an authorised person may define the
23
pred-defined schedule such as, but not limited to every hour, number of day(s), and
number of week(s) for the auditing. Further, in real-time using manual request the
auditing may be done by sending syncing request vi the user interface or CLI.
5 [0070] Next, at step [406], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], a request to a physical virtual
inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request. After
receiving the syncing request, the transceiver unit [302] at the microservice auditor
unit [1104] may transmit the request to the PVIM unit for getting details associated
10 with running the one or more network functions such as, CNFCs or VNFCs.
[0071] Next, at step [408], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], a set of resource details
associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one
15 or more network functions are executing. In response to the request, the transceiver
unit [302] at the microservice auditor unit [1104] may receive from the PVIM the
set of resource details associated with the list of servers on which the one or more
network functions, such as CNFCs and VNFCs are executing. In an exemplary
implementation, the set of resources details may associate with CPU, physical
20 memory and RAM.
[0072] Next, at step [410], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises retrieving, by a retrieving unit [304] at the microservice auditor unit
[1104], a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a
25 Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. Further, the retrieving unit [304] at the
microservice auditor unit [1104] may retrieve the set of current resource details
associated with the list of servers, such as but not limited to, current consumption
of CPU and memory by the CNFCs/VNFCs from the SA unit.
30 [0073] Next, at step [412], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises comparing, by a comparator unit [306], the received set of resource
24
details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a
deviation therebetween. After receiving the retrieved set of current resource details
from the SA unit and received set of resource details from the PVIM, the
comparator unit [306] may configured for comparing the resources to determine the
5 used or consumed (i.e., current) set of the resources are same or different with the
received set of resource details. In an exemplary implementation, the comparator
unit [306] is configured to determine the deviation between consumed resources
and allotted resources. The deviation may be associated with under used resources
or over used resources by the CNFCs/VNFCs.
10
[0074] Next, at step [414], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises syncing, by a processing unit [308] at the microservice auditor unit
[1104], the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence
of the deviation. After receiving the comparison analysis, if there is any deviation
15 is present, the processing unit [308] further may update the set of current resource
details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation. The processing
unit [308] may trigger the syncing of the mismatched details of consumed resources
and allotted resources associated with the CNFC/VNFC to the PVIM unit. The
PVIM unit may store the updated details of the set of resources in a database. After
20 performing the updates, the PVIM unit may provide an acknowledgement to the
entity (e.g., UI, CLI and PSC). In an implementation after updating database, the
PVIM unit may send an audited report having details of the previous and current
consumed resources and allotted resources associated with the CNFC/VNFC to the
entity or may store in the database. In another implementation, the user may fetch
25 the audited report manually.
[0075] In an exemplary implementation, the system monitors resource usage such
as RAM CPU and disk space. During normal operation, the processing unit at the
AU unit periodically syncs with the inventory manager (such as PVIM unit) such
30 that the recorded usage of the resources matches the actual consumption. A
deviation may occur if, for example, the CPU usage spikes unexpectedly due to an
25
unanticipated load or if disk space is being consumed faster than expected. Upon
detection such a deviation, the system initiates a comparison analysis to identify
discrepancies between the expected and actual resource usage. If a mismatch is
found, such as higher than expected CPU utilisation, the processing unit will update
5 the resource details in the PVIM unit to reflect this change. If a mismatch is not
found than the system does not update the resource details.
[0076] Thereafter, the method [400] terminates at step [416].
10 [0077] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary system architecture [500] for managing
inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the
present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the system [500] comprises such as an
Auditor Service unit [1104] (also referred as Micro Service Auditor unit [1104]),
involved in implementation of the features of the present invention. The system
15 [500] comprises at least one sync request [502], at least one Physical Virtual
Inventory Manager (PVIM) (also referred as Physical & Virtual Resource Manager)
[1050], at least one centralized database unit [504], at least one docker service
Adaptor (DSA) (also referred as Docker Swarm Adaptor (DSA)) [1126] unit, and
at least plurality of other microservices.
20
[0078] As shown in FIG. 5, in a non-limiting implementation of the present solution
in other words, the method [400] may be configured to perform as depicted in FIG.
4 via at the one or more components as depicted of the system [500] as follows:
• Syncing of resources is done via on demand (CLI), User Interface (UI) and
25 by scheduled jobs (PSC) by sending from sync request [502].
• The request is received by microservice auditor unit [1104] to initiate the
syncing process for a particular CNF/VNF.
• microservice auditor unit [1104] requests the list of CNFCs/VNFCs in
CNF/VNF from PVIM [1050].
26
• Then for every CNFC/VNFC, its details and the server details, on which the
CNFC/VNFC is running, are fetched from PVIM [1050].
• Thereafter, node details list is also received from PVIM [1050].
• For every node in node-list, list of CNFC details with actual resources are
5 fetched per node using Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) [1126].
• This list containing actual resources is sent by Docker Swarm Adaptor
(DSA) [1126] back to the microservice auditor unit [1104].
• microservice auditor unit [1104] then checks in database [504] of PVIM
[1050] for same values of resources.
10 • If there is any mismatch, those CNFC/VNFC details are clubbed and sent to
PVIM [1050] for updating in database [504].
• PVIM [1050] then updates the details of the resources on its own database
[504].
15 [0079] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary sequence flow diagram [600] for managing
inventory of a network, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the
present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the sequence flow diagram [600] comprises
a UI [602], a PSC/CLI [604], an Auditor (also referred as microservice auditor unit
[1104]), a PVIM [1050] and a DSA [1126]. The sequence flow diagram [600]
20 comprises such as, but not limited to following steps:
[0080] At step S1, PSC/CLI [604] may send resource syncing request comprising
such as START_SYNC_FOR_CNF, CLI: synccnfc to the Microservice auditor unit
[1104]. In an implementation, UI [602] may also send the resource syncing request.
25
[0081] At step S2, microservice auditor unit [1104] sends
GET_CNF_LIST_FROM_PVIM to the PVIM [1050].
[0082] At step S3, PVIM [1050] sends a response, such as, acknowledgement
30 having GET_CNF_LIST_FROM_PVIM_ACK and/or CNF list details to the
microservice auditor unit [1104].
27
[0083] At step S4, Microservice auditor unit [1104] sends
GET_CNFC_LIST_BY_CNFID to the PVIM [1050].
5 [0084] At step S5, PVIM [1050] sends to the Microservice auditor unit [1104] such
as, an acknowledgement having GET_CNFC_LIST_BY_CNFID_ACK and/or
CNFC list.
[0085] At step S6, Microservice auditor unit [1104] sends
10 FETCH_CNFC_DETAILS to the DSA [1126].
[0086] At step S7, DSA [1126] sends such as acknowledgement having
FETCH_CNFC_DETAILS_ACK and/or CNFC details to the Microservice auditor
unit [1104].
15
[0087] At step S8, the microservice auditor unit [1104] sends a request
GET_NODE_LIST_FROM_PVIM to the PVIM [1050].
[0088] At step S9, PVIM [1050] sends to the Microservice auditor unit [1104] such
20 as, an acknowledgement having GET_NODE_LIST_FROM_PVIM_ACK and/or
node list. The node list refers to a set of identifiers for a network resources such as
server, virtual machines, or devices. Each node may include details such as IP
address, resource usage (CPU RAM, disk), and status.
25 [0089] At step 10, the microservice auditor unit [1104] sends a request
FETCH_SERVICE_LIST_FOR_ NODE to the PVIM [1050].
[0090] At step 11, the PVIM [1050] sends to the Microservice auditor unit [1104]
an acknowledgement having FETCH_SERVICE_LIST_FOR_ NODE_ACK (such
30 as service list for node). The service list for node refers ti the services running on a
specific node such as applications or tasks (for example, web servers or database)
in a distributed system. When the microservice auditor unit [1104] requests this
28
lists, the PVIM [1050] acknowledges by sending details of the services active on
the node.
[0091] At step S12, the microservice auditor unit [1104] sends a request
5 GET_CNFC_LIST_BY_ NODEID to the PVIM [1050].
[0092] At step S13, the PVIM [1050] sends to the microservice auditor unit [1104]
an acknowledgement having GET_CNFC_LIST_BY_ NODEID_ACK and/or
CNFC list for the node ID to the Microservice auditor unit [1104].
10
[0093] At step S14, UI [602] sends a request to the Microservice auditor unit [1104]
GET_CNFC_INVENTORY_AUDIT for CNFC audit inventory.
[0094] At step S15, the Auditor [1004] sends to the UI [602] an acknowledgement
15 having GET_CNFC_INVENTORY_AUDIT_ACK and/or CNFC audit inventory
details or report.
[0095] As shown in FIG. 5, the request and response messages are implemented for
the syncing resources and auditing process for both CNFC and VNFC.
20
[0096] The present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium storing instructions for managing inventory of a network, the
instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of
a system [300], causes: a transceiver unit [302] of the system to: receive a syncing
25 request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more
network functions; transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management
(PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receive a set of resource details
associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one
or more network functions are executing; a retrieving unit [304] of the system to
30 retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a
Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit; a comparator unit [306] of the system to
29
compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource
details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; a processing unit [308]
of the system to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response
to presence of the deviation.
5
[0097] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution for automating the sync process of PVIM with real time details
from the SA of the resource utilization by the CNFC or VNFC. The present solution
provides a real time sync-up of resources at server level and at inventory’s database.
10 The present solution provides on demand clearance of the mismatch between actual
resources and the entries present at inventory.
[0098] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed
embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that
15 many changes can be made to the embodiments without departing from the
principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the embodiments
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.
20
30
We Claim:
1. A method for managing inventory of a network, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] at a microservice auditor unit
5 [1104], a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of
resources associated with one or more network functions;
- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], a request to a physical
virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received
syncing request;
10 - receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], a set of resource details
associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function
of the one or more network functions are executing;
- retrieving, by a retrieving unit [304] at the microservice auditor unit
[1104], a set of current resource details associated with the list of
15 servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit;
- comparing, by a comparator unit [306], the received set of resource
details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine
presence of a deviation therebetween; and
- syncing, by a processing unit [308] at the microservice auditor unit
20 [1104], the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response
to presence of the deviation.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the syncing comprises updating,
by the processing unit [308], the set of current resource details in the PVIM
25 unit.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more network
functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized network
31
function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components
(VNFCs).
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resources are audited based
5 on at least one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the entity comprises at least one
of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform
scheduler and cron job (PSC).
10
6. A system for managing inventory of a network, the system comprising:
- a microservice auditor unit [1104] comprising:
- a transceiver unit [302] configured to:
o receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of
15 resources associated with one or more network functions;
o transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management
(PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request;
o receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers
on which at least one network function of the one or more
20 network functions are executing;
- a retrieving unit [304] configured to retrieve a set of current
resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker
swarm adaptor (DSA) unit;
- a comparator unit [306] configured to compare the received set of
25 resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to
determine presence of a deviation therebetween; and
- a processing unit [308] configured to sync the set of current
resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the
deviation.
32
7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing unit [308] is
further configured to update the set of current resource details in the PVIM
unit in response to presence of the deviation.
5 8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the one or more network
functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized network
function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components
(VNFCs).
9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the resources are audited based
on at least one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request.
10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the entity comprises at least one
of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform
scheduler and cron job (PSC).