FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39
OF 1970)
&
5 THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
10 “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING VIRTUAL NETWORK
FUNCTION INFORMATION AT A POLICY EXECUTION ENGINE”

We, Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian National, of Office - 101, Saffron, Nr.
15 Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat,
India.
20
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which
it is to be performed.
25
30
2
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING VIRTUAL NETWORK
FUNCTION INFORMATION AT A POLICY EXECUTION ENGINE
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
5
[0001] Embodiment of the present disclosure generally relates to the field of
wireless communication. More particularly, the present disclosure may relate to
method and system for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a
policy execution engine (PEEGN).
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
15 certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present
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.
20 [0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few
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
25 services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. The third generation
(3G) technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile
video calling, and location-based services. The fourth generation (4G) technology
revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network
coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth generation (5G) technology is
30 being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to
connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless
3
communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable
of delivering more services to its users.
[0004] A network function virtualization (NFV) software defined networking
5 (SDN) server acts as a single server/platform to manage all the virtual network
functions (VNFs) and cloud-native network functions (CNFs) deployed in the
network. The NFV SDN server is completely based on micro service architecture
and is highly scalable and will be able to handle hundreds of NFV. The NFV SDN
server is also event driven and is based on representational state transfer (REST)
10 application programming interfaces (APIs). The policy execution (PE) service
stores and provides policies for resource, security, availability, and scalability of
VNFs. It executes automatic scaling and healing functionality of VNF and other
network services. Further, the virtual network function component (VNFC) micro
service captures the details of one or more Vendors, VNFs, and its associated VNF
15 components via Create, Read, and Update API’s exposed by the VNFC service
itself.
[0005] Currently, there is no real time communication with other micro services
(MSs) for the VNFC because of which a policy execution engine (PEEGN) cannot
20 get the VNF details at runtime. Also, the PEEGN cannot do a quota check and
calculate required resources for VNF/VNFCs during instantiation and scaling flow
as there is no real time communication between the other MSs and the VNFC.
[0006] Hence, in view of these and other existing limitations, there arises an
25 imperative need to provide an efficient solution to overcome the above-mentioned
and other limitations and to provide a method and a system for providing virtual
network function (VNF) information at policy execution engine (PEEGN).
SUMMARY
30
4
[0007] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure
in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description.
This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
5
[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for providing
virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine. The
method comprises sending, by a transceiver unit via the policy execution engine
(PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the virtual network
10 function (VNF) information. Further, the method comprises sending, by the
transceiver unit via the VNF catalog, an event acknowledgment response to the
PEEGN with the VNF information. The method further comprises storing, in a data
storage unit via the PEEGN, the VNF information for utilizing the VNF
information. Furthermore, the method comprises monitoring, by a monitoring unit
15 via the PEEGN, one or more resources for both a VNF and a virtual network
function component (VNFC).
[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the virtual network
function (VNF) information comprises one of at least a VNF name, a VNF version
20 information, a VNF type information.
[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the policy execution
engine (PEEGN) is connected to the transceiver unit, the data storage unit and the
monitoring unit.
25
[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit, one or more updated VNF/ VNFC
information at a run time, via the interface, wherein the interface is provided
between the PEEGN and the VNF.
30
5
[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the interface is at least a
PE_VC interface.
[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
5 comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit, on the PEEGN, one or more
notifications in case of any update in the VNF information.
[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the monitoring of the one
or more resources is a quota monitoring.
10
[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more resources
comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a disk.
[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the stored VNF
15 information is utilized during VNF instantiation and scaling.
[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for providing
virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine. The
system comprises a transceiver unit configured to send, via a policy execution
20 engine (PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the virtual
network function (VNF) information during a VNF instantiation and scaling phase.
The transceiver unit is further configured to send, via the VNF catalog, an event
acknowledgment response to the PEEGN with the VNF information. Further, the
system comprises a data storage unit connected to at least the transceiver unit, the
25 data storage unit is configured to store, via the PEEGN, the VNF information for
utilizing the VNF information. Furthermore, the system comprises a monitoring
unit connected to at least the data storage unit, the monitoring unit is configured to
monitor, via the PEEGN, one or more resources for both a VNF and a virtual
network function component (VNFC).
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6
[0018] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium storing one or more instructions for providing
virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine, the
instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of
5 a system, causes a transceiver unit of the system to send, via a policy execution
engine (PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the virtual
network function (VNF) information during a VNF instantiation and scaling phase.
The executable code when further executed causes the transceiver unit to send, via
the VNF catalog, an event acknowledgment response to the PEEGN with the VNF
10 information. Further, the executable code when executed causes a data storage unit,
of the system, to store, via the PEEGN, the VNF information for utilizing the VNF
information. Furthermore, the executable code when executed causes a monitoring
unit, of the system, to monitor, via the PEEGN, one or more resources for both a
VNF and a virtual network function component (VNFC).
15
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0019] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
20
[0020] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for
providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine
(PEEGN).
25 [0021] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to get
updated VNF/VNFC details at run time using an interface between PEEGN and
VNFC.
[0022] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to do
30 resource quota check for VNF/VNFC which are going to be instantiated or scaled.
7
[0023] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that is
less time consuming for PEEGN and which allows the PEEGN to not subscribe and
even get notified of any changes in VNF/VNFC information.
5 [0024] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to store
all the information in the PEEGN database.
[0025] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to start
the next execution from the previous process point in case of any failure.
10
BREIF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute
a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods
15 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
limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system
20 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.
25 [0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a
management and orchestration (MANO) architecture [100].
[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon
which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance
30 with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
8
[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for providing
virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine, in
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
5 [0030] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method for providing
virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine, in
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system architecture
10 diagram for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy
execution engine, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present
disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary process flow diagram depicting a process
15 for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution
engine, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0033] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
20
DETAILED ESCRIPTION
[0034] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of
25 embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that
embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific
details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one
another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not
address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the
30 problems discussed above.
9
[0035] 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.
[0036] 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
[0037] 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 that
may not be included in a figures.
[0038] 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
“includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed
10
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 [0039] 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
of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital
10 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
the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or
15 processing unit is a hardware processor.
[0040] 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
20 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,
tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable
25 of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may
contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which
are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
[0041] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or
30 computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a
form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable
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medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”),
magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other
types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data
that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective
5 functions.
[0042] 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
10 communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with
each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be
called.
[0043] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded
15 herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a
general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a
digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller,
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array
20 circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
[0044] As used herein the transceiver unit include at least one receiver and at least
one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals,
information or a combination thereof between units/components within the system
25 and/or connected with the system.
[0045] 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 a
30 method and a system for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at
a policy execution engine (PEEGN). More particularly, the present disclosure
12
provides a solution to get updated VNF/VNFC details at run time using an interface
between the PEEGN and the VNFC. Further, the present disclosure provides a
solution to does a resource quota check for VNF/VNFC which we are going to
instantiate or scale. Further, the present disclosure provides a solution that is less
5 time consuming, and which allows the PEEGN to not subscribe and even get
notified if there are any changes in the VNF/VNFC information. Furthermore, the
present disclosure provides a solution to store all the information in the PEEGN
database. Thereafter, the present disclosure provides a solution to start the next
execution from the previous process point in case of any failure.
10
[0046] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0047] 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] is developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure
automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of a
network node(s) etc. The MANO architecture [100] deploys the network node(s) in
20 the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native/ Container Network
Function (CNF). The MANO architecture [100] is used to auto-instantiate the VNFs
into the corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help
in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform.
25 [0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user
interface layer, a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined
network (SDN) design function module [104]; a platforms foundation services
module [106], a platform core services module [108] and a platform resource
adapters and utilities module [112], wherein all the components are assumed to be
30 connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for
implementing features of the present disclosure.
13
[0049] The NFV and SDN design function module [104] further comprises a VNF
lifecycle manager (compute) [1042]; a VNF catalogue [1044]; a network services
catalogue [1046]; a network slicing and service chaining manager [1048]; a
5 physical and virtual resource manager [1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager [1052].
The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] is responsible for determining on
which server of the communication network the microservice will be instantiated.
The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] will manage the overall flow of
incoming/ outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The VNF lifecycle
10 manager (compute) [1042] is responsible for determining which sequence to be
followed for executing the process. For e.g. in an AMF network function of the
communication network (such as a 5G network), sequence for execution of
processes P1 and P2 etc. The VNF catalogue [1044] stores the metadata of all the
VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalogue [1046] stores the
15 information of the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service
chaining manager [1048] manages the slicing (an ordered and connected sequence
of network service/ network functions (NFs)) that must be applied to a specific
networked data packet. The physical and virtual resource manager [1050] stores the
logical and physical inventory of the VNFs. Just like the VNF lifecycle manager
20 (compute) [1042], the CNF lifecycle manager [1052] is similarly used for the CNFs
lifecycle management.
[0050] The platforms foundation services module [106] further comprises a
microservices elastic load balancer [1062]; an identify & access manager [1064]; a
25 command line interface (CLI) [1066]; a central logging manager [1068]; and an
event routing manager [1070]. The microservices elastic load balancer [1062] is
used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identify
& access manager [1064] is used for logging purposes. The command line interface
(CLI) [1066] is used to provide commands to execute certain processes which
30 require changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] is
responsible for keeping the logs of every services. Theses logs are generated by the
14
MANO platform [100]. These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event
routing manager [1070] is responsible for routing the events i.e., the application
programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.
5 [0051] The platforms core services module [108] further comprises NFV
infrastructure monitoring manager [1082]; an assure manager [1084]; a
performance manager [1086]; a policy execution engine [1088]; a capacity
monitoring manager [1090]; a release management (mgmt.) repository [1092]; a
configuration manager & (Golden Configuration Template (GCT)) [1094]; an NFV
10 platform decision analytics [1096]; a platform NoSQL DB [1098]; a platform
schedulers and cron jobs [1100]; a VNF backup & upgrade manager [1102]; a micro
service auditor [1104]; and a platform operations, administration and maintenance
manager [1106]. The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082] monitors the
infrastructure part of the NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU utilization by the
15 VNF. The assure manager [1084] is responsible for supervising the alarms the
vendor is generating. The performance manager [1086] is responsible for manging
the performance counters. The policy execution engine [1088] is responsible for
managing all the policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CP) [1090] is
responsible for sending the request to the policy execution engine [1088]. The
20 capacity and performance monitoring manager/ capacity monitoring manger (CP)
[1090] is capable of monitoring usage of network resources such as but not limited
to CPU utilization, RAM utilization and storage utilization across all the instances
of the virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) or simply the NFV infrastructure
monitoring manager [1082]. The CP [1090] is also capable of monitoring said
25 network resources for each instance of the VNF. The CP [1090] is responsible for
constantly tracking the network resource utilization. The release management
(mgmt.) repository [1092] is responsible for managing the releases and the images
of all the vendor network nodes. The configuration manager & (GCT) [1094]
manages the configuration and GCT of all the vendors. The NFV platform decision
30 analytics [1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the network resources. It is
further noted that the policy execution engine [1088], the configuration manager &
15
(GCT) [1094] and the NFV platform decision analytics [1096] work together. The
platform NoSQL DB [1098] is a database for storing all the inventory (both physical
and logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF. The platform schedulers
and cron jobs [1100] schedules the task such as but not limited to triggering of an
5 event, traversing the network graph etc. The VNF backup & upgrade manager
[1102] takes backup of the images, binaries of the VNFs and the CNFs and produces
those backups on demand in case of server failure. The micro service auditor [1104]
audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical case, instances not being
instantiated by the MANO architecture [100] and using the network resources then
10 the micro service auditor [1104] audits and informs the same so that resources can
be released for services running in the MANO architecture [100], thereby assuring
the services only run on the MANO platform [100]. The platform operations,
administration and maintenance manager [1106] is used for newer instances that are
spawning.
15
[0052] 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 [1126]; an OpenStack API
adapter [1128]; and a NFV gateway [1130]. The platform external API adaptor and
20 gateway [1122] is 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 swarm adaptor [1126] is the interface provided
between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture [100] for communication.
25 The OpenStack API adapter [1128] is used to connect with the virtual machines
(VMs). The NFV gateway [1130] is responsible for providing the path to each
services going to/incoming from the MANO architecture [100].
[0053] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary block diagram of a computing device
30 [200] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure is shown. In
16
an implementation, the computing device [200] may implement a method
automating management of network traffic at one or more network functions in a
network by utilizing a system [300]. In another implementation, the computing
device [200] itself implements the method for automating management of network
5 traffic at one or more network functions in 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 disclosure.
[0054] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other
10 communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware
processor [204] coupled with bus [202] for processing information. The hardware
processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The
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]
15 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor [204]. The
main memory [206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other
intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the
processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media
accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a special20 purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the
instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a read only memory
(ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202] for storing static
information and instructions for the processor [204].
25 [0055] 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),
Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for
30 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
17
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
5 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.
[0056] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described
10 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
computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more
15 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
process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present
20 disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with
software instructions.
[0057] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface
[218] coupled to the bus [202]. The communication interface [218] provides a two25 way data communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a
local network [222]. For example, the communication interface [218] may be an
integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or
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
30 local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a
compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such
18
implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing
various types of information.
5 [0058] 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], a host [224], the local network [222] and the communication interface
10 [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.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 3 an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for
15 providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine,
in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure is
illustrated. The system [300] comprises at least one transceiver unit [302], at least
one data storage unit [304], and at least one monitoring unit [306]. Also, all of the
components/ units of the system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other
20 unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in FIG. 3, all units shown within the
system [300] should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3
only a few units are shown, however, the system [300] may comprise multiple such
units or the system [300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required
to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation,
25 the system [300] may reside in a server or the network entity or the system [300]
may be in communication with the network entity to implement the features as
disclosed in the present disclosure.
[0060] The system [300] is configured for providing virtual network function
30 (VNF) information at a policy execution engine (PEEGN) with the help of the
interconnection between the components/units of the system [300]. Also, the
19
PEEGN is connected to the transceiver unit [302], the data storage unit [304] and
the monitoring unit [306].
[0061] In operation, the transceiver unit [302] may send via a policy execution
5 engine (PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the virtual
network function (VNF) information during the VNF instantiation and scaling
phase.
[0062] As would be understood, the PEEGN is a system that may create, manage
10 and enforce polices and rules to regulate the behavior and the operations of the
network function. Further, the PEEGN may ensure that the network function and
its components may function and operate as per the predefined polices and rules.
Furthermore, the policies may include such as, but not limited to, security policy,
traffic management policy, scaling policy, instantiation policy, etc. It is to be noted
15 that the mentioned polices are only exemplary and in no way limiting the scope of
the present disclosure. The policies may include any other policies obvious to the
person skilled in the art to implement the solution as disclosed in the present
disclosure.
20 [0063] Continuing further, the PEEGN may generate various types of events to
collect real-time data from the VNFC. The events are generated based on the
predefined policies and rules for monitoring and managing the VNF. Further, the
event generated by the PEEGN may be an API request that may query the VNFC
for specific information. Furthermore, in an implementation, the PEEGN may send
25 a GET_VNF_DETAIL request to the VNFC to fetch the information related to the
VNF. Furthermore, the information related to the VNFC may include all the details
of the VNF. Also, the information related to the VNF may comprise at least one of
a VNF name, a VNF version information, a VNF type information, VNF site name,
VNF resources utilized.
30
20
[0064] As would be understood, the VNF name is a unique identifier assigned to
each VNF and is used to distinguish one VNF from another in the network. Further,
the VNF version information may relate to a specific version of the VNF that may
be deployed and run in the network. The version may indicate evolution of the VNF
5 over time and may include better performance, new features etc. Further, the VNF
type information may indicate the type of services provided by the VNF in the
network. Further, the VNF resources utilized defines descriptors of virtual compute
and storage resources to be used by the VNF when each of the VNFC instances of
the VNF is intended to be deployed. The VNF site name describes the IP address of
10 the server on which the VNF will be deployed as a virtual machine.
[0065] Continuing further, the transceiver unit [302] may send, via the VNF
catalog, an event acknowledgment response to the PEEGN with the VNF
information. As would be understood, the VNF catalog may store the metadata of
15 all the VNFs in the network. Further, the metadata of all the VNFs may include data
related to the each VNF such as, but not limited to, the type of VNF, one or more
services provided by the VNF, the name of VNF, etc. Furthermore, it is to be noted
that the mentioned examples of the metadata of all the VNFs are only exemplary
and in no way limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The metadata of all the
20 VNFs may include any other data, related to all the VNFs, obvious to the person
skilled in the art to implement the solution as disclosed in the present disclosure.
[0066] Continuing further, the event acknowledgment response may indicate that
the VNF has received the event from the PEEGN and may also indicate that the
25 VNF may have started to act based on the received event from the PEEGN. Also,
the event acknowledgment response may be an API response such as, but not
limited to, 200 OK response indicating the successful receipt of the event at the
VNF. Furthermore, the VNF catalog may send all the details related to the VNF
along with the event acknowledgment response.
30
21
[0067] Continuing further, the data storage unit [304] may store, via the PEEGN,
the VNF information for utilizing the VNF information during the VNF
instantiation and scaling phase. As would be understood, the VNF instantiation may
refer to the process of the creating and deploying the VNF in the network. Further,
5 scaling may refer to the process of adjusting the resources allocated to the VNF
based on the change in traffic load on the VNF and the consumption of the resources
by the VNF.
[0068] Continuing further, the monitoring unit [306] may monitor, via the PEEGN,
10 one or more resources for both the VNF and a virtual network function component
(VNFC). Further, the monitoring of the one or more resources is a quota monitoring.
As would be understood, the quota may refer to the predefined limit on the
resources that a particular network function is allowed to consume. The quota for a
VNF, will have an upper limit on specific types of resources, which is usually used
15 to prevent excessive resource consumption by a VNF. With the defined quota, the
number of resources to be consumed by a particular VNF is limited to a defined
amount or a percentage of resources. The resources are committed upon demand
when a VNF is instantiated or scaled out, as long as those are within the limits
established by the quota for that VNF. Further, the quota monitoring may refer to a
20 process that ensures that the VNF/VNFC or any other network function/network
function components may not exceed consumption of resources allocated as per the
defined quota. Furthermore, in an implementation, the one or more resources may
comprise a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a disk.
25 [0069] It is to be noted that the mentioned resources are only exemplary and in no
manner limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the resources may include
any other resource obvious to the person skilled in art, to implement the solution
disclosed in the present disclosure.
30 [0070] Moreover, the transceiver unit [302] may further receive, via the PEEGN,
one or more updated VNF/ VNFC information at a run time, via the interface,
22
wherein the interface is provided between the PEEGN and the VNF. The PEEGN
may receive any update in the information related to VNF/VNFC during the
runtime. For example, the resource consumption increase on the VNF/VNFC may
be due to an increase in the traffic load on the VNF/VNFC. The PEEGN may
5 receive the information related to the increase in consumption of the resources at
the VNF/VNFC during the runtime.
[0071] Furthermore, as would be understood, the interfaces are self-contained
software modules that are reusable independently of each other and can be thought
10 of as micro services. The interface between the PEEGN and the VNF is at least a
PE_VC interface.
[0072] Moreover, the transceiver unit [302] may also receive, on the PEEGN, one
or more notifications in case of any update in the VNF information. The PEEGN
15 may receive the notification of all the information related to any update in the VNF
information such as, but not limited to, the change in resource allocation of the
VNF, termination of the VNF/VNFC through the PE_VC interface. The
notifications are received following a subscriber-producer model, where PEEGN is
the subscriber and the VNF catalogue acts as the producer.
20
[0073] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary flow diagram of a method [400] for
providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine,
in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure is
illustrated. In an implementation the method [400] is performed by the system
25 [300]. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] initiates at step [402].
[0074] At step [404], the method [400] comprises sending, by a transceiver unit
[302] via the policy execution engine (PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch,
via an interface, the virtual network function (VNF) information.
30
23
[0075] As would be understood, the PEEGN is a system that may create, mange
and enforce polices and rules to regulate the behavior and the operations of the
network function. Further, the PEEGN may ensure that the network function and
its components may function and operate as per the predefined polices and rules.
5 Furthermore, the policies may include such as, but not limited to, security policy,
traffic management policy, scaling policy, instantiation policy, etc. It is to be noted
that the mentioned polices are only exemplary and in no way limiting the scope of
the present disclosure. The policies may include any other policies obvious to the
person skilled in the art to implement the solution as disclosed in the present
10 disclosure.
[0076] Continuing further, the PEEGN may generate various types of events to
collect real-time data from the VNFC. The events are generated based on the
predefined policies and rules for monitoring and managing the VNF. Further, the
15 event generated by the PEEGN may be an API request that may query the VNF for
specific information. Furthermore, in an implementation, the PEEGN may send a
GET_VNF_DETAIL request to the VNFC to fetch the information related to the
VNF. Furthermore, the information related to the VNF may include all the details
of the VNF. Also, the information related to the VNF may comprise at least one of
20 a VNF name, a VNF version information, a VNF type information, VNF site name,
VNF resources utilized.
[0077] As would be understood, the VNF name is a unique identifier assigned to
each VNF and is used to distinguish one VNF from another in the network. Further,
25 the VNF version information may relate to a specific version of the VNF that may
be deployed and run in the network. The version may indicate evolution of the VNF
over time and may include better performance, new features etc. Furthermore, the
VNF type information may indicate the type of services provided by the VNF in the
network. Further, the VNF resources utilized defines descriptors of virtual compute
30 and storage resources to be used by the VNF when each of the VNFC instances of
24
the VNF is intended to be deployed. The VNF site name describes the IP address of
the server on which the VNF will be deployed as a virtual machine.
[0078] Next, at step [406], the method [400] comprises sending, by the transceiver
5 unit [302] via the VNF catalog, an event acknowledgment response to the PEEGN
with the VNF information. As would be understood, the VNF catalog may store the
metadata of all the VNFs in the network. Further, the metadata of all the VNFs may
include data related to each VNF such as, but not limited to, the type of VNF, one
or more services provided by the VNF, the name of VNF, etc. Furthermore, it is to
10 be noted that the mentioned examples of the metadata of all the VNFs are only
exemplary and in no way limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The metadata
of all the VNFs may include any other data, related to all the VNFs, obvious to the
person skilled in the art to implement the solution as disclosed in the present
disclosure.
15
[0079] Continuing further, the event acknowledgment response may indicate that
the VNF has received the event from the PEEGN and may also indicate that the
VNF may have started to act based on the received event from the PEEGN. Also,
the event acknowledgment response may be an API response such as, but not
20 limited to, 200 OK response, indicating the successful receipt of the event at the
VNF. Furthermore, the VNF catalog may send all the details related to the VNF
along with the event acknowledgment response.
[0080] Further, at step [408], the method [400] comprises storing, in a data storage
25 unit [304] via the PEEGN, the VNF information for utilizing the VNF information.
during the VNF instantiation and scaling phase. As would be understood, the VNF
instantiation may refer to the process of creating and deploying the VNF in the
network. Further, scaling may refer to the process of adjusting the resources
allocated to the VNF based on the change in traffic load on the VNF and the
30 consumption of the resources by the VNF.
25
[0081] Furthermore, at step [410], the method [400] comprises monitoring, by a
monitoring unit [306] via the PEEGN, one or more resources for both the VNF and
a virtual network function component (VNFC). Further, the monitoring of the one
or more resources is a quota monitoring. As would be understood, the quota may
5 refer to the predefined limit on the resources that a particular network function is
allowed to consume. The quota for a VNF will have a upper limit on specific types
of resources, which is usually used to prevent excessive resource consumption by
the VNF. With the defined quota, the number of resources to be consumed by a
particular VNF is limited to a defined amount or a percentage of resources. The
10 resources are committed upon demand when a VNF is instantiated or scaled out, as
long as those are within the limits established by the quota for that VNF. Further,
the quota monitoring may refer to a process that ensures that the VNF/VNFC or any
other network function/network function components may not exceed consumption
of resources allocated as per the defined quota. Furthermore, in an implementation,
15 the one or more resources may comprise a central processing unit (CPU), a memory,
and a disk.
[0082] It is to be noted that the mentioned resources are only exemplary and in no
manner limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the resources may include
20 any other resource obvious to the person skilled in art, to implement the solution
disclosed in the present disclosure.
[0083] Moreover, the transceiver unit [302] may further receive, via the PEEGN,
one or more updated VNF/ VNFC information at run time, via the interface, wherein
25 the interface is provided between the PEEGN and the VNF. The PEEGN may
receive any update in the information related to VNF/VNFC during the runtime.
For example, if there is an increase in the resource consumption on the VNF/VNFC
due to an increase in the traffic load on the VNF/VNFC, the PEEGN may receive
the information related to the increase in consumption of the resources at the
30 VNF/VNFC during the runtime.
26
[0084] Furthermore, as would be understood, the interfaces are self-contained
software modules that are reusable independently of each other and can be thought
of as micro services. The interface between the PEEGN and the VNF is at least a
PE_VC interface.
5
[0085] Moreover, the transceiver unit [302] may also receive, on the PEEGN, one
or more notifications in case of any update in the VNF information. The PEEGN
may receive the notification about all the information related to any update in the
VNF information such as, but not limited to, the change in resource allocation of
10 the VNF, termination of the VNF/VNFC through the PE_VC interface. The
notifications are received following a subscriber-producer model, where PEEGN is
the subscriber and the VNF catalogue acts as the producer.
[0086] Thereafter, at step [412], the method [400] may terminate.
15
[0087] Referring to FIG. 5 an exemplary block diagram of a system architecture
[500] diagram for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy
execution engine, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present
disclosure is illustrated. The system architecture [500] comprises a virtual network
20 function component VNFC [502], a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [504] and a
database [506]. Also, all of the components/ units of the system architecture [500]
are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As
shown in FIG. 5, all units shown within the system architecture [500] should also
be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 5 only a few units are
25 shown, however, the system architecture [500] may comprise multiple such units
or the system architecture [500] may comprise any such number of said units, as
required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
[0088] Particularly, the PEEGN [504] is configured to create, manage and enforce
30 polices and rules to regulate the behavior and the operations of the VNFC [502].
27
The PEEGN [504] sends a GET_VNF_DETAILS request to the VNFC [502] to
retrieve all the information related to a VNF and the VNFC [502].
[0089] Further, the PEEGN [504] receives from the VNFC [502] a response based
5 on the request sent. The response comprises an acknowledgement of receipt of the
GET_VNF_DETAILS request and all the details or information related to the
VNFC [504].
[0090] Furthermore, the PEEGN [504] is connected to the database [506]. The
10 PEEGN [504] sends all the received details or information related to the VNFC
[504] to the database [506]. The database [506] stores all the received details or
information related to the VNFC [502].
[0091] Also, all these operations may be performed through an interface. The
15 interface may be the PE_VC interface through which all these operations are
performed.
[0092] Furthermore, the PEEGN [504] based on the received details or information,
may do a quota check on the resources that may be allocated for instantiation and
20 scaling of the VNF or the VNFC [502]. During the quota check the PEEGN [504]
checks that the VNFC [502] may only use the resources allocated as per the quota
and may not exceed the limit of the resources allocated.
[0093] Thereafter, the PEEGN [504] uses all the received details or information
25 during the instantiation (i.e., the deployment of the VNF in the network) and the
scaling flow (i.e., adjustment of resources allocated to the VNF/VNFC [502]).
[0094] Referring to FIG. 6 an exemplary process flow diagram depicting a process
[600] for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a policy
30 execution engine, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present
disclosure is illustrated. In an implementation, the process [600] is performed by
28
the system architecture [500]. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the process [600] initiates
at step [602].
[0095] At step [604], during the process of VNF instantiation and scaling, an
5 interface (i.e., the PE_VC interface) is used to fetch the VNF information.
[0096] Next, at step [606], to fetch the VNF information, a PEEGN [504] sends an
event to a VNFC [502] to get VNF details. In an exemplary implementation, the
event may include an API request e.g. GET_VNF_DETAILS request.
10
[0097] Further, at step [608], the VNFC [502] sends an event ack as response to the
PEEGN [504] with all details of the VNF including all VNFC [502] details, the
VNF has. The event ack may be an acknowledgement response, to acknowledge the
receipt of the event (e.g. GET_VNF_DETAILS request) from the PEEGN [504].
15
[0098] Further, at step [610], the PEEGN [504] stores these details in its database
DB [506] and may use the received information in instantiation and scaling of the
VNF.
20 [0099] Furthermore, at step [612], the PEEGN [504] may do a quota check on the
resources (e.g. CPU, memory) for both the VNF and the VNFC [502].
[0100] Thereafter, the process [600] may terminate at step [614].
25 [0101] The present disclosure may further relate to a non-transitory computer
readable storage medium storing one or more instructions for providing virtual
network function (VNF) information at a policy execution engine, 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 [300], to send, via a policy
30 execution engine (PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the
virtual network function (VNF) information during a VNF instantiation and scaling
29
phase. The executable code when further executed causes the transceiver unit [302]
to send, via the VNF catalog, an event acknowledgment response to the PEEGN
with the VNF information. Further, the executable code when executed causes a
data storage unit [304], of the system [300], to store, via the PEEGN, the VNF
5 information for utilizing the VNF information. Furthermore, the executable code
when executed causes a monitoring unit [306], of the system [300], to monitor, via
the PEEGN, one or more resources for both a VNF and a virtual network function
component (VNFC).
10 [0102] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution for providing virtual network function (VNF) information at a
policy execution engine. More particularly, the present solution gets, updated
VNF/VNFC details at run time using an interface between the PEEGN and the
VNFC. Further, the present solution does a resource quota check for the
15 VNF/VNFC which are going to be instantiated or scaled. Further, the present
solution is less time consuming for the PEEGN, as the PEEGN does not have to
subscribe and gets notified of any changes in the VNF/VNFC information.
Furthermore, the present solution stores all the information in the PEEGN database.
Thereafter, the present solution starts the next execution from the previous process
20 point in case of any failure.
[0103] 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
25 principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations
of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to
be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative
and non-limiting.
30 [0104] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged
that the functionality described for the various components/units can be
30
implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a
particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various
configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The
functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed
5 as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative
arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended
functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope
of the present disclosure.
31
We Claim:
1. A method [400] for providing virtual network function (VNF) information
at a policy execution engine, the method comprises:
- sending, by a transceiver unit [302] via the policy execution engine
(PEEGN), an event to a VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the
virtual network function (VNF) information;
- sending, by the transceiver unit [302] via the VNF catalog, an event
acknowledgment response to the PEEGN with the VNF information;
- storing, in a data storage unit [304] via the PEEGN, the VNF
information for utilizing the VNF information; and
- monitoring, by a monitoring unit [306] via the PEEGN, one or more
resources for both the VNF and a virtual network function
component (VNFC).
2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual network
function (VNF) information comprises one of at least a VNF name, a VNF
version information, a VNF type information.
3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the policy execution
engine (PEEGN) is connected to the transceiver unit [302], the data storage
unit [304] and the monitoring unit [306].
4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further
comprises:
- receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], one or more updated VNF/
VNFC information at a run time, via the interface, wherein the
interface is provided between the PEEGN and the VNF.
5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the interface is at least a
PE_VC interface.
32
6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further
comprises:
- receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], on the PEEGN, one or more
notifications in case of any update in the VNF information.
7. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the one
or more resources is a quota monitoring.
8. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more resources
comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a disk.
9. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored VNF
information is utilized for calculating required resources for the VNF during
VNF instantiation and scaling.
10. A system [300] for providing virtual network function (VNF) information
at a policy execution engine, the system comprises:
- a transceiver unit [302] configured to:
o send, via a policy execution engine (PEEGN), an event to a
VNF catalog to fetch, via an interface, the virtual network
function (VNF) information during a VNF instantiation and
scaling phase;
o send, via the VNF catalog, an event acknowledgment
response to the PEEGN with the VNF information;
- a data storage unit [304] connected to the transceiver unit [302], the
data storage unit [304] is configured to store, via the PEEGN, the
VNF information for utilizing the VNF information;
- a monitoring unit [306], connected to at least the data storage unit
[304], the monitoring unit [306] is configured to monitor, via the
PEEGN, one or more resources for both the VNF and a virtual
network function component (VNFC).
33
11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the virtual network
function (VNF) information comprises at least one of a VNF name, a VNF
version information, a VNF type information.
12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the policy execution
engine (PEEGN) is connected to the transceiver unit [302], the data
storage unit [304] and the monitoring unit [306].
13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transceiver unit
[302] is further configured to:
- receive, via the PEEGN, one or more updated VNF/ VNFC
information at a run time, via the interface, wherein the interface is
provided between the PEEGN and the VNF.
14. The system [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the interface is at least a
PE_VC interface.
15. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transceiver unit
[302] is further configured to:
- receive, on the PEEGN, one or more notifications in case of any
update in the VNF information.
16. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the monitoring of the one
or more resources is a quota monitoring.
17. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the one or more resources
comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a disk.
34
18. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the stored VNF
information is utilized for calculating required resources for the VNF during
the VNF instantiation and scaling phase.