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 MONITORING RESOURCE
USAGE BY NETWORK NODE COMPONENTS”
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 MONITORING RESOURCE USAGE BY
NETWORK NODE COMPONENTS
FIELD OF INVENTION
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 monitoring resource usage by network
node components.
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. 3G technology
marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and
location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized
wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and
improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being
30 deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect
3
multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication
technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering
more services to its users.
[0004] Network functions virtualization (NFV) 5 software defined network (SDN)
platform has been built to act as a single platform to manage all the virtual network
functions (VNFs) and containerized network functions (CNFs) being deployed in a
telecom network. As the platform is completely based on micro service architecture,
it is highly scalable and will be able to handle hundreds of NFV. The platform is
10 completely event driven and is based on standard REST APIs. Auditor service (AU)
audits the resources in terms of physical memory, RAM and CPU at Inventory
Manager. It brings inventory in close sync with real time available/used resources
and minimizes the mismatch between Inventory Manager (IM) and real time
hardware. The data accuracy depends primarily on Open Stack Adaptor (OSA or
15 OS) and Inventory Manager (IM). OSA is used for virtual machine deployment.
AU detects whether the hosts contain lesser/more instances than the amount present
in inventory managed by IM. It accordingly sends API request to IM to update its
inventory. AU interacts with these Microservices to fetch the real time data using
various APIs. OSA provides accurate resource usage details by accessing the
20 servers. There is a dire need for an interface which provides the actual resource
usage at VNFC in real time.
[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide an efficient system
and method for monitoring resource usage by network node components.
25
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0006] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure
in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description.
4
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 monitoring
resource usage by 5 network node components. The method includes retrieving, by a
retrieving unit at an auditor unit (AU), from an inventory management unit (IMU),
a first list of resources, wherein the first list of resources comprises information of
resources allocated to one or more virtual network function components (VNFCs),
and wherein the first list of resources is saved at a database associated with the
10 IMU. Next, the method includes transmitting, by a transceiver unit at the auditor
unit (AU), to an adaptor unit (ADU), the first list of resources. Next, the method
includes fetching, by an extraction unit at the auditor unit (AU), from the ADU, a
second list of resources, wherein the second list of resources comprises information
of resources used by each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs in real-time, and
15 wherein the second list of resources is calculated by the ADU. Next, the method
includes comparing, by a comparator unit at the auditor unit (AU), the first list of
resources and the second list of resources for each VNFC among the one or more
VNFCs. Thereafter, the method includes transmitting, by the transceiver unit at the
auditor unit (AU) to the IMU, a final list of resources for each VNFC among the
20 one or more VNFCs based on the comparison, for updating the database based on
the final list of resources.
[0008] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
comprises allocating, by an allocation unit, a task to a next available instance in an
25 event of failure of a current available instance processing the task.
[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the transmitting the first
list of resources comprises: sending, by the transceiver unit at the auditor unit (AU),
a query message to the ADU for receiving the list of resources utilized, in real-time,
30 by each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs.
5
[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the list of resources
comprises information related to one or more of a physical memory, a random
access memory (RAM), and a central processing unit (CPU).
5
[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
comprises allocating, by an allocation unit, resources for one or more tasks based
on an asynchronous event-based implementation technique.
10 [0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for
monitoring resource usage by network node components. The system comprises an
auditor unit (AU). The auditor unit (AU) comprises a retrieving unit configured to
retrieve, from an inventory management unit (IMU), a first list of resources,
wherein the first list of resources comprises information of resources allocated to
15 one or more virtual network function components (VNFCs), and wherein the first
list of resources is saved at a database associated with the IMU. Further, the AU
comprises a transceiver unit connected at least with the retrieving unit, the
transceiver unit configured to transmit, to an adaptor unit (ADU), the first list of
resources. Further, the AU comprises an extraction unit connected at least with the
20 transceiver unit, the extraction unit configured to fetch, from the ADU, a second
list of resources, wherein the second list of resources comprises information of
resources used by each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs in real-time, and
wherein the second list of resources is calculated by the ADU. Further, the AU
comprises a comparator unit connected at least with the extraction unit, the
25 comparator unit configured to compare, the first list of resources and the second list
of resources for each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs. The transceiver unit
is further configured to transmit, to the IMU, a final list of resources for each VNFC
among the one or more VNFCs based on the comparison, for updating the database
based on the final list of resources.
30
6
[0013] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium storing instructions for monitoring resource
usage by network node components, the instructions include executable code
which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a retrieving unit of
the system to retrieve, from an 5 inventory management unit (IMU), a first list of
resources, wherein the first list of resources comprises information of resources
allocated to one or more virtual network function components (VNFCs), and
wherein the first list of resources is saved at a database associated with the IMU; a
transceiver unit connected at least with the retrieving unit, the transceiver unit of
10 the system to transmit, to an adaptor unit (ADU), the first list of resources; an
extraction unit connected at least with the transceiver unit, the extraction unit of the
system to fetch, from the ADU, a second list of resources, wherein the second list
of resources comprises information of resources used by each VNFC among the
one or more VNFCs in real-time, and wherein the second list of resources is
15 calculated by the ADU; and a comparator unit connected at least with the extraction
unit, the comparator unit of the system to compare, the first list of resources and the
second list of resources for each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs; the
transceiver unit further of the system to transmit, to the IMU, a final list of resources
for each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs based on the comparison, for
20 updating the database based on the final list of resources.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
25 embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
[0015] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method
that is able to monitor the accurate resource usage details by accessing the servers.
7
[0016] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
provides data of actual resources used by VNFCs running on servers of a site.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
5
[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
different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
10 emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present
disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as
limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system
according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the
disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such
15 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
orchestration (MANO) architecture.
20
[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 an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
25 [0020] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for monitoring
resource usage by network node components, in accordance with an exemplary
implementation of the present disclosure.
8
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for monitoring resource usage by
network node components, in accordance with an exemplary implementation of the
present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates an 5 exemplary process flow diagram for monitoring
resource usage by network node components, in accordance with exemplary
implementations of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary system architecture diagram for monitoring
10 resource usage by network node components, in accordance with an exemplary
implementation of the present disclosure.
[0024] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
15
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of
20 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
25 problems discussed above.
[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
30 the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment.
It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and
9
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
understanding of the 5 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.
10
[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
15 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
20 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
25 known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms
“includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed
description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive—in a manner
similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word—without precluding
any additional or other elements.
30
10
[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
of microprocessors, one or more 5 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
10 the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or
processing unit is a hardware processor.
[0031] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or
computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a
15 form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable
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
20 functions.
[0032] As used herein “interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or
more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface
may also be referred to as a set of rules or protocols that define the communication
25 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.
[0033] All modules, units, and components used herein, unless explicitly excluded
herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a
30 general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a conventional processor,
11
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.
5
[0034] 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.
10
[0035] As used herein, the Physical and Virtual Inventory Manager (PVIM) module
maintains the inventory and its resources. After getting a request to reserve
resources from PEEGN, PVIM adds up the resources consumed by a particular
network function as used resources. Further, the PVIM updates this in the NoSQL
15 database.
[0036] As used herein, Micro Service Auditor (MAUD) may audit the network
resources of network node components in the network.
20 [0037] As used herein, Policy Schedular & Cron Jobs (PSC) may schedule one or
more cron jobs based on scheduled time period configured by network
administrator.
[0038] As used herein, Open Stack Adapter (OSA) may provide virtual machine
25 deployment. OSA provides the accurate and actual resource usage details by
accessing the servers.
[0039] As used herein, auditor unit (AU) may refer to Micro Service Auditor of
MANO architecture.
30
12
[0040] As used herein, inventory management unit (IMU) may refer to Physical &
Virtual Inventory/Resource Manager of MANO architecture.
[0041] As used herein, adaptor unit (ADU) may refer to Open Stack Adaptor of
5 MANO architecture.
[0042] 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
10 method and system for monitoring resource usage by network node components.
[0043] The present disclosure aims to overcome the issues discussed in the
background section and other existing problems in this field of technology by using
AU_OS interface that utilises data of actual resources used by VNFCs running on
15 servers of a site and fetches the VNFC’s number of instances list for a node. Further,
AU_OS interface ensures fault tolerance for any event failure, this interface works
in a high availability mode and if one auditor instance went down during request
processing then next available instance will take care of this request.
20 [0044] The present disclosure is implemented in a network such as, but not limited
to 5G network, lower than 5G network (e.g., 4G network) and higher than 5G
network (e.g., 6G network).
[0045] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
25 description of the disclosure.
[0046] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
30 [0047] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a
management and orchestration (MANO) architecture/ platform [100], in
13
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. The MANO
architecture [100] may be developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure
automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of
network node(s)/ service(s) etc. The MANO architecture [100] deploys the network
node(s) in the form of a Virtual Network 5 Function (VNF) and Cloud-native/
Container Network Function (CNF). The system as provided by the present
disclosure may comprise one or more components of the MANO architecture [100].
The MANO architecture [100] may be used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the
corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in
10 onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform. As used herein, VNFs
may refer to software applications that deliver network functions associated with
entities such as load balancers, firewalls, and routers. VNFs may deployed such as
virtual machine and used by an enterprise or network service provider. Further,
CNFs may be deployed within containers in a cloud environment for implementing
15 such as applications, functions and microservices architecture.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user
interface layer [102], a network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined
network (SDN) design function module [104], a platform foundation services
20 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 of
implementing features of the present disclosure. NFV may deploy separate
communication services from dedicated hardware, such as firewalls and routers.
25 NFV provides use of virtual machines in place of physical network appliances. SDN
facilitates software-based controllers or application programming interfaces (APIs)
to communicate with deployed hardware infrastructure and direct traffic on a
network. SDN may allow automated network control functions, which makes it
possible for the network to respond quickly to dynamic workloads.
30
14
[0049] 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 inventory manager [1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager [1052]. The
VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] 5 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
10 be followed for executing the process. For e.g., in an AMF network function of the
communication network (such as a 5G network), a sequence for execution of
processes P1 and P2 etc. The VNF catalog [1044] is configured to store the
metadata associated with a plurality of VNFs. The network services catalog [1046]
stores the information on the services that need to be run. The network slicing and
15 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 inventory 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
20 CNFs lifecycle management.
[0050] The platform 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
25 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
require changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] may be
30 responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the
15
MANO platform [100]. These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event
routing manager [1070] may be responsible for routing the events i.e., the
application programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.
[0051] The platforms core services 5 module [108] comprises an NFV infrastructure
monitoring manager [1082], an assure manager [1084], a performance manager
[1086], a policy execution engine [1088], a capacity monitoring manager [1090], a
release management (mgmt.) repository [1092], a configuration manager & GCT
[1094], an NFV platform decision analytics [1096], a platform NoSQL DB [1098];
10 a platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100], a VNF backup & upgrade manager
[1102], a microservice auditor [1104], and a platform operations, administration
and maintenance manager [1106]. The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager
[1082] 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
15 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
policies. The policies may be associated with such as, but not limited to, deploying
new/existing network functions node based on traffic loads, dynamic load
20 balancing, executing tasks at scheduled time by network administrator. The
capacity monitoring manager (CMM) [1090] may be responsible for sending the
request to the PEGN [1088]. The CMM [1090] may be responsible to deploy
effective network services and ensure optimum performance by providing resources
to support network service requirements. The release management (mgmt.)
25 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
decision analytics (NPDA) [1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the
network resources. It may be further noted that the policy execution engine (PEGN)
30 [1088], the configuration manager & GCT [1094], and the NPDA [1096] work
16
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.
The platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100] schedule the tasks such as but not
limited to triggering an event, traversing the network graph etc. The VNF backup
& upgrade manager [1102] takes backup 5 of the images, and binaries of the VNFs
and the CNFs and produces those backups on demand in case of server failure. The
microservice auditor [1104] audits the microservices. E.g., in a hypothetical case,
instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture [100] may be using the
network resources. In such cases, the microservice auditor [1104] audits and
10 informs the same so that resources can be released for services running in the
MANO architecture [100]. The audit assures that the services only run on the
MANO platform [100]. The platform operations, administration, and maintenance
manager [1106] may be used for newer instances (e.g., instances of VNF or CNF)
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 service adaptor [1126]; an Open Stack
adapter [1128]; and a NFV gateway [1130]. The platform's external API adaptor
20 and gateway [1122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the
MANO platform [100]) that require the network resources. The generic decoder
and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON) [1124] gets directly the data of the vendor system
in the XML, CSV, and JSON format. The docker service adaptor [1126] may be the
interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture [100] for
25 communication. The DSA [1126] may 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 network functions packaged as containers, may consist
30 of multiple CNFCs. The DSA [1126] facilitates the deployment, configuration, and
17
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. The OpenStack adapter [1128] may be used to connect
with the virtual machines 5 (VMs) associated with components, such as VNF. The
NFV gateway [1130] may be responsible for providing the path to each service
going to/incoming from the MANO architecture [100].
[0053] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary block diagram of a computing device
10 [200] (also referred to 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
computing device [200] may also implement a method for monitoring resource
usage by network node components utilizing the system. In another
15 implementation, the computing device [200] itself implements the method for
monitoring resource usage by network node components 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.
20 [0054] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other
communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware
processor [204] coupled with the bus [202] for processing information. The
hardware processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor.
The computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a
25 random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the
bus [202] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor
[204]. The main memory [206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or
other intermediate information during the execution of the instructions to be
executed by the processor [204]. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory
30 storage media accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200]
into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations
18
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].
[0055] A storage device [210], such as a 5 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
10 displaying information to a computer user. An input device [214], including
alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the
bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor
[204]. Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as
a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction
15 information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling
cursor movement on the display [212]. The input device typically has two degrees
of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow
the device to specify positions in a plane.
20 [0056] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described
herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware,
and/or program logic which in combination with the computing device [200] causes
or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine.
According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the
25 computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more
sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206]. Such
instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium,
such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the sequences of instructions
contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the
30 process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present
19
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 5 interface [218] provides a twoway
data communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a
local network [222]. For example, the communication interface [218] may be an
integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or
a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of
10 telephone line. As another example, the communication interface [218] may be a
local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a
compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such
implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing
15 various types of information.
[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
20 transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the
ISP [226], the local network [222], the host [224] and the communication interface
[218]. The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received,
and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later
execution.
25
[0059] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for
monitoring resource usage by network node components is shown, in accordance
with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300]
comprises at least one auditor unit (AU) [300a]. The auditor unit (AU) [300a]
30 further comprises at least one retrieving unit [302], at least one transceiver unit
20
[304], at least one extraction unit [306], at least one comparator unit [308], at least
one allocation unit [310], at least one Inventory Management Unit (IMU) [314] and
at least one adaptor unit (ADU) [312]. Also, all of the components/ units of the
system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated
below. Also, i 5 n 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 server or a network entity. In yet
another implementation, the system [300] may reside partly in the server/ network
10 entity.
[0060] The system [300] is configured for monitoring resource usage by network
node components, with the help of the interconnection between the
components/units of the system [300].
15
[0061] In an exemplary implementation, the network node component may refer to
virtual network function component (VNFC). VNFC refers to the modular building
blocks of Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs). In another exemplary
implementation, the network node component may refer to containerized network
20 function component (CNFC).
[0062] The system [300] comprises an auditor unit (AU) [300a]. The auditor unit
(AU) [300a] further comprises a retrieving unit [302]. The retrieving unit [302] is
configured to retrieve, from an inventory management unit (IMU) [314], a first list
25 of resources. The first list of resources may comprise information of resources
allocated to one or more virtual network function components (VNFCs). The first
list of resources is saved at a database associated with the IMU [314]. In an
implementation, the inventory management unit (IMU) [314] may be a physical and
virtual inventory manager (PVIM) [1050]. The list of resources may comprise
30 information related to one or more of a physical memory, a random access memory
(RAM), and a central processing unit (CPU).
21
[0063] The system [300] further comprises a transceiver unit [304] connected at
least with the retrieving unit [302]. The transceiver unit [304] is configured to
transmit to an adaptor unit (ADU) [312], the first list of resources. After receiving
from the retrieving unit [302], the 5 transceiver unit [304] is configured to transmit
the retrieved first list of resources, such as physical memory, random access
memory (RAM), and central processing unit (CPU) to the adaptor unit (ADU)
[312]. In an implementation, the adaptor unit (ADU) [312] may be an Open stack
Adaptor [1128].
10
[0064] The system [300] further comprises an extraction unit [306] connected at
least with the transceiver unit [304]. The extraction unit [306] is configured to fetch,
from the ADU [312], a second list of resources. The second list of resources may
comprise information of resources used by each VNFC among the one or more
15 VNFCs in real-time. The second list of resources is calculated by the ADU [312].
The ADU [312] is configured to store the calculated second list of resources in a
connected database. In an exemplary implementation, the calculated second list of
resources may associate with physical memory, random access memory (RAM),
and central processing unit (CPU).
20
[0065] In an implementation, the first list of resources may indicate the resources
that were pre-allocated for the one or more VNFCs. The second list of resources
may indicate the resources that are consumed by the one or more VNFCs in realtime.
25
[0066] In an exemplary implementation, the transmitting the set of details of the
one or more VNFCs, the transceiver unit [304] is further configured to send, to the
ADU [312], a query message for receiving the list of resources utilized, in realtime,
by each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs. In an implementation, the
30 query message may be triggered by a network administrator or an authorized
person. In another implementation, the query message may be triggered
22
periodically at configured time period for selected one or more VNFCs. As used
herein, the query message is also referred to as a request, and may be sent as an
application programming interface (API) call, to receive list of resources utilized,
in real-time.
5
[0067] The system [300] further comprises a comparator unit [308] connected at
least with the extraction unit [306]. After receiving the calculated second list of
resources from the extraction unit [306] and first set of resources from the
transceiver unit [304], the comparator unit [308] is configured to compare the first
10 list of resources and the second list of resources for each VNFC among the one or
more VNFCs. In an implementation, the comparison may represent mismatching of
the first list of resources and the second list of resources.
[0068] After receiving the comparison from the comparator unit [308], the
15 transceiver unit [304] of the system is further configured to transmit to the IMU
[314], a final list of resources for each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs based
on the comparison for updating the database based on the final list of resources. The
final list of resources may represent overused resources or underused resources in
real-time. After updating the database, IMU [314] may sync with the allotted
20 resources and resources used by the one or more VNFCs.
[0069] In an implementation, the system [300] is configured to monitor the
resource used by VNFCs running on server via an interface between auditor unit
(AU) [300a] (e.g., Microservice Auditor (MAUD) [1104]) and adaptor unit (ADU)
25 [312] (e.g., OSA [1128]), such as AU_OS interface. The AU [300a] retrieves details
of multiple VNFCs from a IMU [314] (e.g., PVIM [1050]) and AU [300a] transmits
details to ADU [312] via AU_OS interface. The OS fetches the resource utilized by
each VNFCs in a database and the MAUD retrieves the VNFC instance list for each
node from OS via AU_OS interface. The AU_OS interface ensures fault tolerance
30 for any event failure and works in a high availability mode. If one instance of AU
23
[300a] goes down during request processing, then next available instance may take
care of the request. The AU [300a] monitors the accurate resource usage details by
accessing the servers via AU_OS interface.
[0070] The system [300] further comprises an 5 allocation unit [310]. The allocation
unit [310] is configured to allocate a task to a next available instance in an event of
failure of a current available instance processing the task. For example, if one
VNFC goes down associated with executing a service request in the network, the
next available VNFC may be allocated to execute the task (e.g., routing packets,
10 processing network flow request) for processing the service request. The allocation
unit [310] is further configured to allocate resources for one or more tasks based on
an asynchronous event-based implementation technique. The various network
nodes of the network may execute various tasks in parallel, and one component of
the system, for executing a second task, may not wait for another component to
15 execute a first task. The allocation unit [310] is configured to allocate the resources
asynchronously so that other instances may get notified and may execute the one or
more task accordingly.
[0071] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged
20 that the functionality described for the various components/units can be
implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a
particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various
configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The
functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed
25 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.
24
[0072] Referring to FIG. 4 an exemplary method flow diagram [400], for
monitoring resource usage by network node components, in accordance with
exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an
implementation, the method [400] is performed by the system [300]. As shown in
5 FIG. 4, the method [400] starts at step [402].
[0073] At step [404], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises retrieving, by a retrieving unit [302] at an auditor unit (AU) [300a], from
an inventory management unit (IMU) [314], a first list of resources, wherein the
10 first list of resources comprises information of resources allocated to one or more
virtual network function components (VNFCs), and wherein the first list of
resources is saved at a database associated with the IMU [314]. In an
implementation, the inventory management unit (IMU) [314] may be a physical and
virtual inventory manager (PVIM) [1050]. The list of resources may comprise
15 information related to one or more of a physical memory, a random access memory
(RAM), and a central processing unit (CPU).
[0074] Next, at step [406], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises transmitting, by a transceiver unit [304] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a],
20 to an adaptor unit (ADU) [312], the first list of resources. After receiving from the
retrieving unit [302], the transceiver unit [304] may transmit the retrieved first list
of resources, such as physical memory, random access memory (RAM), and central
processing unit (CPU) to the adaptor unit (ADU) [312]. In an implementation, the
adaptor unit (ADU) [312] may be an Open stack Adaptor [1128].
25
[0075] Next, at step [408], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
comprises fetching, by an extraction unit [306] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a], from
the ADU [312], a second list of resources, wherein the second list of resources
comprises information of resources used by each VNFC among the one or more
30 VNFCs in real-time, and wherein the second list of resources is calculated by the
ADU [312]. The ADU [312] may store the calculated second list of resources in a
25
connected database. In an exemplary implementation, the calculated second list of
resources may associate with physical memory, random access memory (RAM),
and central processing unit (CPU).
[0076] In an implementation, the first list of resources 5 may be pre allocated for the
one or more VNFCs. The second list of resources may be consumed by the one or
more VNFCs in real-time.
[0077] In an exemplary implementation, the transmitting the set of details of the
10 one or more VNFCs, the transceiver unit [304] may further send, to the ADU [312],
a query message for receiving the list of resources utilized, in real-time, by each
VNFC among the one or more VNFCs. In an implementation, the query message
may be triggered by a network administrator or an authorized person. In another
implementation, the query message may be triggered periodically at configured
15 time period for selected one or more VNFCs. As used herein, the query message is
also referred to as a request, and may be sent as an application programming
interface (API) call, to receive list of resources utilized, in real-time.
[0078] Next, at step [410], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
20 comprises comparing, by a comparator unit [308] at the auditor unit (AU)[300a],
the first list of resources and the second list of resources for each VNFC among the
one or more VNFCs. After receiving the calculated second list of resources from
the extraction unit [306] and first set of resources from the transceiver unit [304],
the comparator unit [308] may compare the first list of resources and the second list
25 of resources for each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs. In an implementation,
the comparison may represent mismatching of the first list of resources and the
second list of resources.
[0079] Next, at step [412], the method [400] as disclosed by the present disclosure
30 comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [304] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a]
to the IMU [314], a final list of resources for each VNFC among the one or more
26
VNFCs based on the comparison, for updating the database based on the final list
of resources. After receiving the comparison from the comparator unit [308], the
transceiver unit [304] of the system may transmit to the IMU [314], the final list of
resources for each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs based on the comparison
for updating the database based on the final 5 list of resources. The final list of
resources may represent overused resources or underused resources in real-time.
After updating the database, IMU [314] may sync with the allotted resources and
resources used by the one or more VNFCs.
10 [0080] The method [400] further implemented by an allocation unit [310] of the
system [300] may allocate a task to a next available instance in an event of failure
of a current available instance processing the task. For example, if one VNFC goes
down associated with executing a service request in the network, the next available
VNFC may be allocated to execute the task (e.g., routing packets, processing
15 network flow request) for processing the service request. The allocation unit [310]
may further allocate resources for one or more tasks based on an asynchronous
event-based implementation technique. The various network nodes of the network
may execute various tasks in parallel, and one component of the system, for
executing a second task, may not wait for another component to execute a first task.
20 The allocation unit [310] may allocate the resources asynchronously so that other
instances may get notified and may execute the one or more task accordingly.
[0081] Thereafter, the method [400] terminates at step [414].
25 [0082] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary process flow [500] diagram for
monitoring resource usage by network node components, in accordance with
exemplary implementations of the present disclosure, is shown. In an exemplary
implementation, the process flow [500] indicates the process for monitoring via
AU_OS interface the accurate resource usage details by accessing the servers, in
30 accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. Further the
process flow [500] may be implemented with system [100] as depicted in FIG. 1
27
and system [300] as depicted in FIG. 3. In a non-limiting implementation of the
present solution in other words, the process flow [500] may be configured to
perform the method [200] as depicted in FIG. 4 via at the one or more components
as depicted in FIG. 3 of the system [300] as follows:
• After fetching the VNFC details from IMU 5 [314] (e.g., PVIM [1050]), the
AU [300a] (e.g., MAUD [1104]) sends the details to ADU [312] (e.g., OSA
[1128]).
• ADU [312] then fetches the resource details and sends the list back to AU
[300a] for each node.
10 • This process takes place in asynchronous event-based implementation.
• AU [330a] also fetches the VNFC instance list for each node from ADU
[312] via AU_OS interface.
[0083] Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary system architecture [600] diagram for
15 monitoring resource usage by network node components, in accordance with an
exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, is shown. As shown in FIG. 6,
system [600] comprises a Platform Schedulers & Cron Jobs (PSC) [1100], a
Microservice Auditor (MAUD) [1104], a Physical & Virtual Inventory Manager
(PVIM) [1050], Open Stack Adapter (OSA) [1128] and a database [602].
20
[0084] MAUD [1104] may receive a sync up request from a PSC [1100] or a
command line interface (CLI) for one or more virtual network function components
(VNFCs) resource usages. Next, the MAUD [1104] may retrieve from the PVIM
[1050] a set of details for one or more VNFCs. Next, the MAUD [1104] may
25 transmit via an AU_OS interface to the OSA [1128] the set of details for the one or
more VNFCs. Next, the MAUD [1104] may receive the AU_OS interface from the
OSA [1129] a list of resources utilized by each of the VNFCs based on the set of
details for the one or more VNCFs. In an embodiment of the present solution, the
OSA [1128] may store the real time information of the resources utilized by each
30 VNFC in the database [602] and retrieves the list based on the query of MAUD
28
[1104]. In another embodiment of the present solution, MAUD [1104] may retrieve
the VNFC instance list for each node from the OSA [1128] via AU_OS interface.
Next, the MAUD [1104] may monitor via AU_OS interface the accurate resource
usage details by accessing the servers.
5
[0085] The present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium storing instructions for monitoring resource usage by network node
components, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one
or more units of a system, causes: a retrieving unit [302] of the system to retrieve,
10 from an inventory management unit (IMU) [314], a first list of resources, wherein
the first list of resources comprises information of resources allocated to one or
more virtual network function components (VNFCs), and wherein the first list of
resources is saved at a database associated with the IMU; a transceiver unit [304]
connected at least with the retrieving unit [302], the transceiver unit [304] of the
15 system to transmit, to an adaptor unit (ADU) [312], the first list of resources; an
extraction unit [306] connected at least with the transceiver unit [304], the
extraction unit [306] of the system to fetch, from the ADU [312], a second list of
resources, wherein the second list of resources comprises information of resources
used by each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs in real-time, and wherein the
20 second list of resources is calculated by the ADU [312]; and a comparator unit [308]
connected at least with the extraction unit, the comparator unit of the system to
compare, the first list of resources and the second list of resources for each VNFC
among the one or more VNFCs; the transceiver unit [304] further of the system to
transmit, to the IMU [314], a final list of resources for each VNFC among the one
25 or more VNFCs based on the comparison, for updating the database based on the
final list of resources.
[0086] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution for monitoring via AU_OS interface the accurate resource usage
30 details by accessing the servers. The present solution provides data of actual
29
resources used by VNFCs running on servers of a site. The present solution fetches
the VNFC’s number of instances list for a node.
[0087] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed
embodiments, it will be appreciated 5 that many embodiments can be made and that
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
10 and non-limiting.
30
We Claim:
1. A method for monitoring resource usage by network node components, the
method comprising:
- retrieving, by a retrieving unit [302] at an auditor unit (AU) [300a], from
an inventory management unit 5 (IMU) [314], a first list of resources,
wherein the first list of resources comprises information of resources
allocated to one or more virtual network function components (VNFCs),
and wherein the first list of resources is saved at a database associated
with the IMU [314];
10 - transmitting, by a transceiver unit [304] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a],
to an adaptor unit (ADU) [312], the first list of resources;
- fetching, by an extraction unit [306] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a],
from the ADU [312], a second list of resources, wherein the second list
of resources comprises information of resources used by each VNFC
15 among the one or more VNFCs in real-time, and wherein the second list
of resources is calculated by the ADU [312];
- comparing, by a comparator unit [308] at the auditor unit (AU)[300a],
the first list of resources and the second list of resources for each VNFC
among the one or more VNFCs; and
20 - transmitting, by the transceiver unit [304] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a]
to the IMU [314], a final list of resources for each VNFC among the one
or more VNFCs based on the comparison, for updating the database
based on the final list of resources.
25 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
- allocating, by an allocation unit [310], a task to a next available instance
in an event of failure of a current available instance processing the task.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitting the first list of
30 resources comprises:
31
- sending, by the transceiver unit [304] at the auditor unit (AU) [300a], a
query message to the ADU [312] for receiving the list of resources
utilized, in real-time, by each VNFC among the one or more VNFCs.
4. The method as claimed 5 in claim 1, wherein the list of resources comprises
information related to one or more of a physical memory, a random access
memory (RAM), and a central processing unit (CPU).
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises allocating,
10 by an allocation unit (AU) [310], resources for one or more tasks based on
an asynchronous event-based implementation technique.
6. A system for monitoring resource usage by network node components, the
system comprising an auditor unit (AU) [300a], the auditor unit (AU) [300a]
15 further comprising:
- a retrieving unit [302] configured to retrieve, from an inventory
management unit (IMU) [314], a first list of resources, wherein the first
list of resources comprises information of resources allocated to one or
more virtual network function components (VNFCs), and wherein the
20 first list of resources is saved at a database associated with the IMU
[314];
- a transceiver unit [304] connected at least with the retrieving unit [302],
the transceiver unit [304] configured to transmit, to an adaptor unit
(ADU) [312], the first list of resources;
25 - an extraction unit [306] connected at least with the transceiver unit
[304], the extraction unit [306] configured to fetch, from the ADU
[312], a second list of resources, wherein the second list of resources
comprises information of resources used by each VNFC among the one
or more VNFCs in real-time, and wherein the second list of resources
30 is calculated by the ADU [312]; and
32
- a comparator unit [308] connected at least with the extraction unit [306],
the comparator unit [308] configured to compare, the first list of
resources and the second list of resources for each VNFC among the one
or more VNFCs;
- the transceiver unit 5 [304] further configured to transmit, to the IMU
[314], a final list of resources for each VNFC among the one or more
VNFCs based on the comparison, for updating the database based on
the final list of resources.
10 7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the system further comprises an
allocation unit [310] configured to allocate a task to a next available instance
in an event of failure of a current available instance processing the task.
8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein for the transmitting the set of
15 details of the one or more VNFCs, the transceiver unit [304] is further
configured to:
- send, to the ADU [312], a query message for receiving the list of
resources utilized, in real-time, by each VNFC among the one or more
VNFCs.
20
9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the list of resources comprises
information related to one or more of a physical memory, a random access
memory (RAM), and a central processing unit (CPU).
25 10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the system further comprises an
allocation unit [310] configured to allocate resources for one or more tasks
based on an asynchronous event-based implementation technique.