Claims:

1. A method for dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), the method comprising a processor implemented steps of:
obtaining, by one or more hardware processors, a first set of information from a plurality of sources, wherein the first set of information comprises user inputs corresponding to one or more active VNFs (301);
translating, via a trap generator module, the first set of information into a second set of information, wherein the second set of information comprises a plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs, and wherein the translation is performed by implementing one or more natural language processing techniques on the first set of information (302);
generating, from the second set of information, a third set of information comprising of one or more fault notifications corresponding to one or more network monitoring policies via an Operations Support System (OSS) (303);
dynamically generating, based upon the third set of information, the one or more network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via a policy hub (304); and
dynamically deploying the one or more network monitoring policies via a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) and a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM), wherein the dynamic deployment comprises (305):
generating, based upon the one or more network monitoring policies, a fourth set of information comprising a plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via the NFVO (305(i)); and
(i) performing, based upon the fourth set of information, one of (305(ii)):
(a) executing, by using the NFVO, one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs upon determining that the fourth set of information comprises at least one network related issue or service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs (305(ii)(a)); or
(b) parsing the fourth set of information using the NFVO upon determining an absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs (305(ii)(b)).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of executing the one or more corrective actions comprises generating, by the OSS, a report on monitoring data corresponding to the network related issue or the service related disturbance to determine performance of the one or more active VNFs.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first set information is translated into the second set of information by the trap generator module using one or more pre-defined schemas.

4. A system (100) for dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) (201), the system (100) comprising:
a memory (102) storing instructions;
one or more communication Operating Support System interfaces (106); and
one or more hardware processors (104) coupled to the memory (102) via the one or more communication interfaces (106), wherein the one or more hardware processors (104) are configured by the instructions to:
obtain a first set of information from a plurality of sources, wherein the first set of information comprises user inputs corresponding to one or more active VNFs (201);
translate, via a trap generator module, the first set of information into a second set of information, wherein the second set of information comprises a plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs, and wherein the translation is performed by implementing one or more natural language processing techniques on the first set of information (201);
generate, from the second set of information, a third set of information comprising of one or more fault notifications corresponding to one or more network monitoring policies via an Operations Support System (OSS) (202);
dynamically generate, based upon the third set of information, the one or more network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs (201) via a policy hub; and
dynamically deploy the one or more network monitoring policies via a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) (205) and a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM) (206), wherein the dynamic deployment comprises:
(i) generate, based upon the one or more network monitoring policies, a fourth set of information comprising a plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs (201) via the NFVO (205); and
(ii) perform, based upon the fourth set of information, one of:
(i) execute, by using the NFVO (205), one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs (201) upon determining that the fourth set of information comprises at least one network related issue or service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs (201); or
(ii) parse the fourth set of information using the NFVO (205) upon determining an absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs (201).

5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the one or more hardware processors (104) are configured to execute the one or more corrective actions by generating, by the OSS (202), a report on monitoring data corresponding to the network related issue or the service related disturbance, to determine performance of the one or more active VNFs (201).

6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the one or more hardware processors (104) are configured to translate, using one or more pre-defined schemas, the first set information is translated into the second set of information via the trap generator module.
, Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:

DYNAMIC GENERATION AND DEPLOYMENT OF NETWORK MONITORING POLICIES CORRESPONDING TO ACTIVE VIRTUAL NETWORK FUNCTIONS (VNFs)

Applicant

Tata Consultancy Services Limited
A company Incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956
Having address:
Nirmal Building, 9th floor,
Nariman point, Mumbai 400021,
Maharashtra, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.


TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The disclosure herein generally relates to network monitoring policies, and, more particularly, to dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs).

BACKGROUND
[002] A network permits communication or signal exchange among the various computing systems of the common group in some selectable way. The interconnection of those computing systems, as well as the devices that regulate and facilitate the exchange among the systems, represent a network. Further, networks may be interconnected together to establish internetworks. The combination of functions and the network infrastructure forms a network system.
[003] Network policies are generally directed to administration, management, and/or control of access to or usage of network services. A network policy may also be a policy abstraction that is the translation of one or more network policies to a different level of abstraction. For example, multiple network use policies may be bundled into a higher-level abstract network policy for ease of handling and naming; a network policy set is simply a policy composed of one or more policies.
[004] Policy-based network management in network management comprises responding in part to dramatic changes that have taken place in the way the Internet and corporate networks (for example, intranets) are used. Policy-based network management has proven to be a valuable mechanism for controlling access to network resources, for promoting responsible use of network bandwidth, multicast groups, security and encryption, and other such resources, and for enabling centralized control of widely-distributed devices.
[005] Policy management is used in systems and processes associated with managing network traffic to ensure that appropriate levels of Quality of Services (QoS) are applied (for example, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) receives priority over email traffic). Further, the traditional systems and methods providing for traditional ways of policy management suffer from various limitations like the difficulty in specifying, managing and deploying complex, interrelated and inherited policies, detection of policy conflicts, and the deployment of dynamic policies.

SUMMARY
[006] Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems recognized by the inventors in conventional systems. For example, in one embodiment, a method for dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) is provided, the method comprising: obtaining, by one or more hardware processors, a first set of information from a plurality of sources, wherein the first set of information comprises user inputs corresponding to one or more active VNFs; translating, via a trap generator module, the first set of information into a second set of information, wherein the second set of information comprises a plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs, and wherein the translation is performed by implementing one or more natural language processing techniques on the first set of information; generating, from the second set of information, a third set of information comprising of one or more fault notifications corresponding to one or more network monitoring policies via an Operations Support System (OSS); dynamically generating, based upon the third set of information, the one or more network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via a policy hub; dynamically deploying the one or more network monitoring policies via a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) and a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM), wherein the dynamic deployment comprises: (i) generating, based upon the one or more network monitoring policies, a fourth set of information comprising a plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via the NFVO; and (ii) performing, based upon the fourth set of information, one of: (a) executing, by using the NFVO, one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs upon determining that the fourth set of information comprises at least one network related issue or service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs; or (b) parsing the fourth set of information using the NFVO upon determining an absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs; and generating, by the OSS, a report on monitoring data corresponding to the network related issue or the service related disturbance to determine performance of the one or more active VNFs.
[007] In another aspect, there is provided a system for dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), the system comprising a memory storing instructions; one or more communication interfaces; and one or more hardware processors coupled to the memory via the one or more communication interfaces, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured by the instructions to: obtain a first set of information from a plurality of sources, wherein the first set of information comprises user inputs corresponding to one or more active VNFs; translate, via a trap generator module, the first set of information into a second set of information, wherein the second set of information comprises a plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs, and wherein the translation is performed by implementing one or more natural language processing techniques on the first set of information; generate, from the second set of information, a third set of information comprising of one or more fault notifications corresponding to one or more network monitoring policies via an Operations Support System (OSS); dynamically generate, based upon the third set of information, the one or more network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via a policy hub; dynamically deploy the one or more network monitoring policies via a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) and a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM), wherein the dynamic deployment comprises: (i) generate, based upon the one or more network monitoring policies, a fourth set of information comprising a plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via the NFVO; and (ii) perform, based upon the fourth set of information, one of: (a) execute, by using the NFVO, one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs upon determining that the fourth set of information comprises at least one network related issue or service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs; or (b) parse the fourth set of information using the NFVO upon determining an absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs; and execute the one or more corrective actions by generating, by the OSS, a report on monitoring data corresponding to the network related issue or the service related disturbance, to determine performance of the one or more active VNFs.
[008] In yet another aspect, there is provided one or more non-transitory machine readable information storage mediums comprising one or more instructions which when executed by one or more hardware processors causes the one or more hardware processors to perform a method for dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), the method comprising: obtaining a first set of information from a plurality of sources, wherein the first set of information comprises user inputs corresponding to one or more active VNFs; translating, via a trap generator module, the first set of information into a second set of information, wherein the second set of information comprises a plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs, and wherein the translation is performed by implementing one or more natural language processing techniques on the first set of information; generating, from the second set of information, a third set of information comprising of one or more fault notifications corresponding to one or more network monitoring policies via an Operations Support System (OSS); dynamically generating, based upon the third set of information, the one or more network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via a policy hub; dynamically deploying the one or more network monitoring policies via a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) and a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM), wherein the dynamic deployment comprises: (i) generating, based upon the one or more network monitoring policies, a fourth set of information comprising a plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs via the NFVO; and (ii) performing, based upon the fourth set of information, one of: (a) executing, by using the NFVO, one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs upon determining that the fourth set of information comprises at least one network related issue or service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs; or (b) parsing the fourth set of information using the NFVO upon determining an absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs; and generating, by the OSS, a report on monitoring data corresponding to the network related issue or the service related disturbance to determine performance of the one or more active VNFs.
[009] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles:
[011] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for a dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[012] FIG. 2 is an architectural diagram depicting components and flow of the system for the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the active VNFs, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[013] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps involved in the process of the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the active VNFs, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[014] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Wherever convenient, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. While examples and features of disclosed principles are described herein, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the following detailed description be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
[015] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for a dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). Cloud computing and other related architectures introduce many technologies including server virtualization, Network Virtualization (NV), and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to enhance the essential characteristics of the cloud computing. For Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platforms, the above technologies are helpful in building a shared pool of configurable, elastic resources (for example, virtual CPU, virtual memory, and networks). The benefits of virtualization include better server utilization and consolidation. However, there are many concerns about networks that accompany the above mentioned technologies.
[016] Policy-based systems in the cloud computing and other related architectures have become a promising solution for implementing many forms of large-scale, adaptive systems that dynamically change their behavior in response to changes in the environment or to changing application requirements. This may be achieved by modifying the policy rules interpreted by distributed entities, without recoding or stopping the system. Such dynamic adaptability is fundamentally important in the management of increasingly complex computing systems.
[017] Large-scale networks can now contain millions of components and potentially cross organizational boundaries. Components fail and so other components must adapt to mask these failures. New applications, services, and resources are added or removed from the system dynamically, imposing new requirements on the underlying infrastructure. Users are increasingly mobile, switching between wireless and fixed communication links. Policies that are derived from the goals of management define the desired behavior of distributed heterogeneous systems and networks and specify means to enforce this behavior.
[018] Traditional systems and methods providing policy management are limited to the realm of network traffic management. Static policies that manage quality of service, network traffic and security policies are implemented locally, using some known approaches, on separate network elements focused on a particular access method. The traditional systems and methods thus simply provide for applying a pre-existing or static or pre-deployed network policies to all kinds of network related issues.
[019] The proposed disclosure provides for methodology that overcomes the above limitations of the traditional systems and methods by generating policies dynamically based upon the network issues encountered, and apply the policies dynamically generated to a network management system dynamically, so that network and other service related issues may be resolved in real-time, thereby also resulting in automation of resolution of network issues to a large extent.
[020] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 through 3, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments and these embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system and/or method.
[021] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system 100 for a dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to active Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more processors 104, communication interface device(s) or input/output (I/O) interface(s) 106, and one or more data storage devices or memory 102 operatively coupled to the one or more processors 104. The one or more processors 104 that are hardware processors can be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor(s) is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 102. In an embodiment, the system 100 can be implemented in a variety of computing systems, such as laptop computers, notebooks, hand-held devices, workstations, mainframe computers, servers, a network cloud and the like.
[022] The I/O interface device(s) 106 can include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, a web interface, a graphical user interface, and the like and can facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of networks N/W and protocol types, including wired networks, for example, LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks, such as WLAN, cellular, or satellite. In an embodiment, the I/O interface device(s) can include one or more ports for connecting a number of devices to one another or to another server.
[023] The memory 102 may include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
[024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by referring to FIG. 2, the architecture of the proposed system for the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the active VNFs implementing the proposed methodology may be considered in detail. By referring to FIG. 2 again, it may be noted that the architecture comprises one or more active VNFs 201. (The term ‘active VNFs’ and the term ‘one or more active VNFs’ may be used inter-changeably). The one or more active VNFs 201 move individual network functions out of dedicated hardware devices into software that runs on commodity hardware. An Operating Support System (OSS) 202 facilitates managing of overall network. A Service Descriptor 203 may be used, inter-alia, to generate the code for Service Connectors and to facilitate the integration of services into workflows.
[025] A Network Function Virtualization Management and Orchestration (NFV-MANO) 204 provides an architectural framework for managing and orchestrating virtualized network functions (VNFs) and other software components. A Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator or NFVO 205 facilitates, inter-alia, orchestration of resources and network services. A VNF Manager or a VNFM 206 manages an overall life-cycle of the one or more active VNFs 201, and also takes care of deployment, monitoring, scaling and removal of the one or more active VNFs 201 on a Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM) 207. The role of the VIM 207 is to configure infrastructure network domains.
[026] The OSS 202 communicates with the NFVO 205 over an existing OS-MA 208 interface to apply network monitoring policies. The OS-MA 208 comprises an example of an interface or an Application Programming Interface (API) used to for establishing a communication between the OSS 202 communicates with the NFVO 205. Elements Managers 209, that EM 1, EM 2,….,EM n facilitate overall management of the one or more active VNFs 201. Components Ve-VNFM, Vi-VNFM, Vi-Ha, Or-VNFM, Or-Vi, and Vn-NF (not numbered), like the OS-MA 208, comprise an example of interfaces or APIs and are simply reference types used for explaining the architecture. Finally, A Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVi) 210 facilitates building of virtual networks.
[027] FIG. 3, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method for the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the active VNFs, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment the system 100 comprises one or more data storage devices of the memory 102 operatively coupled to the one or more hardware processors 104 and is configured to store instructions for execution of steps of the method by the one or more processors 104. The steps of the method of the present disclosure will now be explained with reference to the components of the system 100 as depicted in FIG. 1 and the flow diagram. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the hardware processors 104 when configured the instructions performs one or more methodologies described herein.
[028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at step 301, the one or more hardware processors 104 obtain a first set of information from a plurality of sources, wherein the first set of information comprises user inputs corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201. In general, a Virtualized Network Function is defined as a network function that runs in one or more virtual machines on top of a networking infrastructure that may include routers, switches, storage, servers, cloud computing systems, etc. Network Functions Virtualization is a network architecture that includes Virtualized Network Functions that may be combined to create networking communication services.
[029] A VNF may include a plurality of VNF Components (VNFCs) of a plurality of types, with each VNFC being realizable by various technologies, including by Virtual Machines (VMs) executing application software. A VM (not shown in the figure) is a software implementation of a machine (e.g., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine. VMs enable a host computer to run multiple application environments or operating systems simultaneously on the same computer.
[030] The host computer allots a certain amount of the host's resources to each VM, and each VM is then able to use the allotted resources to execute application software, including operating systems. A VM virtualizes the underlying hardware of the host computer or emulated hardware devices, making the use of the VM transparent to the operating system or to the user of the application software.
[031] The NFVO 205 comprises a key component of the NFV-MANO 204, which helps standardize the functions of virtual networking to increase interoperability of software-defined networking (SDN) elements. The NFVO 205 performs resource orchestration and network service orchestration, as well as other functions. The NFVO 205 is a central component of an NFV-based solution. It binds together different functions to create an end-to-end, resource-coordinated service in an otherwise dispersed NFV environment.
[032] One of the most sought out applications of the NFVO 205 comprises policy-based monitoring and automating of scaling operations, of the network functions, based on a set of policies. However, a live network (comprising the one or more active VNFs 201) needs to be constantly improved based on feedback on its quality of service from the plurality of sources. The plurality of sources comprise user feedback / inputs on network through social-media platforms, chat rooms, or customer service desks.
[033] As discussed above, none of the traditional systems and methods provide for obtaining of the user inputs / feedbacks on live networks or the one or more active VNFs 201, feed the user inputs obtained into the live networks itself, dynamically generate network policies, apply the policy dynamically to the live network, notify the observations to an NMS (Network Management System), and automatically apply corrective solution for a possible corrective action. Thus, at step 301, the one or more hardware processors 104 obtain the user inputs / feedbacks from the plurality of sources mentioned above. In an example implementation, the first set of information that may be obtained may comprise:
Input 1: "High call drops in region 1"
[034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at step 302, the one or more hardware processors 104 translate, via a trap generator module (not shown in the figure), the first set of information into a second set of information, wherein the second set of information comprises a plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201. The first set of information may be initially obtained in a natural language by the one or more hardware processors 104, and may then be converted into a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap (not shown in the figure) by the trap generator module using one or more pre-defined schemas.
[035] In an embodiment, the first set of information may be translated into the seconds set of information by implementing one or natural language processing techniques, or one or more predictive analysis techniques, or any combination thereof. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a field of artificial intelligence that enables computers to analyze and understand human language. Further, predictive analysis comprises extracting information from existing data sets in order to determine patterns and predict future outcomes and trends.
[036] As is known in the art, A SNMP defines a standard protocol for the communication of management information. SNMP specifies the format and meaning of messages exchanged between managers and agents and the representation of names and values in those messages. SNMP traps (not shown in the figure) are alert messages that provide communication between a SNMP Agent (not shown in the figure) and a SNMP Manager (not shown in the figure). The SNMP traps are used to inform the SNMP manager when an important event happens at the Agent level.
[037] In an embodiment, the SNMP trap of the second set of information comprises the plurality of networking protocols corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201 (the first set of information was initially obtained the one or more active VNFs 201). The translation facilitates conversion or translation of the first set of information into a machine-readable format. In an example implementation, the second set of information translated based upon the first set of information, that is, Input 1: "High call drops in region 1" using the one or more pre-defined schemas {*calldrops*: Trap OID: .1.3.6.1.4.5.556478.8.1}may be as below:
Output:
Agent Address: 172.24.4.4
Trap OID: .1.3.6.1.4.5.556478.8.1
Time Stamp: 19-04-18:16:32.4271
Generic: 3
Specific: 6273
It may be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not restrict translation of the first set of information into the second set of information by implementing the one or more NLP techniques or the one or more predictive analysis techniques. The embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate performing the translation by implementing any other technique(s) or any combinations thereof.
[038] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at step 303, the one or more hardware processors 104 generate, from the second set of information, a third set of information comprising of one or more fault notifications corresponding to one or more network monitoring policies via the OSS 202 or even via a Business Support System (BSS) (not shown separately in the figure). In an embodiment, the second set of information comprising the SNMP trap is initially fed into the NMS part (not shown in the figure) of the OSS 202 over a Natural Language Processing- Operations Support System (NLP-OSS) Interface (not shown in the figure).
[039] The OSS 202 then converts the second set of information into the third set of information, wherein the third set of information comprises the one or more fault notifications or fault ID/alarms corresponding to the second set of information (that is, the SNMP trap). The third set of information comprising fault ID/alarms is finally communicated by the one or more hardware processors 104 via a policy generator over a PH-OSS (not shown separately in the figure). The generation of the third set of information facilitates automation and understanding of the SNMP trap of the second set of information by the OSS 202. In an example implementation, the third set of information may be generated as:
Input:
Agent Address: 172.24.4.4
Trap OID: .1.3.6.1.4.5.556478.8.1
Time Stamp: 19-04-18:16:32.4271
Generic: 3
Specific: 6273
Output: Alarm ID: 3005 | Description: “C-Plane connection congestion”
[040] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at step 304, the one or more hardware processors 104 dynamically generate, based upon the third set of information, the one or more network monitoring policies applicable to the one or more active VNFs 201 via a policy hub (not shown in the figure). As is known in the art, a network policy control (also called policy management) refers to a technology that enables the definition and application of business and operational policies in networks. Policy control process works by identifying conditions (e.g., subscriber entitlement, current network conditions, data traffic identity, etc.), evaluating decisions (e.g., determining if the network is congested, deciding whether certain traffic constitutes a distributed denial of service attack, etc.), and enforcing actions (e.g., record the usage into a database, decrement from a prepaid wallet, mitigate attack traffic, manage congestion, etc.).
[041] A network policy may be implemented to establish control of the behavior of customers/subscribers to the network. For example, a policy may be that a certain level of subscription has a limit on its use. The evaluation of the policy determines whether the subscriber has reached the limit. The enforcement action may be denial of access if that limit has been reached.
[042] In an embodiment, the policy hub initially scans for a monitoring policy based upon the third set of information and communicates details for a monitoring driver to the NFVO 205. The third set of information comprising fault ID/alarms is then used by the OSS 202 to make a Representational State Transfer (REST) call over an interface exposed by the policy hub, for example, https://policybub:8012/get_policy_driver/driver?={“alarm”: “4087”}. The policy hub responds with location of the monitoring driver to the OSS 202, for example, HTTPS://nfvo:9010/apply_policy/driver?={“path”: “/opt/policydriver/driver-4087.py”}, and the OSS 202 applies the monitoring policy the one or more active VNFs 201 by implementing the VNFM 206.
[043] The traditional systems and methods simply provide for monitoring of networks through a pre-deployed or pre-configured policy that is set on network(s) at the time of deployment. The proposed disclosure thus provide for a dynamic generation of the one or more network monitoring policies, wherein the process of dynamic generation comprises generating the one or more network monitoring policies based upon the user inputs and feedbacks on the live networks (that is, from the third set of information) comprising the one or more active VNFs 201. In an example implementation, based upon the third set of information, a network policy may be dynamically generated as:
Action: orchestrator pick-policy-driver {policy-number: 24, driver_location:/opt/monitoring/drivers/policy.24.py}
[044] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at step 305, the one or more hardware processors 104 dynamically deploy the one or more network monitoring policies dynamically generated, via the NFVO 205 and the VNFM 206 by performing a plurality of steps. As mentioned above, the traditional systems and methods simply provide for monitoring of networks through a pre-deployed or pre-configured policy that is set on network(s) at the time of deployment. The proposed disclosure provides for dynamic deployment of the dynamically generated monitoring policies, thereby providing for a plurality of technical improvements over the traditional systems and methods. The step of dynamic deployment may now be considered in detail.
[045] In an embodiment, the one or more network monitoring policies dynamically generated in the step 304 are deployed over a network comprising the one or more active VNFs 201. The OSS 202 communicates with the NFVO 205 over an existing OS-MA 208 interface to apply the one or more network monitoring policies. The NFVO 205 then applies the one or more network monitoring policies via the VNFM 206.
[046] At step 305(i), the one or more hardware processors 104 generate, based upon the one or more network monitoring policies deployed, a fourth set of information comprising a plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201 via the NFVO 205. In an embodiment, the NFVO 205 upon the deployment of the one or more network monitoring policies, sends out periodic notifications, known the plurality of monitoring events. As is known in the art, an event is a notification, such as an SNMP trap, a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) notification or Transaction Language 1 (TL1) event, generated, for example, by a process in a monitored object or by a user action or by an agent.
[047] Typically, an event represents an error, a fault, change in status or performance, threshold violation, or a problem in operation. For example, when a printer's paper tray is empty, the status of the printer changes. Similarly, an increase in network utilization is an event. A service disturbance in a network reported may comprise a monitoring event corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201. It may be noted that the embodiments of the proposed disclosure do not restrict generation of the plurality of monitoring events corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201 only. Other events corresponding to the network (on which the one or more network monitoring policies are being applied) may also be generated by the NFVO 205.
[048] At step 305(ii), the one or more hardware processors 104 either perform either of the below explained steps based upon the fourth set of information generated. In an embodiment, at step 305(ii)(a), the one or more hardware processors 104 execute, by using the NFVO 205, one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs 201 upon determining that the fourth set of information comprises at least one network related issue or a service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs 201.
[049] Considering an example scenario, if the plurality of monitoring events comprise a network related issue or the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs 201 (for example, a degrade in network utilization), the OSS 202 initiates the one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs 201 for resolving the increase in network utilization via the NFVO 205.
[050] In an embodiment, the one or more corrective actions are applied by the NFVO 205 via the VNFM 206 or via respective Element Management System (EMS). Considering the same example scenario, if the degrade in the network utilization is reported via the plurality of monitoring events, the one or more corrective actions that may be generated may be applied by the NFVO 205 via the VNFM 206 may comprise rechecking of security changes and / or identifying and discarding of junk traffic from the network.
[051] In an embodiment, the step of executing the one or more corrective actions comprises generating, by the OSS 202, a report on monitoring data corresponding to the network related issue or the service related disturbance to determine performance of the one or more active VNFs 201. The report comprises details, logs such as date, time, place etc. of the network related issue or the service related disturbance. Further, the report may also comprise information on the one or more corrective actions applied by the NFVO 205. In an embodiment, the report also comprises a corresponding message with respect to the network related issue or the service related disturbance and the one or more corrective actions applied. The report and the corresponding message is communicated via the OSS 202 for communicating to the users.
[052] At step 305(ii)(b), the one or more hardware processors 104 parse the fourth set of information using the NFVO 205 upon determining an absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs 201. As is known in the art, parsing assigns a structural description, typically in the form of a parse tree or a dependency tree, to a given sentence. In an embodiment, the parsing may be performed by communicating notifications about the absence of the network related issue and the service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs 201 through a Representational State Transfer (RESTful) Application Programming Interface (API) to a network operating center via a message or a delivery notification.
[053] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, advantages of the proposed methodology may now be considered in detail. By providing for the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies, the proposed disclosure facilitates applying automated corrective action(s) across network(s) in case of any issues or events. Thus, if the plurality of monitoring events comprise the network related issue or the service related issue, the one or more corrective actions are identified and applied by the NFVO 205 automatically. This saves time and computational resources while eliminating the manual intervention. The proposed methodology provides for the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies for virtual network functions, wherein network services move across cloud platforms.
[054] None of the traditional systems and methods provide for a mechanism or methodology, wherein active network related policies or dynamically generated network policies may be applied (or dynamically applied) across active VNFs 201. By providing for the generation of the one or more corrective actions via the plurality of monitoring events (generated based upon the one or more network policies deployed), the proposed disclosure facilitates automated resolution of network or service related issues.
[055] In an embodiment, the memory 102 can be configured to store any data that is associated with the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201. In an embodiment, the information pertaining to the first set of information, the second set of information, the third set of information, the dynamic generation and the dynamic deployment of the one or more network monitoring policies is stored in the memory 102. Further, all information (inputs, outputs and so on) pertaining to the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the one or more active VNFs 201, as history data, for reference purpose.
[056] The written description describes the subject matter herein to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments. The scope of the subject matter embodiments is defined by the claims and may include other modifications that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have similar elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims or if they include equivalent elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
[057] The embodiments of present disclosure herein addresses unresolved problem of the dynamic generation and deployment of network monitoring policies corresponding to the active VNFs 201. The embodiment, thus provides for executing, by using the NFVO 205, the one or more corrective actions to be applied to the one or more active VNFs 201 upon determining at least one network related issue or service related disturbance in the one or more active VNFs 201.
[058] It is to be understood that the scope of the protection is extended to such a program and in addition to a computer-readable means having a message therein; such computer-readable storage means contain program-code means for implementation of one or more steps of the method, when the program runs on a server or mobile device or any suitable programmable device. The hardware device can be any kind of device which can be programmed including e.g. any kind of computer like a server or a personal computer, or the like, or any combination thereof. The device may also include means which could be e.g. hardware means like e.g. an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of hardware and software means, e.g. an ASIC and an FPGA, or at least one microprocessor and at least one memory with software modules located therein. Thus, the means can include both hardware means and software means. The method embodiments described herein could be implemented in hardware and software. The device may also include software means. Alternatively, the embodiments may be implemented on different hardware devices, e.g. using a plurality of CPUs.
[059] The embodiments herein can comprise hardware and software elements. The embodiments that are implemented in software include but are not limited to, firmware, resident software, microcode, etc. The functions performed by various modules described herein may be implemented in other modules or combinations of other modules. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can comprise, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
[060] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Also, the words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[061] Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer-readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., be non-transitory. Examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, hard drives, CD ROMs, DVDs, flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.
[062] It is intended that the disclosure and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims.