Device for self-optimization of network slice instance and computer readable medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for self-optimization of network slice instances and a computer readable medium. There is provided an apparatus for self-optimization of network slice instances (NSIs), including network slice related management functions, including one or more of the following: a network slice management function (NSMF) operable to monitor performance of network slice instances in use, and evaluating whether the network slice instance satisfies the received set of network slice requirements and / or operator's goals for performance of the network slice instance, where the received set of network slice requirements are received from a Service Management Function (SMF); and a network slice subnet management function in communication with the network slice management function and operable to modify a network slice subnet instance (NSSI) for a network slice instance in use in order to meet the received network slice requirements. A computer-implemented method for self-optimization of network slice instances is also provided.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application date of March 14, 2018, application number 201880018426.6, and invention name “Device and computer-readable medium for self-optimization of network slice instances”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 472,220, filed on March 16, 2017, entitled “SUPPORTING SON FUNCTIONS ON NETWORKSLICE INSTANCES,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology. Background Art

[0005] Various embodiments may generally relate to the field of wireless communications. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a device for self-optimization of a network slice instance NSI is provided, including network slice-related management functions, wherein the network slice-related management functions include one or more of the following: a network slice management function NSMF, operable to: monitor the performance of a network slice instance in use, evaluate whether the network slice instance meets a received set of network slice requirements and / or operator's goals based on the performance of the network slice instance, and trigger self-optimization of the network slice instance based at least in part on the monitored performance of the network slice instance, wherein the received set of network slice requirements is received from a service management function SMF, and wherein the network slice management function is operable to: modify one or more network slice subnet requirements in response to triggering the self-optimization; and a network slice subnet management function, communicating with the network slice management function, and operable to: modify the network slice subnet instance NSSI for the network slice instance in use based at least in part on the modified one or more network slice subnet requirements so as to meet the received network slice requirements.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more computer-readable media are provided, including instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of a method for self-optimization of a network slice instance NSI, the method comprising: monitoring the performance of a network slice instance in use; evaluating whether the network slice instance meets a received set of network slice requirements and / or operator's goals based on the performance of the network slice instance, wherein the received set of network slice requirements is received from a service management function SMF; triggering self-optimization of the network slice instance based at least in part on the monitored performance of the network slice instance; modifying one or more network slice subnet requirements in response to triggering the self-optimization; and modifying the network slice subnet instance NSSI based at least in part on the modified one or more network slice subnet requirements for the network slice instance in use so as to meet the received network slice requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 A network slice management framework is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 illustrates the architecture of a system 200 of a network according to some embodiments;

[0010] Figure 3 illustrates components of a core network 300 according to some embodiments;

[0011] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating components according to some example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, specific details such as specific structures, architectures, interfaces, technologies, etc. are set forth for the purpose of explanation rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure that various aspects of various embodiments may be implemented in other examples that depart from these specific details. In some cases, descriptions of known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to avoid unnecessary details obscuring the descriptions of various embodiments.

[0013] The present disclosure relates to automated solutions for the management and orchestration of network slice instances, in particular the so-called SON (Self-Organizing Network) concept introduced in the 3GPP draft TR 28.801 “Study on management and orchestration of network slicing for next generation network” version V1.0.0 (2017-03).

[0014] The self-organizing network mechanism disclosed in this article will bring automation into the operation, management and orchestration of network slices, so it will significantly improve efficiency and greatly save costs.

[0015] The embodiments of this document relate to methods and devices for self-creation, self-configuration, self-optimization and self-repair of NSI (network slice instance).

[0016] Network slicing management framework Figure 1 As shown, the disclosed self-organizing network mechanism needs to be supported by functions within the management framework. Figure 1 The functions within the management framework 100 disclosed in the disclosure include a client 110, a function for managing communication services (e.g., a service management function (SMF) 120, where the term "service management function" is used to show how the functions in the present disclosure operate. That is, other terms for the function may be used in some implementations), a network slice management function NSMF 130, and a network slice subnet management function NSSMF 140.

[0017] The operation of these logical management functions is now described in detail below.

[0018] The service management function 120 is responsible for converting service-related requirements into network slice-related requirements and communicating with the network slice management function 130. The network slice management function 130 is responsible for the management and orchestration of network slice instances, deriving network slice subnet-related requirements from network slice-related requirements, and communicating with the network slice subnet management function 140 and the service management function 120. The network slice subnet management function 140 is responsible for the management and orchestration of network slice subnet instances and communicating with the network slice management function 130. The customer 110 may be a third-party service provider or the operator itself. The service management function 120 receives service requirements from the customer 110 and manages the services provided by the operator. Note that the service may be a 3GPP service running on a network slice instance. The service management function 120 converts the service requirements into network slice requirements (e.g., network type, network capacity, QoS requirements, etc.) and provides them to the network slice management function 130. The network slice management function 130 manages the network slice instances based on the network slice requirements received from the service management function 120. The network slice subnet management function 140 manages the network slice subnet instances based on the network slice subnet requirements received from the network slice management function 130.

[0019] What follows now are a number of example use cases for network slice management automation according to the present disclosure. In particular, the present disclosure provides network slice management automation solutions for: self-creation of network slice instances; self-reconfiguration of network slice instances; self-optimization of network slice instances; and self-repair of network slice instances.

[0020] Self-creation of network slice instances. Precondition: The customer 110 has provided the service requirements to the service management function SMF 120. Description: In order to improve the efficiency of operating network slices and save the cost of operating network slices, it is desirable to have an automatic network slice instance creation solution for operators; in order to achieve automatic network slice instance creation (also known as network slice instance self-creation), the network slice related management functions need to support the following content respectively to build end-to-end automation: The service management function 120 generates network slice requirements based on the service requirements received from the customer 110 and sends them to the network slice management function 130. The service management function 120 can also be called the communication service management function CSMF; upon receiving the network slice requirements, the network slice management function NSMF 130 decides whether a new network slice instance needs to be created. If a new network slice instance is needed, the network slice management function 130: generates a network slice template; generates a network slice subnet requirement, and sends the network slice subnet requirement to the network slice subnet management function NSSMF 140. The network slice subnet requirement can be used to create a new network slice subnet instance NSSI, or to reuse and modify an existing network slice subnet instance. The network slice management function 130 may be pre-configured with policies to facilitate self-creation of network slice instances: upon receiving a network slice subnet requirement, the network slice subnet management function 140: creates a network slice subnet instance for the network slice instance if a new network slice subnet instance is required; or, if necessary, modifies an existing network slice subnet instance; if necessary, instantiates virtualized constituent network functions for the new or modified network slice subnet instance; configures constituent network functions to support the network slice instance; and sends an alarm to the network slice management function 130 if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed. Human intervention should be allowed during the above steps. Post-condition: The network slice instance has been self-created (i.e., automatically created).

[0021] Self-reconfiguration of network slice instances. Precondition: The network slice instance already exists. Description: When the customer 110 changes the service requirements, it is desirable that the network slice instance can be automatically reconfigured. In order to achieve automatic network slice instance reconfiguration (also known as network slice instance self-reconfiguration), the network slice related management functions need to support the following respectively: the service management function 120 updates the network slice requirements based on the changes in the service requirements received from the customer 110, and sends the updated requirements to the network slice management function 130; the network slice management function 130, upon receiving the updated network slice requirements: updates the network slice template if necessary; updates the network slice subnet requirements, and sends the updated network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140; generates new network slice subnet requirements if a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created. Policies can be pre-configured to the network slice management function 130 to facilitate network slice reconfiguration. The network slice subnet management function 140, upon receiving the updated or new network slice subnet requirements: modifies the network slice subnet instance; creates a new network slice subnet instance if necessary. Human intervention should be allowed during the above steps. Post-condition: The network slice instance has reconfigured itself (i.e., automatically reconfigured). Self-optimization of the network slice instance. Pre-condition: The network slice instance already exists. Description: The network slice management function 130 monitors the performance of the network slice instance and evaluates whether the network slice instance meets the network slice requirements (received from the service management function 120) and the operator's goals. The network slice management function 130 can trigger self-optimization of the network slice instance based on analysis of performance measurements. Network slice instance self-optimization may include (but is not limited to) the following: modifying the network slice template; modifying the network slice subnet requirements and sending them to the network slice subnet management function 140; generating new network slice subnet requirements if a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created. The network slice subnet management function 140, upon receiving updated or new network slice subnet requirements: modifying the network slice subnet instance; creating a new network slice subnet instance if necessary; the network slice subnet management function 140 monitors the performance of the network slice subnet instance and can automatically optimize the network slice subnet instance (also known as network slice subnet instance self-optimization) without receiving updated network slice subnet requirements. The network slice subnet management function 140 needs to support the coordination of network slice subnet instance optimization triggered by the network slice management function 130 and network slice subnet instance self-optimization triggered by the network slice subnet management function 140. Human intervention should be allowed during the above steps. Precondition: The network slice instance has been self-optimized (i.e., automatically optimized).

[0022] Self-healing of network slice instances. Precondition: The network slice instance already exists. Description: The network slice management function 130 monitors the alarms of the network slice instance and automatically repairs the network slice instance when necessary. The network slice instance self-healing method may include (but is not limited to) the following: adding a new network function to compensate for the faulty network function of the network slice instance; configuring another network function to compensate for the faulty network function of the network slice instance; if possible, applying a recovery action to the faulty network function. The network slice management function 130 modifies or creates a new network slice subnet requirement for the self-healing purpose of the network slice subnet management function 140. The network slice subnet management function 140 compensates for the faulty network function by the following when receiving the modified or new network slice subnet requirement: modifying the network slice subnet instance or creating a new network slice subnet instance if necessary; if the network slice management function 130 requests, the network slice subnet management function 140 can also perform a recovery action on the faulty network function. The network slice subnet management function 140 monitors the alarms of the network slice subnet instance and can automatically repair the network slice subnet instance without receiving a request from the network slice management function 130 (also called network slice subnet instance self-repair). The network slice subnet management function 140 needs to support the coordination of network slice subnet instance repair triggered by the network slice management function 130 and network slice subnet instance self-repair triggered by the network slice subnet management function 140. Human intervention should be allowed during the above steps. Post-condition: The network slice instance has been self-repaired.

[0023] Document 3GPP Draft TR 28.801, “Study on management and orchestration of network slicing for next generation network” version V1.0.0 (2017-03), is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0024] Figure 2 The architecture of a system 200 of a network according to some embodiments is shown. System 200 is shown to include user equipment (UE) 201 and UE 202. UE 201 and 202 are shown as smart phones (e.g., handheld touch screen mobile computing devices that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing devices, such as personal data assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptop computers, desktop computers, wireless handheld devices, or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0025] In some embodiments, any one of UE 201 and 202 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connections. The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communication (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity services (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, a sensor network, or an IoT network. The M2M or MTC data exchange may be a machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network describes interconnecting IoT UEs (which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure)) with short-term connections. The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity to the IoT network.

[0026] UE 201 and 202 may be configured to connect (e.g., be communicatively coupled) to a radio access network (RAN) 210—in this embodiment, an evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) 210. UE 201 and 202 utilize connections 203 and 204, respectively, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example, connections 203 and 204 are shown as air interfaces for achieving communicatively coupling, and may conform to cellular communication protocols, such as a global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, a push-to-talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over cellular (POC) protocol, a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) protocol, a 3GPP long term evolution (LTE) protocol, a fifth generation (5G) protocol, a new radio (NR) protocol, and the like.

[0027] In this embodiment, UE 201 and 202 may also directly exchange communication data via ProSe interface 205. ProSe interface 205 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface, which includes one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), and a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0028] UE 202 is shown as being configured to access access point (AP) 206 via connection 207. Connection 207 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection compliant with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 206 would include wireless fidelity. In this example, AP 206 is shown connected to the Internet and not to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below).

[0029] The E-UTRAN 210 may include one or more access nodes that enable connections 203 and 204. These access nodes (ANs) may be referred to as base stations (BS), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next generation NodeBs (gNBs), RAN nodes, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). The E-UTRAN 210 may include one or more RAN nodes (e.g., macro RAN nodes 211) for providing macro cells and one or more RAN nodes (e.g., low power (LP) RAN nodes 212) for providing femto cells or pico cells (e.g., cells with smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth than macro cells).

[0030] Either of the RAN nodes 211 and 212 may terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for the UEs 201 and 202. In some embodiments, either of the RAN nodes 211 and 212 may perform various logical functions of the E-UTRAN 210, including but not limited to radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0031] According to some embodiments, UEs 201 and 202 may be configured to communicate with each other or with any one of RAN nodes 211 and 212 using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals on a multi-carrier communication channel according to various communication techniques, such as but not limited to orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication techniques (e.g., for downlink communication) or single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication techniques (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), but the scope of the embodiments is not limited thereto. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0032] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid may be used for downlink transmissions from either of the RAN nodes 211 and 212 to the UEs 201 and 202, while uplink transmissions may utilize similar techniques. The grid may be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or a time-frequency resource grid, which is a physical resource in each time slot in the downlink. This time-frequency plane representation is common practice for OFDM systems, which makes radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is called a resource element. Each resource grid includes a plurality of resource blocks, which describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block includes a set of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this may represent the minimum amount of resources that can currently be allocated. There are several different physical downlink channels that are transmitted using such resource blocks.

[0033] The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) may carry user data and higher layer signaling to the UEs 201 and 202. The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) may carry information about the transport format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel, etc. It may also inform the UEs 201 and 202 of the transport format, resource allocation, and H-ARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (allocation of control channel resource blocks and shared channel resource blocks to the UEs 201 and 202 within the cell) may be performed at any of the RAN nodes 211 and 212 based on channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 201 and 202. Downlink resource allocation information may be sent on the PDCCH for (e.g., allocated to) each of the UEs 201 and 202.

[0034] PDCCH can use control channel elements (CCE) to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, PDCCH complex symbols can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH can be sent using one or more of these CCEs, where each CCE can correspond to nine groups of four physical resource elements called resource element groups (REGs). Four orthogonal phase shift keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. PDCCH can be sent using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of the downlink control information (DCI) and the channel conditions. Four or more different PDCCH formats (e.g., aggregation levels, L=1, 2, 4, or 8) with different numbers of CCEs can be defined in LTE.

[0035] Some embodiments may use a concept that is an extension of the above concept for resource allocation for control channel information. For example, some embodiments may utilize an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), which uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more enhanced control channel elements (ECCEs) may be used to send EPDCCH. Similar to the above, each ECCE may correspond to nine groups of four physical resource elements called enhanced resource element groups (EREGs). In some cases, ECCEs may have other numbers of EREGs.

[0036] The E-UTRAN 210 is shown as being communicatively coupled to a core network, in this embodiment, an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network 220, via an S1 interface 213. In this embodiment, the S1 interface 213 is divided into two parts: an S1-U interface 214, which carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 211 and 212 and a Serving Gateway (S-GW) 222; and an S1 Mobility Management Entity (MME) interface 215, which is a signaling interface between the RAN nodes 211 and 212 and the MME 221.

[0037] In this embodiment, the EPC network 220 includes an MME 221, an S-GW 222, a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW) 223, and a home subscriber server (HSS) 224. The MME 221 may be similar in function to the control plane of a legacy service general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN). The MME 221 may manage mobility aspects in access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 224 may include a database for network users, including subscription-related information for supporting network entities to handle communication sessions. The EPC network 220 may include one or several HSSs 224, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, the capacity of the equipment, the organization of the network, etc. For example, the HSS 224 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / address resolution, location dependency, etc.

[0038] The S-GW 222 may terminate the S1 interface 213 to the E-UTRAN 210 and route data packets between the E-UTRAN 210 and the EPC network 220. In addition, the S-GW 222 may be a local mobility anchor for inter-RAN node handovers and may also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include legal interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0039] The P-GW 223 may terminate the SGi interface to the PDN. The P-GW 223 may route data packets between the EPC network 220 and an external network (e.g., a network including an application server 230 (alternatively referred to as an application function (AF))) via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 225. Typically, the application server 230 may be an element that provides applications (e.g., UMTS packet service (PS) domain, LTE PS data service, etc.) using IP bearer resources to the core network. In this embodiment, the P-GW 223 is shown as being communicatively coupled to the application server 230 via an IP communication interface 225. The application server 230 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for UEs 201 and 202 via the EPC network 220.

[0040] The P-GW 223 may also be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 226 is a policy and charging control element of the EPC network 220. In a non-roaming scenario, there may be a single PCRF associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connection Access Network (IP-CAN) session in the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN). In a roaming scenario where the service is out of local, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: the Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within the HPLMN and the Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF 226 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 230 via the P-GW 223. The application server 230 may signal the PCRF 226 to indicate a new service flow and select appropriate quality of service (QoS) and charging parameters. PCRF 226 may distribute the rules to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) (not shown) with the appropriate Traffic Flow Template (TFT) and QoS Class Identifier (QCI), which enables QoS and charging to begin as specified by Application Server 230.

[0041] Figure 3Components of a core network according to some embodiments are shown. The components of EPC 220 may be implemented in one physical node, or in separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from a machine-readable medium or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). In some embodiments, network function virtualization (NFV) is used to virtualize any or all of the above-described network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instantiation of the EPC network 220 may be referred to as a network slice 301. A logical instantiation of a portion of the EPC network 220 may be referred to as a network sub-slice 302 (e.g., the network sub-slice 302 is shown as including a P-GW 223 and a PCRF 226).

[0042] NFV architecture and infrastructure can be used to virtualize one or more network functions originally performed by dedicated hardware onto physical resources, including a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches. In other words, the NFV system can be used to perform a virtual or reconfigurable implementation of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0043] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating components capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable medium or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and performing any one or more of the methods discussed herein according to some example embodiments. Specifically, Figure 4 A graphical representation of hardware resources 400 is shown, including one or more processors (or processor cores) 410, one or more memory / storage devices 420, and one or more communication resources 430, each of which may be communicatively coupled via a bus 440. For embodiments utilizing node virtualization (e.g., NFV), a hypervisor 402 may be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 400.

[0044] Processor 410 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) such as a baseband processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, processor 412 and processor 414.

[0045] The memory / storage device 420 may include main memory, disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 420 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile or non-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state storage, etc.

[0046] The communication resources 430 may include an interconnect or network interface component or other suitable device for communicating with one or more peripheral devices 404 or one or more databases 406 via the network 408. For example, the communication resources 430 may include a wired communication component (e.g., for coupling via a universal serial bus (USB)), a cellular communication component, an NFC component, Components (e.g., low power ), components and other communication components.

[0047] Instructions 450 may include software, programs, applications, applet, apps, or other executable code for causing at least any processor 410 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Instructions 450 may reside in whole or in part in at least one of processor 410 (e.g., in a cache memory of a processor), memory / storage device 420, or any suitable combination thereof. In addition, any portion of instructions 450 may be transmitted to hardware resources 400 from any combination of peripheral device 404 or database 406. Therefore, memory of processor 410, memory / storage device 420, peripheral device 404, and database 406 are examples of computer-readable media and machine-readable media.

[0048] In some embodiments, Figure 4 electronic devices, or Figure 2 or Figure 3 Some other components or devices may be configured to perform one or more processes, techniques and / or methods as described herein, or portions thereof.

[0049] Example 1 may include a service management function (SMF) 120 supported by one or more processors to: receive a service requirement from a client 110; and send a response to the client 110 to indicate whether the service requirement is met.

[0050] Example 2 may include the subject matter of Example 1 and / or some other examples herein, wherein, upon receiving a service requirement from a customer 110, a service management function (SMF) 120 supported by one or more processors is used to: generate a network slicing requirement; and send the network slicing requirement to a network slicing management function (NSMF) 130; and receive a result from the NSMF 130 as to whether the network slicing requirement is met.

[0051] Example 3 may include a network slice management function (NSMF) 130 supported by one or more processors to: receive network slicing requirements from the SMF 120; and send a result to the SMF 120 to indicate whether the network slicing requirements are met.

[0052] Example 4 may include the subject matter of Example 3 and / or some other examples herein, wherein upon receiving a network slicing requirement from SMF 120, a network slicing management function (NSMF) 130 supported by one or more processors is used to: generate a network slicing template; and / or modify a network slicing template; and / or create an NSI; and / or reconfigure the NSI; and

[0053] Generate network slice subnet requirements; and

[0054] Sending the network slice subnet requirements to the Network Slice Subnet Management Function (NSSMF) 140; and

[0055] Receive results from NSSMF 140 on whether the network slice subnet requirements are met.

[0056] Example 5 may include a network slice management function (NSMF) 130 supported by one or more processors for: monitoring performance measurements of the NSI; and performing the following tasks based on analysis of the performance measurements: modifying the network slice template; and optimizing the NSI; and generating network slice subnet requirements; and sending the network slice subnet requirements to a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140; and receiving results from the NSSMF 140 as to whether the network slice subnet requirements are met.

[0057] Example 6 may include a network slice management function (NSMF) 130 supported by one or more processors to:

[0058] Monitor NSI alerts; and

[0059] Based on the alarm information, the following tasks are performed: repairing the NSI; and / or generating network slice subnet requirements; and sending the network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140; and receiving results from the NSSMF 140 on whether the network slice subnet requirements are met.

[0060] Example 7 may include the subject matter of Examples 2, 3, and 4 and / or some other examples herein, wherein the network slicing requirement is a new requirement or an updated requirement.

[0061] Example 8 may include the subject matter of Example 6 and / or some other examples herein, wherein, to repair the NSI, NSMF 130 is used to: add a new network function (NF) to compensate for the faulty NF of the NSI; configure another NF to compensate for the faulty NF of the NSI; and / or apply a recovery action to the faulty NF.

[0062] Example 9 may include a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140 supported by one or more processors to:

[0063] receiving network slice subnet requirements from NSMF 130; and

[0064] The result on whether the network slice subnet requirements are met is sent to NSMF 130.

[0065] Example 10 may include the subject matter of Example 9 and / or some other examples herein, wherein upon receiving a network slice subnet requirement from the NSMF 130, a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140 supported by one or more processors is to:

[0066] Create NSSI; and / or

[0067] Modify the NSSI; and / or

[0068] Instantiating virtualized NFs for new or modified NSSIs; and / or

[0069] Configuring constituent NFs to support NSI; and

[0070] If the physical constituent NF has not been deployed, an alert is sent to the NSMF 130 .

[0071] Example 11 may include the subject matter of Examples 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10 and / or some other examples herein, wherein the network slice subnet requirement is used to create a new network slice subnet instance (NSSI).

[0072] Example 12 may include a method according to Examples 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10 and / or some other examples herein, wherein the network slice subnet is required for modifying the legacy NSSI.

[0073] Example 13 may include a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140 supported by one or more processors to:

[0074] Monitor NSSI performance measures; and

[0075] Based on the analysis of the performance measurements, the following tasks are performed: optimizing the NSSI; and sending a notification to the NSMF 130 regarding the optimization of the NSI.

[0076] Example 14 may include the subject matter of Examples 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 13 and / or some other examples herein, wherein a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) (140) supported by one or more processors is used to: coordinate NSSI modifications triggered by the NSMF (130) and NSSI optimization triggered by the NSSMF (140).

[0077] Example 15 may include a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140 supported by one or more processors to:

[0078] Monitor NSSI alerts; and

[0079] The following tasks are performed based on the alarm information: repairing the NSSI; and sending a notification about the NSSI repair to the NSMF 130 .

[0080] Example 16 may include the subject matter of Examples 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 15 and / or some other examples herein, wherein a network slice subnet management function (NSSMF) 140 supported by one or more processors is used to: coordinate NSSI repairs triggered by NSMF 130 and NSSMF 140.

[0081] Example 17 may include the subject matter of Examples 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and / or some other examples herein, wherein a network slice management function (NSMF) 130 supported by one or more processors is configured to:

[0082] Receive policies from the operator for: self-creation of the NSI; and / or; self-reconfiguration of the NSI; and / or self-optimization of the NSI; and / or self-repair of the NSI.

[0083] Provides results to the operator as to whether the policy is met.

[0084] Example 18 may include an apparatus comprising modules for performing one or more elements of a method described or related to any of Examples 1-17, or any other method or process described herein.

[0085] Example 19 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of Examples 1-17, or any other method or process described herein.

[0086] Example 20 may include an apparatus including logic, modules, and / or circuits for performing one or more elements of a method described or related to any of Examples 1-17, or any other method or process described herein.

[0087] Example 21 may include a method, technique, or process as described or related to any of Examples 1-17, or a portion or part thereof.

[0088] Example 22 may include a device comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process, or a portion thereof, as described or related to any of Examples 1-17.

[0089] Example 23 may include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein. Example 24 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein. Example 25 may include an apparatus for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0090] The example provides a device for self-optimization of a network slice instance NSI, including network slice-related management functions, which include one or more of the following: a network slice management function NSMF, which is operable to: monitor the performance of the network slice instance in use, and evaluate whether the network slice instance meets a set of received network slice requirements and / or the operator's goals for the performance of the network slice instance, wherein the received set of network slice requirements is received from a service management function SMF; and a network slice subnet management function, which communicates with the network slice management function and is operable to: modify the network slice subnet instance NSSI for the network slice instance in use so as to meet the received network slice requirements.

[0091] In some examples, the network slice management functionality may be operable to trigger self-optimization of the network slice instances in use based on analysis of performance measurements.

[0092] In some examples, the network slice management function may be operable to: modify the network slice template; and / or modify the network slice subnet requirements and send the updated network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function; and / or generate new network slice subnet requirements if a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created.

[0093] In some examples, policies can be pre-configured for network slice management functions to facilitate network slice reconfiguration.

[0094] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function, upon receiving an updated or new network slice subnet requirement, may be operable to: modify an existing network slice subnet instance; and / or create a new network slice subnet instance for the new network slice instance if a new network slice subnet instance is required.

[0095] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function may also be operable to: instantiate virtualized constituent network functions for new network slice subnet instances or modified existing network slice subnet instances, if necessary; and configure virtualized constituent network functions to support new or modified network slice instances.

[0096] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function may also be operable to send an alert to the network slice management function if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed.

[0097] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function may also be operable to: monitor the performance of the network slice subnet instances and self-optimize the network slice subnet instances without receiving updated network slice subnet requirements; and / or perform recovery actions on faulty network functions if requested by the network slice management function.

[0098] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function may also be operable to support coordination of network slice subnet instance optimization triggered by the network slice management function or the network slice subnet management function.

[0099] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function may also be operable to: monitor alarms of network slice instances in use; and repair the network slice instances in use if the alarms are activated.

[0100] In some examples, the network slice management function may also be operable to: add new network functions to compensate for a faulty network function of a network slice instance in use; and / or configure another network function to compensate for a faulty network function of a network slice instance in use; and / or apply recovery actions to a faulty network function of a network slice instance in use.

[0101] In some examples, the network slice management function may also be operable to: modify existing or create new network slice subnet requirements for self-healing purposes; and send the modified or newly created network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function.

[0102] In some examples, self-optimization of network slice instances includes self-repair, self-reconfiguration, and / or new creation of network slice instances.

[0103] The example provides an apparatus for self-creating a new network slice instance NSI, including network slice-related management functions, which include one or more of the following: a function for managing communication services (for example, the service management function SMF 120); a network slice management function NSMF 130, which communicates with the service management function 120 and can be operated to: determine whether a new network slice instance needs to be created when a network slicing requirement is received from the service management function 120; and a network slice subnet management function 140, which communicates with the network slice management function 130 and can be operated to: generate a network slice subnet instance NSSI for use with the new network slice instance.

[0104] In some examples, the service management function SMF 120 may be operable to: generate network slice requirements for a new network slice instance based on service requirements received from the customer 110; and send the generated network slice requirements to the network slice management function 130.

[0105] In some examples, if a new network slice instance is required, the network slice management function 130 may be operated to: generate a new network slice template; and generate network slice subnet requirements and send the network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140.

[0106] In some examples, network slice subnet requirements are used to create new network slice subnet instances, or to reuse and modify existing network slice subnet instances.

[0107] In some examples, policies can be pre-configured for the network slice management function 130 to facilitate self-creation of network slice instances.

[0108] In some examples, upon receiving a new network slice subnet requirement, the network slice subnet management function 140 may be operable to: create a new network slice subnet instance for the new network slice instance if a new network slice subnet instance is required; or modify an existing network slice subnet instance if necessary.

[0109] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function 140 may also be operable to: instantiate virtualized constituent network functions for new network slice subnet instances or modified existing network slice subnet instances, if necessary; and configure virtualized constituent network functions to support the network slice instances.

[0110] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function 140 may also be operable to send an alert to the network slice management function 130 if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed.

[0111] The example provides an apparatus for self-reconfiguration of a new network slice instance NSI, including network slice-related management functions, which include one or more of the following: a service management function SMF 120; a network slice management function NSMF 130, which communicates with the service management function 120 and is operable to: automatically modify the network slice instance in use when the network slice requirement from the service management function 120 changes; a network slice subnet management function 140, which communicates with the network slice management function 130 and is operable to: modify the network slice subnet instance NSSI for use with the network slice instance in use.

[0112] In some examples, the service management function SMF 120 may be operable to: modify network slice requirements for a modified network slice instance based on changes in service requirements received from the customer 110; and send the updated network slice requirements to the network slice management function 130.

[0113] In some examples, upon receiving updated network slice requirements, the network slice management function 130 may be operated to: modify the network slice template; and / or update the network slice subnet requirements and send the updated network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140; and / or generate new network slice subnet requirements if a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created.

[0114] In some examples, policies can be pre-configured for the network slice management function 130 to facilitate network slice reconfiguration.

[0115] In some examples, upon receiving an updated or new network slice subnet requirement, the network slice subnet management function 140 may be operable to: modify an existing network slice subnet instance; and / or create a new network slice subnet instance for the new network slice instance if a new network slice subnet instance is required.

[0116] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function 140 may also be operable to: instantiate virtualized constituent network functions for new network slice subnet instances or modified existing network slice subnet instances, if necessary; and configure virtualized constituent network functions to support new or modified network slice instances.

[0117] In some examples, the network slice subnet management function 140 may also be operable to send an alert to the network slice management function 130 if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed.

[0118] The example also provides one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of a method for self-creation of a new network slice instance NSI, the method comprising: managing communication services (for example, through the service management function SMF 120); upon receiving a network slicing requirement from the service management function 120, determining whether a new network slice instance needs to be created; and generating a network slice subnet instance NSSI for use with the new network slice instance.

[0119] In some examples, the method also includes: generating network slice requirements for a new network slice instance based on service requirements received from customer 110; and sending the generated network slice requirements to network slice management function 130.

[0120] In some examples, the method also includes: generating a new network slice template; and generating network slice subnet requirements and sending the network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140.

[0121] In some examples, network slice subnet requirements are used to create new network slice subnet instances, or to reuse and modify existing network slice subnet instances.

[0122] In some examples, the method also includes: pre-configuring policies for the network slice management function 130 to facilitate self-creation of network slice instances.

[0123] In some examples, the method also includes: upon receiving a new network slice subnet requirement: if a new network slice subnet instance is required, creating a new network slice subnet instance for the new network slice instance; or if necessary, modifying the existing network slice subnet instance.

[0124] In some examples, the method also includes: instantiating virtualized constituent network functions for new network slice sub-instances or modified existing network slice subnet instances, if necessary; and configuring the virtualized constituent network functions to support the network slice instances.

[0125] In some examples, the method also includes sending an alert to the network slice management function 130 if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed.

[0126] The example also provides one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of a method for self-reconfiguration of a new network slice instance NSI, the method comprising: when a network slice requirement from the service management function 120 changes: automatically modifying the network slice instance in use; and modifying the network slice subnet instance NSSI for use with the network slice instance in use.

[0127] In some examples, the method also includes: modifying network slice requirements for the modified network slice instance based on changes in service requirements received from customer 110; and sending the updated network slice requirements to network slice management function 130.

[0128] In some examples, the method also includes: upon receiving updated network slice requirements: modifying the network slice template; and / or updating the network slice subnet requirements and sending the updated network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140; and / or generating new network slice subnet requirements if a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created.

[0129] In some examples, the method also includes: pre-configuring policies for the network slice management function 130 to facilitate network slice reconfiguration.

[0130] In some examples, the method also includes: upon receiving an updated or new network slice subnet requirement: modifying an existing network slice subnet instance; and / or if a new network slice subnet instance is required, creating a new network slice subnet instance for the new network slice instance.

[0131] In some examples, the method also includes: instantiating a virtualized constituent network function for a new network slice subnet instance or a modified existing network slice subnet instance, if necessary; and configuring the virtualized constituent network function to support the new or modified network slice instance.

[0132] In some examples, the method also includes sending an alert to the network slice management function 130 if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed.

[0133] The example also provides one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, comprising instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of a method for self-optimization of a network slice instance NSI, the method comprising: monitoring the performance of the network slice instance in use; evaluating whether the network slice instance meets a received set of network slice requirements and / or operator's goals for the performance of the network slice instance, wherein the received set of network slice requirements is received from the service management function SMF 120; and modifying the network slice subnet instance NSSI for the network slice instance in use so as to meet the received network slice requirements.

[0134] In some examples, the method also includes: triggering self-optimization of the network slice instance in use based on analysis of performance measurements.

[0135] In some examples, the method also includes: modifying the network slice template; and / or modifying the network slice subnet requirements and sending the updated network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140; and / or generating new network slice subnet requirements if a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created.

[0136] In some examples, the method also includes: pre-configuring policies for the network slice management function 130 to facilitate network slice reconfiguration.

[0137] In some examples, the method also includes: upon receiving an updated or new network slice subnet requirement: modifying an existing network slice subnet instance; and / or if a new network slice subnet instance is required, creating a new network slice subnet instance for the new network slice instance.

[0138] In some examples, the method also includes: instantiating a virtualized constituent network function for a new network slice subnet instance or a modified existing network slice subnet instance, if necessary; and configuring the virtualized constituent network function to support the new or modified network slice instance.

[0139] In some examples, the method also includes sending an alert to the network slice management function 130 if the physical constituent network functions have not yet been deployed.

[0140] In some examples, the method also includes: monitoring the performance of the network slice subnet instance and self-optimizing the network slice subnet instance without receiving updated network slice subnet requirements; and / or performing recovery actions on faulty network functions if requested by the network slice management function 130.

[0141] In some examples, the method also includes: supporting coordination of network slice subnet instance optimization triggered by the network slice management function 130 or the network slice subnet management function 140.

[0142] In some examples, the method also includes: monitoring an alarm of the network slice instance in use; and repairing the network slice instance in use if the alarm is activated.

[0143] In some examples, the method also includes: adding new network functions to compensate for the faulty network functions of the network slice instance in use; and / or configuring another network function to compensate for the faulty network functions of the network slice instance in use; and / or applying recovery actions to the faulty network functions of the network slice instance in use.

[0144] In some examples, the method also includes: modifying existing or creating new network slice subnet requirements for self-healing purposes; and sending the modified or newly created network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function 140.

[0145] In some examples, self-optimization of a network slice instance includes: self-repair, self-reconfiguration, and / or new creation of network slice instances.

[0146] In some examples, the self-organization / automatic organization includes the self-organization / automatic organization of network slice subnet instances. The example also provides a method corresponding to the above-mentioned method based on non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0147] In the above, the interface names and the names of the entities involved are merely exemplary and describe the logical entities involved in the communication on the corresponding named interfaces.

[0148] The foregoing description of one or more implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the various embodiments.

Claims

1. An apparatus for self-optimization of a network slice instance, comprising a network slice related management function, wherein the network slice related management function comprises one or more of the following: A network slice management function operable to: monitor the performance of a network slice instance in use, evaluate whether the network slice instance satisfies a received set of network slice requirements, and trigger the self-optimization of the network slice instance based at least in part on the monitored performance of the network slice instance, wherein: The received set of network slice requirements is received from at least one of an operator's objectives or a service management function for performance of the network slice instance, and wherein the self-optimization comprises: modifying one or more network slice subnet requirements and modifying a network slice template in response to triggering the self-optimization and based at least in part on the monitored performance of the network slice instance; and A network slice subnet management function communicates with the network slice management function and is capable of: modifying the network slice subnet instance for use in the network slice instance in use based at least in part on the modified one or more network slice subnet requirements, thereby meeting the received network slice requirements.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The network slice management function can be operated as follows: Sending updated network slice subnet requirements to the network slice subnet management function; as well as If a new network slice subnet instance needs to be created, one or more new network slice subnet requirements are generated.

3. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: Policies can be pre-configured for the network slice management function to facilitate network slice reconfiguration.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Upon receiving the updated network slice subnet requirement or the new network slice subnet requirement, the network slice subnet management function can be operated to: Modify an existing network slice subnet instance; or If a new network slice subnet instance is required, a new network slice subnet instance is created for the new network slice instance.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The network slice subnet management function can also be operated as follows: If necessary, instantiating a virtualized network function for the new network slice subnet instance or the modified existing network slice subnet instance; Configure the virtualized network functions to support the new network slice instance or the modified network slice instance.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The network slice subnet management function can also be operated as follows: If the physical constituent network function has not yet been deployed, an alert is sent to the network slice management function.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The network slice subnet management function can also be operated as follows: If requested by the network slice management function, recovery actions are performed on the faulty network function.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The network slice subnet management function can also be operated to: support the coordination of network slice subnet instance optimization triggered by the network slice management function or the network slice subnet management function.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The network slice subnet management function can also be operated as follows: Monitoring the alarm of the network slice instance in use; and if the alarm is activated, repairing the network slice instance in use.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The network slice management function can also be operated as follows: adding new network functions to compensate for the faulty network functions of the network slice instance in use; configuring another network function to compensate for the faulty network function of the network slice instance in use; or Apply recovery actions to the faulty network function of the network slice instance in use.

11. The device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The network slice management function can also be operated as follows: Modify existing network slice subnet requirements or create new network slice subnet requirements for self-healing purposes; as well as The modified network slice subnet requirements or the newly created network slice subnet requirements are sent to the network slice subnet management function.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The self-optimization of the network slice instance includes self-repair, self-reconfiguration and / or new creation of the network slice instance.

13. One or more computer-readable media, comprising instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a method for self-optimization of a network slice instance, the method comprising: Monitor the performance of network slice instances in use; evaluating whether the network slice instance satisfies a received set of network slice requirements, wherein the received set of network slice requirements is received from at least one of an operator's objectives for performance of the network slice instance or a service management function; triggering the self-optimization of the network slice instance based at least in part on the monitored performance of the network slice instance, wherein the self-optimization comprises: modifying one or more network slice subnet requirements and modifying a network slice template in response to triggering the self-optimization and based at least in part on the monitored performance of the network slice instance; and Modifying the network slice subnet instance for use with the network slice instance in use based at least in part on the modified one or more network slice subnet requirements so as to satisfy the received network slice requirements.

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