Network device configuration management method, apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a network device configuration management method and device, equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of communication. In the case that it is monitored that an orchestration management system has deployed a first network device instance, initial configuration data is sent to the first network device instance according to a pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance. In the case that configuration data after the first network device instance is obtained, a configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated according to a configuration management model file of a network device template corresponding to the first network device instance. In the case that a configuration change command of the first network device instance input by a user is obtained through the configuration management interface, the configuration change command is sent to the first network device instance, and in the case that a configuration change response returned by the first network device instance is obtained, the configuration is updated in the configuration management interface. The scheme of the application can realize the functions and configuration items supported by dynamic setting of the network device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a configuration management method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for network devices. Background Technology

[0002] The functions of traditional communication equipment are determined by the equipment type, model and version number. The functions it supports and most of the configuration items are basically fixed. A small number of configuration items may vary within a predetermined range depending on the limited types of pluggable cards supported by the communication equipment.

[0003] The network management system uses static configuration management to manage traditional communication devices. This means that for each communication device with a specific type, model, and version number, and for all configuration items supported by the limited types of pluggable cards that the device supports, corresponding configuration management functions are pre-developed. These configuration management functions are fixed and only apply to communication devices and pluggable cards with a specific type, model, and version number; they cannot be applied to communication devices and pluggable cards of other types, models, and versions.

[0004] In a 6G service-oriented radio access network (RAN), network devices are managed and flexibly customized by the orchestration and management system according to service needs, allowing for flexible customization of the functions supported by the network devices and the services they provide. Compared to traditional communication equipment whose functions are determined at the factory and before network access, in a 6G service-oriented RAN, the functions and configuration items supported by network devices can be dynamically set during network operation by dynamically customizing the services included in newly deployed network devices. Furthermore, these functions and configuration items can be introduced into the 6G service-oriented RAN by adding new services after the network management system is already in use. However, the static configuration management method used for traditional communication equipment cannot support such configuration management. Summary of the Invention

[0005] At least one embodiment of this application provides a configuration management method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for network devices, which addresses the problem in the prior art that static configuration management methods cannot support dynamic setting of functions and configuration items for network devices under 6G service-oriented RAN.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a configuration management method for a network device, applied to a network management system, the method comprising:

[0008] If the orchestration management system detects that the first network device instance has been deployed, the system sends initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance, and the first network device instance completes the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data.

[0009] Once the configuration data of the first network device instance after it has been run is obtained, the configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated according to the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance.

[0010] When a configuration change command for the first network device instance is obtained from the user input through the configuration management interface, the configuration change command is sent to the first network device instance, and when a configuration change response is obtained from the first network device instance, the configuration is updated in the configuration management interface; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operations on the changed atomic services according to the configuration change command.

[0011] Optionally, the configuration management method for the network device further includes:

[0012] When the network device template information provided by the orchestration management system is obtained, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is extracted from the release file of the corresponding atomic service based on the atomic service information in the network device template information;

[0013] Based on the configuration management model file of the atomic service, generate the configuration management model file of the network device template.

[0014] Optionally, the configuration management method for the network device further includes:

[0015] Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template, generate the configuration data template file of the network device template;

[0016] Based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated.

[0017] Optionally, the configuration management method for the network device, wherein generating a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template includes:

[0018] When the orchestration management system creates the first network device instance based on the network device template information, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template corresponding to the first network device.

[0019] Optionally, in the network device configuration management method, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is used to store the mapping relationship between the identifier of the atomic service and the path of the configuration item group supported by the atomic service.

[0020] Optionally, in the network device configuration management method, the configuration management model of the atomic service is generated based on the YANG model. The configuration management model of the atomic service corresponds to a module tag in the YANG model, and the container tag in the YANG model is used as the root node. The configuration item groups supported by the atomic service are attached to the root node as child nodes and / or grandchild nodes.

[0021] Optionally, the network device configuration management method, wherein generating the configuration management interface of the first network device instance based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance includes:

[0022] Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance, obtain the configuration management model tree of the first network device instance;

[0023] Based on the configuration management model tree and the configuration data after the first network device instance runs, a configuration instance tree is obtained;

[0024] Based on the configuration instance tree, a configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated, and a configuration panel corresponding to the leaf node in the configuration menu tree is generated. The configuration panel includes configuration items and configuration data.

[0025] Optionally, in the configuration management method for the network device, the first network device instance obtains the path of the changed configuration item group according to the configuration change command, obtains the changed atomic service according to the configuration management model file of the atomic service, and performs a configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service.

[0026] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a configuration management device for a network device, comprising:

[0027] The sending module is used to send initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance when it is detected that the orchestration management system has deployed the first network device instance, and the first network device instance completes the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data.

[0028] The first generation module is used to generate the configuration management interface of the first network device instance based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance after obtaining the configuration data after the first network device instance runs.

[0029] The change module is used to send the configuration change command to the first network device instance when the configuration change command input by the user is obtained through the configuration management interface, and to update the configuration in the configuration management interface when the configuration change response returned by the first network device instance is obtained; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service according to the configuration change command.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a configuration management device for a network device, including: a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program or instructions, it implements the configuration management method for the network device as described in the first aspect.

[0031] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the configuration management method for network devices as described in the first aspect.

[0032] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the configuration management method for network devices as described in the first aspect.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, this application provides a configuration management method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for network devices. The method is applied to a network management system and includes: when a first network device instance is detected to have been deployed in the orchestration management system, sending initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to its pre-configuration data file, and the first network device instance completing initialization configuration according to the initial configuration data; when configuration data after the first network device instance has been running is obtained, generating a configuration management interface for the first network device instance according to the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance; when a configuration change command for the first network device instance input by a user is obtained through the configuration management interface, sending the configuration change command to the first network device instance, and updating the configuration in the configuration management interface when a configuration change response is returned by the first network device instance; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operations on the changed atomic services according to the configuration change command, which can realize the dynamic setting of supported functions and configuration items for network devices, meeting the configuration management requirements of network devices obtained by service-driven, on-demand orchestration in 6G service-oriented RAN. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is one of the architectural diagrams of the configuration management system for network devices in this application embodiment;

[0035] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the architecture of the configuration management system for network devices in this application embodiment;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the configuration management method for network devices in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration data template file in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating one implementation of the configuration management method for network devices according to the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another implementation of the configuration management method for network devices adopted in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration management device of the network device in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a hardware block diagram of the configuration management device of the network device in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specified order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same class, not limited in number; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0044] Before describing the configuration management method of the network device in the embodiments of this application, the following content shall be explained:

[0045] The 6G service-oriented RAN architecture proposes a service-driven RAN design scheme, abandoning the current model of designing services after the existing network. Instead, it defines the wireless network based on services, including the following characteristics: on-demand definition of network elements, atomic service decomposition, and decoupling of data and services. On-demand definition of network elements means that services are defined before the RAN is developed, completely eliminating all fixed definitions and downplaying the traditional concept of network elements in the communications field; a network element is equivalent to a custom autonomous system. Atomic service decomposition means that network element functions are broken down into atomic services on demand, and network elements that meet service requirements are dynamically orchestrated based on real-world business scenarios.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, in order to support the configuration management of service-oriented RAN devices, this application embodiment introduces the YANG (Yet Another Next Generation) data modeling language from the field of network automation and adds necessary adaptations to describe the configuration management specifications of each atomic service in the service-oriented RAN device, so as to meet the dynamic configuration management requirements of defining network elements on demand and support the flexible customization of services in network elements.

[0047] This application's embodiments involve orchestration management systems, network management systems, and base stations (Network Functions, NFs). The following focuses on describing the main structures in the network management system and base station related to configuration management, such as... Figure 2As shown.

[0048] NF mainly includes three types of PODs (instances): business POD, interface POD, and management plane master control unit (OMU) POD.

[0049] Among them, a business POD is a business processing unit in NF. A business POD includes multiple atomic services that are orchestrated on demand by the orchestration management system according to business needs. These atomic services are hosted and run on the service platform.

[0050] The interface POD is the external interface processing unit in NF. It is the default POD added when orchestrating all atomic domain NFs, and supports NFs to send and receive external messages from network cards such as Xn and N2 (excluding air interface Uu).

[0051] OMU POD is a default POD added during the orchestration of all atomic domain NFs, providing management plane functionality support such as configuration management for NFs. OMU POD includes the ETCD-SERVER container and the OMU container.

[0052] The ETCD-SERVER container persists the NF runtime configuration and provides the configuration data source for the configuration loading of each atomic service when the NF starts. On the other hand, it exposes read and write interfaces to relevant network management systems outside the cluster through the ETCD-SERVER service and receives network management configuration requests.

[0053] The OMU container listens for configuration management requests sent from the network management system to the ETCD-SERVER, forwards them to the business PODs that should handle the configuration management requests, and then the OMA (Operation Maintenance Agent) container in the business POD receives them and forwards them to the service platform in the business container. The service platform then calls the corresponding atomic service to execute the configuration request, and finally the OMU container returns the request execution result to the network management system.

[0054] The network management system adopts a front-end and back-end separation architecture. The front-end code is hosted by Kong Gateway, which displays the network management interface to users, including functions such as dynamic configuration management, and forwards the requests initiated by users on the network management interface to the network management back-end.

[0055] The network management backend includes several functional modules such as the ETCD-SERVER container, resource services, NF template configuration management model parsing service, pre-configuration management service, and configuration management service. Details of each module are as follows:

[0056] The ETCD-SERVER container is used to maintain the latest configuration of deployed NFs on the network management side.

[0057] Resource services are used to collaborate with orchestration and management systems to obtain basic resource data such as service release files, NF templates, pre-deployed NFs, and deployed NF examples in a timely manner.

[0058] The NF template configuration management model parsing service parses the self-describing configuration management model files of each atomic service in NF based on the basic resource data obtained from the resource service, and generates a matching whole-machine configuration management model file for the NF template.

[0059] The pre-configuration management service automatically generates matching configuration data template files based on the overall system configuration management model, allowing users to download and fill in the pre-configuration data. Simultaneously, based on basic resource data obtained from the resource service, network management users import pre-configuration data files for pre-deployed NFs, parse and save this pre-configuration data. Once the pre-deployed NF is detected to have been actually deployed and started by the orchestration management system, this pre-configuration data is automatically distributed to the NF instance.

[0060] Configuration management service allows network administrators to perform CRUD operations on NF instances composed of different atomic services through an automatically generated configuration management interface. These atomic services may be existing or newly deployed to the network after the network management system is released.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, this application provides a configuration management method for network devices, applied to a network management system, the method including:

[0062] Step 301: If it is detected that the orchestration management system has deployed the first network device instance, send initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance, and the first network device instance completes the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data.

[0063] In this embodiment of the application, when the network management system detects that the orchestration management system has deployed a first network device instance, it sends initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance, thereby enabling the first network device instance to complete the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data.

[0064] Specifically, when the resource service in the network management system obtains the first network device instance information of the orchestration management system, it means that the network management system has detected that the orchestration management system has deployed the first network device instance.

[0065] Furthermore, the pre-configuration management service in the network management system sends initial configuration data to the first network device instance based on the first network device instance information and the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance.

[0066] Optionally, before step 301, the following two steps may be included:

[0067] The orchestration management system creates and pre-deploys the first network device instance based on the network device template.

[0068] The orchestration and management system deploys the first network device instance, starts up and runs the first network device instance.

[0069] It should be noted that the network device in this application embodiment can be various communication devices that require dynamic configuration and management, including but not limited to NFs, switches, terminals, smart home terminals, and wearable devices. Therefore, in this application embodiment, the network device can be replaced with an NF.

[0070] Step 302: After obtaining the configuration data of the first network device instance after it runs, generate the configuration management interface of the first network device instance according to the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance.

[0071] Step 303: If a configuration change command for the first network device instance is obtained from the user input through the configuration management interface, the configuration change command is sent to the first network device instance, and if a configuration change response is obtained from the first network device instance, the configuration is updated in the configuration management interface; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operations on the changed atomic services according to the configuration change command.

[0072] It should be noted that after the first network device instance is put into network operation, some configuration parameters of the first network device instance may need to be changed according to changes in services. By using the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance stored in the network management system, and the latest configuration data on the first network device instance maintained on the network management system side, the configuration management interface of the first network device instance composed of different atomic services can be accurately displayed, supporting operation and maintenance personnel to add, delete, modify and query configurations.

[0073] For ease of understanding, the first network device instance can be simplified to an NF instance, that is, the first network device instance can be referred to as an NF instance in the following text; and the network device module can be simplified to an NF template, that is, the network device template can be referred to as an NF template in the following text.

[0074] Optionally, in one implementation method, the method further includes:

[0075] When the network device template information provided by the orchestration management system is obtained, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is extracted from the release file of the corresponding atomic service based on the atomic service information in the network device template information;

[0076] Based on the configuration management model file of the atomic service, generate the configuration management model file of the network device template.

[0077] Optionally, in one implementation method, the method further includes:

[0078] Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template, generate the configuration data template file of the network device template;

[0079] Based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated.

[0080] In this embodiment, after the orchestration management system deploys the NF instance according to the on-demand orchestration NF template, and the NF instance runs and launches the customized atomic services, it needs to provide startup configuration data for the atomic services. This configuration data comes from the network management system automatically sending the pre-configuration data matching this NF instance, stored in the network management system, to the NF instance when it detects that the NF instance has started running.

[0081] Different NF instances correspond to different NF templates, and the atomic services included in different NF templates are also different. In order to promptly send startup configuration data to the NF instance when the network management system detects that the NF instance has started running, the network management system needs to meet at least one of the following requirements before deploying the NF instance in the orchestration management system:

[0082] Automatically generate matching configuration data template files for NF templates in the orchestration management system.

[0083] Automatically retrieve NF instances that have not yet been deployed from the orchestration management system, which are pre-deployed network device instances, and display their associated NF templates.

[0084] Network administrators download the configuration data template file and fill in the planned pre-configuration data for different pre-deployed network device instances.

[0085] The network management user imports pre-configuration data files for the pre-deployed network device instance, thereby saving the configuration data of each atomic service to be distributed to the NF instance into the network management system in advance.

[0086] It should be noted that a matching configuration data template file is generated for the NF template. This configuration data template file must not only display the corresponding configuration management model based on different combinations of atomic services included in the NF template, but also facilitate network administrators to view and fill in pre-configured data. The specific process is as follows:

[0087] First, the configuration management model files for each atomic service need to be obtained. Each atomic service includes a configuration management model file with a uniformly agreed-upon name in its release file, such as cfg-model.xml, which contains the configuration management models supported by this service. The network management system downloads the release files for all these services from the orchestration management system based on the atomic service information contained in the NF template, and extracts the configuration management model files for each atomic service.

[0088] Then, the configuration management model files of each atomic service in the NF template are integrated to obtain a configuration management model tree for NF. The path of the configuration item group located at the end of this configuration management model tree is then marked. The end configuration item group refers to one of the following tags:

[0089] (1) The child's label does not contain <container>or <list>of <container>Label;

[0090] (2) The child's label does not contain <container>or <list>of <list>Label;

[0091] It should be noted that the above label (1) corresponds to a list-type configuration item group, and the above label (2) corresponds to a table-type configuration item group.

[0092] By providing the distal end <container>or <list>The tag adds a path attribute to store its path down the entire configuration management model tree from the root node.

[0093] There may be one or more on this path. <list>Tag. One <list>The label represents an entry in a group of table-style configuration items, and at the same time <list>Tags through their children's tags <min-elements> 、 <max-elements>This indicates the minimum and maximum number of entries allowed in a tabular configuration item group, which is determined by... <list>The path is expressed by adding the "[mintrunk, maxtrunk]" marker after the name attribute value of the tag.

[0094] Correspondingly, the current configuration item group corresponds to <list>In the case of tags, that is, when the current configuration item group is a table-type configuration item group, it can also be done by... <list>The path is expressed by adding the "[minTerminal, maxTerminal]" marker after the name attribute value of the tag.

[0095] Finally, configuration data template files are generated by grouping configuration items at the end of the configuration management model tree of the NF instance and corresponding to Excel sheet pages one by one.

[0096] It should be noted that the row and column structure in Excel can represent both list-type and table-type configuration item groups. The key point here is how to intuitively represent the path of the configuration item group while also making it easy for users to read the configuration data template file and fill in the configuration data.

[0097] In this embodiment of the application, an Excel sheet can be divided into four regions, such as... Figure 4 As shown.

[0098] Area 1 Figure 4 The text in red indicates that it corresponds only to cell A1, where the path is automatically filled in as the group marker for the current configuration item.

[0099] Region 2 in Figure 4 The text in yellow represents cell A6 and the cells below it. It contains one or more paths traversed from the root node of the configuration management model tree to the current configuration item group within the path of region one. <list>The ID values ​​of the tags, which are within the range of the "[mintrunk, maxtrunk]" tags.

[0100] Region 3 Figure 4 The columns, indicated by blue, comprise multiple cells extending to the right from cells B2 to B5. Each column represents a configuration item within a configuration item group, such as... Figure 4 The system automatically fills in the English identifier, Chinese name, data type, and description of the configuration items defined in the configuration management model from top to bottom.

[0101] Region 4 Figure 4 The cells marked in green correspond to the cells extending to the right and down from cell B6, and are used by users to fill in the configuration data determined according to the network plan.

[0102] Here, the configuration items are grouped in a tabular format:

[0103] Always enter the identifier of the configuration item group that serves as the key of the table in cell B2, and mark it in bold to distinguish it from other configuration items.

[0104] The path in region 1 is grouped according to the current configuration item. <list>Add the tag "[minTerminal, maxTerminal]" to the end of the name attribute value of the tag;

[0105] Therefore, starting from cell B6, you can fill in the corresponding configuration item group below. <list>The ID values ​​of the tags, which are within the range of the "[minTerminal, maxTerminal]" tags.

[0106] Optionally, one implementation method involves generating a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template, including:

[0107] When the orchestration management system creates the first network device instance based on the network device template information, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template corresponding to the first network device.

[0108] Optionally, one implementation method involves generating a configuration management interface for the first network device instance based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance, including:

[0109] Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance, obtain the configuration management model tree of the first network device instance;

[0110] Based on the configuration management model tree and the configuration data after the first network device instance runs, a configuration instance tree is obtained;

[0111] Based on the configuration instance tree, a configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated, and a configuration panel corresponding to the leaf node in the configuration menu tree is generated. The configuration panel includes configuration items and configuration data.

[0112] In this embodiment of the application, the configuration management interface of the NF instance includes two areas: a configuration menu tree on the left and a configuration panel on the right.

[0113] Specifically, the process of generating the configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface of the NF instance is as follows:

[0114] Based on the configuration management model files of each atomic service in the NF template corresponding to the NF instance, the configuration management model tree of the NF instance is obtained. After filling in the specific configuration data in the configuration data template file and importing it into the configuration data file in the network management system, a specific configuration instance tree can be obtained. This configuration instance tree inherits the tag path of the configuration item group at the end of the configuration management model tree of the NF instance and instantiates the ID value based on the configuration data filled in by the user, so that each item included in this configuration instance tree is clear and definite.

[0115] Starting from the root node of the configuration instance tree of the NF instance, traverse down level by level until you reach the configuration item group that includes the end of the specific marked path. This will give you the configuration menu tree that needs to be displayed on the left side of the configuration management interface.

[0116] Extract the configuration items and data from the configuration panel corresponding to the leaf nodes of the configuration menu tree.

[0117] To achieve the goal of displaying the corresponding configuration panel and showing the relevant configuration items and data according to the configuration management model when a user clicks a leaf node in the configuration menu tree on the network management interface, it is necessary to automatically retrieve the configuration items and data in the configuration panel corresponding to the leaf node of the configuration menu tree. Based on the specific marked path associated with clicking the leaf node, on the one hand, the configuration panel structure can be obtained by finding the model of the corresponding configuration item group in the configuration management model tree of the NF instance; on the other hand, the corresponding configuration data in the panel can be obtained by finding the corresponding terminal configuration item group data in the specific configuration instance tree obtained in the previous step.

[0118] The above process allows for a flexible presentation of the configuration management interface for all services included in the NF instance.

[0119] Network management users can add, delete, modify, and query configurations in the configuration panel. The network management system will automatically monitor the changes, automatically convert them into the configuration data format accepted by each atomic service in the NF instance, and then send the user's request to the OMU POD in the NF instance.

[0120] When distributing configuration change commands, OMU POD queries the mapping relationship between each atomic service and the path of the configuration item group to be changed from the orchestration management system to find the matching target atomic service, and then forwards the configuration change command to the target atomic service for execution.

[0121] Therefore, the embodiments of this application include two major business processes: service configuration initialization at NF instance startup and configuration changes during runtime, as detailed below. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown.

[0122] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the network device configuration management method described in this application. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates the service configuration initialization process when an NF instance starts up. The method includes the following steps:

[0123] The orchestration and management system creates atomic services and uploads the release files for these atomic services, which include the configuration management model files for the atomic services.

[0124] The orchestration management system customizes NF templates on demand and obtains NF template information, which includes information on multiple atomic services.

[0125] Resource services in the network management system obtain NF template information from the orchestration management system;

[0126] The NF template configuration management model parsing service in the network management system extracts the configuration management model file of the atomic service from the corresponding atomic service's release file based on the NF template information, and calculates the configuration management model file of the NF template based on the atomic service's configuration management model file;

[0127] The pre-configuration management service in the network management system generates a configuration data template file for the NF template based on the configuration management model file of the NF template; it then downloads and configures this data template file and fills in the pre-configuration data according to the data template file.

[0128] The orchestration and management system creates a pre-deployed NF instance based on the NF template. This pre-deployed NF instance is the first NF instance.

[0129] The resource service in the network management system obtains pre-deployed NF instance information from the orchestration management system;

[0130] The pre-configuration management service in the network management system imports the pre-configuration data file for the pre-deployed NF instance based on the pre-deployed NF instance information, the corresponding NF template configuration data template file, and the pre-configuration data.

[0131] The orchestration and management system deploys pre-deployed NF instances and starts up and runs the NF instances;

[0132] The resource service in the network management system obtains information about the deployed NF instances from the orchestration management system;

[0133] The pre-configuration management service in the network management system distributes pre-configuration data to the deployed NF instance based on the corresponding pre-configuration data file. This pre-configuration data is the initial configuration data of the NF instance.

[0134] The ETCD SERVER in the NF instance writes and issues pre-configuration commands;

[0135] The OMU POD in the NF instance writes pre-configured data to the local ETCD;

[0136] The pre-configuration management service in the network management system writes pre-configuration data to the local ETCD;

[0137] The OMU POD in the NF instance prepares startup configuration data for each atomic service;

[0138] The corresponding atomic service in the business POD of the NF instance completes the initialization using the startup configuration data.

[0139] It's understandable that NF instances are dynamically orchestrated based on business needs, provided that an abstraction of the atomic service is established in the orchestration management system, including uploading the atomic service's deployment file. This deployment file includes the configuration management model file that matches the atomic service, describing the configuration management capabilities supported by the atomic service.

[0140] When creating an abstraction of atomic services in the orchestration management system, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is parsed, and the configuration management capabilities supported by the atomic service are recorded in key-value format. The key is used to indicate the identifier of the service, and the value is an array. The members of the array are used to indicate the path in the configuration management model starting from the root node and going down level by level until each configuration item group.

[0141] The network management system retrieves NF template information from the orchestration management system, including the atomic services included in the NF template. It extracts the configuration management model file from the release files of each atomic service and generates the configuration management model file for the NF template. Based on this configuration management model file, it automatically generates a configuration data template file for the NF template. Users can download this template file through the network management interface, fill in the corresponding pre-planned configuration data for different pre-deployed network device instances, and then upload it to the network management system, as described above. Figure 5 As shown.

[0142] The network management system continuously monitors the deployment of NF instances by the orchestration and management system, establishes management channels with newly deployed NF instances in real time, and writes the corresponding pre-configuration data to the ETCD-SERVER of the NF instance. Upon detecting this event, the OMU POD in the NF instance maintains the latest configuration data of its network device based on the pre-configuration data issued by the network management system. Furthermore, according to the configuration management model file of the corresponding NF template, it provides the configuration data required for service initialization to each atomic service based on the latest configuration data of the network device, ensuring that the NF instance can normally operate wireless network services.

[0143] When abstracting atomic services in the orchestration and management system, the mapping relationship between each atomic service and the paths of its supported configuration item groups is simultaneously determined and recorded. Based on this mapping relationship, OMU POD first queries the paths of configuration item groups supported by an atomic service, and then extracts the configuration data supported by this atomic service from the latest configuration data of the network device according to the paths of these configuration item groups, so as to provide it with the configuration data required for service initialization.

[0144] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another implementation of the network device configuration management method described in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 6 The diagram illustrates the business process for configuration changes during NF instance runtime. The method includes:

[0145] The NF template configuration management model parsing service in the network management system provides the configuration management model file for NF templates;

[0146] The ETCD SERVER in the network management system provides the latest configuration data for NF instances;

[0147] The configuration management service in the network management system integrates the configuration management model file of the NF template corresponding to the NF instance and the latest configuration data after running to generate the configuration management interface of the NF instance; and performs modification actions in the configuration management interface.

[0148] Write configuration change commands to the ETCD SERVER in the NF instance;

[0149] The OMU POD in the NF instance distributes the configuration change request to the atomic service in the business POD corresponding to the configuration change command;

[0150] The corresponding atomic service in the business POD will execute the change.

[0151] The ETCD SERVER in the NF instance is updated with the latest configuration changes.

[0152] The ETCD SERVER in the NF instance writes configuration change responses to the configuration management service in the network management system;

[0153] The configuration management service in the network management system receives the execution response of the modification action;

[0154] The configuration management service in the network management system updates the change results in the configuration management interface;

[0155] The ETCD SERVER in the network management system is updated with configuration changes to maintain the latest configuration data for the NF instance.

[0156] In one implementation method, optionally, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is used to store the mapping relationship between the identifier of the atomic service and the path of the configuration item group supported by the atomic service.

[0157] In one implementation method, optionally, the first network device instance obtains the path of the changed configuration item group according to the configuration change command, obtains the changed atomic service according to the configuration management model file of the atomic service, and performs a configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service.

[0158] When distributing configuration change requests, MU POD uses the path of the changed configuration group to query the mapping relationship between each atomic service and its supported configuration group paths maintained in the orchestration management system to determine which atomic service the configuration change should be sent to.

[0159] In one implementation method, optionally, the configuration management model of the atomic service is generated based on the YANG model. The configuration management model of the atomic service corresponds to a module tag in the YANG model, and the container tag in the YANG model is used as the root node. The configuration item groups supported by the atomic service are attached to the root node as child nodes and / or grandchild nodes.

[0160] The configuration management model will be explained in detail below:

[0161] The configuration management model needs to meet the requirements of a configuration management interface for dynamically generating NF instances, as well as the requirements of configuration data interaction between the network management system and network devices. It is the foundation for realizing dynamic configuration management.

[0162] YANG data modeling language, or YANG model for short, provides a standardized and structured semantic description for the configuration, operation, and monitoring of network devices, and is one of the core foundations of modern network automation. YIN (YANG Independent Notation) is an XML format equivalent to YANG. Through standardized tags and structures, it retains the semantics of the YANG model while providing the universality and extensibility of the XML format, allowing tools that do not support the YANG model, such as XML-based parsers, to process the data model. To simplify code development, this application uses the YIN format to write the configuration management model.

[0163] In order to support the dynamic generation of configuration management interfaces through the configuration management model, this application embodiment proposes at least one of the following conventions for writing the configuration model of each atomic service:

[0164] (1) Use the same root node of the configuration management model tree:

[0165] Each atomic service's configuration management model corresponds to a module in the YANG model, and is... <module>The name attribute value of a tag is a unique identifier, and all tags have a name attribute value of #cfg. <container>The tag serves as the root node, and all configuration item groups supported by the atomic service are subordinate to it as descendant nodes.

[0166] Thus, through the above conventions, multiple configuration management model files of multiple atomic services in the NF template can be integrated into a configuration management model file of the NF template. Furthermore, all configuration item groups in the configuration management model file are descendant nodes of the same root node, which corresponds to the root node of the configuration menu tree for network elements in the network management system.

[0167] (2) Packaging <list>Label:

[0168] In the YANG data modeling language specification <list>Labels are used to represent the model of entries in a two-dimensional data table, where multiple entries are represented as multiple parallel data items. <list>Example.

[0169] To display configuration data in tabular format on the configuration management interface, it is necessary to specify the format when writing the configuration management model. <list>Insert a parent <container>Labels, so that all data instances in the table are located in a single... <container>Under the tag.

[0170] If this <container>The label corresponds to the leaf node of the configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface, so multiple <list>Data instances are displayed in tabular form in their corresponding configuration panels.

[0171] If this <container>The label corresponds to the trunk node of the configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface, so multiple elements can be explicitly or implicitly displayed using it as an expand / collapse node. <list>Tag instance node.

[0172] (3) Restrictions <list>The child's label.

[0173] In the YANG modeling language specification <list>There can be multiple tags. <leaf> 、 <container> 、 <list>Children's tags. Encapsulated via (2). <list>The conventions of tags make the configuration model of this project... <list>It will not appear under the tag <list>Tags, but may appear <leaf>and <container>The situation where tags coexist. In this case, to organize the display of the configuration model on the interactive interface, it is always necessary to... <list>Insert one next <container>Tags, putting non-key elements <leaf>The label is moved below it.

[0174] In addition, to ensure compatibility with the existing configuration data formats of various atomic services, the embodiments of this application employ the following techniques to achieve the conversion between the YANG model-based configuration data and the configuration data formats accepted by each atomic service in the NF instance:

[0175] When developing a configuration management model based on the YANG model, try to align the hierarchical structure of each configuration item group, the grouping of included configuration items, with the configuration data format accepted by the atomic service.

[0176] A configuration item group is uniquely defined by the path from the root node of the configuration management model tree to it, and by the configuration item groups it includes.

[0177] Before sending the configuration items from the network management system to the atomic service in groups, remove the extra layers added to the configuration management model to support the generation of the configuration management interface, and convert them into the format of configuration data that the atomic service can accept.

[0178] Before reading the configuration item groups displayed in the configuration management interface from the server side, first find the path of the configuration management model tree corresponding to the configuration management interface, remove the extra levels added to the configuration management model to support the generation of the configuration management interface, and obtain the path of the corresponding configuration item group on the server side, so as to read the corresponding configuration item group from the server side.

[0179] For a configuration item group, there may be slight differences in the data format between the network management side and the service side. The conversion can be completed on the network management side according to the actual situation.

[0180] In summary, the configuration management method for network devices described in the embodiments of this application mainly includes the following:

[0181] The configuration management model for each atomic service is based on the YANG model, specifically the YIN format. Conventions are established regarding how to write the configuration management model, including: using the same root node of the configuration management model tree, and encapsulation. <list>Tags, restrictions <list>The child's label.

[0182] By combining the orchestration management system to obtain the atomic services included in the NF template, as well as the configuration management model of each atomic service, the configuration management model tree of the NF instance is obtained.

[0183] The configuration management model tree based on NF instances groups and labels the path from the root node down to each terminal configuration item according to a predefined method. Then, following a predefined Excel sheet layout, all terminal configuration items are grouped and exported as a configuration data template file, which is an Excel file.

[0184] Based on the configuration management model tree of the NF instance and the pre-configuration data file obtained by filling in the configuration data template file, a configuration management interface matching the NF instance is automatically generated.

[0185] When abstracting atomic services in an orchestration and management system, the mapping relationship between atomic services and their supported configuration item groups is determined. Based on this mapping relationship, the management unit in the NF instance can: 1) prepare corresponding business initialization configuration data for each atomic service; and 2) correctly distribute configuration group change commands to the atomic services in the NF instance.

[0186] Based on the above, this application embodiment defines the rules for writing the configuration management model for atomic services by adding constraints to the YANG model. Then, in conjunction with the orchestration management system, the network management system automatically generates configuration data template files for NF templates. The network management user fills in the pre-configuration data of the NF template based on this configuration data template file and imports it into the network management system. Finally, the network management system automatically generates a configuration management interface that matches the NF instance based on the configuration management model tree of the NF instance and the imported pre-configuration data, thereby meeting the configuration management requirements of network devices obtained by service-driven, on-demand orchestration in 6G service-oriented RAN.

[0187] like Figure 7 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a configuration management device for a network device, including:

[0188] The sending module 701 is used to send initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance when it is detected that the orchestration management system has deployed the first network device instance, and the first network device instance completes the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data.

[0189] The first generation module 702 is used to generate the configuration management interface of the first network device instance based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance when the configuration data after the first network device instance is running is obtained.

[0190] The change module 703 is used to send the configuration change command to the first network device instance when the configuration change command input by the user is obtained through the configuration management interface, and to update the configuration in the configuration management interface when the configuration change response returned by the first network device instance is obtained; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service according to the configuration change command.

[0191] Optionally, the configuration management device for the network device further includes:

[0192] The extraction module is used to extract the configuration management model file of the atomic service from the release file of the corresponding atomic service based on the atomic service information in the network device template information when the network device template information provided by the orchestration management system is obtained.

[0193] The second generation module is used to generate the configuration management model file of the network device template based on the configuration management model file of the atomic service.

[0194] Optionally, the configuration management device for the network device further includes:

[0195] The third generation module is used to generate a configuration data template file for the network device template based on the configuration management model file of the network device template.

[0196] The fourth generation module is used to generate a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template.

[0197] Optionally, in the configuration management device for the network device, the third generation module is specifically used for:

[0198] When the orchestration management system creates the first network device instance based on the network device template information, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template corresponding to the first network device.

[0199] Optionally, in the configuration management device of the network device, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is used to store the mapping relationship between the identifier of the atomic service and the path of the configuration item group supported by the atomic service.

[0200] Optionally, in the configuration management device of the network device, the configuration management model of the atomic service is generated based on the YANG model. The configuration management model of the atomic service corresponds to a module tag in the YANG model, and the container tag in the YANG model is used as the root node. The configuration item groups supported by the atomic service are attached to the root node as child nodes and / or grandchild nodes.

[0201] Optionally, in the configuration management device for the network device, the first generation module is specifically used for:

[0202] Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance, obtain the configuration management model tree of the first network device instance;

[0203] Based on the configuration management model tree and the configuration data after the first network device instance runs, a configuration instance tree is obtained;

[0204] Based on the configuration instance tree, a configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated, and a configuration panel corresponding to the leaf node in the configuration menu tree is generated. The configuration panel includes configuration items and configuration data.

[0205] Optionally, in the configuration management device of the network device, the first network device instance obtains the path of the changed configuration item group according to the configuration change command, obtains the changed atomic service according to the configuration management model file of the atomic service, and performs a configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service.

[0206] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented in the above network device configuration management method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts that are the same as those in the method embodiment and the beneficial effects will not be described in detail.

[0207] This application also provides a configuration management device for network devices, such as... Figure 8 As shown, it includes:

[0208] The processor 801, memory 802, transceiver 803, and programs or instructions stored in the memory 802 and executable on the processor 801; when the processor 801 executes the programs or instructions, it implements the various processes of the above-described network device configuration management method embodiments and achieves the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0209] The transceiver 803 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 801.

[0210] Among them, Figure 8 In this context, the bus architecture can include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically connecting various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 801 and memory represented by memory 802. The bus architecture can also connect various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 803 can be multiple elements, including transmitters and receivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. For different user equipment, the user interface 804 can also be an interface capable of connecting external or internal devices, including but not limited to keypads, displays, speakers, microphones, joysticks, etc.

[0211] The processor 801 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, while the memory 802 can store the data used by the processor 801 when performing operations.

[0212] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the various processes of the above-described network device configuration management method embodiments and achieves the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here. The computer-readable storage medium may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc.

[0213] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the various processes of the above-described network device configuration management method embodiments and achieve the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0214] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one…" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0215] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0216] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.< / list> < / list> < / leaf> < / container> < / list> < / container> < / leaf> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / container> < / leaf> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / container> < / list> < / container> < / container> < / container> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / container> < / module> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / min-elements> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / list> < / container> < / list> < / list> < / container> < / container> < / list> < / container>

Claims

1. A configuration management method for a network device, characterized in that, Applied to network management systems, the method includes: If the orchestration management system detects that the first network device instance has been deployed, the system sends initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance, and the first network device instance completes the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data. Once the configuration data of the first network device instance after it has been run is obtained, the configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated according to the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance. When a configuration change command for the first network device instance is obtained from the user input through the configuration management interface, the configuration change command is sent to the first network device instance, and when a configuration change response is obtained from the first network device instance, the configuration is updated in the configuration management interface; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operations on the changed atomic services according to the configuration change command.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the network device template information provided by the orchestration management system is obtained, the configuration management model file of the atomic service is extracted from the release file of the corresponding atomic service based on the atomic service information in the network device template information; Based on the configuration management model file of the atomic service, generate the configuration management model file of the network device template.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template, generate the configuration data template file of the network device template; Based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated, including: When the orchestration management system creates the first network device instance based on the network device template information, a pre-configuration data file for the first network device instance is generated based on the configuration data template file and pre-configuration data of the network device template corresponding to the first network device.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The configuration management model file of the atomic service is used to store the mapping relationship between the identifier of the atomic service and the path of the configuration item group supported by the atomic service.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The configuration management model of the atomic service is generated based on the YANG model. The configuration management model of the atomic service corresponds to a module tag in the YANG model, and the container tag in the YANG model is used as the root node. The configuration item groups supported by the atomic service are attached to the root node in the form of child nodes and / or grandchild nodes.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance, a configuration management interface for the first network device instance is generated, including: Based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance, obtain the configuration management model tree of the first network device instance; Based on the configuration management model tree and the configuration data after the first network device instance runs, a configuration instance tree is obtained; Based on the configuration instance tree, a configuration menu tree in the configuration management interface of the first network device instance is generated, and a configuration panel corresponding to the leaf node in the configuration menu tree is generated. The configuration panel includes configuration items and configuration data.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first network device instance obtains the path of the changed configuration item group according to the configuration change command, and obtains the changed atomic service according to the configuration management model file of the atomic service, and performs configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service.

9. A configuration management device for a network device, characterized in that, include: The sending module is used to send initial configuration data to the first network device instance according to the pre-configuration data file of the first network device instance when it is detected that the orchestration management system has deployed the first network device instance, and the first network device instance completes the initial configuration according to the initial configuration data. The first generation module is used to generate the configuration management interface of the first network device instance based on the configuration management model file of the network device template corresponding to the first network device instance after obtaining the configuration data after the first network device instance runs. The change module is used to send the configuration change command to the first network device instance when the configuration change command input by the user is obtained through the configuration management interface, and to update the configuration in the configuration management interface when the configuration change response returned by the first network device instance is obtained; wherein, the first network device instance performs configuration item change operation on the changed atomic service according to the configuration change command.

10. A configuration management device for network devices, characterized in that, include: A processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the program or instructions, implements the configuration management method of the network device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the configuration management method for a network device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the configuration management method for the network device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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