System and method for dynamic slice scheduling in a network

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system (108) and method (500) for dynamic slice scheduling in a network comprising a processing engine (208) configured to determine a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources in the network, split the determined plurality of VFs, map the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container, receive at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice, monitor by an agent interface (308) the at least one received request, create by the agent interface (308) at least one new data plane instance, a memory (204) configured to store the plurality of resources, an interface(s) (206) configured to communicate with the processing engine and a database (210) wherein the database (210) is configured to store the at least one new data plane.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC SLICE SCHEDULING IN A NETWORKRESERVATION OF RIGHTS

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for dynamic data plane management in a wireless telecommunications network. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for dynamic slice scheduling in a network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admission of the prior art.

[0004] Currently, data planes are pre-defined and pre-configured with a resource provision. However, with the dynamic slicing requirements, the static behaviour of the data planes may result in one or more issues in the deployment of services (like the nonavailability of compute or network resources). Further, current systems include containerization with only required resources and mapping of one or more Virtual functions (VFs) in a single instance at the time ofsetup. This forces a container creating processor to perform the same exercise at each request time and may add to an overall processing time.

[0005] There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide a system and a method that can mitigate the problems associated with the prior arts.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method that provides dynamic spinning of data planes based on a real-time slicing requirement.

[0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method that provides mapping of Virtual functions (VFs), CPU cores and memory at an initial stage of container creation, to be dynamically provisioned by a slice scheduler in a later stage.

[0008] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method where a user plane function (UPF) slice scheduler microservice is responsible for dynamically spinning a UPF data plane instance for a new slice based on slice Service level agreement (SLA) requirements.SUMMARY

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a method for dynamic slice scheduling in a network. The method comprises determining a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network. The method comprises splitting the determined plurality of VFs based on an association between at least one VF with at least one Network interface card (NIC). The method comprises mapping the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container. The method comprises receiving at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice. The method comprises monitoring, by an agent interface, at least one received request. The method comprises creating, by the agent interface, at least one new data plane instance inside at least one main container for the at least one received request.

[0010] In some embodiments, the at least one new data plane instance is created based on at least one Service level agreement (SLA) and a plurality of available resources inside the at least one main container.

[0011] In some embodiments, the agent interface is triggered to generate the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container using the plurality of available resources.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further comprises a step of spinning at least one new data plane instance based on a matching between a plurality of pre-defined parameters in at least one SLA and the plurality of available resources inside at least one container.

[0013] In some embodiments, the agent interface informs at least one slice scheduler after the successful creation of the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a system for dynamic slice scheduling in a network. A processing engine (208) is configured to determine a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network. The system is configured to split the determined plurality of VFs based on an association between at least one VF with at least one network interface card (NIC). The system is configured to map the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container. The system is configured to receive at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice. The system is configured to monitor, by an agent interface, the at least one received request. The system is configured to create, by the agent interface, at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request. The system further includes a memory configured to store the plurality of resources, an interface(s) configured to communicate with the processing engine, and a database coupled with the processing engine, wherein the database is configured to store the at least one new data plane.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least one new data plane instance is created based on at least one Service level agreement (SLA) and a plurality of available resources inside the at least one main container.

[0016] In some embodiments, the system is further configured to trigger the agent interface to spawn the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container using the plurality of available resources.

[0017] In some embodiments, the system is further configured to spin the at least one new data plane instance based on a matching between a plurality of pre-defined parameters defined in the at least one SLA and the plurality of available resources inside the at least one container.

[0018] In some embodiments, the agent interface informs at least one slice scheduler after the successful creation of the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container.

[0019] In an embodiment, a computer program product comprising a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network, split the determined plurality of VFs based on an association between at least one VF with at least one network interface card (NIC), map the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container, receive at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice, monitor, by an agent interface, the at least one received request, create, by the agent interface, at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request.

[0020] The present disclosure discloses a user equipment configured to determining a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network, splitting the determined plurality of VFs based on an association between at least one VF with at least one Network interface card (NIC), mapping the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container, receiving at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice, monitoring, by an agentinterface, the at least one received request, creating, by the agent interface, at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request.

[0021] The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments and the following detailed description thereof are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of this disclosure and are not restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes the disclosure of electrical components, electronic components, or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture for implementing a system for dynamic slice scheduling in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic architecture diagram of a user plane function (UPF), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic flow diagram for a data plane slice creation flow, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for dynamic slice scheduling in the network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer system in which or with which the system and the method are implemented, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS100 - Network architecture102-1, 102-2. . . 102-N - A plurality of users104-1, 104-2. . . 104-N - A plurality of computing devices106 - Network108 - System202 - A plurality of processors204 - Memory206 - A plurality of interfaces208 - Processing engine210 - Database212 - Data parameter engine214 - Other engine(s)300 - User plane function (UPF) slice scheduler302 - Resource inventory304 - HA module306 - Resource scheduler308 - Agent interface310 - Network services platform (NSP) interface312 - Container management platform400 - Flow diagram for the data plane slice creation410 - Creation of all data plane containers at the time of cluster initiation, catering to all available resources412 - The agent interface running inside the UPF slice scheduler may validate the request414 - If the request is invalid, it is sent to the NSP interface416 - The agent interface may register with the slice scheduler with all the available resources to calculate resource requirements418 - If the resource is not available, it is sent to the NSP interface420 - The UPF slice scheduler may include all the resources available in each host running on multiple containers422 - When the slice creation request is received, the NSP interface may check the resources available in the containers and the SLAs to meet and trigger the agent interface to spin a data plane instance inside the container using the available resources424 - After the data plane instance is created, the agent interface may inform the slice scheduler (404) of its successful creation, and the slice scheduler may update the resource inventory426 - Add the SA group along with details of the UE internet protocol (IP) subnet, Data network name (DNN), slice Identification (ID), Network slice instance (NSI) ID, etc428, 430 - If step 426 is successful send to the UPF slice scheduler and further to the NSP interface500 - Method502 - Determining a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network504 - Splitting the determined plurality of VFs based on a correlation between at least one VF with at least one network interface card (NIC)506 - Mapping the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container508 - Receiving at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice510 - Monitoring, by an agent interface, the at least one received request512 - Creating, by the agent interface, at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request600 - Computer system610 - External storage device620 - Bus630 - Main memory640 - Read-only memory650 - Mass storage device660 - Communication port670 - ProcessorDETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following description, for explanation, various specific details are outlined in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0031] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0032] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0033] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0034] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive like the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0035] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0036] The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0037] The present invention provides a system and a method that provides a slice scheduler and a method of spinning the data plane to enable optimal utilization of resources. The present invention provides a system and a method that provides resource optimization, quick deployment, negligible down time, and resource isolation. In an aspect, the present invention can be implemented in a communication network for network deployment and management of resources.

[0038] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGs. 1-6.

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network architecture (100) for implementing a system (108) for dynamic slice scheduling in a network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 1, one or more computing devices (104-1, 104-2...104-N) may be connected to the system (108) through the network (106). A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the one or more computing devices (104-1, 104-2...104-N) may be collectively referred as ‘the computing devices (104)’ and individually referred as ’the computing device (104)’. One or more users (102-1, 102-2... 102-N) may provide one or more requests to the system (108). A person of ordinary skill in the art will understandthat the one or more users (102-1, 102-2...102-N) may be collectively referred as ‘the users (102)’ and individually referred as ’the user (102)’. Further, the computing devices (104) may also be referred as ‘the user equipment (UE) (104) or ‘the UEs (104)’ throughout the disclosure.

[0041] In an embodiment, the computing device (104) may include, but not be limited to, a mobile, and a laptop. Further, the computing device (104) may include one or more in-built accessories or externally coupled accessories, including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, audio aid, microphone, or keyboard. Furthermore, the computing device (104) may include a smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, a general-purpose computer, a desktop, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, and a mainframe computer. Additionally, input devices for receiving input from the user (102), such as a touchpad, touch-enabled screen, electronic pen, and the like, may be used.

[0042] In an embodiment, the network (106) may include, by way of example but not limitation, at least a portion of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or a combination thereof, one or more messages, packets, signals, waves, voltage or current levels, and some combinations thereof. The network (106) may also include, by way of example but not limitation, one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, an internet, an intranet, a public network, a private network, a packet-switched network, a circuit-switched network, an ad hoc network, an infrastructure network, a public-switched telephone network (PSTN), a cable network, a cellular network, a satellite network, a fiber optic network, or some combinations thereof.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic block diagram (200) of the system (108), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 2, the system (108) may include one or more processor(s) (202). The one or more processor(s) (202) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and / or any devices thatprocess data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) (202) may be configured to fetch and execute computer- readable instructions stored in a memory (204) of the system (108). The memory (204) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory (204) may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.

[0045] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include one or more interface(s) (206). The interface(s) (206) may comprise a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices (I / O), storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) (206) may facilitate communication through the system (108). The interface(s) (206) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system (108). Examples of such components include but are not limited to, processing engine(s) (208) and a database (210). Further, the processing engine(s) (208) may include a data parameter engine (212) and other engine(s) (214). In an embodiment, the other engine(s) (214) may include, but not be limited to, a data ingestion engine, an input / output engine, and a notification engine.

[0046] In an embodiment, the processing engine(s) (208) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine(s) (208). In the examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine(s) (208) may be processorexecutable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware for the processing engine(s) (208) may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium maystore instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine(s) (208). In such examples, the system (108) may comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system (108) and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine(s) (208) may be implemented by electronic circuitry.

[0047] Although FIG. 2 shows exemplary components of the system (108), in other embodiments, the system (108) may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the system (108) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the system (108).

[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic architecture diagram (300) for a user plane function (UPF) slice scheduler (300) provided in the processing engine (208) for managing data plane slices, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the UPF slice scheduler (300) comprises a resource inventory (302) and a High Availability (HA) module (304) connected to a resource scheduler (306). Further, an agent interface (308), a network service platform (NSP) interface (310) and a container management platform (312) are connected to the resource scheduler (306).

[0050] The UPF slice scheduler (300) may maintain the resource inventory (302) of resources for all UPF clusters at the edge / site / circle level. The resource inventory (302) includes details such as processing power (vCPUs), memory, and network interface cards (NICs) within each container.

[0051] In an embodiment, the HA module (304) may maintain the high availability of the resource scheduler (306), ensuring that it consistently performs its tasks without interruption.

[0052] The UPF slice scheduler (300) may include an application programming interface (API) for the creation and deletion of a slice. For eachslice creation request, the UPF slice scheduler (300) may identify the most suitable UPF cluster with sufficient resources available (as per service level agreement (SLA) requirement) to create data plane (DP) instances. Further, the resource inventory (302) is configured to identify the most suitable UPF cluster with sufficient resources to meet the requested service level agreement (SLA) requirements. The resource scheduler (306) may compute the number of resources required based on the throughput requirement for the slice.

[0053] In an embodiment, the SLA is a formal agreement between a service provider (like a network operator) and a customer (like another company or individual user) that defines the expected performance of a service. Further, a plurality of pre-defined parameters in the at least one SLA includes metrics related to the data plane, such as: throughput, latency or availability.

[0054] In an embodiment, the plurality of available resources may refer to the various types of resources available within a single “main container.” The resources may include, but not limited to virtual CPUs (vCPUs), memory, Network interface cards (NICs), Virtual functions (VFs)

[0055] In an embodiment, the agent interface (308) may facilitate communication between the resource scheduler (306) and slice agents operating on data plane servers. The agent interface (308) executes commands to create, monitor, and delete data plane instances based on the instructions of the resource scheduler (306). The agent interface (308) ensures seamless resource management and instance control interaction.

[0056] In an embodiment, the NSP interface (310) may enable the UPF slice scheduler (300) to interact with the broader network management system. The NSP interface (310) handles requests for creating and deleting slices and provides status updates on resource usage and slice operations. The NSP interface (310) ensures that the UPF slice scheduler (300) aligns with the network’s overall management policies and service requirements.

[0057] In an embodiment, the container management platform (312) may be connected with the resource scheduler (306). The container management platform (312) may manage the addition and deletion of service availability (SA)groups, along with details such as UE IP subnet, data network name (DNN), slice identification (ID), and network slice instance (NSI) ID.

[0058] In an embodiment, for each slice, one service availability (SA) group may be created. Each SA group may include a pair of DP instances in an active / standby configuration. Further, each slice may communicate with the agent interface (308) on each host for spinning of DP instances with given resources. The slice may communicate with the container management platform (312) for the addition of SA group along with details of UE IP subnet, DNN, slice ID, NSI ID etc.

[0059] In an embodiment,1. the UPF slice scheduler (300) may communicate with the agent interface (308) running (within the container) on data plane servers to spin data plane processes with given: a. vCPUs (specific vCPU range) b. Memory (4K Memory) c. Number of Hugepages d. VF-Id e. Slice Id2. The agent interface (308) for slice deletion, a. Slice Id3. UCM, for addition of SA Group with details, a. UE IP Subnet, b. DNN, c. Slice Id d. NSI Id (Optional) e. VLAN Id4. UCM, for deletion of SA group, a. Slice Id b. NSI Id (Optional)UCM shall remove the SA group from the configuration.5. Northbound RestFul API for slice creation,a. UE IP Subnet b. Overall Throughput (In terms of Gbps) c. VLAN Id d. DNN e. Slice-Id f. NSI Id6. Northbound RestFul interface for Slice Deletion, a. Slice-IdInventory requirements1. The resource inventory (302) may maintain an inventory of all UPF clusters deployed at edge / site / circle. The fully qualified cluster ID may include a circle-site-cluster number to uniquely identify the cluster.2. For each cluster, details / addresses of individual server along with type e.g. CP / DP shall be maintained.3. For each data plane server, the slice may maintain an inventory of following resources in terms of total, allocated and available. a. Virtual central processing unit (vCPU) ID’s (List) b. 4K Memory (random access memory (RAM)ZHeap) c. Number of HugePages d. VF Ids (List)4. For each slice, the resource inventory (302) may contain list of allocated resources on each server with details of cluster identification.Inventory RESTFul APIs (For Northbound)1. Add resource information with respect to (w.r.t.) Cluster / DP2. Get Allocated resource information w.r.t. a. Slice-Id b. Cluster c. Cluster + Data Plane3. Get total resource information w.r.t. a. Circle b. Sitec. Cluster d. DP4. Get free resource information w.r.t. a. Circle b. Site c. Cluster d. DP

[0060] FIG. 4 shows a schematic flow diagram (400) for a data plane illustrating a slice creation flow, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0061] As illustrated in FIG. 4, in an embodiment, resource isolation may be required in each created slice. This is required for isolating resource management. Data plane instances may be implemented where inventory management may be required based on the SLA requirement.

[0062] In an embodiment, the flow diagram (400) for the data plane slice creation may include the following steps.

[0063] Step 410: Creation of all data plane containers at the time of cluster initiation, catering to all available resources.

[0064] Step 412: The agent interface (308) running inside the UPF slice scheduler (300) may validate the request.

[0065] Step 414: If the request is invalid, it is sent to the NSP interface (310).

[0066] Step 416: The agent interface (308) may register with the UPF slice scheduler (300) with all the available resources to calculate resource requirements.

[0067] Step 418: If the resource is unavailable, it is sent to the NSP interface (310).

[0068] Step 420: The UPF slice scheduler (300) may include all the resources available in each host running on multiple containers.

[0069] Step 422: When the slice creation request is received, the NSP interface (310) may check the resources available in the containers and the SLAsto meet and trigger the agent interface (308) to spin a data plane instance inside the container using the available resources.

[0070] Step 424: After the data plane instance is created, the agent interface (308) may inform the UPF slice scheduler (300) of its successful creation, and the UPF slice scheduler (300) may update the resource inventory (302).

[0071] Step 426: Add the SA group along with details of the UE internet protocol (IP) subnet, DNN, slice ID, NSI ID, etc.

[0072] Steps 428, 430: If step 426 is successful send to the UPF slice scheduler (300) and further to the NSP interface (310).

[0073] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic flow diagram for a method (500) for dynamic slice scheduling in the network (106), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the following steps of the method (500) may be implemented by the system (108) for dynamic slice scheduling in the network (106).

[0075] At step 502, the method (500) may be configured to determine a plurality of Virtual Functions (VFs) available in the network (106). The VFs are essentially software components that provide specific network functionalities (like forwarding packets). The method (500) may also be configured to identify a plurality of resources associated with these VFs. These resources likely include processing power (vCPUs), memory, and network interface cards (NICs) that the VFs rely on to function.

[0076] At step 504, the method (500) may be configured to split the determined plurality of VFs based on a correlation between at least one VF with at least one network interface card (NIC). This involves segmenting the identified VFs into distinct units based on their association with specific NICs, ensuring that each VF is optimally aligned with the hardware resources available.

[0077] At step 506, the method (500) may be configured to map the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container. This step entails organizing and allocating the split VFs and theirresources within a primary container framework, facilitating efficient resource management and utilization.

[0078] At step 508, the method (500) may be configured to receive at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice. This involves handling incoming requests for the creation of new data plane slices, which are essential for supporting different network services and applications.

[0079] At step 510, the method (500) may be configured to monitor, by at least one the agent interface (308), the at least one received request. In this step, the agent interface (308) keeps track of the received requests, ensuring they are processed in a timely and accurate manner.

[0080] At step 512, the method (500) may be configured to create, by the at least the agent interface (308), at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request. This final step involves the actual instantiation of the data plane slice within the main container, using the resources mapped earlier to fulfil the request.

[0081] In an embodiment, the creation considers the requested Service Level Agreement (SLA) and the available resources within the container. The SLA specifies performance requirements like throughput and latency, and the available resources determine if the container can meet those demands.

[0082] In an embodiment, the agent interface (308) is triggered to generate the data plane instance using the available resources within the container. This suggests an external mechanism might initiate the creation process based on the received request and identified resources.

[0083] In an embodiment, the creation process involves spinning the data plane instance based on a matching between the pre-defined parameters in the SLA (like throughput) and the available resources within the container. This ensures the created instance has sufficient resources to meet the promised service levels.

[0084] In an embodiment, after successful creation, the agent interface (308) informs the UPF slice scheduler (300).

[0085] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer system (600) in which or with which the system (108) and the method (500) of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 6, the computer system (600) may include an external storage device (610), a bus (620), a main memory (630), a read-only memory (640), a mass storage device (650), a communication port(s) (660), and a processor (670). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system (600) may include more than one processor and communication ports. The processor (670) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port(s) (660) may be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. The communication ports(s) (660) may be chosen depending on a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system (600) connects.

[0087] In an embodiment, the main memory (630) may be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory (540) may be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chip for storing static information e.g., start-up or basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions for the processor (670). The mass storage device (650) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PAT A) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or Firewire interfaces).

[0088] In an embodiment, the bus (620) may communicatively couple the processor(s) (670) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (620) may be, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and othersubsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (670) to the computer system (600).

[0089] In another embodiment, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display, keyboard, and cursor control device may also be coupled to the bus (620) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system (600). Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (660). The components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system (600) limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0090] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be implemented merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0091] The present disclosure provides a system and a method that splits multiple virtual functions (VFs) associated with a network interface card (NIC) and maps all the VFs inside the main container.

[0092] The present disclosure provides a system, and a method that creates a new data plane (DP) instance inside the main container based on a service level agreement (SLA) and available resources within the container.

[0093] The present disclosure provides a system and a method that enables optimal utilization of resources.

[0094] The present disclosure provides a system and a method that provides resource optimization, quick deployment, negligible downtime, and resource isolation.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method (500) for dynamic slice scheduling in a network, the method(500) comprising: determining (502) a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network; splitting (504) the determined plurality of VFs based on a correlation between at least one VF with at least one Network interface card (NIC); mapping (506) the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container; receiving (508) at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice; monitoring (510), by an agent interface (308), the at least one received request; and creating (512), by the agent interface (308), at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one new data plane instance is created based on at least one Service level agreement (SLA) and a plurality of available resources inside the at least one main container.

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent interface (308) is triggered to generate the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container using the plurality of available resources.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising spinning the at least one new data plane instance based on a matching between a plurality of pre-defined parameters in the at least one SLA and the plurality of available resources inside the at least one main container.

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent interface (308) informs at least one slice scheduler (300) after of a successful creation of the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container.

6. A system (200) for dynamic slice scheduling in a network, the system (200) comprises: a processing engine (208) configured to: determine a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network; split the determined plurality of VFs based on an association between at least one VF with at least one Network interface card (NIC); map the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container; receive at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice; monitor, by an agent interface (308), the at least one received request; create, by the agent interface (308), at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request; a memory (204) configured to store the plurality of resources;an interface(s) (206) configured to communicate with the processing engine; and a database (210) coupled with the processing engine (208), wherein the database (210) is configured to store the at least one new data plane.

7. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one new data plane instance is created based on at least one Service level agreement (SLA) and a plurality of available resources inside the at least one main container.

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the agent interface (308) is triggered to generate the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container using the plurality of available resources.

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein further comprising spinning the at least one new data plane instance based on a matching between a plurality of pre-defined parameters in the at least one SLA and the plurality of available resources inside the at least one main container.

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the agent interface (308) informs at least one slice scheduler (300) after of a successful creation of the at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method (500) for dynamic slice scheduling in a network, the method (500) comprising:determining (502) a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network; splitting (504) the determined plurality of VFs based on a correlation between at least one VF with at least one Network interface card (NIC); mapping (506) the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container; receiving (508) at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice; monitoring (510), by an agent interface (308), the at least one received request; and creating (512), by the agent interface (308), at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request.

12. A user equipment (104) communicatively coupled with a network (106), the coupling comprises steps of: determining a plurality of Virtual functions (VFs) and a plurality of resources associated with the plurality of VFs in the network; splitting the determined plurality of VFs based on a correlation between at least one VF with at least one Network interface card (NIC); mapping the plurality of split VFs and the plurality of associated resources inside at least one main container; receiving at least one request for creating at least one new data plane slice; monitoring, by an agent interface (308), the at least one received request; andcreating, by the agent interface (308), at least one new data plane instance inside the at least one main container for the at least one received request.

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