Method and system for managing inventory operations in a network environment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for managing inventory operations in a network environment The method comprises transmitting, by a transceiver unit [302], to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit [104], an event request. The method comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit [302] from the NPDA unit [104], an event response, based on the event request. The method comprises creating, by a creation unit [306], a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. The method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] to the NPDA, the query event. The method comprises receiving, at a user interface (UI), by the transceiver unit [302] from the NPDA unit [104], a query response based on the query event.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING INVENTORY OPERATIONS IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENTTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network performance management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to managing inventory operations in a network environment.BACKGROUND

[0002] 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 admissions of the prior art.

[0003] The current problem statement revolves around a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA)'s interaction with the UI, focusing on the management of create / read / update / delete (CRUD) operations pertaining to threshold and restoration policies for VNF / VNFC or CNF / CNFC. In traditional systems, there lacks a centralized approach to oversee policy implementation for real-time scaling or resource healing of VNF / VNFC or CNF / CNFC. This interface bridges this gap by enabling NPDA to comprehensively handle all policies related to thresholds and restoration at its end. These policies are tailored for each CNFC / VNFC, dictating crucial actions such as the instantiation of new instances, scaling out, or resource healing as per specific conditions. The need for an efficient and centralized policy management system is underscored by the dynamic nature of network functions and the imperative for swift, adaptive responses to changing conditions.

[0004] Therefore, there are a number of limitations to the existing solutions and in order to overcome these and such other limitations of the known solutions it is necessary to provide an efficient solution for facilitating in real time sender and receiver communication via NF V platform decision analytics user interface (NPDA UI).SUMMARY

[0005] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for managing inventory operations in a network environment. The method comprises transmitting, by a transceiver unit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit, an event request. Further, the method comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit from the NPDA unit, an event response, based on the event request. Furthermore, the method comprises creating, by a creation unit, a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. Hereinafter, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit to the NPDA unit, the query event. The method further comprises receiving, at a user interface (UI), by the transceiver unit from the NPDA unit, a query response based on the query event.

[0007] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the event request is related to a set of data stored in the NPDA unit, and wherein the event request is at least one of a create data request, an update data request, a fetch data request, a synchronization data request, and a delete data request.

[0008] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the set of data comprises at least one of threshold-based policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions.

[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more network functions comprise at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the communication between the UI and the NPDA unit occurs via a NPDA UI interface.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for managing inventory operations in a network environment. The system comprises a processing unit. The system further comprises a transceiver unit connected at least to the processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA)unit, an event request. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive, from the NPDA unit, an event response, based on the event request. The system comprises a creation unit connected at least to the transceiver unit. The creation unit is configured to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit, the query event to the NPDAunit. Further, the transceiver unit is configured to receive, at the UI from the NPDA unit, a query response based on the query event.

[0012] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a user equipment (UE) for managing inventory operations in a network environment. The UE includes a transceiver unit configured to transmit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit, an event request; and receive, by the transceiver unit from the NPDA unit, an event response, based on the event request. In addition, the UE includes a creation unit configured to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. Further, the transceiver unit is configured to: transmit, to the NPDA unit, the query event; and receive, at a user interface (UI), from the NPDA unit, a query response based on the query event.

[0013] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions for managing inventory operations in a network environment, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system cause a transceiver unit to transmit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit, an event request. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to receive, from the NPDAunit, an event response, based on the event request. The instructions when executed by the system further cause a creation unit to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to transmit, the query event to the NPDA unit. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit to receive, at the UI from the NPDA unit, a query response based on the query event.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0015] It is an object of the invention to provide a solution for facilitating in real time sender and receiver communication via NFV platform decision analytics user interface.

[0016] It is another object of the invention to make intelligent decisions in real-time through event- driven operation based on already provisioned policies.

[0017] It is yet another object of the present invention to manage the entire threshold-based policies / restoration through the UI efficiently.

[0018] It is yet another object of the present invention to create / modify / delete / view thresholdbased policies for a VNF or VNFC, CNF or CNFC via the interface.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing inventory operations in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for managing inventory operations in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates an implementation of a method for managing inventory operations in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture / platform, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0026] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth 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 may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0030] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.

[0031] 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 — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0032] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a (Digital Signal Processing) DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.

[0033] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and / or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment / device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least oneinput means configured to receive an input from at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection unit and any other such unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0034] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0035] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0036] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0037] As used herein the transceiver unit include at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units / components within the system and / or connected with the system.

[0038] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing method and system of managing inventory operations in a network environment.

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) architecture

[0100] , in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the NPDA architecture

[0100] comprises a user interface (UI)

[0102] , a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit

[0102] and a database

[0106] ,

[0040] The UI

[0102] may be one of a graphical user interface (GUI), a command line interface, and the like. The GUI refers to an interface to interact with the system NDPA unit

[0104] by a user by visual or graphical representation of icons, menu, etc. The GUI is an interface that may be used within a smartphone, laptop, computer, etc. The CLI refers to a text-based interface to interact with the NDPA unit

[0104] as by the user. The user may input text lines called as command lines in the CLI to access the data in the system. The user may be one of a system operator, network administrator, and the like.

[0041] The NPDA unit

[0104] uses data analysis and decision-making tools to deploy, manage, and operate virtualized network functions. The decision-making is based on a set of data stored in the NPDA unit

[0104] , The NDPA unit

[0104] allocates resources by analysing the set of data. The set of data includes but may not be limited to at least one of threshold-based policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions.

[0042] The database

[0106] is in communication with the NDPA unit

[0104] , The database stores the set of data. The database

[0106] provides the set of data to the NDPA unit

[0104] to analyse based on a received event request.

[0043] The NDPA unit

[0104] and the UI

[0102] is configured to interact or communicate via a NDPA UI interface

[0110] , The NDPA UI interface

[0110] may create, update, fetch and delete the data from the NPDA unit

[0104] , The set of data related to threshold-based policy, restoration policy, the FCAPS data of the one or more network functions that needs to be displayed on the UI

[0102] is fetched or managed from the NDPA UI interface

[0110] , The operations for the event request which includes but may not be limited to creation, updating, or deletion may be performed via a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request. The HTTP request refers to a message sent by the UI

[0102] to the NDPA unit

[0104] to initiate the operation or retrieve data. A representational state transfer application programming interface (REST API) is a medium of communication overHTTP, for the UI

[0102] to communicate with the NDPA unit

[0104] , The REST API is a set of rules and conventions for building and interacting with web services.

[0044] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device

[0200] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device

[0200] may also implement a method for managing inventory operations in a network environment utilising the system. In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] itself implements the method for managing inventory operations in a network environment, using one or more units configured within the computing device

[0200] , wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0045] The computing device

[0200] may include a bus

[0202] or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor

[0204] coupled with the bus

[0202] for processing information. The hardware processor

[0204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The computing device

[0200] may also include a main memory

[0206] , such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor

[0204] , The main memory

[0206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor

[0204] , Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor

[0204] , render the computing device

[0200] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device

[0200] further includes a read only memory (ROM)

[0208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing static information and instructions for the processor

[0204] ,

[0046] A storage device

[0210] , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing information and instructions. The computing device

[0200] may be coupled via the bus

[0202] to a display

[0212] , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for displaying information to a computer user. An input device

[0214] , including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus

[0202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor

[0204] , Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller

[0216] , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor

[0204] ,and for controlling cursor movement on the display

[0212] , The input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0047] The computing device

[0200] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and / or program logic which in combination with the computing device

[0200] causes or programs the computing device

[0200] to be a special-purpose machine. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device

[0200] in response to the processor

[0204] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory

[0206] , Such instructions may be read into the main memory

[0206] from another storage medium, such as the storage device

[0210] , Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory

[0206] causes the processor

[0204] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.

[0048] The computing device

[0200] also may include a communication interface

[0218] coupled to the bus

[0202] , The communication interface

[0218] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link

[0220] that is connected to a local network

[0222] , For example, the communication interface

[0218] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface

[0218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface

[0218] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0049] The computing device

[0200] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link

[0220] and the communication interface

[0218] , In the Internet example, a server

[0230] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet

[0228] , the ISP

[0226] , the local network

[0222] , the host

[0224] and the communication interface

[0218] , The received code may be executed by the processor

[0204] as it is received, and / or stored in the storage device

[0210] , or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

[0050] The present disclosure is implemented by a system (as shown in FIG. 3). In an implementation, the system

[0300] may include the computing device

[0200] (as shown in FIG. 2). It is further noted that the computing device

[0200] is able to perform the steps of a method

[0400] (as shown in FIG. 4).

[0051] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system

[0300] for managing inventory operations in a network environment, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0302] , at least one processing unit

[0304] and at least one creation unit

[0306] , Also, all of the components / units of the system

[0300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the figures all units shown within the system should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0300] may comprise multiple such units or the system

[0300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a user device to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] may be a part of the user device / or may be independent of but in communication with the user device (may also referred herein as a UE). In another implementation, the system

[0300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system

[0300] may reside partly in the server / network entity and partly in the user device.

[0052] The system

[0300] is configured for managing inventory operations in a network environment, with the help of the interconnection between the components / units of the system

[0300] ,

[0053] The transceiver unit

[0302] is connected at least to the processing unit

[0304] , The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to transmit an event request to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit

[0104] , The event request is at least one of a create data request, an update data request, a fetch data request, and a delete data request.

[0054] The event request is related to a set of data stored in the NPDA unit

[0104] , The set of data comprises at least one of threshold-based policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions. The set of data may be stored in the database

[0106] as shown in FIG. 1. The thresholdbased policy data refers to a policy that may be activated based on exceeding a predefined value. The predefined value may be defined by the user. For example, the user sets a threshold value fordatabase usage on a network at 70%. The threshold-based policy may be activated if the database usage exceeds 70%, for the network to automatically scale up resources or redirect data to another database. The restoration policy refers to a procedure for restoring services after a failure. In one example, the failure may be of a network function. The restoration policy includes a set of predefined steps to recover the network function and restore it into operational state. For instance, if database fails, the restoration policy may include steps of sending data stored in the database to a replication of the database to avoid interruption of service. The fault management data refers to steps involved in detecting, isolating, and correcting faults in the network. The configuration management refers to tracking changes in configuration and management of configurations. The accounting management refers to managing and tracking resources to track the usage of resources in the network accurately. The performance management manages and monitors the performance of one or more network functions in the network. The security management refers to involving policies to secure the network from threats.

[0055] An example of the event request may be a request for creation of a threshold-based policy to scale up a storage of a database when the database storage exceeds a limit of 75%.

[0056] The one or more network functions comprise at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs). The VNFs refers to a virtualized form of tasks where the tasks may be earlier carried out by a dedicated hardware. The CNFs refers to cloud native network functions that operate in a container. The CNFs refer to a type of network function that may be implemented in a containerized environment. The CNFs refers to an evolved traditional network function deployed on dedicated hardware or virtual machine.

[0057] The transceiver unit

[0302] is further configured to receive, from the NPDA unit

[0104] , an event response based on the event request. In one example, for every event request from the UI

[0102] , the NDPA unit

[0104] is configured to send an acknowledgement of receival of the event request to the UI

[0102] , The acknowledgment may be sent in the event response.

[0058] In an implementation of the present solution, the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] may communicate via a predefined application programming interface (API) medium over a predetermined protocol. For example, in an exemplary scenario the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] may communicate via a representational state transfer (REST) API over the predefined protocol that may be a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Furthermore, the UI

[0102] and theNPDA unit

[0104] may transmit and / or receive the data in a predefined format such as a JSON format. The JSON format is an open standard format and data interchange format. The JSON format uses human-readable text to store and transmit data. In an implementation of the present disclosure, the predefined API, the predefined protocol and the predefined format may be defined by the user. In an implementation of the present solution, the response associated with the HTTP request may be an asynchronous response. The asynchronous response is returned to the UI

[0102] in subsequent connections, freeing the UI

[0102] to send other event requests instead of blocking while waiting for the event response.

[0059] The creation unit

[0306] is configured to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. The query event refers to one or more parameters that may be required to perform one of the create data request, update data request and delete data request based on the event request. For instance, if the event request is the create data request for the threshold-based policy, the creation unit

[0306] is configured to create the query event, where the query event includes but may not be limited to a predefined criteria to activate the threshold-based policy, the steps to be taken when the threshold is exceeded, and the like.

[0060] In one example, each of the event request, the event response, the query event, and the query response may be performed via a dedicated HTTP request. For instance, to create the restoration policy details, the dedicated HTTP request may be ‘ CREATE Restoration POLIC Y_DB ’ .

[0061] Based on completion of creation of the query event, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to transmit the query event to the NPDA unit

[0104] , The NDPA unit

[0104] creates a query response based on the query event and the event response.

[0062] The transceiver unit

[0302] is further configured to receive, at the UI

[0102] from the NPDA unit

[0104] , the query response based on the query event.

[0063] The communication between the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] occurs via a NPDA UI interface

[0110] , The NDPA UI interface

[0110] may create, update, fetch and delete the data from the NPDA unit

[0104] , The set of data related to threshold-based policy, restoration policy, the FCAPS data of the one or more network functions that needs to be displayed on the UI

[0102] is fetched or managed from the NDPA UI interface

[0110] ,

[0064] In an embodiment, the interface may support at least one of http and web-socket based connection. Further, in an embodiment, the interface is configured to facilitate exchange of information using hypertext transfer protocol (http) rest application programming interface (API). The http rest API is used in conjunction with JSON and / or XML communication media.

[0065] In another embodiment, the interface is configured to facilitate exchange of information by establishing a web-socket connection between an inventory manager, and a container orchestrator. The web-socket connection may involve establishing a persistent connectivity between the inventory manager, and the container orchestrator. An example of the web-socket based communication includes, without limitation, a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection. In a connection, information, such as operational status, health, etc. of different components may be exchanged through the interface using a ping-pong-based communication.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0400] for managing inventory operations in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method

[0400] is performed by the system

[0300] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method

[0400] starts at step

[0402] ,

[0067] At step

[0404] , the method comprises transmitting, by a transceiver unit

[0302] , to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit

[0104] , an event request. The event request is at least one of a create data request, an update data request, a fetch data request, and a delete data request.

[0068] The event request is related to a set of data stored in the NPDA unit

[0104] , The set of data comprises at least one of threshold-based policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions. The threshold-based policy data refers to a policy that may be activated based on exceeding a predefined value. The predefined value may be defined by the user. For example, the user sets a threshold value for database usage on a network at 70%. The threshold-based policy may be activated if the database usage exceeds 70%, for the network to automatically scale up resources or redirect data to another database. The restoration policy refers to a procedure for restoring services after a failure. In one example, the failure may be of a network function. The restoration policy includes a set of predefined steps to recover the network function and restore itinto operational state. For instance, if database fails, the restoration policy may include steps of sending data stored in the database to a replication of the database to avoid interruption of service. The fault management data refers to steps involved in detecting, isolating, and correcting faults in the network. The configuration management refers to tracking changes in configuration and management of configurations. The accounting management refers to managing and tracking resources to track the usage of resources in the network accurately. The performance management manages and monitors the performance of one or more network functions in the network. The security management refers to involving policies to secure the network from threats.

[0069] An example of the event request may be a request to delete the restoration policy and create a new restoration policy for restoration of a network function upon failure of the network function.

[0070] The one or more network functions comprise at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs). The VNFs refers to a virtualized form of tasks where the tasks may be earlier carried out by a dedicated hardware. The CNFs refers to cloud native network functions that operate in a container. The CNFs refer to a type of network function that may be implemented in a containerized environment. The CNFs refers to an evolved traditional network function deployed on dedicated hardware or virtual machine.

[0071] At step

[0406] , the method

[0400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit

[0302] from the NPDA unit

[0104] , an event response, based on the event request. In one example, for every event request from the UI

[0102] , the NDPA unit

[0104] is configured to send an acknowledgement of receival of the event request to the UI

[0102] , The acknowledgment may be sent in the event response.

[0072] In an implementation of the present solution, the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] may communicate via a predefined application programming interface (API) medium over a predetermined protocol. For example, in an exemplary scenario the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] may communicate via a representational state transfer (REST) API over the predefined protocol that may be a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Furthermore, the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] may transmit and / or receive the data in a predefined format such as a JSON format. The JSON format is an open standard format and data interchange format. The JSON format uses human-readable text to store and transmit data. In an implementation of the present disclosure, the predefined API, the predefined protocol and the predefined format may be definedby the user. In an implementation of the present solution, the response associated with the HTTP request may be an asynchronous response. The asynchronous response is returned to the UI

[0102] in subsequent connections, freeing the UI

[0102] to send other event requests instead of blocking while waiting for the event response.

[0073] Next at step

[0408] , the method comprises creating, by a creation unit

[0306] , a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. The query event refers to one or more parameters that may be required to perform one of the create data request, update data request and delete data request based on the event request. For instance, if the event request is the create data request for the threshold-based policy, the creation unit

[0306] is configured to create the query event, where the query event includes but may not be limited to a predefined criteria to activate the threshold-based policy, the steps to be taken when the threshold is exceeded, and the like.

[0074] In an example, suppose a network administrator wants to update configuration of a virtual firewall. The administrator sends an event request to the NPDA unit

[0104] with the following parameters:Type: Update data requestTarget: Firewall configuration dataDetails: New security rules to be applied

[0075] Further, the transceiver unit

[0302] transmits this event request to the NPDA unit

[0104] , The NPDA unit

[0104] processes the request and returns an event response, which may confirm the update or provide feedback if the operation fails (e.g., due to incorrect parameters). Also, based solely on the original event request (without needing to reference the event response), the creation unit creates a query event to gather more detailed information regarding the specific operation that is requested.

[0076] The query event may be for fetching the current state of the firewall configurations postupdate. This may include:Type: Fetch data requestTarget: Current firewall configuration dataContext: The request initiated by the administrator for confirmation of the update.

[0077] Furthermore, the transceiver unit

[0302] transmits this query event back to the NPDA unit

[0104] , Finally, the transceiver unit

[0302] receives a query response from the NPDA unit

[0104] ,which may include the latest configuration details of the firewall, confirmation that the new rules are now in effect, and any discrepancies or issues encountered during the update.

[0078] In another example, let’s assume in a network environment where a system administrator is managing virtualized network functions (VNFs) like virtual firewalls or load balancers, an administrator sends a request to fetch the current performance metrics of a virtual router. The parameters may include:Type: Fetch data requestTarget: Performance metrics of the virtual router

[0079] The transceiver unit

[0302] transmits this fetched data request to the NPDAunit

[0104] ,

[0080] The NPDA unit

[0104] processes the request and returns an event response. This response may include the current performance metrics, such as CPU usage, memory consumption, and traffic throughput.

[0081] Further, based solely on the event response, the creation unit creates a query event. For example:Context of Response: The response indicates that CPU usage is at 85%, which is approaching a predefined threshold.Resulting Query Event: The creation unit may now generate a query event to gather more information about the threshold policies or to check historical performance data for the virtual router.

[0082] Example Query Event: The query could be structured as:Type: Fetch data requestTarget: Historical performance data and threshold policy settingsContext: To understand why CPU usage is high and if it has been a persistent issue.

[0083] The transceiver unit

[0302] sends this query event to the NPDAunit

[0104] ,

[0084] In addition, the NPDA unit

[0104] responds with relevant historical data and the current threshold policies. This response may include historical CPU usage data over the last week, and current threshold settings indicating when alerts should be triggered.

[0085] In one example, each of the event request, the event response, the query event, and the query response may be performed via a dedicated HTTP request. For instance, to create the restoration policy details, the dedicated HTTP request may be ‘ CREATE Restoration POLIC Y_DB ’ .

[0086] Next at step

[0410] , the method

[0400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] to the NPDA, the query event. In one example, a query response is created by the NDPA unit

[0104] based on the query event and the event response.

[0087] Next at step

[0412] , the method

[0400] comprises receiving, at a user interface (UI), by the transceiver unit

[0302] from the NPDA unit

[0104] , a query response based on the query event.

[0088] The method terminates at step

[0414] ,

[0089] Referring to FIG.5, a flow diagram

[0500] of a system

[0502] for managing inventory operations in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. The system

[0502] is similar to the system

[0300] of FIG. 3.

[0090] The event request is sent by the UI

[0102] to the NDPA unit

[0104] residing in a system

[0502] , The event request may be a create data request, an update data request, a fetch data request, and a delete data request. The event request is related to a set of data. The set of data may be stored in the database

[0106] as depicted in FIG. 1. The set of data comprises at least one of thresholdbased policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions.

[0091] An example of the event request may be a request for creation of a threshold-based policy to scale up a storage of a database when the database storage exceeds a limit of 75%.

[0092] Further, the UI

[0102] may receive the event response based on the event request from the NDPA unit

[0104] , The event response includes but may not be limited to acknowledgment for receiving the event request. For every event request from the UI

[0102] , the NDPA unit

[0104] sends the acknowledgement. In an embodiment, the acknowledgment acts as a signal that the event request is successfully received and is being processed. This allows the system

[0502] to generate follow-up query events without waiting for the final outcome of the original request.

[0093] The UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] are configured to communicate via the NDPA UI interface

[0110] , The NDPA UI interface

[0110] is configured to create, update, fetch and delete the data from the NPDA unit

[0104] , The set of data related to threshold-based policy, restoration policy, FCAPS data of the one or more network functions that needs to be displayed on the UI

[0102] is fetched or managed from the NDPA UI interface

[0110] ,

[0094] Further, the NDPA unit

[0104] and the UI

[0102] communicates via the predefined application programming interface (API) medium over a predetermined protocol. The predefined API and the predetermined protocol may be defined by the system operator or the network operator. In the implementation, the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] communicates via a representational state transfer (REST) API over the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Furthermore, the UI

[0102] and the NPDA unit

[0104] transmits and receives the data in the JSON format.

[0095] Furthermore, an event routing manager from the NDPA unit

[0104] to the UI

[0102] a particular request / event (i.e., the event request, the event response, the query event, and the query response) may be utilized to redirect the event / request from the NDPA unit

[0104] to the UI

[0102] for that particular request / event. Furthermore, in an implementation of the present solution, the response associated with the HTTP request may be an asynchronous response. The asynchronous response is returned to the UI

[0102] in subsequent connections, freeing the UI

[0102] to send other event requests instead of blocking while waiting for the event response.

[0096] Based on the event request and the event response, the query event is created by a business logic unit

[0504] , The query event refers to one or more parameters that may be required to perform one of the create data request, update data request and delete data request based on the event request. For instance, if the event request is the create data request for the threshold-based policy, the business logic unit

[0504] is configured to create the query event, where the query event includes but may not be limited to a predefined criteria to activate the threshold-based policy, the steps to be taken when the threshold is exceeded, and the like.

[0097] In the implementation, each of the event request, the event response, the query event, and the query response may be performed via a dedicated HTTP request. For instance, to update the threshold-based policy details, the dedicated HTTP request may be ‘UPDATE threshold POLICY DB’ .

[0098] Based on creation of the query event, the business logic

[0504] sends the query event to the NPDAunit

[0104] , The query response is created by the NDPA unit

[0104] based on the query event and the event response.

[0099] Further, the query response is sent to the UI

[0102] from the NPDAunit

[0104] ,

[0100] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture / platform

[0600] , in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. The MANO architecture

[0600] is developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of network node(s) / service(s) etc. The MANO architecture

[0600] deploys the network node(s) in the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native / Container Network Function (CNF). The system may comprise one or more components of the MANO architecture

[0600] , The MANO architecture

[0600] is used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 6, the MANO architecture

[0600] comprises a user interface layer

[0602] , a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) design function module

[0604] , a platforms foundation services module

[0606] , a platform core services module

[0608] and a platform resource adapters and utilities module

[0612] , All the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.

[0102] The NFV and SDN design function module

[0604] comprises a VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[6042] , a VNF catalogue

[6044] , a network services catalogue

[6046] , a network slicing and service chaining manager

[6048] , a physical and virtual resource manager

[6050] and a CNF lifecycle manager

[6052] , The VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[6042] may be responsible for deciding on which server of the communication network, the microservice will be instantiated. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[6042] may manage the overall flow of incoming / outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[6042] may be responsible for determining which sequence to be followed for executing the process. For e.g. in an AMF network function of the communication network (such as a 5G network), sequence for execution of processes Pl and P2 etc. The VNF catalogue

[6044] stores the metadata of all the VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalogue

[6046] stores the informationof the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service chaining manager

[6048] manages the slicing (an ordered and connected sequence of network service / network functions (NFs)) that must be applied to a specific networked data packet. The physical and virtual resource manager

[6050] stores the logical and physical inventory of the VNFs. Just like the VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[6042] , the CNF lifecycle manager

[6052] may be used for the CNFs lifecycle management.

[0103] The platforms foundation services module

[0606] comprises a microservices elastic load balancer

[6062] , an identify & access manager

[6064] , a command line interface (CLI)

[6066] , a central logging manager

[6068] , and an event routing manager

[6070] , The microservices elastic load balancer

[6062] may be used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identify & access manager

[6064] may be used for logging purposes. The command line interface (CLI)

[6066] may be used to provide commands to execute certain processes which requires changes during the run time. The central logging manager

[6068] may be responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the MANO platform

[0600] , These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event routing manager

[6070] may be responsible for routing the events i.e., the application programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.

[0104] The platforms core services module

[0608] comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[6082] ; an assure manager

[6084] ; a performance manager

[6086] ; a policy execution engine

[6088] ; a capacity monitoring manager

[6090] ; a release management (mgmt.) repository

[6092] ; a configuration manager & a golden configuration template (GCT)

[6094] ; an NFV platform decision analytics

[6096] ; a platform NoSQL DB

[6098] ; a platform schedulers and cron jobs

[6100] ; a VNF backup & upgrade manager

[6102] ; a micro service auditor

[6104] ; and a platform operations, administration and maintenance manager

[6106] , The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[6082] monitors the infrastructure part of the NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU utilization by the VNF. The assure manager

[6084] may be responsible for supervising the alarms the vendor may be generating. The performance manager

[6086] may be responsible for manging the performance counters. The policy execution engine (PEGN)

[6088] may be responsible for all the managing the policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CMM)

[6090] may be responsible for sending the request to the PEGN

[6090] , The release management (mgmt.) repository (RMR)

[6092] may be responsible for managing the releases and the images of all the vendor network node. The configuration manager & (GCT)

[6094] manages the configuration and GCT of all the vendors. The NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA)

[6096] helps in decidingthe priority of using the network resources. It may be further noted that the policy execution engine (PEGN)

[6088] , the configuration manager & GCT

[6094] and the NPDA

[6096] work together. The platform NoSQL DB

[6098] may be a database for storing all the inventory (both physical and logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF. The platform schedulers and cron jobs

[6100] schedules the task such as but not limited to triggering of an event, traverse the network graph etc. The VNF backup & upgrade manager

[6102] takes backup of the images, binaries of the VNFs and the CNFs and produces those backups on demand in case of server failure. The micro service auditor

[6104] audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical case, instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture

[0600] using the network resources then the micro service auditor

[6104] audits and informs the same so that resources can be released for services running in the MANO architecture

[0600] , thereby assuring the services only run on the MANO platform

[0600] , The platform operations, administration and maintenance manager

[6106] may be used for newer instances that are spawning.

[0105] The platform resource adapters and utilities module

[0612] further comprises a platform external API adaptor and gateway

[6122] ; a generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON)

[6124] ; a docker service adaptor

[6126] ; an OpenStack API adapter

[6128] ; and a NFV gateway

[6130] , The platform external API adaptor and gateway

[6122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the MANO platform

[0600] ) that requires the network resources. The generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON)

[6124] gets directly the data of the vendor system in the XML, CSV, JSON format. The docker service adaptor

[6126] may be the interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture

[0600] for communication. The OpenStack API adapter

[6128] may be used to connect with the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV gateway

[6130] may be responsible for providing the path to each services going to / incoming from the MANO architecture

[0600] ,

[0106] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions for managing inventory operations in a network environment, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, cause a transceiver unit

[0302] to transmit to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit

[0104] , an event request. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit

[0302] to receive, from the NPDA unit

[0104] , an event response, based on the event request. The instructions when executed by the system further cause a creation unit

[0306] to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit

[0302] to transmit, thequery event to the NPDA unit

[0104] , The instructions when executed by the system further cause the transceiver unit

[0302] to receive, at the UI

[0102] from the NPDA unit

[0104] , a query response based on the query event.

[0107] The present disclosure further discloses a user equipment (UE) for managing inventory operations in a network environment. The UE includes a transceiver unit

[0302] configured to transmit to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit

[0104] , an event request; and receive, by the transceiver unit

[0302] from the NPDA unit

[0104] , an event response, based on the event request. IN addition, the UE includes a creation unit

[0306] configured to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response. Further, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to: transmit, to the NPDA unit

[0104] , the query event; and receive, at a user interface (UI)

[0102] , from the NPDA unit

[0104] , a query response based on the query event.

[0108] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for managing inventory operations in a network environment. The present solution provides a system and method for making decisions in real-time through operations based on provisioned policies. The present solution provides the UI to manage the threshold-based policies / restoration policies efficiently. The present invention provides for making intelligent decisions in real-time through event-driven operation based on already provisioned policies. The present invention further provides a solution to manage the entire threshold-based policies / restoration through the UI efficiently. The present invention further provides a system and method to create / modify / delete / view threshold-based policies for a VNF or VNFC, CNF or CNFC via the interface.

[0109] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

[0110] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components / units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it isrecognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method for managing inventory operations in a network environment, the method comprising:- transmitting, by a transceiver unit [302], to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit [104], an event request;- receiving, by the transceiver unit [302] from the NPDA unit [104], an event response, based on the event request;- creating, by a creation unit [306], a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response;- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] to the NPDA unit [104], the query event; and- receiving, at a user interface (UI), by the transceiver unit [302] from the NPDA unit [104], a query response based on the query event.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event request is related to a set of data stored in the NPDA unit [104], and wherein the event request is at least one of a create data request, an update data request, a fetch data request, a synchronization data request, and a delete data request.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the set of data comprises at least one of thresholdbased policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one or more network functions comprise at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication between the UI and the NPDA unit [104] occurs via a NPDA UI interface [110],6. A system for managing inventory operations in a network environment, the system comprising:- a processing unit [304];- a transceiver unit [302] connected at least to the processing unit [304], wherein the transceiver unit [302] is configured to:- transmit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit [104], an event request; and- receive, from the NPDA unit [104], an event response, based on the event request; a creation unit [306] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], wherein the creation unit [306] is configured to create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response; and the transceiver unit [302] is further configured to: transmit, the query event to the NPDA unit [104]; and receive, at the UI [102] from the NPDA unit [104], a query response based on the query event.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the event request is related to a set of data stored in the NPDA unit [104], and wherein the event request is at least one of a create data request, an update data request, a fetch data request, and a delete data request.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the set of data comprises at least one of thresholdbased policy data, restoration policy, and fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) data associated with one or more network functions.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more network functions comprise at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein communication between the UI [102] and the NPDA unit [104] occurs via a NPDA UI interface [110],11. A user equipment (UE) for managing inventory operations in a network environment, the UE comprising: a transceiver unit [302] configured to:transmit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit [104], an event request; receive, by the transceiver unit [302] from the NPDA unit [104], an event response, based on the event request; a creation unit [306] configured to: create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response; the transceiver unit [302] to: transmit, to the NPDA unit [104], the query event; and receive, at a user interface (UI) [102], from the NPDA unit [104], a query response based on the query event.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing inventory operations in a network environment, the instructions comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes:- a transceiver unit [302] to: transmit, to a network function virtualisation platform decision analytics (NPDA) unit [104], an event request; receive, by the transceiver unit [302] from the NPDA unit [104], an event response, based on the event request;- a creation unit [306] to: create a query event based on at least one of the event request and the event response;- the transceiver unit [302] to: transmit, to the NPDA unit [104], the query event; and receive, at a user interface (UI) [102], from the NPDA unit [104], a query response based on the query event.

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