Method and system for routing events in a network environment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for routing events in a network environment The disclosure being performed encompasses receiving from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070], at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module [1096], a first request associated with an event; determining permission attribute for the event associated with the received first request; routing from the ERM module [1070] and through the NPDA module [1096], the received first request to a target service in case of the permission attribute being allowance of the event; receiving at the NPDA module [1096], from the target service, a second request to execute the event; and executing at the NPDA module [1096], the event.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROUTING EVENTS IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENTFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of network management. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to routing events in a network environment.BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of 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 be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on antilog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. The third- generation (3G) technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.

[0004] Network Function Virtualization Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) platform / module provides threshold / hysteresis-based policy evaluation support of Virtual Network Function (VNF) / Container Network Function (CNF) load. NPDA comes up with dynamic update / enrichment of the policies defined for a VNF / VNFC or CNF / CNFC through the UI and those updated policy rules can then be applied for computation of the resources load. The problem at hand revolves around the integration of real-time analytics within the NPDA module. Thisentails the dynamic scaling or healing of CNF / CNFC and VNF / VNFC instances based on predefined hysteresis and restoration policies. These decisions are influenced by resource inputs from other modules / services. The NPDA module evaluates the hysteresis outcomes and recommends the appropriate action to its adjacent modules / services i.e., policy execution engine (PEGN). The critical challenge lies in the conventional approach to request / response routing, where the same service is responsible for providing main functionalities. This leads to a sluggish interaction flow and heightened vulnerability to failures.

[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to develop methods and systems to provide an efficient solution for facilitating in real time sender and receiver communication via a better interface amongst the modules / services.OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the description. To overcome at least a few problems associated with the known solutions as provided in the previous section, an object of the present disclosure is to substantially reduce the limitations and drawbacks of the prior arts as described hereinabove.

[0007] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0008] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a solution for facilitating in real time sender and receiver communication via NFV platform decision analytics event manager (EM) interface (NPDA_EM).

[0009] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that transmits via the event routing manger (ERM) a notification based receiving of the http response, from the NPDA based on performing the target operation by the NPDA.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0010] 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.

[0011] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for routing events in a network environment. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit from an event routing manager (ERM) module at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module, a first request associated with at least an event. The method further comprises determining, by a determination unit, a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request, wherein the permission attribute corresponds to one of an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event. The method further comprises routing, by a processing unit from the ERM module, and through the NPDA module, the received first request to a target service. The method further comprises receiving, by the processing unit, at the NPDA module, from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event. The method further comprises executing, by the processing unit, at the NPDA module, at least the event.

[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein receiving the first request at a second available NPDA instance, when a first NPDA instance is unavailable, wherein the NPDA module being configured to maintain more than one NPDA instances.

[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a communication between the ERM module and the NPDA module occurs via an NPDA EM interface through a REST application programming interface (API) over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, any information exchanged between the ERM module and the NPDA module is exchanged in a suitable format.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the permission attribute of at least the event is determined to be allowable when a pre-existing definition for at least the event is stored in the ERM module.

[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the NPDA module, to the ERM module, a notification indicative of execution of at least the event. The method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the ERM module, to the target service, the notification.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for system for routing events in a network environment. The system comprises a transceiver unit configured to receive, from an event routing manager (ERM) module at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module, a first request associated with at least an event. The system further comprises a determination unit configured to determine a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request. The permission attribute corresponds to one of an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event. In response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, the system comprises a processing unit configured to route, from the ERM module, and through the NPDA module, the received first request to a target service. The processing unit is further configured to receive, at the NPDA module, from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event. The processing unit is further configured to execute, at the NPDA module, at least the event.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for routing events in a network environment, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system causes a transceiver unit to receive, from an event routing manager (ERM) module at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module, a first request associated with at least an event. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes a determination unit to determine a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request. The permission attribute here corresponds to one of an allowance of the event and disallowance of the event. Further, in response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, the executable code which, when executed, causes a processing unit to route, from the ERM module, and through the NPDA module, the received first request to a target service. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes the processing unit to receive, at the NPDA module, from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes the processing unit to execute, at the NPDA module, at least the event.DESCRIPTION OF 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 thedrawings 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 disclosure of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture

[0100] , in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] 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.

[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a network environment having a system

[0300] for routing events, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method

[0400] for routing events in the network environment, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary block diagram of a NPDA EM interface

[0308] for routing events in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow chart depicting interaction between a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] and an event routing manager (ERM) module

[1070] , in accordance with the exemplary embodiments 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 can 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. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.

[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, 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 in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[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 can 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 hereinis 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] Further, the user device and / or a system as described herein to implement technical features as disclosed in the present disclosure may also comprise a “processor” or “processing unit”, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. The 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 Processor (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 is a hardware processor.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] As used herein the transceiver unit includes 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.

[0036] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] 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 for routing events in a network environment by providing systems and methods for routing events by way of utilizing an NPDA EM interface

[0308] that offers a more streamlined alternative to routing events. The NPDA EM interface

[0308] operates on a subscription and notification model, thereby allowing micro services to register their standard platform events. The NPDA EM interface

[0308] enables multiple subscribers for each event and thus ensures timely dispatch of notifications to inform the network personnel of relevant occurrences / events. The present disclosure thus promises to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the entire network system. The present disclosure is implemented with the help of various components of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture

[0100] ,

[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture

[0100] , in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. The MANO architecture

[0100] may be developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of network node(s) / service(s) etc. The MANO architecture

[0100] deploys the network node(s) in the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native / Container Network Function (CNF). The system as provided by the present disclosure may comprise one or more components of the MANO architecture

[0100] , The MANO architecture

[0100] may be used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in recovery of network function(s) to the platform.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture

[0100] comprises a user interface layer

[0102] , a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) design function module

[0104] , a platform foundation services module

[0106] , a platform core services module

[0108] and a platform resource adapters and utilities module

[0112] , 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.

[0040] The NFV and SDN design function module

[0104] comprises a VNF lifecycle manager (compute) / LM module

[1042] , a VNF catalogue

[1044] , a network services catalogue

[1046] , a network slicing and service chaining manager

[1048] , a physical and virtual resource manager / PVIM module

[1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager

[1052] , The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) / LM module

[1042] may be responsible for deciding on which server of the communication network, the microservice will be instantiated. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) / LM module

[1042] may manage the overall flow of incoming / outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) / LM module

[1042] 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

[1044] stores the metadata of all the VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalogue

[1046] stores the information of the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service chaining manager

[1048] 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 / physical virtual inventory manager (PVIM) module

[1050] stores the logical and physical inventory of the VNFs. Just like the VNF lifecycle manager (compute) / LM module

[1042] , the CNF lifecycle manager

[1052] may be used for the CNFs lifecycle management.

[0041] The platforms foundation services module

[0106] comprises a microservices elastic load balancer

[1062] , an identity & access manager

[1064] , a command line interface (CLI)

[1066] , a central logging manager

[1068] , and an event routing manager (ERM) / ERM module

[1070] , The microservices elastic load balancer

[1062] may be used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identity & access manager

[1064] may be used for logging purposes. The command line interface (CLI)

[1066] may be used to provide commands to execute certain processes which requires changes during the run time. The central logging manager

[1068] may be responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the MANO platform

[0100] , These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event routing manager (ERM) / event routing manger (ERM) module

[1070] may be responsible for routing the events i.e., the application programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.

[0042] The platforms core services module

[0108] comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[1082] , an assure manager

[1084] , a performance manager

[1086] , a policy executionengine / ) / PEGN module

[1088] , a capacity monitoring manager

[1090] , a release management (mgmt.) repository

[1092] , a configuration manager & golden configuration template (GCT)

[1094] , an NFV platform decision analytics / NPDA module

[1096] , a platform No SQL DB

[1098] ; a platform schedulers and cron jobs

[1100] , a VNF backup & upgrade manager

[1102] , a microservice auditor

[1104] , and a platform operations, administration and maintenance manager

[1106] , The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[1082] monitors the infrastructure part of the NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU utilization by the VNF. The assure manager

[1084] may be responsible for supervising the alarms the vendor may be generating. The performance manager

[1086] may be responsible for managing the performance counters. The policy execution engine (PEGN) / PEGN module

[1088] may be responsible for managing all of the policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CMM)

[1090] may be responsible for sending the request to the PEGN

[1088] , The release management (mgmt.) repository (RMR)

[1092] may be responsible for managing the releases and the images of all of the vendor's network nodes. The configuration manager & golden configuration template (GCT)

[1094] manages the configuration and GCT of all the vendors. The NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA) / NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the network resources. It may be further noted that the policy execution engine (PEGN) module

[1088] , the configuration manager & GCT

[1094] and the NPDA

[1096] work together. The platform NoSQL DB

[1098] 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

[1100] schedules the task such as but not limited to triggering of an event, traverse the network graph etc. In general, traversing the graph involves systematically exploring graph to gather information, assess connectivity, or perform operations on the nodes. The VNF backup & upgrade manager

[1102] takes backup of the images, binaries of the VNFs and the CNFs and produces those backup on demand in case of server failure. The microservice auditor

[1104] audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical case, instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture

[0100] may be using the network resources. In such case, the microservice auditor

[1104] audits and informs the same so that resources can be released for services running in the MANO architecture

[0100] , The audit assures that the services only run on the MANO platform

[0100] , The platform operations, administration and maintenance manager

[1106] may be used for newer instances that are spawning.

[0043] The platform resource adapters and utilities module

[0112] further comprises a platform external API adaptor and gateway

[1122] ; a generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON)

[1124] ; a docker service adaptor

[1126] ; an OpenStack API adapter

[1128] ; and a NFV gateway

[1130] , The platform external API adaptor and gateway

[1122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the MANO platform

[0100] ) that requires the network resources. The generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON)

[1124] gets directly the data of the vendor system in the XML, CSV, JSON format. The docker service adaptor

[1126] is a microservices- based system designed to deploy and manage Container Network Functions (CNFs) and their components (CNFCs) across Docker nodes. The docker service adaptor

[1126] offers REST endpoints for key operations, including uploading container images to a Docker registry, terminating CNFC instances, and creating Docker volumes and networks. CNFs, which are network functions packaged as containers, may consist of multiple CNFCs. The DSA facilitates the deployment, configuration, and management of these components by interacting with Docker's API, ensuring proper setup and scalability within a containerized environment. This approach provides a modular and flexible framework for handling network functions in a virtualized network setup. The OpenStack API adapter

[1128] may be used to connect with the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV gateway

[1130] may be responsible for providing the path to each services going to / incoming from the MANO architecture

[0100] ,

[0044] The present disclosure can be implemented on a computing device

[0200] as shown in FIG. 2. The computing device

[0200] implements the present disclosure in accordance with the MANO architecture (as shown in FIG. 1). FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the 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

[0400] (as shown in FIG. 4) for routing events in a network environment utilising a system

[0300] (as shown in FIG. 3) and the NPDA_EM interface

[0308] (as shown in FIG. 5), both having a network function virtualization platform decision analytics (NPDA) module / platform

[1096] (as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3). In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] itself implements the method

[0400] for routing events in the network environment in a communication network using one or more units configured within the computing device

[0200] , wherein said one or more units can implement 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 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] forstoring 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 the system

[0300] (as shown in FIG. 3). The system

[0300] may be implemented using the computing device

[0200] (as shown in FIG. 2). In an implementation, the computing device

[0200] may be connected to the system

[0300] to perform the present disclosure.

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

[0300] for routing events in the network environment, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] comprises at least one network function virtualization platform decision analytics event manager (NPDA EM) interface

[0308] , The system

[0300] further comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0302] ; at least one determination unit

[0304] and at least one processing unit

[0306] , The system

[0300] is connected to an event routing manager module

[1070] and a network function virtualization platforms decision analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] for routing events. 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 FIG.3, all units shown within the system

[0300] 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 number of saidunits, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the system

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

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

[0052] The system

[0300] is configured for routing events in the network environment, with the help of the interconnection between the components / units of the system

[0300] ,

[0053] The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive, from an event routing manager (ERM) module

[1070] at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] , a first request associated with at least an event. The first request may be a http request associated with the at least one event. For e.g., the HTTP works as a request-response protocol between a client and server i.e., a client (browser) sends an HTTP request to the server; then the server returns a response to the client. The response contains status information about the request and may also contain the requested content.

[0054] Upon receipt of the first request, the determination unit

[0304] determines a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request. The permission attribute here corresponds to one of an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event. The permission attribute refers to the access control that is desired in the request. The permission attribute determines whether the client has the necessary privileges to perform the requested operation. The permissions attributed are typically enforced by the server based on the roles of user, type of request encountered etc.

[0055] In response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, the processing unit

[0306] routes, from the ERM module

[1070] , and through the NPDA module

[1096] , the received first request to a target service. The processing unit

[0306] further receives, at the NPDA module

[1096] , from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event. The processing unit

[0306] is further configured to execute, at the NPDA module

[1096] , at least the event.

[0056] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the first request is received at a second available NPDA instance, when a first NPDA instance is unavailable, wherein the NPDA module

[1096] being configured to maintain more than one NPDA instances. In an exemplary scenario, unavailable first NDPA instance may refer to unreachable NPDA instance. In addition, the firstNPDA instance may be unavailable as health status of the first NPDA instance is not good OR overloaded or any other possible scenarios may be there.

[0057] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, communication between the ERM module

[1070] and the NPDA module

[1096] occurs via an NPDA EM interface

[0308] through a REST application programming interface (API) over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The NPDA module

[1096] provides ground for evaluation of network resources utilization. Further, the interaction of the NPDA module

[1096] with the NPDA EM interface

[0308] helps in managing operations pertaining to computation / invocation in / of threshold-based / restoration policies thereby making routing simpler to manage. The REST stands for representational state transfer (REST) is an architecture for APIs that imposes conditions on how an API should work. The REST is created as a guideline to manage communication on a complex network like a 5G communication network. In an implementation of the present disclosure, the ERM module

[1070] may communicate via the REST API in the HTTP protocol in a predefined format. For e.g., the ERM may communicate via a REST API over HTTP in JSON format.

[0058] In some embodiments, the NPDA EM interface is an interface that may support at least one of http and web-socket based connection.

[0059] In an embodiment, the interface is configured to facilitate exchange of information using hypertext transfer protocol (http) rest application programming interface (API). In an embodiment, the http rest API is used in conjunction with JSON and / or XML communication media.

[0060] In another embodiment, the interface is configured to facilitate exchange of information by establishing a web-socket connection between an inventory manager, and 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 such a connection, information, such as operational status, health, etc. of different components may be exchanged through the interface using a ping-pong-based communication.

[0061] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, any information exchanged between the ERM module

[1070] and the NPDA module

[1096] is exchanged in a suitable format. For e.g., the ERM may communicate via a REST API over HTTP in JSON format.

[0062] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the permission attribute of at least the event is determined to be allowable when a pre-existing definition for at least the event is stored in the ERM module

[1070] ,

[0063] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to transmit, from the NPDA module

[1096] , to the ERM module

[1070] , a notification indicative of execution of at least the event. The transceiver unit

[0302] is further configured to transmit, from the ERM module

[1070] , to the target service, the notification.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0400] for routing events 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] (as shown in FIG. 3). In another implementation, the method

[0400] is performed by the NPDA EM interface

[0308] (as shown in FIG. 3). Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in an implementation, the NPDA EM interface

[0308] 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] ,

[0065] At step

[0404] , the method

[0400] comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit

[0302] from an event routing manager (ERM) module

[1070] at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] , a first request associated with at least an event. The first request may be a http request associated with the at least one event. For e.g., the HTTP works as a request-response protocol between a client and server i.e., a client (browser) sends an HTTP request to the server; then the server returns a response to the client. The response contains status information about the request and may also contain the requested content.

[0066] At step

[0406] , the method

[0400] further comprises determining, by a determination unit

[0304] , a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request. The permission attribute here corresponds to one of an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event. The permission attribute refers to the access control that is desired in the request. The permission attribute determines whether the client has the necessary privileges to perform the requested operation. The permissions attributed are typically enforced by the server based on the roles of user, type of request encountered etc.

[0067] At step

[0408] , the method

[0400] further comprises routing, by a processing unit

[0306] from the ERM module

[1070] , and through the NPDA module

[1096] , the received first request to a target service.

[0068] At step

[0410] , the method

[0400] further comprises receiving, by the processing unit

[0306] , at the NPDA module

[1096] , from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event.

[0069] At step

[0412] , the method

[0400] further comprises executing, by the processing unit

[0306] , at the NPDA module

[1096] , at least the event.

[0070] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein receiving the first request at a second available NPDA instance, when a first NPDA instance is unavailable, wherein the NPDA module

[1096] being configured to maintain more than one NPDA instances.

[0071] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a communication between the ERM module

[1070] and the NPDA module

[1096] occurs via an NPDA EM interface

[0308] through a REST application programming interface (API) over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The NPDA module

[1096] provides ground for evaluation of network resources utilization. Further, the interaction of the NPDA module

[1096] with the NPDA EM interface

[0308] helps in managing operations pertaining to computation / invocation in / of threshold-based / restoration policies thereby making routing simpler to manage. The REST stands for representational state transfer (REST) is an architecture for APIs that imposes conditions on how an API should work. The REST is created as a guideline to manage communication on a complex network like a 5G communication network. In an implementation of the present disclosure, the ERM module

[1070] may communicate via the REST API in the HTTP protocol in a predefined format. For e.g., the ERM may communicate via a REST API over HTTP in JSON format.

[0072] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, any information exchanged between the ERM module

[1070] and the NPDA module

[1096] is exchanged in a suitable format. For e.g., the ERM may communicate via a REST API over HTTP in JSON format.

[0073] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the permission attribute of at least the event is determined to be allowable when a pre-existing definition for at least the event is stored in the ERM module

[1070] ,

[0074] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method

[0400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , from the NPDA module

[1096] , to the ERM module

[1070] , a notification indicative of execution of at least the event. The method

[0400] further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , from the ERM module

[1070] , to the target service, the notification.

[0075] Thereafter, the method

[0400] terminates at step

[0414] ,

[0076] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary block diagram of a NPDA EM interface

[0308] for routing events in a network environment

[0500] is shown, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow chart

[0600] depicting interaction between a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] and an event routing manager (ERM) module

[1070] indicating the process for routing events is shown, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] FIG.5 and FIG. 6 have been explained in conjunction with each other. The NPDA EM interface

[0308] is responsible for routing the events between all the module / services. The NPDA EM

[0308] interface works on a subscription and notification model based on the events that are published to it. Each of the module / services of the MANO architecture

[0100] (as shown in FIG.l) registers its standard platform events with the NPDA EM interface

[0308] , For each event, there can be multiple subscribers. Whenever the event of interest is received, the notification is sent by the NPDA EM interface

[0308] to the subscribers informing them of the said event. The NPDA EM interface

[0308] facilitate the real time sending and receiving of the events. The permitted events for the NPDA EM interface

[0308] are defined at the ERM module

[1070] , and then routed to the NPDA module

[1096] , The ERM module

[1070] is responsible for sending requests to the NPDA module

[1096] , For performing any operation, the REST API is a medium of communication over the HTTP protocol like a client-server communication model of sending and receiving the requests. Thus, the NPDA module

[1096] sends the response to the ERM module

[1070] , Similarly, the ERM module

[1070] may be used to send request for query events to the NPDA module

[1096] and gets back the response from the NPDA module

[1096] , It is to be noted that all the information exchanges pertaining to events, is in the JSON format. For e.g., a concerned module / service will send the http request (Create / update / query request as mentioned earlier) to the ERM module

[1070] which is forwarded to the NPDA module

[1096] , The NPDA module

[1096] will then perform the operation based on a business logic stored in a database

[0602] and sends the http response back to the ERM module

[1070] , Thereafter, the ERM module

[1070] willnotify the concerned service. It is to be noted that for all the operations, there will be a separate http request separated by a distinct event name. For e.g., to create the hysteresis policy details there will be an event as CREATE VNF POLICY. Further, the database

[0602] may be non-relational database such but not limited to NoSQL database. The database

[0602] is configured to store the received request(s).

[0078] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for routing events in a network environment, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system

[0300] causes a transceiver unit

[0302] to receive, from an event routing manager (ERM) module

[1070] at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module

[1096] , a first request associated with at least an event. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes a determination unit

[0304] to determine a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request. The permission attribute here corresponds to one of an allowance of the event and disallowance of the event. Further, in response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, the executable code which, when executed, causes a processing unit

[0306] to route, from the ERM module

[1070] , and through the NPDA module

[1096] , the received first request to a target service. ; Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes the processing unit

[0306] to receive, at the NPDA module

[1096] , from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes the processing unit

[0306] to execute, at the NPDA module

[1096] , at least the event.

[0079] 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 is recognized 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 encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0080] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for facilitating in real time via a NPDA EM interface

[0308] , The proposed solution offers several notable technical advantages, some of them are follows:- Firstly, it ensures non-service affecting operations, meaning that critical services and functionalities remain uninterrupted even during the execution of tasks. This guarantees a seamless user experience and minimizes potential disruptions in the network.Secondly, the system

[0300] is designed to be highly time-efficient, where the processes are streamlined thereby reducing the time required to execute operations and thus enhancing overall system performance.Additionally, the management of operations related to threshold-based and restoration policies is easy as the routing process are centralized through the NPDA EM interface

[0308] , This has led to the computations and invocations of the policies becoming more straightforward and efficient.- With not only increase in the accuracy of policy implementation but also the administrative burden on network personnels such as system operators / network administrators.

[0081] 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.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method [400] for routing events in a network environment, the method [400] comprising:- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070] at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module [1096], a first request associated with at least an event; and- determining, by a determination unit [304], a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request, wherein the permission attribute corresponds to one of: an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event, wherein, in response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, the method [400] comprises:- routing, by a processing unit [306] from the ERM module [1070], and through the NPDA module [1096], the received first request to a target service;- receiving, by the processing unit [306], at the NPDA module [1096], from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event; and- executing, by the processing unit [306], at the NPDA module [1096], at least the event.

2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the first request at a second available NPDA instance, when a first NPDA instance is unavailable, wherein the NPDA module [1096] being configured to maintain more than one NPDA instances.

3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication between the ERM module [1070] and the NPDA module [1096] occurs via an NPDA EM interface [308] through a REST application programming interface (API) over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 3, wherein any information exchanged between the ERM module [1070] and the NPDA module [1096] is exchanged in a suitable format.

5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the permission attribute of at least the event is determined to be allowable when a pre-existing definition for at least the event is stored in the ERM module [1070],6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises:- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], from the NPDA module [1096], to the ERM module [1070], a notification indicative of execution of at least the event; and- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], from the ERM module [1070], to the target service, the notification.

7. A system [300] for routing events in a network environment, the system [300] comprising:- a transceiver unit [302] configured to:- receive, from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070] at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module [1096], a first request associated with at least an event; and- a determination unit [304] configured to:- determine a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request, wherein the permission attribute corresponds to one of: an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event, wherein, in response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, a processing unit [306] is configured to:- route, from the ERM module [1070], and through the NPDA module [1096], the received first request to a target service;- receive, at the NPDA module [1096], from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event; and- execute, at the NPDA module [1096], at least the event.

8. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first request is received at a second available NPDA instance, when a first NPDA instance is unavailable, wherein the NPDA module [1096] being configured to maintain more than one NPDA instances.

9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein communication between the ERM module [1070] and the NPDA module [1096] occurs via an NPDA EM interface [308] through a REST application programming interface (API) over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein any information exchanged between the ERM module [1070] and the NPDA module [1096] is exchanged in a suitable format.

11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein the permission attribute of at least the event is determined to be allowable when a pre-existing definition for at least the event is stored in the ERM module [1070],12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transceiver unit [302] is configured to:- transmit, from the NPDA module [1096], to the ERM module [1070], a notification indicative of execution of at least the event; and- transmit, from the ERM module [1070], to the target service, the notification.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for routing events in a network environment, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [300] causes:- a transceiver unit [302] to:- receive, from an event routing manager (ERM) module [1070] at a network function virtualization platform decision and analytics (NPDA) module [1096], a first request associated with at least an event; and- a determination unit [304] to: - determine a permission attribute for at least the event associated with the received first request, wherein the permission attribute corresponds to one of: an allowance of the event, and disallowance of the event, wherein, in response to the permission attribute of at least the allowance of the event, a processing unit [306] to: - route, from the ERM module [1070], and through the NPDA module[1096], the received first request to a target service;- receive, at the NPDA module [1096], from the target service, a second request to execute at least the event; and- execute, at the NPDA module [1096], at least the event.

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