Method and system for internet protocol (IP) pool management

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for internet protocol (IP) pool management The method comprises receiving an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with IP site(s) [318]. The method further comprises retrieving information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request. The method comprises generating an array of IP addresses associated with the IP site(s) [318] based on the retrieved information field parameters. The method comprises creating an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) POOL MANAGEMENTFIELD 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 internet protocol (IP) pool management in a communication network.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] Inventory service(s) / inventory in the communication network is responsible for maintaining virtual inventory and physical inventory. The inventory service also maintains a relation between physical and virtual resources. Also, it describes physical and virtual resources with respect to different attributes using updates from external micro-services. Thus, the data accuracy majorly depends on the micro-services which are responsible for creating, updating, and deleting the inventory resources, along with updating the inventories.

[0005] Further, other services query information model (IM) relations, attributes etc., using query application programming interface (APIs) provided by the IM. The Virtual IP Pool (VIP) is often managed by way of using spreadsheet, thereby leading to risks of IP addresses being duplicated, which further leads to service outage. This also aggravates the problem of significant time spent for provisioning new IP addresses.

[0006] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art for efficient IP pool management with the help of automation by way of providing systems and methods for IP pool management, which the present disclosure aims to address.OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[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 system and a method to automate the IP pool management using an inventory service.

[0009] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution for automating the administration of tasks related to IP pool management.

[0010] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution to enhance reliability by lowering the risk of misconfigurations by avoiding overlapping subnets and duplicate IP addresses.SUMMARY

[0011] 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.

[0012] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for internet protocol (IP) pool management. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit via a User Interface (UI), an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites. The methodfurther comprises retrieving, by a retrieval unit from a database, one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request. The one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter. Furthermore, the method comprises generating, by a generation unit, an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters. Moreover, the method comprises creating, by a creation unit, an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprising determining, by a determination unit, a validation status associated with the one or more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field validation rules. In case the determined validation status is successful, the method performs the generating step.

[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, the method comprises triggering, by a processing unit, an unsuccessful IP pool status.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises generating, by the generation unit, a log comprising at least one or more real time records associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in real-time. The method further comprises generating, by the generation unit, one or more updated information field parameters based on the one or more information field parameters retrieved from the generated log. The method also comprises updating, by the generation unit, the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated information field parameters.

[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the log is generated based on at least the one or more real time records, wherein at least the one or more real time records is based on at least one of a non-assigned IP address space status, an assigned IP address space status, and a host name status associated with the IP pool.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for internet protocol (IP) pool management. The system comprises a transceiver unit configured to receive, via a User Interface (UI), an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites. The system further comprises a retrieval unit configured to retrieve, from a database, one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request. The one or moreretrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter. The system also comprises a generation unit configured to generate an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters. The system also comprises a creation unit configured to create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for internet protocol (IP) pool management, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes a transceiver unit to receive, via a User Interface (UI), an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites; a retrieval unit to retrieve, from a database, one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request, wherein the one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter; a generation unit to generate an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters; and a creation unit to create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.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 the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes 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, 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 internet protocol (IP) pool management, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method flow diagram for internet protocol (IP) pool management, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary method flow chart for internet protocol (IP) pool management, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary method flow diagram depicting interaction between a platform virtual infrastructure manager (PVIM) unit with its modules and user interface (UI) and other microservice modules for IP pool management, in accordance with 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] It should be noted that the terms "mobile device", "user equipment", "user device", “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the disclosure. The user device can receive and / or transmitting one or parameters, performing function / s, communicating with other user devices and transmitting data to the other user devices. 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 one input 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. The user equipment may have a processor, a display, a memory, a battery and an inputmeans such as a hard keypad and / or a soft keypad. The user equipment may be capable of operating on any radio access technology including but not limited to IP-enabled communication, Zig Bee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, etc. For instance, the user equipment may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone, smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other device as may be obvious to a person skilled in the art for implementation of the features of the present disclosure. These terms are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or imply any specific functionality or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for convenience and clarity of description. The disclosure is not limited to any particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined herein.

[0030] 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 formin order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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 moremodules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the issues discussed in the background section and other existing problems in this field of technology by efficient IP pool management. The present disclosure relates to a system that carries out the administration of tasks related to IP pool management, such as allocation of IP address from different pools and serve as an IP Allocation Manager (IP AM). The present disclosure utilises an async event-based implementation to get the VIP pool creation request any time so that the VIP / IP management can be done using inventory service, where it provides and allocates IPs on requirement and same is being updated in a database. The present disclosure is implemented with the help of various components of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture / platform.

[0038] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture / platform

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

[0100] is developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of a network node(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). A system

[0300] (as shown in FIG.3) may comprise one or morecomponents of the MANO architecture

[0100] , The MANO architecture

[0100] is used to autoinstantiate 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.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture

[0100] comprises a user interface layer, a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) design function module

[0104] ; a platforms foundation services module

[0106] , a platform core services module

[0108] and a platform resource adapters and utilities module

[0112] , wherein 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.

[0041] The NFV and SDN design function module

[0104] further comprises a VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[1042] ; a VNF catalogue

[1044] ; a network services catalogue

[1046] ; a network slicing and service chaining manager

[1048] ; a physical and virtual resource manager

[1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager

[1052] , The VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[1042] is responsible for on which server of the communication network the microservice will be instantiated. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

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

[1042] is 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

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

[1042] , the CNF lifecycle manager

[1052] is similarly used for the CNFs lifecycle management.

[0042] The platforms foundation services module

[0106] further comprises a microservices elastic load balancer

[1062] ; an identify & access manager

[1064] ; a command line interface (CLI)

[1066] ; a central logging manager

[1068] ; and an event routing manager

[1070] , The microservices elastic load balancer

[1062] is used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identify & access manager

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

[1066] is used to provide commands to execute certain processes which requireschanges during the run time. The central logging manager

[1068] is responsible for keeping the logs of every services. Theses logs are generated by the MANO platform

[0100] , These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event routing manager

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

[0043] The platforms core services module

[0108] further comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[1082] ; an assure manager

[1084] ; a performance manager

[1086] ; a policy execution engine

[1088] ; a capacity monitoring manager

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

[1092] ; a configuration manager & (GCT)

[1094] ; an NFV platform decision analytics

[1096] ; a platform NoSQL DB

[1098] ; a platform schedulers and cron jobs

[1100] ; a VNF backup & upgrade manager

[1102] ; a micro service 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] is responsible for supervising the alarms the vendor is generating. The performance manager

[1086] is responsible for manging the performance counters. The policy execution engine (PEGN)

[1088] is responsible for all the managing the policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CPM)

[1090] is responsible for sending the request to the PEGN

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

[1092] is responsible for managing the releases and the images of all the vendor network node. The configuration manager & (GCT)

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

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

[1088] , the configuration manager & (GCT)

[1094] and the (NPDA)

[1096] work together. The platform NoSQL DB

[1098] is 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. The VNF backup & upgrade manager

[1102] 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

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

[0100] using the network resources then the micro service auditor

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

[0100] , thereby assuring the services only run on the MANO platform

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

[1106] is used for newer instances that are spawning.

[0044] 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 API adapter

[1128] ; and a NFV gateway

[1130] , The platform external API adaptor and gateway

[1122] is 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 the interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture

[0100] for communication. The API adapter

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

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

[0100] ,

[0045] 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 / platform

[0100] (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) and for IP pool management utilising a system

[0300] (as shown in FIG. 3). In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] may also implement a method

[0500] (as shown in FIG. 5) for IP pool management utilising the system

[0300] , In yet another implementation, the computing system

[0200] may implement a method

[0600] (as shown in FIG. 5) for IP pool management utilising the system

[0300] , In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] itself implements the method

[0400] and the method

[0500] for IP pool management 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.

[0046] 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] 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] ,

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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 acorresponding 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of the system

[0300] for internet protocol (IP) pool management, 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 retrieval unit

[0304] ; at least one database

[0306] ; at least one generation unit

[0308] ; at least one creation unit

[0310] ; at least one determination unit

[0312] ; and at least one processing unit

[0314] ; and at least one user interface (UI)

[0316] , The system

[0300] is connected to one or more IP sites

[0318] , In an implementation, a user equipment / user device (UE)

[0320] interacts with the system

[0300] for IP pool management of the one or more IP sites

[0318] , 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 said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in the UE

[0320] to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] may be a part of the UE

[0320] / or may be independent of but in communication with the UE

[0320] , 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 UE

[0320] , In yet another implementation, the UE

[0320] may independently implement the present disclosure while interacting with the one or more IP sites

[0318] ,

[0053] The system

[0300] is configured for IP pool management, with the help of the interconnection between the components / units of the system

[0300] ,

[0054] The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive, via the User Interface (UI)

[0316] , an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with the one or more IP sites

[0318] , The one or more IP sites

[0318] herein may refer to locations or segments within the communication network where the specific IP pools are allocated for distribution of services over the network. The IP pool creation request is sent by an operator (such as Network administrator) that handles critical infrastructure of the network for dynamic or static assignment of IP. The IP pool creation request is generally handled by the network management function.

[0055] Upon receipt of the IP pool creation request, the retrieval unit

[0304] is configured to retrieve one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request from the database

[0306] , It is to be noted that the one or more information field parameters include parameters required for ensuring proper IP allocation and network configuration. The one or more information field parameters may include, but not limited to, IP range, network size, and gateway for routing network traffic. The one or more retrieved information field parameters may comprise at least one of a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter.

[0056] The network name parameter is responsible for identifying the network by a unique name for distinguishing it from the other networks. The pool type parameter determines how IP addresses are to be distributed. The IP and netmask parameter defines IP range and portion of IP used for the network and host. The gateway parameter is responsible for specifying the default gateway to route the network traffic.

[0057] Further, the generation unit

[0308] is configured to generate an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites

[0318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters. The array of IP addresses is responsible for storing multiple IPs as individual elements.

[0058] In an exemplary implementation, the generation unit

[0308] is also configured to generate a log comprising at least one or more real time records associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in real-time. The term log herein refers to a captured and stored real timerecord that is used for displaying one or more datasets to analyze activity, identify trends and help predict future events pertaining the one or more information field parameters. The real-time log enhances monitoring thereby, helping the network administrators to react faster and reduce the risk of critical downtime of the communication network. Further, the generation unit

[0308] is configured to generate one or more updated information field parameters based on the one or more information field parameters retrieved from the generated log. Furthermore, the generation unit

[0308] is configured to update the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated information field parameters.

[0059] In an exemplary implementation, the log is generated based on at least the one or more real time records. The one or more real time records is based on at least one of: a non-assigned IP address space status, an assigned IP address space status, and a host name status associated with the IP pool.

[0060] Thereafter, the creation unit

[0310] of the system

[0300] is configured to create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses. The IP pool herein refers to a sequential range of IP addresses within a certain network. The IP pool allows a user to organize and categorize dedicated IP addresses to improve deliverability of services in the communication network. For example, the user (e.g., a network administrator) can create multiple pool configurations, where each pool has a priority, and a group assigned.

[0061] In an exemplary implementation, the determination unit

[0312] is configured to determine a validation status associated with the one or more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field validation rules. The validation status is an indicator that the one or more field information parameters are effective, efficient, and aligned with the IP pool creation request. In case the determined validation status is successful, the generation unit

[0308] is configured to generate the array of IP addresses.

[0062] The set of predefined information field rules may refer to protocols that ensure the correctness and proper format of the data contained within the information field parameters. For e.g., IPv6 and IPv4 address based information field parameters are different depending upon the network size and the gateway. The validation rules thus help in preventing configuration errors during the network setup.

[0063] In case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, the processing unit

[0314] is configured to trigger an unsuccessful IP pool status.

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

[0400] for internet protocol (IP) pool management, 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). 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] ,

[0065] At step

[0404] , the method

[0400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit

[0302] via the User Interface (UI)

[0316] , the IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites

[0318] , The one or more IP pool sites

[0318] may refer to locations or segments within the communication network where the specific IP pools are allocated for distribution of services of the network.

[0066] At step

[0406] , the method

[0400] comprises retrieving, by the retrieval unit

[0304] from the database

[0306] , the one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request. It is to be noted that the one or more information field parameters include parameters required for ensuring proper IP allocation and network configuration. The information field parameters may include but not limited to IP range, network size, gateway for routing network traffic etc. The one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter.

[0067] At step

[0408] , the method

[0400] further comprises generating, by the generation unit

[0308] , the array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites

[0318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters. The array of IP addresses is responsible for storing multiple IPs as individual elements.

[0068] In an implementation, the method

[0400] also comprises generating, by the generation unit

[0308] , a log comprising at least one or more real time records associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in real-time. The method

[0400] also comprises generating, by the generation unit

[0308] , one or more updated information field parameters based on the one or more information field parameters retrieved from the generated log. The method

[0400] furthercomprises updating, by the generation unit

[0308] , the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated information field parameters.

[0069] At step

[0410] , the method

[0400] further comprises creating, by the creation unit

[0310] , the IP pool based on the array of IP addresses. The IP pool here refers to a sequential range of IP addresses within a certain network.

[0070] In an implementation, the method

[0400] also comprises determining, by the determination unit

[0312] , the validation status associated with the one or more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field validation rules. The validation status is an indicator that the one or more field information parameters are effective, efficient and aligned with the IP pool creation request. In case the determined validation status is successful, the method

[0400] performs the generating step.

[0071] In case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, the method

[0400] comprises triggering, by the processing unit

[0314] , the unsuccessful IP pool status.

[0072] Thereafter, the method

[0400] terminates at step

[0412] ,

[0073] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary method

[0500] flow chart for internet protocol (IP) pool management is shown, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the method

[0500] is implemented by the system

[0300] (as shown in FIG. 3). In addition, the method

[0500] automates the administration of tasks related to internet protocol (IP) pool management such as but not limited to allocation of IP address from different IP pools and thereby serving as an IP Allocation Manager (IP AM). Further, the method

[0500] is implemented by a platform virtual infrastructure manager (PVIM) unit

[0602] (as depicted in FIG. 6).

[0074] In a non-limiting implementation of the present disclosure, the method

[0500] , upon the start of the process of IP pool management, is performed in the below-mentioned manner.

[0075] At step 1 (SI), the method

[0500] comprises creation of a pool request by an inventory service (such as the IP site

[0318] ). At step 2 (S2), the method

[0500] comprises retrieving information field parameters / details such as but not limited to any IP site which has a Network Name, Pool Type, IP / Netmask, Gateway related information for pool creation etc.

[0076] At step 3 (S3), the method

[0500] comprises validation of the information field parameters. If validation is successful, the method

[0500] proceeds onto next step 4 (S4). In case the validation is unsuccessful, then step 5 (S5) is executed which prompts a message that “IP Pool cannot be created with required details”.

[0077] At step S4, the method

[0500] comprises generation of the array of IP addresses available for the IP and netmask.

[0078] Step 6 (S6) is executed when the field information parameters / details are stored in the database (DB)

[0306] , In one implementation, the DB

[0306] maintains accurate and current records of IP assignments and available addresses. The DB

[0306] may include a non-relational database. For example, a non-relational database may include a NoSQL database. The DB

[0306] may store information, such as but not limited to, free / assigned IP address space, status of each IP address, hostname associated with each IP address, and size of subnets and current users. Thus, if any future request for IP allocation comes, then the system

[0300] assigns free IP from the IP pool and update the details appropriately.

[0079] In this manner, a timely auto-synchronization of the virtual IP (VIP) pool can take place thereby, leading to effective IP pool management. The Virtual IP refers to IP that does not correspond to an actual physical network interface or port. The purpose of VIP pool is to provide IP addresses that can float between two or more physical network nodes thereby, providing redundancy.

[0080] Referring to FIG.6, an exemplary method

[0600] flow diagram depicting interaction between a platform virtual infrastructure manager (PVIM) unit

[0602] with its modules and the user equipment (UE)

[0320] and other microservice modules

[0604] for IP pool management is shown, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The PVIM unit

[0602] comprises a PVIM server

[6022] and a PVIM database (DB)

[6024] ,

[0081] The PVIM unit

[0602] is used for notification of VNF / CNF / VNFC / CNFC instances resources alarms in the MANO architecture

[0100] (as shown in FIG. 1). In an exemplary implementation, the PVIM unit

[0602] carries out the IP space management, such as allocation of IP address from different pools and thus serve as an IP Allocation Manager (IP AM). Further, the PVIM

[0602] comprises various components of the MANO architecture

[0100] (as shown in FIG. 1). Also, all of the components / units of the PVIM unit

[0602] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. Also, in FIG. 6, only a few units are shown, however, thePVIM unit

[0602] may comprise multiple such units or the PVIM unit

[0602] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0082] In an implementation, the PVIM unit

[0602] may be present in the user equipment (UE)

[0320] / device to implement the features of the present disclosure. The PVIM unit

[0602] may be a part of the UE

[0320] / or may be independent of but in communication with the UE

[0320] , In another implementation, the PVIM unit

[0602] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the PVIM unit

[0602] may reside partly in the server / network entity and partly in the UE

[0320] ,

[0083] For managing the IP pool, an IP pool create request is sent to the PVIM server

[6022] via the UE

[0320] by executing step 1 (SI). Thereafter, PVIM server

[6022] sends the acknowledgement as response in step 2 (S2). The acknowledgement is indicative of the fact that the field information parameters / details of the one or more IP sites

[0318] have been taken into consideration for IP allocation. At step 3 (S3), one or more microservices

[0604] sends get / update request to a PVIM database

[6024] , At step 4 (S4), the PVIM unit

[0602] sends response to the one or more microservices

[0604] that the pool for IP allocation has been created.

[0084] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for internet protocol (IP) pool management, 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, via a User Interface (UI)

[0316] , an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites

[0318] , Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes a retrieval unit

[0304] to retrieve, from a database

[0306] , one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request. The one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes a generation unit

[0308] to generate an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites

[0318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes a creation unit

[0310] to create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

[0085] 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 thedisclosure. 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.

[0086] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for automating the administration of tasks related to IP space management, such as the allocation of IP addresses from different pools, and serves as an IP Allocation Manager (IP AM). The present disclosure offers several advantages, including an inventory service for IP allocation and management, acting as a centralized repository that builds an inventory of networks, subnets, and IP addresses, allowing administrators to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of IP assignments and available addresses. Additionally, the present disclosure enhances reliability by reducing the risk of misconfigurations, such as overlapping subnets and duplicate IP addresses. The present disclosure also effectively utilizes VIP allocation, which is configured for autofailover when the primary server is down and automatically reverts when the primary server is restored. Furthermore, the system is fully integrated through APIs, making it a central repository that supports cloud-based provisioning approaches.

[0087] 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 internet protocol (IP) pool management, the method [400] comprising: receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] via a User Interface (UI) [316], an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites [318]; retrieving, by a retrieval unit [304] from a database [306], one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request, wherein the one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter; generating, by a generation unit [308], an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters; and creating, by a creation unit [310], an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, comprising determining, by a determination unit [312], a validation status associated with the one or more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field validation rules, wherein in case the determined validation status is successful, the method [400] performs the generating step.

3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 2, wherein in case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, the method [400] comprises triggering, by a processing unit [314], an unsuccessful IP pool status.

4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, comprising: generating, by the generation unit [308], a log comprising at least one or more real time records associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in realtime; generating, by the generation unit [308], one or more updated information field parameters based on the one or more information field parameters retrieved from the generated log; and updating, by the generation unit [308], the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated information field parameters.

5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the log is generated based on at least the one or more real time records, wherein at least the one or more real time records is basedon at least one of: a non-assigned IP address space status, an assigned IP address space status, and a host name status associated with the IP pool.

6. A system [300] for internet protocol (IP) pool management, the system [300] comprising: a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, via a User Interface (UI) [316], an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites [318]; a retrieval unit [304] connected to at least the transceiver unit [302], the retrieval unit [304] configured to retrieve, from a database [306], one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request, wherein the one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter; a generation unit [308] connected to at least the retrieval unit [304], the generation unit [308] configured to generate an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters; and a creation unit [310] connected to at least the generation unit [310], the creation unit [310] configured to create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

7. The system [300] as claimed in claim 6, wherein a determination unit [312] is configured to determine a validation status associated with the one or more retrieved information field parameters based on a set of predefined information field validation rules, wherein in case the determined validation status is successful, the generation unit [308] is configured to generate the array of IP addresses.

8. The system [300] as claimed in claim 7, wherein in case the determined validation status is unsuccessful, a processing unit [314] is configured to trigger an unsuccessful IP pool status.

9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 6, wherein the generation unit [308] is further configured to: generate a log comprising at least one or more real time records associated with one or more information field parameters retrieved in real-time; generate one or more updated information field parameters based on the one or more information field parameters retrieved from the generated log; and update the array of IP addresses based on the one or more updated information field parameters.

10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the log is generated based on at least the one or more real time records, wherein at least the one or more real time records is based on at least one of: a non-assigned IP address space status, an assigned IP address space status, and a host name status associated with the IP pool.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for internet protocol (IP) pool management, 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, via a User Interface (UI) [316], an IP pool creation request comprising parameters associated with one or more IP sites [318]; a retrieval unit [304] to: retrieve, from a database [306], one or more information field parameters for the received IP pool creation request, wherein the one or more retrieved information field parameters comprise at least one of: a network name parameter, a pool type parameter, an IP and netmask parameter, and a gateway parameter; a generation unit [308] to: generate an array of IP addresses associated with the one or more IP sites [318] based on at least the one or more retrieved information field parameters; and a creation unit [310] to: create an IP pool based on the array of IP addresses.

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