System and method for o-cloud node reconfiguration in a telecommunications system

Abstract

To provide a system for implementing reconfiguration of one or more open cloud (O-Cloud) nodes in an O-Cloud infrastructure.SOLUTION: Obtaining, by a federated O-Cloud orchestration and management (FOCOM) in a service management orchestration (SMO) framework, a request to reconfigure an O-Cloud node hosting at least one network function, and sending, by the FOCOM, the reconfiguration request for the O-Cloud node to an O-Cloud infrastructure via a O2 interface to an infrastructure management service (IMS); Receiving, by the IMS, a reconfiguration request for the O-Cloud node, controlling to implement reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node, and sending, by the IMS, a confirmation of implementation of the reconfiguration to the FOCOM through the O2 interface in response to the implementation of the reconfiguration.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from Singapore Provisional Patent Application No. 10202250827N, filed with the Singapore Patent Office on August 25, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Systems and methods consistent with example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to providing procedures for reconfiguration of one or more Open Cloud (O-Cloud) nodes within an O-Cloud infrastructure of a telecommunications network. [Background technology]

[0003] The radio access network (RAN) is a critical component in telecommunications systems because it connects end-user devices (or user equipment) to the rest of the network. The RAN includes a combination of various network elements (NEs) that connect end-user devices to the core network. Traditionally, the hardware and / or software of a particular RAN is vendor-specific.

[0004] Open RAN (O-RAN) technology has emerged to enable multiple vendors to provide hardware and / or software for telecommunication systems. To this end, O-RAN divides RAN functions into a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU). The CU is a logical node for hosting the Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and / or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayers of the RAN. The DU is a logical node for hosting the Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and Physical (PHY) sublayers of the RAN. The RU is a physical node that converts radio signals from the antenna into digital signals that can be transmitted to the DU via the fronthaul. These entities can be developed by different vendors as they have open protocols and interfaces between them.

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a prior art O-RAN architecture. Referring to Figure 1, RAN functions in the O-RAN architecture are controlled and optimized by a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The RIC is a software-defined component that implements modular applications to facilitate multi-vendor operability required in an O-RAN system and to automate and optimize RAN operations. RICs are divided into two types: non-real-time RIC (NRT-RIC) and near-real-time RIC (nRT-RIC).

[0006] The NRT-RIC is the control point for non-real-time control loops and operates on timescales greater than one second within a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework. Its functions are implemented through modular applications called rApps. Functions include providing policies (i.e., sets of rules used to manage and control the change and / or maintenance of the state of one or more managed objects) based on guidance and enrichment over the A1 interface, which is the interface that enables communication between the NRT-RIC and the nRT-RIC; performing data analysis; artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) training and inference for RAN optimization; and / or recommending configuration management actions over the O1 interface for managing operations and maintenance (OAM) over the O1 interface, which is the interface that connects the SMO to RAN managed elements (e.g., nRT-RIC, O-RAN Centralized Unit (O-CU), O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU), etc.).

[0007] The nRT-RIC operates on a timescale of 10 milliseconds to 1 second and connects to the O-DU, O-CU (divided into the O-CU Control Plane (O-CU-CP) and O-CU User Plane (O-CU-UP)), and Open evolved NodeB (O-eNB) via the E2 interface. The nRT-RIC uses the E2 interface to control the underlying RAN elements (E2 nodes / Network Functions (NFs)) via near-real-time control loops. The nRT-RIC monitors, pauses / stops, overrides, and controls E2 nodes (i.e., network functions such as O-CU-CP, O-CU-UP, O-DU, and O-eNB) via policies. The O-DU connects to the O-RU via a fronthaul including the Control User Synchronization (CUS) plane and the Management (M) plane. For example, the nRT sets policy parameters for activated functions in the E2 nodes. Additionally, the nRT-RIC hosts xApps to implement functions such as Quality of Service (QoS) optimization, mobility optimization, slice optimization, interference mitigation, load balancing, and security. The two types of RICs work together to optimize O-RAN. For example, the NRT-RIC provides policies, data, and AI / ML models that are enforced and used by the nRT-RIC for RAN optimization via the A1 interface, and the nRT returns policy feedback (i.e., how the policies set by the NRT-RIC are working).

[0008] The SMO framework in which the NRT-RIC resides manages and orchestrates RAN elements. Specifically, the SMO includes Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM), a Network Function Orchestrator (NFO) that manages virtual machine (VM)-based Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) and / or Cloud Native Network Functions (CNFs) and container (i.e., instance)-based VNFs and / or CNFs, and an OAM as part of the SMO that manages and orchestrates what is called the O-Ran Cloud (O-Cloud). The O-Cloud is a collection of physical RAN nodes that host the RIC, O-CU, and O-DU, supporting software components (e.g., operating systems and runtime environments), and the SMO itself. In other words, the SMO manages the O-Cloud from within. The O2 interface is the interface between SMO and the O-Cloud in which it resides. Through the O2 interface, SMO provides Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and Deployment Management Services (DMS), where IMS provides the functionality responsible for the deployment and management of cloud infrastructure (i.e., IMS orchestrates the O-Cloud infrastructure) and DMS provides the functionality responsible for managing virtualized / containerized deployments on the O-Cloud infrastructure (i.e., DMS orchestrates virtualized / containerized deployments of E2 node applications).

[0009] Following instantiation of an E2 node (i.e., virtualized / containerized deployment of network functions such as VNFs and / or CNFs) into the O-Cloud infrastructure (i.e., deployment into one or more O-Cloud nodes), the network functions (i.e., VNFs and / or CNFs) and / or the O-Cloud nodes (i.e., physical hosts such as servers or server clusters of the O-Cloud infrastructure) hosting the network functions may experience performance degradation over time.

[0010] In this case, one or more O-Cloud nodes initiating the network function may request a reconfiguration. The reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes needs to be communicated via a procedure that allows the individual orchestration components of the O-RAN to know the status of the O-Cloud node reconfiguration and / or the status of the network functions hosted by the one or more O-Cloud nodes undergoing reconfiguration in order to provide seamless operation of the O-RAN. Summary of the Invention

[0011] According to embodiments, systems and methods are provided for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more Open Cloud (O-Cloud) nodes in a telecommunications network's O-Cloud infrastructure, where the reconfiguration of the one or more O-Cloud nodes is based on monitoring and analyzing the performance of at least one O-Cloud node or at least one function (e.g., a VNF and / or a CNF) hosted thereon. Upon receiving a request to reconfigure the at least one O-Cloud node, the systems and methods prepare to process the reconfiguration request within an SMO and request an IMS to control implementation of the reconfiguration request, where the IMS controls the O-Cloud infrastructure to reconfigure the at least one O-Cloud node and reports the implementation of the reconfiguration to the SMO. The SMO determines whether the reconfiguration is successful, and if the SMO determines that the reconfiguration is unsuccessful, requests restoration of the configuration of the at least one O-Cloud node to a state (e.g., original state) prior to receiving the reconfiguration request to the IMS. Monitoring and analyzing the performance of at least one O-Cloud node and restoring it to a previous configuration state has the advantage that the O-Cloud node can be reconfigured without risking deterioration of its performance.

[0012] As a result, if an O-Cloud node or at least one network function hosted on it is unable to achieve a predetermined performance level (i.e., in the case of a reconfiguration failure), the SMO identifies a fallback that makes it impossible for the O-Cloud node to accept a degraded performance status but guides the O-Cloud to continue in the state it was in before the reconfiguration.

[0013] According to an embodiment, a system for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more Open Cloud (O-Cloud) nodes in an O-Cloud infrastructure of a telecommunications network includes at least one memory that stores instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to obtain, via a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) in a Service Management Orchestration (SMO) framework, a request to reconfigure at least one O-Cloud node that hosts at least one network function of the telecommunications network; send, via the FOCOM, the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node to the O-Cloud infrastructure via an O2 interface to an Infrastructure Management Service (IMS); receive, via the IMS, the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node via the O2 interface; control implementing the reconfiguration of the at least one O-Cloud node; and, in response to implementing the reconfiguration, send, via the IMS, a confirmation of the implementation of the reconfiguration to the FOCOM in the SMO via the O2 interface.

[0014] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to monitor, by a non-real-time radio intelligent controller (NRT-RIC), at least one of O-Cloud data received via the O2 interface and network capability data received via the O1 interface, analyze the at least one of the O-Cloud data and the network capability data, and based on the analysis, determine at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured within the O-Cloud infrastructure, and send a reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node to the FOCOM.

[0015] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to determine, by the FOCOM, which particular O-Cloud nodes of the plurality of O-Cloud nodes have requested reconfiguration and in what order the reconfiguration of the particular O-Cloud nodes is to be performed.

[0016] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to send, by the IMS, a status of the reconfiguration to the NRT-RIC via the O2 interface.

[0017] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to configure the O-Cloud node back to a configuration prior to the reconfiguration request based on determining, by the SMO, that the reconfiguration was not successful for the O-Cloud node from among the at least one O-Cloud node.

[0018] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to verify, by the SMO, a reconfiguration of the at least one O-Cloud node.

[0019] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to determine, by the IMS, to relocate at least one network function from the at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured to one or more other O-Cloud nodes, and to relocate, by the IMS, the at least one network function to the one or more other O-Cloud nodes.

[0020] The at least one processor may be further configured to execute instructions to, depending on the implementation of the reconfiguration, relocate, by the IMS, the at least one network function back to one or more reconfigured O-Cloud nodes within the O-Cloud infrastructure.

[0021] According to an embodiment, a method for implementing a reconfiguration procedure of one or more Open Cloud (O-Cloud) nodes in an O-Cloud infrastructure of a telecommunications network includes obtaining, by a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) in a Service Management Orchestration (SMO) framework, a request to reconfigure at least one O-Cloud node that hosts at least one network function of the telecommunications network; sending, by the FOCOM, the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node to an Infrastructure Management Service (IMS) via an O2 interface to the O-Cloud infrastructure; receiving, by the IMS, the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node via the O2 interface; controlling to implement the reconfiguration of the at least one O-Cloud node; and, in response to implementing the reconfiguration, sending, by the IMS, a confirmation of the implementation of the reconfiguration to the FOCOM in the SMO via the O2 interface.

[0022] The method may include monitoring, by a non-real-time radio intelligent controller (NRT-RIC), at least one of O-Cloud data received via an O2 interface and network capability data received via an O1 interface; analyzing the at least one of the O-Cloud data and the network capability data and, based on the analysis, determining at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured within the O-Cloud infrastructure; and sending a reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node to the FOCOM.

[0023] The method may include determining, by FOCOM, which particular O-Cloud nodes of the plurality of O-Cloud nodes have requested reconfiguration and in what order the reconfiguration of the particular O-Cloud nodes is to be performed.

[0024] The method may include transmitting, by the IMS, a status of the reconfiguration to the NRT-RIC over an O2 interface.

[0025] The method may include, based on determining, by the SMO, that the reconfiguration was not successful for the O-Cloud node from among the at least one O-Cloud node, configuring the O-Cloud node back to a configuration prior to the reconfiguration request.

[0026] The method may include verifying, by the SMO, the reconfiguration of the at least one O-Cloud node.

[0027] The method may include determining, by an IMS, to relocate at least one network function from at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured to one or more other O-Cloud nodes, and relocating, by the IMS, the at least one network function to the one or more other O-Cloud nodes.

[0028] The method may include, depending on the implementation of the reconfiguration, relocating, by the IMS, at least one network function back to one or more reconfigured O-Cloud nodes within the O-Cloud infrastructure.

[0029] According to an embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium has stored thereon instructions executable by at least one processor configured to perform a method for implementing a reconfiguration procedure of one or more Open Cloud (O-Cloud) nodes in an O-Cloud infrastructure of a telecommunications network, the method including obtaining, by a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) in a Service Management Orchestration (SMO) framework, a request to reconfigure at least one O-Cloud node that hosts at least one network function of the telecommunications network; sending, by the FOCOM, the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node to an Infrastructure Management Service (IMS) via an O2 interface to the O-Cloud infrastructure; receiving, by the IMS, the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node via the O2 interface; controlling to implement the reconfiguration of the at least one O-Cloud node; and, in response to implementing the reconfiguration, sending, by the IMS, a confirmation of the implementation of the reconfiguration to the FOCOM in the SMO via the O2 interface.

[0030] The method may include monitoring, by a non-real-time radio intelligent controller (NRT-RIC), at least one of O-Cloud data received via an O2 interface and network capability data received via an O1 interface; analyzing the at least one of the O-Cloud data and the network capability data and, based on the analysis, determining at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured within the O-Cloud infrastructure; and sending a reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node to the FOCOM.

[0031] The method may include determining, by an IMS, to relocate at least one network function from at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured to one or more other O-Cloud nodes, and relocating, by the IMS, the at least one network function to the one or more other O-Cloud nodes.

[0032] The method may include, depending on the implementation of the reconfiguration, relocating, by the IMS, at least one network function back to one or more reconfigured O-Cloud nodes within the O-Cloud infrastructure.

[0033] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be realized by practice of illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] Features, aspects, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an O-RAN architecture according to the prior art. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of a method for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes according to another embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of a method for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary components of a device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0037] The foregoing disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Furthermore, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Additionally, in the flowcharts and descriptions of operations provided below, it should be understood that one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed (at least partially) concurrently, and the order of one or more operations may be rearranged.

[0038] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limiting of the implementation. Thus, the operation and behavior of the present systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It should be understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the present systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0039] Although particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. Indeed, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of possible implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

[0040] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used synonymously with "one or more." Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar phrases are used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has," "have," "having," "include," and "including" are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based, at least in part, on," unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, phrases such as "at least one of [A] and [B]" or "at least one of [A] or [B]" should be understood to include A only, B only, or both A and B.

[0041] 2 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for implementing reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes according to an embodiment. The key components of the O-RAN architecture of FIG. 2 are similar to those according to FIG. 1.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, a method for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes may be triggered by an event such as a degradation in performance of an application (e.g., a network function such as a VNF and / or a CNF) deployed on one or more O-Cloud nodes (e.g., E2 node performance data), or input from a non-RAN source (e.g., O1 interface and / or O2 interface data).

[0043] The event may be a future natural event (e.g., seasonal requirements, hardware failure, user movement, natural disaster, etc.) or a scheduled human event (e.g., network maintenance, sporting event, etc.) that affects the performance of at least one O-Cloud node or at least one network function hosted thereon.

[0044] For example, application performance of at least one network function may degrade due to misconfiguration of at least one O-Cloud node or due to application requirements that may require more computing and / or hardware resources or changes to the O-Cloud node configuration to perform optimally.

[0045] In FIG. 2, the method for implementing the reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes may be initiated either by a manual request by a user to the SMO or by one or more rApps of the NRT-RIC within the SMO.

[0046] 2, initiation is illustrated as the O-Cloud Node Analysis Process and marks the start of the O-Cloud Node Reconfiguration procedure. Initiation by the O-Cloud Node Analysis Process is based on the NRT-RIC monitoring at least one of O-Cloud data received via the O2 interface and network capability data received via the O1 interface, analyzing at least one of the O-Cloud data and network capability data, and determining (determining) at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured within the O-Cloud infrastructure based on the analysis.

[0047] To this end, when the NRT-RIC in the SMO initiates the method, one or more rApps in the NRT-RIC perform the O-Cloud node analysis process as described above.

[0048] In an example embodiment, the analysis may be based on a comparison between O2 interface telemetry data regarding the performance of at least one O-Cloud node (e.g., O-Cloud data such as processor load, memory usage, etc.) and O1 interface telemetry data regarding the performance of at least one network function (e.g., VNFs and / or CNFs implementing the O-CU, O-DU, etc.) hosted thereon (e.g., RAN data such as number of users, data throughput, etc.). Based on this analysis, the NRT-RIC (e.g., one or more rApps in the NRT-RIC) determines to reconfigure at least one O-Cloud node of the multiple O-Cloud nodes (i.e., the NRT-RIC initiates an O-Cloud reconfiguration procedure for the at least one O-Cloud node).

[0049] According to the O-Cloud reconfiguration procedure, in operation 201, in one exemplary embodiment, the SMO (i.e., FOCOM) obtains a request to reconfigure at least one O-Cloud node from a manual input based on the results of the manual O-Cloud analysis as described above.

[0050] In operation 202, in another exemplary embodiment, the FOCOM obtains a request to reconfigure at least one O-Cloud node from the NRT-RIC based on the results of the O-Cloud analysis process as described above.

[0051] In operation 203, FOCOM determines which specific O-Cloud nodes among the multiple O-Cloud nodes request reconfiguration and determines in what sequence (i.e., order) the reconfiguration of the specific O-Cloud nodes will be performed.

[0052] In an example embodiment, based on the performance of one or more O-Cloud nodes or network functions hosted thereon, the SMO (i.e., NRT-RIC and / or FOCOM) may determine a reconfiguration sequence for at least one particular O-Cloud node as well as its own particular O-Cloud node.

[0053] In another exemplary embodiment, a user (e.g., a cloud maintainer) may provide FOCOM with a maintenance plan (i.e., specifications for each O-Cloud and its reconfiguration schedule), in which case the reconfiguration is specified by the user and provided to FOCOM, and SMO / FOCOM does not initiate its own determination.

[0054] Still referring to operation 203, FOCOM, in response to the determination or provision as described above, sends a reconfiguration request to the IMS via the O2 interface, the reconfiguration request comprising configuration data and a separate reconfiguration schedule for each O-Cloud node to be reconfigured.

[0055] In operations 204 and 205, upon receiving the FOCOM reconfiguration request via the O2 interface, the IMS controls to implement the reconfiguration for each O-Cloud node to be reconfigured.

[0056] For this purpose, the IMS evaluates the FOCOM reconfiguration request and, according to the configuration data for each O-Cloud node and the extent of the individual reconfiguration schedule, determines whether to relocate affected applications of network functions (i.e., VNFs and / or CNFs) hosted by the O-Cloud to be reconfigured to other O-Cloud resources (e.g., to drain the O-Cloud node to be reconfigured) due to the extent of the reconfiguration requirements for that O-Cloud node.

[0057] In operation 204, the IMS determines to relocate the application of at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) hosted on the O-Cloud node (e.g., to drain the O-Cloud node). For example, at least one physical host of the O-Cloud node may require a reboot to implement the reconfiguration. In this case, the application of the at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) hosted on the O-Cloud node may be terminated. For this purpose, during a grace period that reduces the impact of the termination on the operation of the RAN, the application of the affected at least one network function is instantiated on one or more other O-Cloud nodes (i.e., on a physical host other than the one to be reconfigured). The other O-Cloud nodes (e.g., auxiliary O-Cloud nodes) may comprise one or more physical hosts, such as servers or server clusters. Furthermore, the other O-Cloud nodes (e.g., auxiliary O-Cloud nodes) may be part of the affected O-Cloud node and may comprise one or more physical hosts other than the one to be reconfigured.

[0058] When an application affected by at least one network function is instantiated on one or more other O-Cloud nodes (e.g., auxiliary O-Cloud nodes), the IMS sends a network function relocation report to the FOCOM to inform the SMO of the location of the application affected by at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) that was originally hosted on the O-Cloud node that is to be restarted due to the reconfiguration.

[0059] Upon sending the network function relocation report, the IMS controls the implementation of the affected O-Cloud node and marks the O-Cloud node to be scheduled again after the reconfiguration is applied (i.e., re-recommended for service after the reconfiguration). In an example embodiment, the IMS may relocate at least one affected network function back to the reconfigured O-Cloud node before marking the O-Cloud node to be scheduled again.

[0060] In operation 205, the IMS determines not to relocate applications of at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) hosted on the O-Cloud node (e.g., reconfigure the O-Cloud node on the fly instead of draining the O-Cloud node). In this case, the IMS may schedule a grace period for the reconfiguration, control the implementation of the O-Cloud node, and mark the O-Cloud node to be scheduled again after the reconfiguration is applied.

[0061] In operation 206, the IMS notifies the SMO that the O-Cloud node configuration is complete for each individual O-Cloud node. In an exemplary embodiment, the IMS sends a confirmation of the reconfiguration to the FOCOM over the O2 interface.

[0062] In operation 207, in one exemplary embodiment, if the NRT-RIC subscribes to IMS notifications, the IMS notifies the NRT-RIC about the status of the O-Cloud node (i.e., the status of the reconfigured O-Cloud node) over the O2 interface. In another exemplary embodiment, the IMS may notify the FOCOM and the NRT-RIC about the completion of the reconfiguration over the O2 interface.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 2 , the method for implementing a reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes concludes when the SMO verifies the performance of each O-Cloud node or the performance of the network functions (i.e., VNFs and / or CNFs) hosted thereon after the reconfiguration (i.e., the SMO monitors and analyzes performance-related O-Cloud data received via the O2 interface and network function data received via the O1 interface data after the reconfiguration to confirm successful implementation of the reconfiguration for each O-Cloud node).

[0064] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for implementing reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes according to another embodiment.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 3, in step 301, a user (e.g., a cloud maintainer) or an NRT-RIC sends a request to FOCOM to reconfigure one or more O-Cloud nodes (e.g., physical hosts such as servers or server clusters).

[0066] In step 302, the SMO / FOCOM function determines or designates the O-Cloud node to be reconfigured and determines (decides) the sequence for initiating the reconfiguration among the multiple O-Cloud nodes as described above in operation 203 of Figure 2.

[0067] In step 303, in response to the determination and specification, FOCOM sends a reconfiguration request to the IMS via the O2 interface. To this end, FOCOM uses the O2 IMS service functions to request the IMS to perform relevant configuration updates for each O-Cloud node requested to be reconfigured and provides a separate reconfiguration sequence for it. In an example embodiment, the request to the IMS via the O2 interface can be repeated each time one or more O-Cloud nodes are requested to be reconfigured.

[0068] In an example embodiment, the request to the IMS over the O2 interface may be repeated for each O-Cloud node if the SMO determines that the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node has failed.

[0069] In step 304, similar to operations 204 and 205 in FIG. 2, the IMS controls to implement the reconfiguration of each O-Cloud node (i.e., the IMS applies the configuration to each O-Cloud node according to the reconfiguration request of FOCOM).

[0070] In step 305, the IMS notifies the SMO (e.g., FOCOM) that the O-Cloud node configuration (reconfiguration) is complete. According to operations 206 and 207 in Figure 2, the IMS may notify the FOCOM and / or NRT-RIC of the status of the reconfiguration based on whether the NRT-RIC has subscribed to IMS notification.

[0071] In step 306, the SMO determines, for each O-Cloud node, whether the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node was successful. The determination may be based on the status of the reconfiguration to the FOCOM and / or the NRT-RIC. In an example embodiment, the determination may be based on O2 interface telemetry data regarding the performance of at least one O-Cloud node (e.g., O-Cloud data such as processor load, memory usage, etc.) and / or O1 interface telemetry data regarding the performance of at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) hosted thereon (e.g., RAN data such as number of users, data throughput, etc.).

[0072] In step 307, the SMO determines that the reconfiguration failed (“Yes” in step 306). Based on the determination that the reconfiguration failed, the SMO identifies a fallback for the O-Cloud node that failed to reconfigure. For example, the SMO sends a request to the IMS to configure the O-Cloud node back to the configuration before the reconfiguration request. In another exemplary embodiment, the SMO may request the IMS to repeat the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node (to the state before the reconfiguration request to the IMS in step 303 (e.g., the repeat loop in step 303)). In another exemplary embodiment, the SMO may send a request to restore the configuration of the O-Cloud node to its original state.

[0073] In step 309, the SMO determines that the reconfiguration was successful ("No" in step 306). Based on the determination of successful reconfiguration, the SMO / NRT-RIC verifies the successful reconfiguration. To this end, the SMO / NRT-RIC verifies the performance of each O-Cloud node or the performance of the network functions (i.e., VNFs and / or CNFs) hosted on it after the reconfiguration (i.e., the SMO / NRT-RIC monitors and analyzes performance-related O-Cloud data received via the O2 interface and network function data received via the O1 interface data after the reconfiguration to verify successful implementation of the reconfiguration for each O-Cloud node). The SMO's verification confirms the reconfiguration and terminates the O-Cloud node reconfiguration procedure.

[0074] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for implementing reconfiguration of one or more O-Cloud nodes according to another embodiment.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 4, in step 401, similar to step 303 in FIG. 3, FOCOM sends a reconfiguration request to IMS via the O2 interface.

[0076] In step 402, similar to step 303 in FIG. 3 (i.e., operations 204 and 205 in FIG. 2), the IMS evaluates the FOCOM reconfiguration request according to the configuration data of each O-Cloud node and the scope of the individual reconfiguration schedule for each O-Cloud node.

[0077] In step 403, the IMS determines to relocate at least one network function hosted by the O-Cloud to be reconfigured ("Yes" in step 402). For example, the IMS determines to drain the O-Cloud node to be reconfigured due to the extent of the O-Cloud node's reconfiguration requirements (e.g., at least one physical node of the O-Cloud node may require a reboot due to the reconfiguration of its implementation).

[0078] In this case, the affected application of at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) hosted on the O-Cloud node may be terminated. To this end, during a grace period that reduces the impact of the termination on the operation of the RAN, the affected application of at least one of the network functions is instantiated on one or more other O-Cloud nodes (i.e., auxiliary O-Cloud nodes comprising physical hosts other than the one to be reconfigured). The other O-Cloud nodes (e.g., auxiliary O-Cloud nodes) may comprise one or more physical hosts, such as servers or server clusters. Furthermore, the other O-Cloud nodes (e.g., auxiliary O-Cloud nodes) may be part of the affected O-Cloud node to be reconfigured and may comprise one or more physical hosts other than the one to be reconfigured.

[0079] In step 404, when an application affected by at least one network function is instantiated on another auxiliary O-Cloud node, the IMS sends a network function relocation report to the FOCOM to inform the SMO of the location of the application of at least one network function hosted on the O-Cloud node that should be restarted due to the reconfiguration.

[0080] In step 405, upon sending the network function relocation report, the IMS controls the implementation of the O-Cloud node reconfiguration and marks the O-Cloud node to be scheduled again after the reconfiguration is applied. To this end, the IMS reconfigures the O-Cloud node and relocates the affected applications of at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) back to the reconfigured O-Cloud node. In an example embodiment, the IMS may relocate at least one network function of the affected applications back to the original O-Cloud node before marking the O-Cloud node to be scheduled again after the reconfiguration is applied.

[0081] In operation 406, it is determined ("No" in step 402) not to relocate the applications of at least one network function (i.e., VNF and / or CNF) hosted on the O-Cloud node (e.g., reconfigure the O-Cloud node on the fly instead of draining the O-Cloud node). In this case, the IMS may schedule a grace period for reconfiguration, control the implementation of the O-Cloud node, and mark the O-Cloud node to be scheduled again after the reconfiguration is applied.

[0082] In operation 407, similar to operation 206 in Figure 2, the IMS notifies the SMO that the O-Cloud node configuration is complete for each individual O-Cloud node. In an example embodiment, the IMS sends a confirmation of the reconfiguration to FOCOM over the O2 interface.

[0083] In operation 408, similar to operation 207 in Figure 2, if the NRT-RIC has agreed to IMS notification, the IMS notifies the NRT-RIC about the status of the O-Cloud (i.e., the status of the reconfigured O-Cloud node) over the O2 interface. In another example embodiment, the IMS may notify the FOCOM and the NRT-RIC about the completion of the reconfiguration over the O2 interface.

[0084] 5 is a diagram of an example environment 500 in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 5, environment 500 may include a user device 510, a platform 520, and a network 530. The devices in environment 500 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. In an embodiment, any of the functions and operations described with reference to FIG. 1 above may be performed by any combination of the elements illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0085] The user device 510 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information related to the platform 520. For example, the user device 510 may include a computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld computer, a smart speaker, a server, etc.), a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone, a wireless telephone, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., smart glasses or a smart watch), or a similar device. In some implementations, the user device 510 may receive information from and / or transmit information to the platform 520.

[0086] Platform 520 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information. In some implementations, platform 520 may include a cloud server or a collection of cloud servers. In some implementations, platform 520 may be designed to be modular, such that certain software components can be swapped in or out depending on particular needs. Thus, platform 520 can be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for different uses.

[0087] In some implementations, as shown, platform 520 may be hosted in a cloud computing environment 522. In particular, although the implementations described herein describe platform 520 as being hosted within cloud computing environment 522, in some implementations platform 520 may not be cloud-based (i.e., may be implemented outside of a cloud computing environment) or may be partially cloud-based.

[0088] Cloud computing environment 522 includes an environment that hosts platform 520. Cloud computing environment 522 may provide services such as computing, software, data access, storage, etc. that do not require end-user (e.g., user device 510) knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the systems and / or devices that host platform 520. As shown, cloud computing environment 522 may include a collection of computational resources 524 (collectively referred to as “computational resources 524” and individually referred to as “computational resource 524”).

[0089] The computational resources 524 include one or more personal computers, clusters of computing devices, workstation computers, server devices, or other types of computing and / or communication devices. In some implementations, the computational resources 524 may host the platform 520. Cloud resources may include compute instances running within the computational resources 524, storage devices provided within the computational resources 524, data transfer devices provided by the computational resources 524, etc. In some implementations, the computational resources 524 may communicate with other computational resources 524 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0090] As further shown in FIG. 5, the computing resources 524 include a group of cloud resources such as one or more applications (“APP”) 524-1, one or more virtual machines (“VM”) 524-2, virtualized storage (“VS”) 524-3, and one or more hypervisors (“HYP”) 524-4.

[0091] Application 524-1 includes one or more software applications that may be provided to or accessed by user device 510. Application 524-1 may eliminate the need to install and run software applications on user device 510. For example, application 524-1 may include software associated with platform 520 and / or any other software that may be provided via cloud computing environment 522. In some implementations, one application 524-1 may send and receive information to one or more other applications 524-1 via virtual machine 524-2.

[0092] Virtual machine 524-2 includes a software-implemented machine (e.g., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine. Virtual machine 524-2 can be either a system virtual machine or a process virtual machine, depending on the intended use and the degree to which virtual machine 524-2 resembles any real machine. A system virtual machine may provide a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system ("OS"). A process virtual machine may execute a single program and support a single process. In some implementations, virtual machine 524-2 may run on behalf of a user (e.g., user device 510) and manage the infrastructure of cloud computing environment 522, such as data management, synchronization, or long-term data transfer.

[0093] Virtualized storage 524-3 includes one or more storage systems and / or one or more devices that use virtualization technology within the storage systems or devices of the computing resources 524. In some implementations, types of virtualization in the context of storage systems may include block virtualization and file virtualization. Block virtualization may refer to the abstraction (or separation) of logical storage from physical storage, such that the storage system may be accessed regardless of the physical storage or heterogeneous structure. The separation may allow administrators flexibility in how they manage the storage for end users. File virtualization may eliminate the dependency between data accessed at the file level and where the file is physically stored. This may enable optimization of storage usage, server consolidation, and / or non-disruptive file movement.

[0094] The hypervisor 524-4 may provide hardware virtualization technology that allows multiple operating systems (e.g., "guest operating systems") to run simultaneously on a host computer, such as the computing resource 524. The hypervisor 524-4 may present a virtual operating platform to the guest operating systems and may manage the execution of the guest operating systems. Multiple instances of different operating systems may share virtualized hardware resources.

[0095] Network 530 may include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, network 530 may include a cellular network (e.g., a Fifth Generation (5G) network, a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, a Third Generation (3G) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, etc.), a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a telephone network (e.g., a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, an optical fiber-based network, etc., and / or a combination of these or other types of networks.

[0096] The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in Figure 5 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be more, fewer, different, or differently arranged devices and / or networks than those shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in Figure 5 may be implemented within a single device, or a single device shown in Figure 5 may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally, or instead, a set of devices (e.g., one or more devices) of environment 500 may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by another set of devices in environment 500.

[0097] 6 is a diagram of example components of a device 600. The device 600 may correspond to a user device 510 and / or a platform 520. As shown in FIG. 6, the device 600 may include a bus 610, a processor 620, a memory 630, a storage component 640, an input component 650, an output component 660, and a communication interface 670.

[0098] Bus 610 includes components that enable communication between components of device 600. Processor 620 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Processor 620 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component. In some implementations, processor 620 includes one or more processors that can be programmed to perform functions. Memory 630 may include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory) that stores information and / or instructions for use by processor 620.

[0099] Storage component 640 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 600. For example, storage component 640 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and / or solid-state disk), compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, cartridge, magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive. Input component 650 includes components that enable device 600 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touchscreen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, buttons, switches, and / or a microphone). Additionally or alternatively, input component 650 may include sensors for sensing information (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator). Output components 660 include components that provide output information from device 600, such as a display, a speaker, and / or one or more Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

[0100] The communication interface 670 includes transceiver-like components (e.g., a transceiver and / or a separate receiver and transmitter) that enable the device 600 to communicate with other devices, such as via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. The communication interface 670 may enable the device 600 to receive information from and / or provide information to another device. For example, the communication interface 670 may include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a Radio Frequency (RF) interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, a cellular network interface, etc.

[0101] Device 600 may perform one or more processes described herein. Device 600 may perform these processes in response to processor 620 executing software instructions stored by a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory 630 and / or storage component 640. A computer-readable medium is defined herein as a non-transitory memory device. A memory device includes memory space within a single physical storage device or memory space spread across multiple physical storage devices.

[0102] The software instructions may be loaded into memory 630 and / or storage component 640 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communication interface 670. When executed, the software instructions stored in memory 630 and / or storage component 640 may cause processor 620 to perform one or more processes described herein.

[0103] Additionally, or instead, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement one or more processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0104] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 6 are provided as an example. In practice, device 600 may include more, fewer, different, or differently arranged components than those shown in Figure 6. Additionally or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 600 may include:

[0105] One or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 600 may be performed.

[0106] In an embodiment, any one of the operations or processes of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be implemented using any of the elements illustrated in FIGS.

[0107] According to embodiments, systems and methods are provided for implementing reconfiguration of one or more Open Cloud (O-Cloud) nodes within a telecommunications network's O-Cloud infrastructure, where the reconfiguration of the one or more O-Cloud nodes is based on monitoring and analyzing the performance of at least one O-Cloud node or at least one network function hosted thereon. In particular, the systems and methods provide a determination of whether the reconfiguration is successful and, in the event of a determination that the reconfiguration is unsuccessful, request restoration of the configuration of the at least one O-Cloud node to a state prior to receiving a reconfiguration request to the IMS (e.g., an original state). Monitoring and analyzing the performance of the at least one O-Cloud node and restoring it to a previous configuration state advantageously allows the O-Cloud node to be reconfigured without risking a deterioration in its performance. As a result, if the O-Cloud node or at least one network function hosted thereon fails to achieve a predetermined performance level (i.e., in the event of a reconfiguration failure), the SMO identifies a fallback that disables the O-Cloud node from accepting a degraded performance status but directs the O-Cloud node to continue in its pre-reconfiguration state.

[0108] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0109] Some embodiments may relate to systems, methods, and / or computer-readable media at any possible level of technical detail. Furthermore, one or more of the components described above may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). A computer-readable medium may include one or more computer-readable non-transitory recording media having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to perform operations.

[0110] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by an instruction-execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes portable computer diskettes, hard disks, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM) or flash memory, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), portable Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanically encoded devices such as punch cards or ridge structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer-readable storage medium, as used herein, should not be construed as being, per se, a transitory signal such as an electric wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a light pulse passing through a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0111] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to an individual computing / processing device or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fiber, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in the individual computing / processing device.

[0112] The computer-readable program code / instructions for performing operations may be either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembler instructions, Instruction-Set-Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for integrated circuits, or object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), may execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry to perform aspects or operations.

[0113] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, whereby the instructions executing on the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored on a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to function in a particular manner, whereby the computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture containing instructions that implement aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0114] The computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device and cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to generate a computer-implemented process, whereby the instructions executing on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0115] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer-readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). The methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media may include more, fewer, different, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in the figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur in a different order than noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, may be implemented by special-purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or actions or execute a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0116] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not intended to limit the implementation. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

Claims

1. Controlling, by an Infrastructure Management Service (IMS), a reconfiguration of at least one Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) node to be reconfigured, wherein the reconfiguration includes at least a restart of the at least one O-Cloud node, and the restart is triggered by a determination of performance degradation of at least one network function deployed on the at least one O-Cloud node; relocating, by the IMS, the at least one network function from the at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured; and notifying, by the IMS, a status of the reconfiguration.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the IMS, a reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node from a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) via an O2 interface, wherein the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node is triggered by the performance degradation of the at least one network function deployed on the at least one O-Cloud node.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reconfiguration request from the FOCOM is a request to reconfigure multiple O-Cloud nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the reconfiguration includes performing the reconfiguration sequentially on a plurality of O-Cloud nodes.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the informing includes notifying, by the IMS to a FOCOM, a first status of the reconfiguration of an O-Cloud node of the at least one O-Cloud node after initiating the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node and before the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node is completed.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the informing further comprises notifying the FOCOM by the IMS of a second status of the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node based on completion of the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the performance degradation of the at least one network function is identified based on an O1 interface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein whether to reconfigure the at least one O-Cloud node is determined by the IMS.

9. Controlling the reconfiguration of at least one Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) node to be reconfigured, wherein the reconfiguration includes at least a restart of the at least one O-Cloud node, the restart being triggered by a determination of performance degradation of at least one network function deployed on the at least one O-Cloud node; relocating the at least one network function from the at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured; an infrastructure management service (IMS) configured to notify a status of the reconfiguration.

10. The IMS comprises:

10. The system of claim 9, further configured to: receive a reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node from a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) via an O2 interface, wherein the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node is triggered by the performance degradation of the at least one network function deployed on the at least one O-Cloud node.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the reconfiguration request from the FOCOM is a request to reconfigure multiple O-Cloud nodes.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the IMS is configured to control the reconfiguration by sequentially performing the reconfiguration on multiple O-Cloud nodes.

13. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the IMS is configured to notify a FOCOM of a first status of the reconfiguration of an O-Cloud node of the at least one O-Cloud node after initiating the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node and before the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node is completed.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the IMS is further configured to notify the FOCOM of a second status of the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node based on completion of the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the performance degradation of the at least one network function is identified based on an O1 interface.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein whether to reconfigure the at least one O-Cloud node is determined by the IMS.

17. A program that causes one or more computers to execute a method, the method comprising: Controlling, by an Infrastructure Management Service (IMS), a reconfiguration of at least one Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) node to be reconfigured, wherein the reconfiguration includes at least a restart of the at least one O-Cloud node, and the restart is triggered by a determination of performance degradation of at least one network function deployed on the at least one O-Cloud node; relocating, by the IMS, the at least one network function from the at least one O-Cloud node to be reconfigured; and notifying, by the IMS, a status of the reconfiguration.

18. The method comprises:

18. The program of claim 17, further comprising receiving, by the IMS, a reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node from a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) via an O2 interface, wherein the reconfiguration request for the at least one O-Cloud node is triggered by the performance degradation of the at least one network function deployed on the at least one O-Cloud node.

19. The program of claim 18, wherein the reconfiguration request from the FOCOM is a request to reconfigure multiple O-Cloud nodes.

20. 18. The program of claim 17, wherein the notifying includes notifying, by the IMS to a FOCOM, a first status of the reconfiguration of an O-Cloud node of the at least one O-Cloud node after initiating the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node and before the reconfiguration of the O-Cloud node is completed.

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